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Are you sure? I replaced the front bar on my 1500 with a much thicker one which I am sure was 7/8" I cannot check now as I have long-since sold that car. I recycled the original bar off the 1500 to my 1275. It measures as a 5/8" and is thicker than the standard 1275 bar. Maybe for different markets...? Guy "Guy Weller" 24052... MORE
David, my understanding of the spacers on the steering rack are that they are there to help alignment withthe steering column. Column and rack need to be pretty accurately at 90 degrees to each other or the steering column wants to describe an arc as you turn the wheel. The rack should be fitted with loosened bolts first so that it can rotate around its own long axis in its alignment to the chassis. Then fit the steering column. Spin the steeering wheel a few times lock to lock to lign it all up and then tighten the rack,... MORE
I have owned both. The 1500 was more torquey but rattled like a bag of nails when the revs climbed. It had a 7/8" front bar that controlled excessive oversteer and could be driven through corners quite nicely so long as you didn't loose nerve and lift off. I drove with and without the bumbers and the only noticable difference was it felt more "lively" with them off. It was definately faster. The 1275 is without a doubt the nicer engine. When the revs climb it roars through the K & N and howls at over 5000 throgh the... MORE
Neil Well first off the bumpers weigh approximately 200lbs, the rear springs were recambered to bring the ride height up to 1 inch to bring it up to the correct height for the bumpers as a result of this - roll stiffness at the back end has been reduced and there is more tendency to oversteer. Couple this to the fact that the throttle on the 1500 is a lot more sensitive than before, add in the extra power of the 1500 engine, take the bumpers off making it a lot lighter, push that car hard into a corner... MORE
Capt, I was going to send this directly to you, however, as usual you don't know when to shut your hole (your choice of which hole I'm speaking of). So this is going to the lists you posted on and at least those who haven't already put you on their trash list will see the reply. Cap'n. Bob "Great....Paul goes around breaking the feet of little dumb animals....that's heartwarming news for the soul. Buy a long range squirt gun for crissake!" Paul is trying to be a good guy. As he says, he's got them 'trained' now. I use... MORE
Things at work have finally settled down from the past few months. We have gotten a second weekend off in a row, and I was able to get the mechanic from the truck shop to come over to my house this a.m. at 8:30. Some of you know, the 68 Sprite locked itself into first gear a while ago. It also had the original engine it rolled out of the factory with still in it, all smoking and original. If I am to repair the tranny, I will replace the engine, if only temporarily, to fix the original one.... MORE
Being the owner of a somewhat converted rubber bumper 76 midget,I would like to say that my reasons for the change were simple.# 1 i got a nice car at a great price.#2 After much consideration and head scratching,I decided i could go without any bumpers.Having grown up in the 60S I never got over the hotrod/sportscar thing.Back then a midget/sprite looked pretty tough with no bumpers,A roll bar,wide stripes on bonnet and boot.They even had mag wheels[not minilight style]on some.Any way much as i prefer an older model chrome bumper model this is what i have to work... MORE
G'day all My posting on Mars has prompted Dave Gay to send me these little gems. There is at least one hear that you should memorise to astound your friends at the breadth of your knowledge. avagoodday Colin A dime has 118 ridges around the edge. A cat has 32 muscles in each ear. A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue. A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours. A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds. A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second. A shark is the only fish that... MORE
David My stance on originality is well known on this list, it's my opinion and as such I'm entitled to express it. You can shove a Chevvy V8 engine in one, you can slap spoilers on it, you can put side skirts and chop the bodywork around as much as you like - but it ceases to be a Spridget and becomes a kit-car. If you want to create a kit-car out of Midget and Sprite parts then go ahead, but please don't call it a Midget or a Sprite because it ceases to be one, it becomes a... MORE
Don There were quite a few modifications made to the Rubber Bumper (RB) Midget over and above the obvious ones, which im sure everyone will point out to you. I'm sure you're aware of the history behind these modifcations, but to recap the RB Midget came about to meet the ever more stringent emission and control regulations imposed in the relatively large North American Market. It was also felt at that time that the A Series engine had pretty much reached the end of it's useful development cycle and as Triumph were then part of the BL stable, it's... MORE
Don May... I want to thank you for bringing up the subject...I, too, learned a lot as besides the engine/xmission change, know next to nothing about 1500's (as you may have guessed by this time!:). Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 23972... MORE
Don, I currently own a 1500 and have done for about 8 years but only driven 1275's (in various states of tune) so I don't know how objective my observations are but here goes... For standard vs standard the 1500 certainly has more torque and IMO is perhaps easier to drive around town in traffic althought at pretty subective i guess. It also has syncro on 1st. However, although (well mine at least) is silky smooth even at unadvisably high revs the 1275 always seems to me more comfortable reving very high. not to say the 1500 won't but... MORE
