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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - No regrets? Dual oil pressure gauge.

I hope whoever bought this, doesn't regret it. Anybody here?

http://tinyurl.com/k9r4cs6

I posted about this before. Now it's bidding at £30.12. Crazy, unless the description is wrong.


"Hi there and welcome to the auction of my MGB oil / temp gauge, It looks in good condition and was working when removed, I have not checked the gauge as I don't have the equipment and the capillary pipe has been cut. "
Lawrence Slater

Bit confused, what is there to regret? Assuming it works, whoever has saved £50.

Malcolm.
M Le Chevalier

" ---- and the capillary pipe has been cut."

Does that give you a clue?
Lawrence Slater

ooooooohh! Just like what I did with mine! :-D

I read that as "the oil capillary". Yeah, if it is temperature then it's only really fit for the bin. I replaced with individual TIM gauges at £20 a pop.

Malcolm
M Le Chevalier

It could have been a misprint, and meant to read, " -- and the capillary pipe has('NT) been cut."

But Nigel said he messaged the seller. If the seller got the message, he still didn't change the wording. So my guess is, the temp gauge function, doesn't function. lol.

Hope you gets yer money back buyer. ;).
Lawrence Slater

Here's a view of the back...


Dave O'Neill 2

LOL.
Lawrence Slater

I thought I'd "cut" my capillary pipe the other week. Foolishly I hadn't disconnected the battery and was trying to neaten up the route of the said pipe after re-furbishing the heater box. Suddenly there was a veritable firework display as the pipe contacted a live contact at the starter solenoid....
Let's just say I'm very glad that there was a spiral coil of protective wire around the pipe. It was completely severed by the arcing but leaving the capillary intact. Luckily all still works!
Moral of the story is to isolate the battery before starting on any work under the bonnet in future I guess....
Dominic Excell

Its a great looking paper weight, or even a home front door spy glass



It could be made into a good looking clock (faux gauge)


Or a secret place to hide your weed.

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Its a great looking paper weight, or even a home front door spy glass



It could be made into a good looking clock (faux gauge)


Or a secret place to hide your weed.

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

seller replied to me that the capillary tube could be repaired and refilled and that there are videos on the net showing this that I could have searched for before asking the question

normally I would have but I’ve still a very tenuous internet connect as my hub was fried by the thunderstorm we had

he did seem to turn tetchy when I told him I wasn't buying just informing - it did remind me a bit of what Judge Judy says "no good deed will go unpunished"

I'm still not able to confirm his information but as he has 100% feedback I'll accept it unless told differently
Nigel Atkins

Sure, it can be repaired, if you have the tube, the stuff to fill it with, and the tools you need. So it maybe that someone with all of that, has bought it.

However, I rather suspect that the buyer has bought a dud, without realising it, since it was described as "working when removed" and "USED".

Ebay definition.
"Used: An item that has been previously used. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended."

I suppose he could argue that the gauge does work, just not the tube. lol.

Lawrence Slater

I'm not interested in complicated repairs but others seem to enjoy tackling them

I took some, if very small and unsuccessful, action on the listing and wished I hadn't, but would probably do the same again perhaps on another occasion - or perhaps not bother if I remember this occasion
Nigel Atkins

Nigel,

I know you wish you hadnt, but im glad you took the action you did, and his response, pretty much spells out his true nature.....

Yes ive heard you can repair these as well, and im sure thats true... but how many people have the tools and the ability to repair this.... if its so common and easy to do, then why dosnt the seller just fix it, being that he broke it and get a much better price

Unfortantly the way ebay has established its rules its mainly in favor of the seller... I dont think sellers can now be given bad marks... only nutrel or positive allowed, only buyers can now be judged poorly...theres a slight chance im wrong,but not much

But clearly because he is so touchy it to me shiws he is trying to pull the sheet on someone, and dosnt care who.

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Ebay is skewed very much in favour of the buyer.

Buyers can no longer receive negative feedback, but sellers can.

It will be interesting to see how this one develops.
Dave O'Neill 2

Agian... thanks for the correction dave...lol

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Trouble is Dave, we don't know who bought it, so we'll never know, will we?

He could be shot down in flames, if Nigel was willing to complain directly to ebay. Since he has an email trail with the buyer, he can prove that the ad wasn't an accidental wording error. The seller did know that it was not working, even though he described it 'twice' as working.

At best it was a misleading ad, and it could easily fool a novice buyer. -- As it may have done. Or a restorer may have bought it, and it will be up again for 75 quid.

On the other hand, buyer beware. I ALWAYS read the ad's properly. I saw that because I'm on the look out for a gauge. The first thing I noticed was the wording, and that raised a flag for me. If I had considered buying it, I'd have messaged him first to confirm the description. Any buyer, could have done the same as Nigel.

So I can't feel too sorry for the buyer of this.

More generally, I agree, sellers have great protection on ebay. I'm no longer so fussy about buying from a seller with less than 100% feedback. Many sellers have less, beacause of unfair and dodgy buyers. Of the very few times I've had problems, I've had my money back in less than a week. A quick compaint, and if the buyer doesn't refund, then ebay does. Of course you have to be right in the first place. But many buyers expect too much, over and above what's on offer. Or make a mistake themselves, and then expect a full refund.

It does seem a bit odd, that a seller can't give a buyer -ve feedback.
Lawrence Slater

Good try Nigel with the seller

Speedograph Richfield may be able to repair such a gauge:
http://www.speedograph-richfield.com/html/dual_gauge.html But at what cost.

Lawrence - have you tried Andy Jennings for a secondhand dual gauge with intact capillary tube and bulb?

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

Mike,
are you recommending Speedograph Richfield as I need someone to sort my speedo
Nigel Atkins

Nigel

I have no recent direct experience of Soeedograph Richfield, but they are a long-established company often used by kit car builders and classic car restorers.

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

Why go the risky route of a used gauge on ebay when you can buy new for less?

http://www.leacyclassics.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=dual+gauge&cat=
dominic clancy

all the midget ones are out of stock...
David Smith

dont understand ebay I have just sold a working one and only got £18.00. I got it at a car boot for £2.50.
mark 1500 on the road Preston Lancs

I didn't see that ad mark.
Lawrence Slater

Mike,
thanks for your reply
Nigel Atkins

Doesn't have to be a midget one, just change the face over, really easy to do. AFAIK all the bulb fittings are the same MGA,B, Midget.
dominic clancy

This thread was discussed between 27/07/2014 and 31/07/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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