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I have run 195/60X13 TA's on my '73 Midget on 5.5 rims. Very slight rub in the front with the steering at full lock. I currently have 205/60X13 (not Goodrich) on with a rub in the back over biger bumps and more rubbing in front with full lock steering. I have a new set of 195/60 TA's ready to back on soon. "Jim" 35828... MORE
Aside from Margaret's suggestion of the Heritage certificate, you can probably find the original colour on hard-to-get-at places such as up underneath the dashboard top area, inside the transmission tunnel or inside the heater ducts in the footwells; all places that are unlikely to get repainted in a casual paint job. For the factory colour code, there's pretty much only one of each shade for any given year of manufacture, and this year can be obtained from the chassis number. There are tables of the codes available in various books, or http://www.teglerizer.com/mgcolors/ has a good visual indication of most... MORE
Bob, My Mini is RHD, and it really is no problem driving on the "wrong side" of the car. Shifting with your left hand is easy to get used to, say about half an hour and you'll have it down. Minis and Spridgets are small enough that there isn't much change in perspective being another foot or two to the right. If you are used to moving about in your lane (my primary commuter is my motorcycle), lane position won't be an issue. I guess drive-thrus and toll booths could be a bit tricky, depending on how often you... MORE
LHD & RHD pedals are the same. "beckers" 35762... MORE
Of course, the biggest appeal would be a theft detterent for most folks. I have gotten several of my Spridgets, because the owner was afraid to work o n it. Imagine if the steering wheel was on the wrong side! I know someone c ould steal it, but the chances are greatly reduced. Brad "" 35771... MORE
I wanted to get everyone to pray for my son. Today, Sunday, I got a call from the Army that my son had been shot in the head. I am asking for all your prayers. He was in a Humvee going through Falujah fighting and a gang of Malishia fighters fired on the Humvee and hit Chad in the head. The driver got him out of the city and took him to Baghdad. He was in fatal condition but now has been upgraded to stable critical. His dad and I are on standby to fly to Washington then on... MORE
G'day Tom The LHD and RHD Bugeye body shells are identical. All you need to convert your car are: a.. RHD steering rack b.. RHD dashboard c.. new clutch and brake lines from the master cylinder across to the right side of the car d.. new (longer) wires from the headlight dip switch across to the right side of the car And that's it. avagoodday Colin "Colin Dodds" 35747... MORE
I've driven a RHD car through Europe, (from France to Prague, and back again) I have also driven a LHD in the UK (my first smart car). And I have driven a LHD on Route 66, 3 years ago whilst on holiday. Being in the 'wrong' side of the car makes for interesting driving. The main problem is when trying to overtake. My smart car in the UK was easier than the RHD Singer Vouge on the continent! It's all down to familiarity, i.e. which side of the road you are used to driving on. Margaret South Lincolnshire (UK)... MORE
No everything is the same. The only thing that changes is the stick position and of course which are you stick out the window :) After some practice it is quite easy to swap back and fore between LHD and RHD cars though saying that I drive the RHD on the left side of the road when in the UK. Duncan "Duncan Sinclair" 35751... MORE
My Mk1 Midget, which I have just sold, left the factory as RHD, went to the USA, was converted to LHD, and 30 years later came home and was re-converted back to RHD. There appears to have been no alterations to the tunnel. BTW, when she reaches her new home in Austria, she will no doubt be LHD once again!! Margaret South Lincolnshire (UK) "May you be in Heaven half an hour before the Devil knows you're dead" mmbrock88@... 35739... MORE
Anyone remember a model # for the Isuzu trooper starter that is supposed to fit a Spridget? I seem to remember this was a bolt in substitution. I installed the pertronix night before last, but the engine wont turn over fast enough to fire. I've changed just about everything but the starter, so I guess that's next. Robert Houston Texan in New Mexico 73 Midget 63 TR4 An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the... MORE
how about if you only fit the inner one of each pair of bushes in each leg of the arm (if you see what I mean!), then when it is on the car, fit the steel sleeve and the bolt, then fit the second bush and sleeve through the hole in the chassis mounting. You might then need to use a screw clamp to squeeze the bush in before you can get the washer and nut on. It's tight, but it should go on this way. David "David Jacobs" 35699... MORE
Stephan, It could be slippage between the 2 halves of the crank pulley. There is a rubber insert between the 2 parts providing a damper for crank vibrations. It could be that this has deteriorated allowing the marks to shift in relation to the crank, whilst the timing remains the same. Guy "Guy Weller" 35695... MORE
