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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Anyone used Morspeed for engines?

http://www.morspeed.co.uk/engines.htm

Found a reference to this company in the archives. Has anyone bought an engine from them? The self build "kit" looks a very cost effective way of obtaining a new engine.

Do these fit straight in??

Obviously if I decide to go for a new engine I will telephone them and have a chat but was just wondering if anyone has had experience with them already.
Stuart K

Stuart - I dont want to get caught in a firestorm but you might want to check out The Mini Forum (TMF) and see what they have to say....

Suffice to say that they are not complementary...

I use Peter May, MED, Swiftune, Peter Burgess and Keith Calver as my main suppliers.

PB for a new head, Swiftune for cams, bearings and related stuff, Keith for odds and sods, MED for pistons and PM for engineering but I am sure that others will have different options and preferred suppliers ;-)
Toby Anscombe

Stuart

It may be worth speaking to Coventry Boring & Metalling Co Ltd. A very keen midget owner called Dave Gilbert used to work there, I don't know if he still does (anybody?) but they have a good reputation for there work. All the advise you would ever need is available here, just try and state what you want from your engine and wait for the replys!

Cheers Carl
C Bintcliffe

Have you tried giving "My hot sexy girlfriend" a call, I know she is primarly into race engines, But I think she will do some stock stuff on the side Debroha Evans, she really knows her stuff. Certianly worth a look.

Prop
Prop

Dave Gilbert had an eight port Arden head on his Midget

With four Amal carbs it went like the wind

I would be happy to see Dave again.

If this is where Dave had his expertise from, that is a more than good enough commendation for me
Bill sdgpm

My old class C racer had a 1330cc Morspeed engine which I had built. I ran it for 2 seasons and was refreshed by Paul Inch Engineering. Nothing was worn, it went brilliantly and was as strong as anything else on the grid in that class and regularly beat the class b cars - if I hadn't spun off at Oulton I would have won the class. It never went wrong and never let me down.
Customer service, however, was not as good as the engine. There were delays and excuses which were very annoying. It was worth the wait, however, and I paid a lot less for the same spec as from some of the other names. I would consider them again, but would tie up the delivery date contractually before comissioning.
John Collinson

I recommended Coventry Boring & Metalling Co Ltd on the other thread about engine woes.

I've had my engine machining carried out by them for years, if not decades!
Dave O'Neill 2

My recommendation is for Rob Walker Engineering (RWE), Oxfordshire. He's been working on rally engines every season for a colleague of mine for decades now. Never once had a problem. He did my Sprite engine and I'm very impressed thus far.
Ant Allen

Simon Morton of Morspeed is a nice enough guy who does good work - we have one of his cylinder heads on our Class B car and the engine is putting out somewhere in the region of 150 bhp.

Having said that I feel that Roger Fabry of Sabre Heads does better work.

The over riding problem with Simon is the Customer Service or SEVERE lack of. I waited nearly 6 months for the head and some other components and was repeatedly lied to that they were ready/just about to be ready.

Part of the problem is that Simon is ex MED who are the major suppliers of A Series parts and for various reasons is 'persona non grata' with them.

Additionally he was supposed to have supplied us with a Paul Ivey billet crank but failed to do so despite having been paid for it. Additionally the order for roller rockers never materialised and the flywheel was not to the specification that I had requested. As a result it is likely that court action will be taken.


So, you pays yer money you takes yer choice. If you do use Morspeed go in with eyes wide open!


Stuart, if you are looking at a fresh build 1275 or larger drop me an EMail with your requirements and I could help you out.


Debs

Priestess Race Engines
Deborah Evans

HA!!!

There you go Stuart,

I like DEB Personally, she has really given me some great advice in the last 3 months during my engine build planning stages. which is not surpising as she has been involved with A-series and other race engines for like 20-25 years,and racing just as long. So she is definatly experianced, I think the one thing about Deb is she dosnt have a Large 27 person Staff like the other experts mentioned , she is pretty much independent, (A RARITY) so you can really work with her to get what you want, and know that its going to be done right (The 1st TIME)....Is she going to be the cheapest bid...NO!!! at least id hope not. you get what you pay for, example...

I once heard about a guy that had a new head put on his 1098, and this idiot mechanic that WAS the cheapist guy in town put on the wrong head, a 1275 head, and it beat the top of that 1098 engine block deck with its valves like a an uncle beating Bill young when he was 10 (a red headed step child)....did you hear about that story??...yeah the guy only owned the car like 2 days before the engine was trashed

Anyway with Debs insight and experiance with engines I think your money, time, and aggrevation ahead of the pack....she's worth a look in my opionion and Im sure all the others here on this BBS as well.

Prop
Prop

I've followed some of Morspeed's issues on the Minifinity forum. It seems he was too successful too quickly and made more promises/took more orders than he could deliver when he setup.

Earlier in the year I ordered a cam (PH3) and some bits and they came in a reasonable timeframe. (not next day - but I knew that when I ordered).

I've driven the engine with the cam in for the 1st time to day (bought it to work :-D ) so bit early to give full impressions.
Dean Smith ('73 RWA)

Hi Prop

I hope you don't think that I have a 27 person staff? I have Keith, my stepson who has been with me 13 years, Brian who is 72 and helps some Tuesdays and Jordan who joined us two years ago whilst at school and has been with us full time for nearly a year! I can also testify to my independance which I fight for fiercely...that is why I will never be rich, but I can sleep at night and look at myself in the mirror :)
I also have my own rolling road so I have to put my money where my mouth is if someone is struggling to get the best from my work(it means I get to learn a lot about tuning too and lots of bhp research!) we do all our own head work, make all our own guides, do all our own rolling road tuning, flow bench work and piston design, all we have to outwork is crank grinding and reboring. Dave Gollan helps with our book writing and development work and my good lady wife Sandra does the books once a week.

Peter
peter burgess

Sorry peter,

I was talking in generic genral terms, I wasnt aware you had such a limited staff, it seems most companys have a NAME on the sign, but flunky's in the shop, As you say, you will never get rich doing it yourself, but then having a huge staff doing it for you never produces a high quality product/service at the end of the day

I to am an independent, I tried the employee thing when I 1st started out, and there is just no way you will ever get the kind of perfection I try to achive in the houses I work in, I have always found indepents to care the most about the work they do, to others its just a paycheck(agian genralizing)....at least thats my scence of it. but thhen I have always had a micro-managment style until proven other wise, then its total Macro...finding that middle ground Ive never been good at.

agian no indignation or contempt was intended, just my 2 cents worth of opinion on my vote for Deb being an independent as well.

Prop
Prop

This thread was discussed between 19/05/2009 and 21/05/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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