|
Druid
Original Poster
973 posts
50 months
|
na said: jealous of you  There's a pattern emerging! 
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
Druid said: dont be so stingy with your size of filthy photo, if it was bigger I could see what other bits I could be getting
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
as you've upset me . . . I'll mention just beeen posting about oil coolers, which reminds me I found the following in an earlier print of Haynes (not that I'm a fan of Haynes - normally) 'When using the car for stop/start motoring,(?) or in cold weather, the oil cooler should be covered to prevent over cooling' you could prehaps include a thermostat, then you have to sort the type and find the space to fit it (and wonder if it's working) I think an oil cooler might be handy if you do a lot of heavy towing but if not then thoroughly clean, whole, coolant system and all the components in good working order and perhaps higher quality oil then that all helps to keep the oil cooler  ETA: perhaps an electric instead of engine driven fan too
|
|
|
Druid
Original Poster
973 posts
50 months
|
Bad news Nigel................She breathes again!
|
|
|
Druid
Original Poster
973 posts
50 months
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
 that all looks very iffy - like a show car, I don't think it'll take being driven any distance further than the MoT station or local sunny show give it up now before you blow it up I think you should consider using it as a donor vehicle  I could do with a couple of TREs and steering rack gaiters as the rubbish rubber on the one I had fitted only 6 months ago have split - s  t parts  EFS
|
|
|
Druid
Original Poster
973 posts
50 months
|
The old girl looks nothing like a show car at the moment following successful open heart surgery! I was rather pleased when she started without too much complaint. Next month she will be off to her new friend at the garage for a MOT and a bit of tweaking then it will be 'that road' to Whitby in the glorious Summer we are going to have. Must also read those books I’ve been persuaded to buy!
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
Druid said: Next month she will be off to her new friend at the garage for a MOT and a bit of tweaking then it will be 'that road' to Whitby in the glorious Summer we are going to have. Must also read those books I’ve been persuaded to buy! you might be best to read some books before the MoT - I always do an additional grease of the front suspension before an MoT in case I get a young person and they say 'there's a little play' last time I was on a road to Whitby even with the narrow Midget tyres we were aquaplaning as we got the full Yorshire 'sunrays', the clouds were not so much leaking as evacuating we of corse managed to get to Beck Hole for some excellent ale and very pleasant local company next night in the pub we were stoping at we saw on the local TV news the very pub as there was a threat of it and the village being flooded again, luckily the owner assured us our group didn't need to move our cars as that part of the village hadn't been flooded for 7 years when we left next morning instead of turning left and going a short distance to the by-pass I turned right and went throught the village, on fast idle choke as we went over a small hump bridge there was the ice and we went for a spin - well Yorkshire in November only to be expected
|
|
|
Druid
Original Poster
973 posts
50 months
|
Well overdue update: Fully rebuilt with newly machined cylinder head and new valves, springs etc but running badly, actually only firing on four cylinders whilst on full choke! Once warmed I lost cylinder 3 although I had ignition and compression and fuel (or so I thought!) I checked everything I could think of electrics, tappets, timing but stopped short of doing too much with the carbs where I thought the problem might lie but was a bit reluctant to fiddle too much with them, after all cylinder 4 was firing. So off to the bearded, fingerless gloved expert (Phil, top man!} for follow up diagnosis and MOT.  I tested the experts quite well and the final diagnosis went something like this: The gaskets that I hadn't replaced (I know!) were the ones integral to the carb assembly and we believe air was being drawn in and due to design starving cylinder 3 of fuel once the choke was pushed in but not cylinder 4. So carbs balanced and she is throbbing nicely again. The MOT sailed through and the 12 mile drive home was probably the best 12 miles I have driven in any car ever!
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
well done
after a certain point believe me it gets a lot more likely that modern made parts and recent work will be what lets you and the car down
not so bad when it's your mistakes as least you haven't paid . . .
. . . mustn't go into rant, keep calm
if you thought that 12 miles was good then glad to say it will get even better will regula, well you know
enjoy
|
|
|
nickwilcock
1,026 posts
116 months
|
Somewhat individual styling features on your Midget.
The grille should really be black and I've never seen a bonnet bulge on a Midget before. Mine had pancake filters which easily fitted under the normal bonnet.
Black sills should really have a chrome strip and 'MIDGET' logo.
Round arch model, but thankfully no rubber bumpers!
