MG midget

[RobXjcoupe]

Flying Phil said:

I have 155 section tyres on 4 1/2" rims for my standard Sprite, but have gone up to 185 on 5 1/2" at the rear on my non standard Sprite....and even 205 on 6" wide when drag racing. As others have said getting 85 HP from a 1275 is quite easy but over 90 starts to get expensive. "K" series conversions may well be cheaper....

I’ve been told that 90bhp is the sweet spot for a road tuned engine. I’m very happy with that. I’m not one for putting a modern engine in a classic if tuning can be achieved. In my case I’ll be happy with a 90bhp engine based on the 1275 motor.
The wheel and tyre sizes info is good to know. Thank you. Your 205 shod car, modified rear arches I assume? Do you have any pictures to see how it looks?

[Flying Phil]

Here is my Mk1 with the 205 rear tyres........Well it is slightly modified.......

[RobXjcoupe]

Flying Phil said:

Here is my Mk1 with the 205 rear tyres........Well it is slightly modified.......

Those 205’s don’t look ungainly. I reckon a 6.5jx13 with a 175 50 tyre would fit nicely in a standard arch midget.

[PigletGN]

The best tyres out there for spridgets are
145HR13 Pirelli Cinturato CA67. That is the proper thing and will be the nicest thing to drove on.
155HR13 Michelin XAS if you feel you need something bigger

175/70VR13 Pirelli Cinturato CN36 if you have oversized wheels. It will handle better on the correct size 145. However if you insist on going bigger the CN36 is miles better for a classic car than anything else in the size 175/70-13 & 185/70-13 for that matter

[RobXjcoupe]

PigletGN said:

The best tyres out there for spridgets are
145HR13 Pirelli Cinturato CA67. That is the proper thing and will be the nicest thing to drove on.
155HR13 Michelin XAS if you feel you need something bigger

175/70VR13 Pirelli Cinturato CN36 if you have oversized wheels. It will handle better on the correct size 145. However if you insist on going bigger the CN36 is miles better for a classic car than anything else in the size 175/70-13 & 185/70-13 for that matter

The profile of the those 175 and 185 tyres you have suggested are far too big. A 15” wheel fitted with a 195 50 tyre will have a smaller overall diameter.
I’m not saying your choice is not good but I do prefer to tinker and upgrade from original. Thank you for the suggestions though

[CATstrangler]

PigletGN said:

The best tyres out there for spridgets are
145HR13 Pirelli Cinturato CA67. That is the proper thing and will be the nicest thing to drove on.
155HR13 Michelin XAS if you feel you need something bigger

175/70VR13 Pirelli Cinturato CN36 if you have oversized wheels. It will handle better on the correct size 145. However if you insist on going bigger the CN36 is miles better for a classic car than anything else in the size 175/70-13 & 185/70-13 for that matter

+1 that 145 or 155/13 are best for Spridgets handling wise, without serious suspension mods for track use. Anything fatter is a liability on a real roads car.
Can't comment on your Pirelli/Michelin choices, I never tried either because I'm a tight fisted old git but I'm sure you know your tyres.
FWIW I like 155/70x13 Uniroyal RainExpert 3s. They look slightly weird because they're asymmetric but Midgets love them, especially if you drive in the wet.
Also Toyo. Can't remember the spec, but many Spridgeteers swear by them.

[RobXjcoupe]

There is a fella doing a thread on here rebuilding a modified midget. He looks handy with sheet metal too cutting out the rot and making good again

[RobXjcoupe]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I’m 5’11” didn’t even consider my height as being too tall.
The mods you have mentioned I’ve researched and as you say get the most from the a series.
The xjc is still under the restoration knife to look good again. A bit behind now due to the covid lockdown. The midget will probably be looked into next year now.

[cjb44]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Obviously, as "the perfect gent", what you saw did not excite you enough to marry the young lady!!

[Flying Phil]

....and of course some of us still enjoy being "perfect gentlemen"......and my GF did become my wife......and we still have the Sprite.

[thisisnotaspoon]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Nonsense, I'm 6ft (actually I'm 5ft11 and a bit, but generally at least 2" taller than anyone else who claims to be 6ft for some reason) and fit in just fine, actually it fits like a glove!

Either one hand on the gearbox tunnel and one on the door frame and just 'vault' in both legs together, or step one leg in, sid down then tuck the second one in. The former requires a bit of sprightliness, the latter a bit of flexibility but both work, a woolly hat stops the soft top vibrating on my head in winter.

At some point, I plan to take the seat runners out as I'm the only person that drives it which will drop it another inch or two.

Tuning wise.................

Drive one, try the brakes and have a look at how the suspension works. 145 tyres are grippy enough to make the rear axle shake and the front suspension is a lever arm damper with only one arm acting as the upper 'link'! It's a fun car, but I'm not sure I'd start with the engine.

Mines a 1500 so the order of doing things might be different for a 1275 but my plan is:

1) Get everything perfect (new polybushes, spings and refurbed dampers), lower and uprate everything.
2) Get the brakes sorted (EBC yellowstuff with the standard callipers and upgraded but standard diameter disks).
3) New distributor and rebuild carbs (the rest of the engine was rebuilt)
[This is where I'm at, could be described as how it should have been when it left the factory with modern materials if not modern design]

Future plans in their probable order:

Strip out unnecessary weight like the steel bumpers.

Brake servo

Tubular manifold, performance air filter, sports exhaust.

Rear panhard rod, possibly trailing arms.

Frontline telescopic damper and upper wishbone conversion

Cam from triumph 1300 (think that's right?) which should bring the power to "more than enough to keep up with traffic" without needing any internal engine work.

A K-series (or Ford 1.6 Sigma/Zetec-E) conversion might not be all that more expensive especially as the engines are more or less free and certainly more reliable, but I quite like the character of it. Turning it into another kit car would spoil that.