MG Midget - My First Classic

[Martin350]

I've just realised it's been five months since I updated this!

I've got a few more bits done:

Dashboard built back up and fitted, as well as the facia panel below it.
The after market clock from the 1980s had never been wired in or even clamped in, so I made up a bracket and sorted the wiring;



The flitch panel repair was finished off and painted which allowed me to fit the new ignition coil, the screen washer bottle and the wiper motor, which is much easier with the wing off, so I can now refit that too;



I missed getting it on the road for the end of summer by a considerable margin, so lets try for next summer!

Edited by Martin350 on Tuesday 31st October 20:30

[Martin350]

e21Mark said:

Martin350 said:

I am thinking of writing to him, letting him know what I've been doing, and offering for him to come and see it.

I'm betting he'd really appreciate that.

When I bought the car the owner mentioned that they were moving house.
I guess I was too late.

[Martin350]

That looks great, and not at all wreck like!

Good colour too.

Did you do the chrome bumper conversion, it looks ace!?


I had a rare three hour stint on it tonight, although quite a bit of that was rummaging through boxes finding parts and fixings that I'd stashed away many months ago, but got a few more things fitted in the engine bay.
Heater box, battery, fixing bracket and a seemingly necessary buffer between the battery and bulkhead so it doesn't crush the clutch hose, the coolant tank, starter solenoid (which I wished I'd fitted before the heater box!) and I unmasked the engine wiring loom.

[Martin350]

Cambs_Stuart said:

But it remains the only car I've ever owned that girls asked for a ride in.

That reminds me of an evening many years ago when I had a modified Mk2 Escort and a mate's girlfriend asked me to take her for a drive in it.
I drove it quite enthusiastically, she said nothing, it was only when I stopped to let her out again I saw that she was crying!

(Just to add, if she'd asked me to slow down I would have).

Cambs_Stuart said:

As one girl said: "anyone confident enough to drive something called a midget is probably not compensating for something".

I'll report back on how many girls I pull in it, although my other half isn't interested in it in the slightest.

Vdubbman said:

I've read your post with interest and not a little nostalgia!

I know a lot of these cars were built but I've been really surprised at how many passers by have seen me tinkering in the garage and come over to look at the car and tell their stories of Midget / Sprite ownership, and I'm always happy to talk cars with anyone.

Mr2Mike said:

You are at exactly the right stage to repurpose the Triumph engine and gearbox as a boat parking brake and fit something a little more modern I hear a few people have used MX5 lumps.

Yes, I've seen a lot of converted cars online, even one with a Ford V8.
I have done a couple of engine conversions before so I do 'get it' and they can be great, but I want to keep this one to mostly original spec.

[Martin350]

shalmaneser said:

This project looks great! will be watching with interest.

I'm always astounded at the complexity of the front suspension of older cars - all those grease ports and castle nuts! I'd be tempted to knock up some rubber bushed wishbones to replace all that stuff but I guess that's part of the appeal of these older cars.

Is the front damper that cylindrical unit?

Best of luck with the build, looks like it's progressing nicely.

Thank you!

And yes, I've never had a car with so many grease points.
The front suspension is actually very simple in principle (and was ancient even in the 1970s), it just looks a bit fiddly.
It has lever arm dampers, so yes, it's the black thing on the inner end of the top suspension arm.

[Martin350]

Martin350 said:

The road spring still needs to be fitted, and there are a couple of methods. I'm going with the 'long bolt' method, but I need to source some long bolts before I can do that.
I'll explain the long bolt method with photos when I get to do it.

I had a couple of hours on it this evening, I'd sourced some long 4" x 5/16" bolts (not set screws, that's important), so the springs went in.

In case you don't know, and assuming you're interested, the spring cups bolt to the lower suspension arm from underneath and, obviously, take the spring tension.
There are other ways, but with no engine and gearbox in I can't rely on the weight of the car for much and I didn't want to use spring compressors on the powder coated springs.

