MG Midget - My First Classic

[Martin350]

e30m3Mark said:

Excellent.

You're doing a cracking job there.

LewG said:

I really admire what a thorough job you're doing of literally everything, it's surely going to be one of the best Midgets in the country when it's done? Always fancied one for a bit of a laugh but never scratched the itch for some reason!

mwstewart said:

Great work.

Thanks!

As for being one of the best Midgets, no chance!
I've said before on here, this is far from a nut and and bolt concours restoration.
I'm very much an amature with limited facilities, so there are bits that are a long way from perfect, and mistakes have been made along the way.
I just want to end up with a tidy, sound, usable old car.

I've not had much time on it recently but I've cleaned and painted a few more bits, including the inlet manifold, and I sprayed the exhaust manifold in very high temperature grey/silver.



I've also refitted the gear lever, gaiters and centre console carpet.
I've not put new carpets in, I'll give these ones a clean later, but I quite like the idea of leaving a little patina / originality in the car.
If I change my mind later, a carpet change wouldn't be too difficult or expensive.

Edited by Martin350 on Monday 11th June 01:11

[Martin350]

All the heater / coolant hoses are on, some fuel pipes / hoses, speedo cable, manifolds, downpipe and carburettors too.

It's starting to look a lot like an engine again!

Edited by Martin350 on Thursday 14th June 20:51

[Martin350]

There are a few electrical (I hate electrics!) teething troubles, and still some more to do, but....




The engine runs!

[Martin350]

This evening I had an unexpected couple of hours tinkering time so I turned my attention to the rear end.

The state of this, although not horrendous, simply will not do!

But the previous owner had fitted, not long before I bought it, a new fuel tank which is a nice little bonus.





I've already bought new brake drums, shoes and wheel cylinders in anticipation, but after taking the drums off it seems it wasn't necessary!



Anyway, it's all coming apart to be cleaned, painted, any issues I find dealt with and new suspension bushes, handbrake cable, drop links etc fitted.

[Coakers]

Just read the entire thread, inspiring work, getting close now

[Martin350]

Thanks.

And yes, there isn't really much to the back end of these so I don't think it'll take very long to tidy it up and sort out a few other little bits and pieces around the car.

I'm starting to thing that it might actually be on the road later this year...

[Paul S4]

I had forgotten that a Midget had 'cart springs' on the back..... they look so radically different these days when everything else has coil springs etc !!

IIRC that will give the car a firm ride ( a pal of mine years ago had a 74 M reg chrome bumper one and the ride seemed quite hard as compared to my 73 MGBGT I had at the same time )

All looks quite straightforward under there though, so that should make things a bit easier !

Not long now until it is completed I guess...!

[mathew-t6qh2]

Hi Martin, really enjoying the thread and looking forward to seeing more updates of your rear end, once it's been tidied up. That sounds very wrong but you know what I mean.

[Martin350]

Thanks.
I'm hoping to get a few hours in after work in the evenings next week, been a bit busy this week.

[Martin350]

I had a little bit of time (less than two hours) spare on saturday and, quite surprisingly to me, I got the rear axle out. I thought it would take longer and be more hassle.

I still need to remove the leaf springs.

[Martin350]

It's been a slow couple of months but a little more progress made:

Propshaft cleaned and painted;



New rear brake lines made;



All the rear suspension is now out, stripped, and some of it cleaned and painted;





Tonight I finished cleaning and undersealing the rear bulkhead, boot floor, rear panel and inside the left hand wheel arch.







Next job, clean and paint the rear axle and put it all back together, when I get hold of some new rear springs.

[ChrisMadge]

I have read this thread with interest. I have a very similar car, 1975 1500 Midget, same colour, and also a Gold Seal engine. Mine was in a fairly bad state and taken a lot of work to get it back on the road.

How do you know your engine was Gold Seal apart from the colour ? Was it documented ?

[Martin350]

Hi.
Yes, there is documentation in the history file showing that a Gold Seal engine was fitted in, I think, 1987 at roughly 45,000 miles.