I had 2 Midgets in the early 1970s and they were great little cars. The original steering wheel was too big and the best size to use was 13½". My second car had an oil temperature gauge, ammeter and clock in a centre panel, which required a shortened gear lever. The oil used to get quite hot if I drove for long periods at 70 mph - somwhere around 110-120ºC. The electrical system was a bit weak; with high beam and 2 spotlights on, the ammeter showed a small discharge at all rpm. Go to dipped beam and it would shoot over to the positive side, so the battery certainly got some exercise! Dipped beam and 2 foglights were OK though. The boy racer in me fitted Fiamm 'sprint' air horns; using those certainly caused the ammeter to twitch significantly!
An Aley 'aerodynamic' roll bar fitted neatly under the roof, but the padded vinyl covering was poorly attached - typical 1972 build quality!
The car only let me down once when the thermostat by-pass hose split and sprayed coolant all over the plugs etc. But soon fixed by the AA. On another occasion the clutch release bearing started to play up, so that was an engine out job at a local place....
But the end came when 3rd gear went in the middle of Wales. I staggered on for a few weeks with just 1st, 2nd and top, but I needed a bigger car, so reluctantly the MG went and a Fiat 1300SL coupe took its place. On reflection, I should have had the gearbox fixed and fitted a boot rack. The roof was far from weather proof and many a time I had to borrow the air horn hose to siphon water out of the driver's footwell. Damp would also cause the radio cassette player's drive band to jump off the pulleys, so I became quite adept at whipping the bottom off the unit and refitting the drive band. But the speakers in the board behind the seats gave an excellent bass sound.
Hope you maange to fix yours up OK - and have as much fun with it as I did with mine, particularly DGX511H!
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
Interesting tale from back in the day  some things have improved since then as regards the car and its running, some have not, even a mediocre hood should be water tight now it’s just the poor quality or copy of the seals that let the water in and modern oils and coolants should keep temperatures in line more I used to give away a by-pass hose kit, it was two round-edged clips and an off-cut of straight walled but very flexible silicone hose, again rubber hoses have been (are?) untrustworthy A lot who use their cars fit alternators or uprated alternators and H4 bulbs some with relays (not me) so they find the headlight good but a couple of spots might be useful in Wales the grille is just naked or without its black overcoat, at about £150 for a new version or £80 for an alternative I’d stick to that one plus it looks similar to the previous AH version as for chrome strip and Midget letters that would mean more to rust and holes drilled I don’t think Druid is too worried about concours points legal or not the black number plate would probably also be wrong from new as that would have been old fashioned then most dealers would want the cars out with the more modern looking reflective number plates that had already been used for many years by then please, please remind any displayers of early 70s show cars you see of this if they have black number plates on and also the concours judges that think they know everything, if they must be so pedantic then more grist for their mill I have loads and unless I’ve read it wrong I think you’ve had a memory lapse as the round wheel arches were before the rubber bumper which went back to square I can forgive the minor blemishes on Druid’s car as I look on it as a donor . . . and I think the bonnet bulge was my comment rather than fact if you’ve got any old photos of your Midgets there are threads on where PHers will be very pleased to see them, me included
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
a MG with the registration DGX 511H looks like it might still be about
The vehicle details for DGX 511H are:
Date of Liability 01 05 2013
Date of First Registration 02 06 1970
Year of Manufacture 1970
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1275cc
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type PETROL
Export Marker N
Vehicle Status SORN Not Due
Vehicle Colour GREEN
Vehicle Type Approval Not Available
|
|
|
nickwilcock
1,026 posts
116 months
|
DGX511H was painted Bronze Yellow during my ownership which was from 1972 - 1976; the car was sold to a dealer in Cambridgeshire in part exchange for the Fiat 128SL 1300 coupe.  In those days, there were strict rules about positioning of spotlights and foglights, hence the odd, but legal location. You'll note that it had wire wheels. Looked nice, but an utter $od to clean! Amongst other toys fitted was a Peco 'big twin' rear silencer. Channging down and flooring it through the Picadilly underpass with the top down, it sounded to my ears like the Monaco tunnel! On my way back to university once from Somerset, as I was waiting for the lights to change somewhere on the Brompton Road, a Roller pulled alongside and the occupants asked me if I knew where the Playboy Club was. I realised later that they were the members of a well-known pop group of the day. I drove that little car for tens of thousands of miles across the UK and it took me and all my wordly possessions between various RAF aerodromes during my flying training. I do hope that the stout-hearted little thing has been preserved by subsequent owners; I'd dearly love to know if it's still roadworthy. In my last year at Queen Mary College, the MG was my daily transport from South Woodford to Mile End. I never locked it when I parked it; if someone wanted to break in, they could open the door rather than slashing the hood. But this was only a few years after The Twins had held power in East London and there was very little in the way of casual crime....word would soon reach any ne'er do well contemplating such villainy that such activity wasn't approved of on 'Their' manor. PS - yes, you're right about the rounded arches. Mine was a 1970 car, rounded arches appeared in 1972 and the awful rubber bumpers and increased ride height in 1974, with squared arches. I drove a 1500 once; better gearbox but they'd ruined the handling.
