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Many thanks for that Gerard. From a UK perspective I think Rivergate possibly makes a bit more sense as no flywheel mods are necessary. The rivergate kit now use the stock Spridget slave cylinder. J. "Jeremy Cogman" 15210... MORE
Jeremy At the time I was comparing them a few years ago, Paul's kit used a Datsun clutch and the stock Spridget slave cylinder in a special mounting cradle. The Rivergate used the Spridget clutch and a Datsun slave cylinder from a Datsun truck. Everyone I know that used this setup had clutch problems of some sort. Paul's kit also located the starter in the postion matching the bell housing position, not the orginal A-series position. That meant you could use a gear reduction starter without having to drill the bell housing or use the stock starter with only... MORE
I have a 1975 Midget 1500 it is red and very nice. My wife and I went on an evening stroll to enjoy the whether .We decided to take the Interstate home (at 65 MPH ) The first time I have had my new car that fast. I noticed the engine temp went up to around 220. When we exited the highway my car was making an awful knocking noise. I have since taken off the valve cover and that looks and sounds fine. The knocking noise is coming from the back half of the engine. Just spending LOTS... MORE
no, that type won't work. The circlip is more like a sprung 'C' washer, without the holes for normal circlip pliers. One method I've tried is using a close fitting tube or socket to press the clip into place. Something which may help is to clean off any rust/paint on both sides of the backplate where the cylinder fits, so you have a fighting chance of pushing the clip on far enough to reach it's groove. Regards David "David Jacobs" 15178... MORE
My 67 Sprite has a frozen transmission which needs a rebuild anyway and was considering getting the conversion kit from Rivergate and hopefully find a used tranny locally to rebuild. I'm willing to rebuild it myself since I would have to rebuild one anyway to get my Sprite rolling. What engine RPM can I expect on 5th at around 70 MPH? Any conversion users around that can share their experience? Thanks in advance. "Yuchol Kim" 15187... MORE
Chris, I have these 14x6.5 inch wheels I want to sell. They are too wide for a closed wheel arch but will work with standard lug nuts. http://www.gerardsgarage.com/GarageContent/forsale/UltraWheel.jpg http://www.gerardsgarage.com/GarageContent/forsale/UltraWheel_Back.jpg http://www.gerardsgarage.com/GarageContent/forsale/ UltraWheel_Backspace.jpg reply to pixelsmith@... Gerard "gerardchateau" 15158... MORE
I am autocrossing a sprite, and I am looking to get some wider wheels. other than minilite wheels does anyone have any suggestions, I need to stay with stock hubs, bolt pattern, Etc... thanks for your help, Christopher "redfisher001" 15153... MORE
First, when did they start putting the 1500cc engine into Midgets? Second, in todays world, all the "sports cars" are advertised with their 0-60 times. For those who have modified their cars for performance, what would you guess your cars would do? I know that's not really what they are about, but still, how quick can you get one of these little buggers to go? "coachbad" 15151... MORE
Hi all, The latest events updated listing - well before Mascot (sorry Mike N - the power of the net and all that:-): September 2002 Sunday 22nd Surrey Area goes to Brands. The MG Challenge Series. Details from David Wright, Tel: 0208 642 4789 dandcwright@... Sunday 29th Totally MG at Kempton Park =96 Spares Day & Auto Jumble organised by MGOC, MGCC and Octagon CC. Details 01954 231125 October 2002 Wednesday 2nd Dorset Area visit to Bournemouth Flying Club as the guest of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club when the guest speaker will be the Chauffeur to the late Queen... MORE
Peter, I assume you were holding the 'shift' key down while pressing '5' and also that the last character is actually a 'G' not a 9 (not the first time this has been transposed when copying from chassis plates or other documents) This being so, I reckon your car would have been built around May/June 1972 (The last 1972 model was GAN5-123644 built in June '72); though that would suggest it was hanging around more than a year before being registered which is a bit odd. There may be other clues to it's age, for example, are the quarter... MORE
Peter, you want the Production Record trace certificate..... http://www.heritage.org.uk/archive/trace%20certificate.htm Remind me, what is the cut-off date for tax-free status? The 'Original Sprite and Midget' book has chassis numbers against dates for milestones such as the first car built in 19** so if you let me know your chassis number, I can give you a rough idea before you spend 28. Regards David "David Jacobs" 15069... MORE
The plate mounted in the door frame gives month and year of manufacture. If your car is a '75 or later, try this guy... davethepaint1@... Late last year, he wrote the following in the www.midgetweb.com guestbook... ...Hi Folks, I used to work at the MG factory in Abingdon,on the 2 midget production lines,have fond memories of the little critters also owned a 68 and a modified 79.I have the original production line chassis number books with all the dates that the midgets were built on.....will try to find them if anyone is interested in finding out when their car... MORE