Progress has been non-existent on mine lately but I plan to get back on it soon.

Feel free to post some photos of yours, I'd like to see them.

[mathew-t6qh2]

Martin I have read this soo many times and can't believe you have taken a break when you are so close.
Summer is almost here and there is going to be nothing better than heading to the pub in the MG. So get some more done and keep taking lots of pictures to inspire the ones of us who are not going to be ready this summer!
cheers,
mat

[Martin350]

Hi Mat.
It's funny you should say that now.
I've had a bit of a funny old time the last couple of months and got side-tracked with a few things.

Anyway, I almost put an update up the other night, but didn't have any photos that were good / interesting enough.

This week I've taken the rear axle casing and brake backplates to be blasted and powder coated which I'm hoping to have back on monday.
I've also fitted a new handbrake cable, bolted the propshaft to the gearbox, filled the gearbox with oil and I've cleaned / painted a load of brackets and mounting parts for the rear suspension.
I've tried bleeding the clutch a couple of times but not getting a pedal. I'm hoping it's a hydraulic issue due to having new master and slave cylinders and that I don't have to pull the engine back out, that would be a bit of a set back.

Also, I've next week off work, with hardly anything planned except putting the rear axle, suspension and brakes back together, as well as some other stuff, so hopefully there will be some significant updates coming soon!

And, on june 18th the car will be 40 years old, so no road tax. Which is handy because I'm broke!


How far off are you with yours?
Got any pics?

[mathew-t6qh2]

Hey Martin,

Glad we are going to be getting some updated pictures shortly and hope you get some decent weather as it's nicer working on the car when it's a sunny day, well I find anyway.

Would be interested to hear how much the powder coating is costing, as looking to get a few things done myself.

For mine I have decided to work from the back of the car forward and was hoping everything wouldn't take as longs as it does. Still am enjoying the project but can't wait to be driving it. My last weekend was focused fitting the seats and then running a few items in the engine bay, speedo cable, fuel line, bonnet release, while removing the cylinder head and giving it a clean and some paint. I have some bad pictures I took of the engine bay, due to my lack of care and attention to getting decent pictures. I should put more effort in as I do really enjoy seeing other peoples updates and work, helps with the motivation of the never ending project.

I have been interested in looking at peoples cable and wiring routing, as trying to keep everything as clean as possible, so like what you did with running the fuse box wiring out of the choke or oil temp sensor hole. Means less ugly taped wires in the engine bay, as you just drop straight onto the fuse box.

Hopefully shouldn't take you to long to get the rear rebuilt, then you should be ready for summer in you very cheap to run classic car. Should really check when my hits 40 also!

[mathew-t6qh2]

[Martin350]

Wow Mat, yours looks like it's going to be way tidier than mine when you're done, good work!

The wiring routing on mine is the same as when I got the car, I think it's factory standard..?

I collected these this morning:



They quoted me £90 to blast, mask and powder coat them but charged £80, which I thought was quite reasonable.
I do have to clean the inside of the axle tube which I'll try and do tomorrow.

It was a nice sunny day today so it was good to spend half of it in the garage.
I got all of the rear suspension back in, a few more little brackets cleaned and painted and I made a start cleaning up the differential.

[mathew-t6qh2]

That's a great price for the finish and your back end is looking very tidy.

It's strange mine is a 79 however my wiring loom drop is from the left of the car, when looking head on. Was checking a few pictures out else where online yesterday and noticed other people had the same hole for the loom as you. So thought I might make myself a hole and be like everyone else.

So once the back if yours is back together what do you have left to finish before you are back on the road?
Cheer Mat

[Martin350]

Thanks, I'm quite proud of my back end, ha!

Once that is done I've got to bleed the brakes, bleed the clutch, fit the front anti roll bar, set the ignition timing, fix a slight problem with the engine electrics (it starts but doesn't switch off), fit the bonnet and front bumper & indicators and give it a good clean and polish.

Not that much at all really!