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
Excellent period photo bronze yellow really appeals to me for early 70s Midget I almost bought one in that colour plenty of lights plus racing wing mirrors, forward aerial and roll bar all boy racer stuff, except the AA grille badge I agree about wire wheels anything after 1950s doesn’t need or suit IMO The 51 1H spacing was odd then and wouldn’t pass today, was there a reason for it? a 2 year old sports car whilst at Uni, even most spoilt modern kids don’t get that whether it’s still roadworthy might depend on how long it’s been on SORN, it might be in the process of a restoration to go back on the road or it might remain rotting away until it’s too far gone I think the lack of paid road tax can work against some cars as those that buy the later models that need road tax paying for (possibly) are more likely to actually use the cars more often at least part of the year any more photos? oh, yes most Midgets today are also missing that BL badge
|
|
|
nickwilcock
1,026 posts
116 months
|
I have a few other photos somewhere, as well as some of my first Midget, NVT161F which was a 1967 model 1275cc in British Racing Green. It also had the ammeter / clock / oil temp. gauge / shortened gear stick mod.s. But I spun it through a hedge avoiding someone on the wrong side of the road...the local MG place (which had just sold my father a new MGB GT) took the remains in part exchange (£100...) and I then bought DGX511H with a small legacy on my 21st. I was also being paid by the RAF, which meant that money wasn't short - I was very lucky!
I'd never noticed the 51 1H spacing before! A photo I have of the rear shows the same spacing on the rear plate.
They were fun little cars - and simple enough for anyone to work on. Not that fast, a 6 gall tank and about 30 mpg weren't exactly conducive to long journeys. But what fun!
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
mid 60s models with those add-ons could still be on the road today, I know of a similar one that's a daily classic
however the registration at least -
The vehicle details for NVT 161F are:
Date of Liability 01 05 1986
Date of First Registration 16 08 1967
Year of Manufacture Not Available
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1275cc
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type PETROL
Export Marker N
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour GREEN
Vehicle Type Approval Not Available
this has the registration at least not being used after 1986
the 51 1H spacing on your other Midget was odd was there a reason for it?
|
|
|
nickwilcock
1,026 posts
116 months
|
Well, somone obviously repaired NVT161F as it survived another 15 years after I'd spun it through the hedge!
I've no idea why the 51 1H spacing was like that - I'd never noticed it until you pointed it out.
NVT161F was a bit of a lemon when I'd had it. The bonnet didn't fit properly and it had a brand new hood, so I guess it might have been in an accident before I bought it from John Britten's in Arkley. I drove it up to RAF Newton and found I couldn't open the bonnet to check the oil, so out came the AA to free it. On my way home to Somerset, the speedometer failed; then I was pulled over on the A46 by the police for no particular reason. Later I was stuck in a jam on Pennsylvania Hill and unable to pull over to put the hood up, so got utterly soaked.
There was also something wrong with the cranckase emission thing, because occasionally after moderate braking and subsequent acceleration, clouds of white smoke would come out of the exhaust. Maybe it was just oil surge? The garage couldn't find the problem, but it didn't affect performance. On one occasion it jammed in gear when I was doing about 60 mph, so I fought it on the brakes until I could find somewhere to pull, in then turned off the engine and had it recovered - whilst I had a cup of tea with a delightful young lady into whose drive I'd pulled in. I recall that her Siamese cat took an instant shine to me, something it didn't normally do as it was wary of strangers. Which broke the ice.......
|
|
|
na
6,596 posts
103 months
|
the NTV registration might have been used on another car unless you think the registration date is for your car in which case it’s great odds that the other car was registered on the same day – woaw, that could have been put better
interesting point about engine breather and smoking as this has been discussed an the Midget BBS for that age of Spridget
always interesting times with these cars – what (modern) car excuse could you use now to chat up someone
please post more photos if you find them
|
|
