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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Rubber to Chrome


How easy is it to change a rubber bumper car to chrome?

Is it just a matter of changing front wings along with the crossmember and springs etc.? Or is it more involved, with major bodywork needed?

Thanks

Andy
a borris

There is body work required under the tail lamps, and on the rear valence, and front wings. In the archives you will find as many threads on this as there are threads on tyre size.
Trevor-Jessie

Trevor's right.

BTW, if it was me, I wouldn't go as far as to modify the crossmember. I understand that it was changed to raise the ride height, but you can compensate with different springs or a lowering kit. The rubber-to-chrome swap is largely cosmetic, and really doesn't require major surgery like crossmember mods.

Other guys have done clever things to their front turn indicators to integrate them into the 1500 wings, but if you're really serious about making a project out of a bumper swap, a set of earlier wings isn't a bad idea, especially if you want to lower the ride height in front. The 1500 wings moved the wheel arch down a bit, relative to the earlier wings, to keep the arch concentric to the wheel. Fitting earlier wings, and lowering the front to pre-1500 level, would give you proper lights and wheel/arch appearance.

Just my opinion,

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

Hi Andy

Save yourself some cost & effort and do what many of the CB fraternity do... remove the bumpers all together...

A
Anthony

Im with Ant!

Mine is a 1975(rubber bumper) but removed the bumpers, done the cosmetics and lowering and left it without any bumpers at all.
I so like the looks of the bumpeless spridgets(beside the weight advantage ;-) ).



Arie de Best

Just go with the naked look, it's much better.
Brad
B Richards

And on the rear I just made some pieces to go under the lights and sme blanking panels to cover the old bumper mountings.

Carl


C Bintcliffe


It's just that I've been offered a cheap, but good "dry state" rust free 1975 shell and I'm contemplating using it to replace my 1970 shell.

I'd swap wings and other bits from my car, it's really just a cheap way to get the welding done on my Sprite.
a borris

Weld in a new(or good old) rear panel which already has 1/2 the mouldings for under the rearlights and perhaps cut and weld the old ones from your old shel.

BUT!!! im not sure how easy its gonna be to fit a 1275 in the 1500 engine bay?

Cutting strengthning(only on US 1500) where the steering comes out in engine bay...
Crosmember for gearbox is the same but dont know about the holes for gearboxbracket mounting...
Front crosmember(near pully) should not give a problem at all...
Not sure about the space between your carbs and the strenght iron tube which goes to front where bumper is attached...
I see no problems with mounting enginebrackets to crosmember...

Watch out with removing the doors as they are twice as heavy because of build in metalbar sideimpactsystem.

Does the car still has its US LHD dashboard(with or without gauges) im intrested.

Keep the 3 wiperblade installation, all uk-spridgets will envy you. ;-)
And save the colapsoble steering colum(can it be fitted to rhd steringrack?)


Arie de Best

If your going to convert to chrome bumpers, I would make the front clip a one peice and hinge at the front, much easier to install the CB.

I would use a ford kent engine looks just like a 1275 and has a 7 port crossflow head...rated at 125 hp factory with lots of high performance upgrades


you will have to google "Kent crossflow engine"

as the BBS sensors are on high alert, and I cant get anytthing to post


Id certianly look into it...I think they are fairly common in the UK


prop
Prop

http://www.burtonpower.com/technical_1/kent_crossflow.aspx


MMMMmmm ....maybe this site will get past BBS sensors

prop
Prop

Why? Why do so many buy RB midgets then want to trash them and turn them to something they're not? I'm a proud owner of a '79 Mk IV Midget that rooled out of Abdington in August of '78 with all of the US required safety and emission equipment. If you want a Chrome Bumpered Midget, round wheeel arches, 1275cc, all that "cool" crap; then why don't you just buy one? Maybe I'm just too muchj of a hard A$# but I wouldn't change a solid rear window 'Vett to a split window 'Vette...Or a GT350 Mach1 to a hurst or whatever. I would/n't try to change a less desireable Baracuda to a more desireable one. Maybe I'm just out of touch? I like the way my rubber Bumpers blend into the design of the car. I appreciate the added safety (even though it's 30 years past). Everytone's crying about the environment 'till it comes down to emission controls. If you have a late model Midget and don't like it-sell it. Save your pennies for a Chrome Bumper model. Let those of us that like, and can appreciate later models have a go at it. Besides everyone's gonna know that it's just a RB 1500 conversion anyway.

rant off.
I realise that different people like different things and I'm all for it. It's just that this, like many other things,bugs me even though I accept the fact that I have no right to impose my thoughts on anyone else. I do however reserve the right to agrivate people that don't agree with me for amusement purposes.
Mike T
Mike Taylor


I understand your point and sympathise with it as well, on the other I'm talking about a bare shell, not a complete car.

It would have been a cheap and easy alternative to welding my shell, however, I've decided against using it.

Not that there's anything wrong with it, but rather, my Sprite wouldn't be "my" Sprite! It would lose it's identity and I'd lose the memories that are enclosed in the car.

Andy
a borris

This thread was discussed between 25/09/2008 and 27/09/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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