I have a truck so my Midget is a fun car And why would I want to put 15,000 bucks into a car just to see it rust away. Hell at night now were dropping into the mid 30's Snow will be here soon. "Jason Gross" 15050... MORE
I don't have any personal experience, but I am familiar with the process. The good part is that you should get back a body shell free of rust and old paint, without any labor on your part. The bad part, other than expense, as it is not cheap, is that you have to really strip the car - every bit of wiring, id plates, etc. Afterward you'll have to be certain that all alkaline residue is completely neutralized, probably with one of the phosphoric acid based preps available from automotive paint stores. It's a great way to start from... MORE
Has anyone on the list had any experience with rust removal using the total immersion (ie RediStrip) method? I'm contemplating stripping the bugeye completely and would like your opinions. Chris 1960 Mk.1 "miguy1950" 15039... MORE
Entered my 63 MKII Sprite in my first show this weekend and won the popular vote for best in class square body Sprites ( There were only 4 of us but still...it proves to the wife that the time and money were well spent) I've been putting this car back together since 1980 and between money, family, and career, finally got it on the road this July. It's taken a beating in that time and some things like the paint which was done years ago have to be redone because of the bikes,snowboards, and hockey equipment that shared space... MORE
We would like to remind you of this upcoming event. Beamish Classic Car Show Date: Sunday, September 22, 2002 Time: 10:00AM - 6:00PM BST (GMT+01:00) Classic car show in the grounds of the best open air museum in Europe. http://www.beamish.org.uk/ midgetsprite@yahoogroups.com 15034... MORE
=0D In my opinion, it is down to the individual that is using the equipment Yuchol. I have used both, electric and air tools. I use an electric grinder near enough on a daily basis and have no problems with it. I also have a separate electric orbital sander (for feathering the edge of the paint). Th e air tools have a little more flexibility as you can adjust the speed on the m I would recommend buying single items rather than a 2 in 1 sander/grinder. =0D =0D =0D =0D Gary King (Newcastle UK)=0D 69 Sprite MKIV=0D 67... MORE
I'm in need of a sander/grinder to start the restoration process and debating whether to go with an electric or pneumatic one. Any suggestions? If electric, do they make a good sander/grinder combo? Thanks in advance. Yuchol 67 Sprite "Yuchol Kim" 15029... MORE
Its not a bad book, and gives a good grounding on everything, but for bodywork I found the best book was 'Practical Classics & Car Restorer on Midget/sprite Restoration. ISBN 0948 207 485 published by Brooklands Books, distibuted in USA by Motorbooks International, Osceola, Wisconsin 54020 USA Tel: 715294 3345. (Telephone No. may well be out of date by now ) This book is very good on bodywork and also deals with removal of engine and rebuild etc. So far as tuning goes some of the listers stateside will know a lot more that I do Been catching up... MORE
Once had a stone caught between the backplate (dustcover?) and the disc (rotor?) and I thought the wheels were falling off! Sounded terrible. Going around a corner made it worse. This was on the Midget. Cars these days seem to have the gap getting wider in the direction of rotation to stop detritus catching. Made a slight mod to the backplate of the midget to achieve the same effect and I don't seem to have the problem anymore. Probably not a lot to do with breeanna's problem but I thought you might be interested ...... "Roger Stinson" 15027... MORE
you don't say what sort of history you are trying to prove, but one item which every Spridget owner can get is the Production Record trace certificate. http://www.heritage.org.uk/archive/trace%20certificate.htm Regards David "David Jacobs" 15025... MORE
Bought my first ever LBC, 67 Sprite, and want to get a good book on restoration. I was thinking of MG Midget & Austin-Healey Sprite: Guide to Purchase & D.I.Y. Restoration Lindsay Porter. Is this a good book or is there something else that's better? Also for those who own this book, does it tell you how to tune the engine, carb, transmission, etc? I noticed this is not a cheap book... "Yuchol Kim" 15004... MORE
Hello, I've got a new baby soon to arrive in my garage - a 71 Midget. Although in good shape, it may need a little clean up before prepping for paint. Since this is all very minor stuff, I was hoping to do the work myself. Can anyone recommend a good web site that introduces the basics of body work? TIA Will "William West" 14989... MORE
A guy who runs a Sprite in the local autocrosses uses an enclosed U-Haul trailer. Not sure of the size. Since the transmission is stuck in third I would disconnect the drive shaft and push it into the trailer. Might take a bit of effort. Have you considered flat towing it? Assuming the brakes work. Martyn meastwood1@... Thanks everyone. Some reason, I'm having difficulty finding one though. Either they are too narrow, or too short (have walls around) or too big to tow with a Silverado 1/2 ton. Even got into an arguement with a rental guy over it.... MORE
