First my apologies for this being sort of longish - I guess I've got alot
of pent up questions, etc.
It looks like the Midget restoration is on again! For the past year
or so my '74 Midget (no name for it yet) has been sitting in the garage
gathering dust.
I've just found a guy selling what he called "1 1/3 MG Midgets in pieces" for
the tidy sum of $600. Seeing as how his "pieces" include:
- a complete '70 Midget tub with GOOD FLOORS(!), virtually no rust, and a
title to boot!
- 7 (count 'em!) wire wheels, at least 6 with good tires
- 4 doors all w/good glass (hmmm... has anyone ever built a Midget stretch
limo - that would get a few doubletakes)
- a totally rebuilt (and assembled) 1275 head w/hardened seats, etc.
- the rest of the engine ready to be re-assembled (okay, it does need
pistons and con rods - you've got me there)
- new suspension rubber.
- A bunch of other new parts I didn't catalog yet, but which are all
sorted in boxes. [okay, no snickering at buying a car in boxes...
my '74 _is_ assembled, so I at least get to take apart ONE car by
myself]
As you might guess, I jumped at the chance to get all this for $600, and
after evaluating which tub will make a better car, I'm going to construct
at least one complete Midget. The '70 is rust free except at the panel
between the taillights, and the lip where the convertible top meets the
body at the rear of the cockpit. My '74 has swiss cheese floors, minor
(yeah right!) holes behind all 4 wheels, several holes in the front valance
panel, and at the rear of the trunk floor. Right now I'm leaning
towards the '70 tub - a repair panel for the rear valance is included in
the haul, and I've got to admit I like the square wheel arches better on
spridgets.
So, now for a few questions:
1) I've got 5 good stamped steel wheels, and 7 possibly good wire wheels,
with hubs etc. Is there any big deal to putting the wire wheel hubs
on the disk wheel suspension? Is it correct that the front hubs are
swappable between bolt-on/knock-off wheels, but that rear axle shafts
need to be changed (not just hubs)? What sort of regular maintenance
is necessary for wire wheels? How often do they need to be trued,
etc? Assuming there are no broken spokes, and they true up okay,
are they really usable for daily street driving? How much would wires
be worth? (i.e. if I sold them all could I afford to buy a nice set of
minilite lookalikes?)
2) Are there any major differences between '70 and '74 heads which would
preclude me swapping the good head onto my current block until I get
the other motor re-assembled?
3) What's involved in re-bushing throttle shafts on SU carbs? Is this
a "non-do-it-yourself-er"?
4) Tube shock conversions: I'm pretty much convinced I want to go with
these in the rear. I seem to remember somewhere seeing a kit that had
just the brackets and in the mailing list digest #960, Marcus Tooze
mentions a "monroe type conversion" - can you actually get correct size
shocks at an auto parts place?
5) Any thoughts on powder coating the wire wheels rather than painting?
Any thoughts on do-it-yourself wire wheel painting?
Finally.... During the dead period when I wasn't working on the Midget
I already have in my garage, I've somehow lost my Haynes manual. If
anyone has a _CLEAN_ Haynes Spridget manual that they'd like to trade for
an MGB Haynes manual (In as-new condition). Send me E-mail and we can do
a swap.
I've also found a place called K&K Vintage Motorcars here in Houston that
looks to do some nice work, for the things I can't do. I'd appreciate
any comments on them if anyone's heard of them. I was looking around their
yard, and they've got about 5 Bugeye shells sitting around. At least one
looked to have relatively clean floors, and at least half the hoods were
dent and hole free. HMMM... if I sell the wire wheels, run all my credit
cards to the limit, get a 2nd mortgage....
******
Geoff "How can you spend so much on a car that's not even put
together?!" Bishel
bishel@lobby.ti.com (or thereabouts...)
"Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera" -- The King of Siam
******
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