>Hi All,
> I have been lurking here for some time. Today I drove 3 hours to look
>at a 66 Mg Midget. Everything looked great and it had very little
>rust....So I bought it!
> I am sure I will have lots of questions to come!! The first: The car
>pretty far away and I need to tow it to my place. Can this be done with
>a U-Haul type device
> or will I have to have a flat bed pick it up? The latter could be
>costly but I am concerned about it bottming out. What is a good general
>book to start with?
> Follow the link for photos...
> Charles Markham
> Massachusetts
> http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=211387&a=1750871
Congratulations
I took the ultimate chance with my Midget when I bought it last May. Sight
unseen, I drove it 200 miles home from Rhode Island to New Jersey. When I
bought a non-running Sprite a few months ago, I tried to get a UHaul tow
dolly. UHaul says that its car transporter is too large for Spridgets, and
they aren't too enthused about renting out a tow dolly but if you tell them
you're moving an Escort, they won't ask any questions. UHaul also
recommends that you disconnect the drive shaft, but a few listers have said
that it makes no difference on short trips.
If you have steep hills or rough roads to go on though, you will bottom out.
I splurged and used a flatbed. Either way, since the car is new to you,
don't trust the safety catch on the hood. Tie a rope or two across the
bonnet to keep it from lifting up at speed, until you have a chance to poke
around. Some things it took me a while to figure out:
How to reset the trip odometer (its under the dashboard)
Why there is a panel dimmer switch (just ask the list)
You need to top up the dashpots more than once a year
That there is a glovebox
You must apply grease religeously (to the car)
The fuel pump is supposed to make a clicking sound
The wiring diagrams in the Hayne's manual are wrong (the Bentley manual,
which is out of print, has the best information, but other manuals have
better diagrams and photos. Look on ebay)
How to replace the filler plug on the transmission
With the clutch in, you should put the gearshift into 2nd before shifting
into 1st.
An appropriate list of tools to carry around in the boot. (Screwdrivers and
rachteting box end wrenches meet 95% of my needs.)
The original pillar jack isn't as good as a scissor jack.
Your car will never be watertight
You will have fun.
Hope this helps...
Charles
'74 Midget
'68 Sprite
cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com
Bloomfield, NJ
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