Like most other LBC's, each year of Midget production has its unique charms,
and faults. Some things I would take into account when looking to buy your
first midget:
MkI: cosmetically very nice with no exposed door handles, but an impractical
top, underpowered, lousy transmission, poor rear suspension Definitely not a
candidate for long trips or as a daily driver.
MkII: Larger engine, improved rear suspesion, better top.
'66-best year for 1275 engine. It has the least smog equipment, ribcase
transmission, and taller rear axle ratio. Improved top .
'69-first year for padded dashboard, unique seats, last year for tradtional
grill and rounded chrome bumpers, last year w/o side marker lights.
'70-73- More emissions equipment, less horsepower, squared front bumper,
rear half bumpers, modified sprite grill, round rear wheel arches allow for
oversized tires and wheels, squared tail lights.
'74-seatbelt interlock (probably bypassed on all of them by now) Huge rubber
overriders (hideous looking). Body contains the additional stiffening in
trunk and doors to meet stiffer crash requirements, also has lighted
switches. Many consider to be the last true MG Midget.
'75-Rubber Bumpers, increased ride height, Triumph 1500 engine, wonderful
all syncro tranny, return of squared rear wheel arches.
'79-electric temp gauge replaces combo temp/oil pressure guage. New guage
faces. idot light for low oil warning only.
Everyone has an opinion but nobody's counts but yours. I have a 74, removed
the overriders, used the classic grill and tail lights. This gave me the
best of all the years. I also had a '79, and the stock 1500 engine actually
was pretty nice to live with as a daily driver, once a good mechanic got the
Zenith carb all dialed in. If your mechanic knows what he's doing, even the
smog equipment isn't that big of a hassle.
Prices vary as much as opinions. Try to find something with as little rust
as possible. In California, there are lots of rust free cars, but lots of
other places aren't as lucky. Very few nice origional cars in the chrome
years, but lots of project cars in the $500 to $2500 range. Restored CB
Midgets getting $4 to $8k. Rubber bumper Midgets in project condition only
getting $500 to $1500, but there are still lots of very clean unrestored RB
Midgets in the $2500-$4500 range. Haven't seen anybody doing full restored
RB Midgets yet, but I'm sure the time isn't too far away as those cars are
now 17-20 years old.
I love my Midget.
I know I'm rambling here abit, but along the line of convertables and
security, I have a removable face radio, and I just pull the face off and
slide it under the seat. I do use a tonneau cover, but mostly to keep the
interior from fading in the sun. One night it rained and the tonneau leaked
through the zipper, which ends directly above the speaker box I built,
squarely over the subwoofer. The sub was full of fresh sparkling rain water!
Also cats love to crawl in under the tonneau and nap on the seats, even
using the driveshaft tunnel carpet as a scratching post. So now when the car
does sit out at night, I fasten the tonneau, then put on a car cover. Maybe
it would be easier to put the top up every night.
Dave Riker
61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74 Midget (like in the Johny Cash song
about Cadillacs)
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