Cap'n Bob m'fren.... All your input below gratefully received. What happened is - my old Lucas coil went TU. Knowing "John Feces" about this stuff, I thought, "Well, if I am buying a new coil, why not get something that's rated as being really good - like the Crane?" So I did. Now it is in and seems to work well. Then I thought (note: thinking is a dangerous thing and I do it far too often), "Why f#%t around with points...etc? Why not go with electronic ignition and not have to worry about it anymore like the system... MORE
Spence - Guess that would be me, progress has slowed due to cold weather (hard to heat the garage with a small space heater) and the holidays and all, the frame strengthening is almost finished and I'm gathering parts to begin construction on the headers & steering. I've finally removed a complete motor from a donor car, up until now I've been using a junk block and heads to fab the mounts, I hope to finish the frame rails in the next couple of weeks and get the motor & trans back in the car, I'll take a few... MORE
I just found a 58 Bug-eye project in Concord (SF East Bay-area) CA. that I thought I'd pass along. I haven't seen the car and I'm real tempted to but if I do go there'd be a big chance that I'd also bring it home=85 so I'm not going. Besides, my wife would kill me if I brought another project home. Fell free to contact Charlie via email at WELLSC@... Good luck to whoever gets this car. I have no financial interest in this deal. -Drew Drew, I got the car through a neighbor about 3-4 years ago. I... MORE
It depends if you replace the whole panel or just the boot floor part - the complete original panel arches forwards and up over the axle and forms the 'dog shelf' behind the seats. The part panel ends at the edge where boot meets axle arch. Even the part one needs some care, because the rear springs mount to this panel, so you have to make sure you get things lined up correctly before it's all welded up; however, if you leave the reinforcing pieces in place where the spring hangers mount, this should give you a reference point... MORE
Jim... most people convert their points ign. system to electronic Crane, PerTronix (Lucas/Aldon "Ignitor") to get away from the maintenance schedule which must be followed to retain the intial efficiency of the stock points system when new points are installed and concurrently, dwell and timing are accurately set. For as you know, as the points wear, dwell and timing change. Thus, every 3k miles or so, resetting these values is the only way to maintain original efficiency of the points type system. Simply converting to the foregoing electronic systems while maintaining the otherwise stock coil does away with the... MORE
Robert, Would be very interested in the new plug gap you get withthe hotter coil. I switched to a 40K volt coil in my 1500 but have left the spark gap stock. I am SOOOO iggerant about this stuff. Let me know if possible. Rob C Webfoot Leisure.com Your Local Pool Store-On the Web rob@... 866-530-9801 toll free " robbiesg@... " 35589... MORE
Which on my Bugeye, is why I installed a gound wire from the steering rack to the radiator mount. Horns now work! Bob, Troutdale, OR "Robert Webb" 35576... MORE
Whoa, now!!! Yer dealin' with a mechanical moron here.... Speak in short sentences and leave out the big words.... So you are saying I need to know the voltage output on my Crane coil? Then, if it's higher than around 25,000 I need to increase the plug gap and also change the rotor in the dizzy? Maybe I'll just go back to a wound up rubber band - this is all so complicated.... ;-) Cheers!! Jim - floundering in confusion in Dodge City Jim Johnson 35590... MORE
I recently had the pleasure of having dinner with Kevin and Cathy Valentine in Pennsylvania. Over dinner we of course discussed Spridgets, and I told him how I was having trouble with mine running rich and was contemplating a change of carburetors. Kevin pointed out that most carb problems are electrical and asked if I had checked the points. Well, I still haven't but I did decide to make them a moot problem by ordering a Pertronix Ignitor. The question is, I replaced the stock coil on my 73 Midget, 1275 last year. Will this coil function well with... MORE
An excellent question, Robert! And you've beaten me to the punch as well!! My old coil went TU 2 months ago and I put a new Crane unit on my 68 - 1275cc Midget. Works great, but now I am looking at electronic ignition for the Beast. Dunno if the Crane will work with something like the Pertronix or other EI systems. Any input gratefully accepted.... Cheers!! Jim - curious in Dodge City Jim Johnson 35579... MORE
My horns don't work, The car is an early 1500 midget with the horn push in the centre of the steering wheel. The slipring contact is live, but the steering column shaft is not earthed. If I use a wire to connect the slip ring connector to the shaft the horn won't work, however if I jumper it to the outer part of the column it does work. From this I deduce that the shaft is not earthed. How and where should it be earthed? Stewart Weller General Reality Failure : Reboot Universe "Ford Prefect" 35547... MORE
Okay All you racers, First Happy New Year, Second, I am starting to mock up the interior in my spridget, and I an finding a problem. I am just about to bend some brackets for the new seats I chose (Corbeau New Clubmans)when I noticed that the steering is just too much in the way. I was planning on going to a much smaller wheel (maybe 12.5") but I do not hink that will help. How do you track guys have your gars set up? Do most of you just go with a simple race steering column with no... MORE