That's where the long bolts come in.
Basically, the spring is compressed by winding up four long bolts and nuts until the spring cup meets the suspension arm then, one at a time, replace them with the standard bolts and nuts.

Here it is near the start of the process, and with only two bolts in, and yes, that is another grease point on the track rod end!



It took a surprisingly long time winding up all those bolts against the springs.

It didn't help that this is the sort of space I'm working in!



Still, it means that I just have to get another pair of hands to help me attach the steering column and adjust it to somewhere close and I can put it back on it's wheels and start getting prepared to fit the engine and gearbox.

Edited by Martin350 on Thursday 16th November 00:20

[Martin350]

Thanks, still a LOT of work to be done.

I'm planning a refresh of the rear axle and brakes once the front end is back together.


I'm going to dig out the original ebay advert for the car, which I printed out, as it might have a contact number for the previous owner.
I don't know why I didn't think of that before!


Going off topic, your username intrigued me as I had an E30 BMW for quite a while, you might have seen my old 335i turbo before:



By the time that issue came out I had broken the car up for parts!

[Martin350]

Tonight I properly fitted the gearbox to the engine, and fitted the starter motor.

Spitfire2 said:

The FIRST bolt to refit and tighten when refitting engine is the bottom one on the drivers side of the bell housing. It's a different bolt from the rest - thicker shaft which is a tight fit through the backplate and bell housing. This dowel bolt combined with the pin at the top ensures perfect alignment (i.e. it will ensure you don't rip your clutch to bits in not many miles). Don't use a standard bolt or leave that one until last.

Many thanks for this Spitfire2, when I looked at them there wasn't the correct bolt in the ones that I removed, someone had clearly fitted a normal bell housing bolt at some point, but thanks to your post I bought the correct dowel bolt and nut and heeded your advice tightening that one first.

[Martin350]

I can't believe it's been six months since I've done anything, well, very little.

The last few days have been quiet for me so got a few hours in.

I've refitted the left hand front wing, under-sealed inside the wheel arch, fitted the bonnet release cable, steering column, cowl and electrics, and the steering wheel.








Small steps, but I'll have a bit more time in the next few days, and I've set myself a mini-goal of getting the engine and gearbox back in by the end of the month...

Edited by Martin350 on Tuesday 15th May 23:15

Edited by Martin350 on Tuesday 15th May 23:16

[Martin350]

Thanks.

I've never been out in it, I bought it as a non-runner, it hasn't been driven for 22 years!

I don't really know when, it just depends how much time I can devote to it in the near future.
I'd like to get it running later this summer, that might be a bit ambitious, we'll see.
I intend to remove the rear axle and tidy that up once the engine is back in, as well as bolt on the manifolds, carbs, fuel and coolant hoses, radiator etc.

Looks like I'll try for the bank holiday weekend to get the engine in now.

This afternoon I had a much needed tidy up in the garage, then made up a new front to rear brake pipe.
I think I've said before how much I love making long brake pipes with a complicated shape!

Still, I'm glad that's now ticked off the list.

[Martin350]

Thank you!

It's all going to plan, for a change!

This week I cleaned and re-undersealed much of the floor, the right hand front inner wing, fitted the new front to rear brake pipe, unbolted the propshaft from the differential, pumped the front tyres up, fitted the wheels and showed it a bit of sunshine!







The reason I pushed it outside is because I wanted it turned around.
My drive is on a downward slope into the garage which will help slightly on monday with my planned 'mariage' as Porsche put it, when I hope to get the engine and gearbox in!

[Martin350]

Had a great day on the MG today!





Also note the new (to me) garage carpet.
It feels rather luxurious to lie underneath a car in there now!

Got a few bits connected up / fitted too, including engine and gearbox mounts, alternator, fan belt, fan, radiator and a couple of hoses, engine wiring, clutch hose, bonnet cable;





There's still plenty to do before it'll be running, though.

[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.

[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...

[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.