Don, My '75 has the bumpers removed and I discovered the following: Rear end:Area below the tail lights is flat and obviously not meant to be visible. Front: There are two large rectangular cutouts in the wings roughly in the position of the 1275 turn signals that are there to clear a large steel support for the bumper corners. Obiously there is no chrome surround or grille worth mentioning. In addition the bumper support frame extensions must be dealt with as they stick out pas the grille opening. I have had the grille extensions sawed off back inside and... MORE
Nigel, I had asked because a rubber bumper car was selling close by for 500 dollars, but now that I have read all the feedback I will not do anything about it. Some was curiosity about the changes in the 1275 to the 1500 and now that I realize what those changes are both the drive train and body I am not tempted to buy it anymore. Thanks for the feedback, very appreciated. Don "Don May" 23971... MORE
I admit ignorance here. What are the primary differences between the 1275 midgets and 1500 midgets aside from the rubber cancerous growths on front and back? Sort of the pro and cons I would like to know about. The mechanical changes that were good and ones that were problematic. I have never had a 1500 year midget and would like to know what I would be getting into. Don "Don May" 23956... MORE
Once you fit that straight cut gear box, you can not hear a radio anyway. A hot 1275 is music enough for me.... "Beckers" 23909... MORE
Brad, Good luck on your first road test. I just got my 75 Midget running semi-properly this summer after 4 years of effort. If it's any comfort my list of needed parts is now two spreadsheet pages; engine, tranny, radiator, compete brake and clutch rebuild, tube shock conversion, new interior etc. etc. etc. I have also discovered I need to pull the engine.... again. I used the original clutch as it looked fairly recent but failed to consider the effect of time on the springs. Car runs fine but slips in higher gears when I put my foot down... MORE
A few months ago there was a tool on ebay for installing this nasty little circlip. It looked like it threaded into where the hydraulic pipe goes on the cylinder and then another threaded ring compressed the circlip until it popped into place. I missed out on the ebay one but would now like to get myself one, preferably in the UK but if you know where they are available in the US then let me know that too. Cheers Jeremy "Jeremy Cogman" 23914... MORE
Sure, Mike... I already have the outside air intake hole fabricated and a 4" rubber tube for the mailbox I bought to be used as a "cold air box". I will "fashion" it once I have decided whether to stay with the double SU set-up or go with my 45 DCOE. Gotta do a little experimenting with various choke sizes on the Weber first, though. The box will breath engine compartment air in the winter months and cooler outside air (for better performance) in the warmer months. Best of both worlds! :) Paint your box with whatever paint/ color... MORE
Rob C. ..... I empathize....hard lesson to learn but BTDT also in my earlier days. "Remove the engine..replace the clutch". Automatic unless it's truly "new". Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 23924... MORE
"You might be from Colorado if: 1. You switch from "Heat" to "A/C" in one day. 2. You know what the "Peoples Republic of Boulder" means. 3. The four directions are: towards the mountains, away from the mountains, the mountains on your left and the mountains on your right 4. You're a game meat eating vegetarian. 5. The bike on your car is worth more than your car. 6. You use a down comforter in the summer because you have the a/c on at 55 degrees. 7. You're able to drive 65 miles per hour through 13 feet of... MORE
Well folks... As of tonight, the B-GT (67) is nearly ready for the first road test. I need to get a tire tube replaced and check the differential fluid before I drop it onto the ground and try for a short drive. The new parts I needed to order were... Clutch slave cylinder Clutch Slave Hose (2) Break Hoses Misc Spare nuts and bolts Gas Tank Repair stuff Trans Mounts (rubber) Engine Mounts New Clutch system (disk, plate and through-out) Tire Tube Thermostate gasket (not installed yet - extra) Falve Cover gasket A few extra rubber pieces. The hardest... MORE
Actually . . . no . . . but blowing it out cleared up the obstruction and I have had this occur on another Midget. It's hard to blow on a small pipes on a float chamber lid as hard as you can and look for a small flak flying through the air Bob. I was seeing little white stars instead :-) Don "Don May" 23901... MORE
The phone rang at 7:30 am Sunday morning "I'm stranded in Angles Camp, Jr. died," Jr. the name he gave the 63 Midget I sold him. "I just need a around town car." He said when he bought it. He had owned a Midget before and I was confidant I was not selling to an innocent in the ways of classic British cars. I had made clear that since I retrieved it from a carpentry work shop where it sat on blocks for twenty years and brought it back to life that I had not driven it over five... MORE
Roger, I totally agree, and do the same. Whatever it is, concentration on driving takes priority. Suspend anything else immediately whenever the need arises I rarely listen to the radio as most stations involve talk and talking distracts. I do listen to tapes of well-loved music which is familiar and does not distract. I also like the sound of the A- series, but sometimes want both. What detracts from listening in a Sprite is wind noise at anything like a decent (or is that indecent) speed, not the tuneful sounds of a well revved engine. My thought that I... MORE
