Hi Patricia,
As another female Spridget owner, I feel qualified to answer some of your
questions. First off, I know nothing about the Triumph 1500 engine in the post
1974 Spridget. Prior to 1975, both the Austin Sprite and the MG Midget used
identical engines of varying displacement. This engine is extremely simple to
work on, especially if one is blessed with small hands. There is not a great
deal of room to work. When I was young and poor, I did most of my own repair
work. Now that I am older and working far too many hours, I prefer to have
someone else do it if at all possible. My 72 Midget was my daily driver for
nearly 5 years, and never let me down. I drove her home one night with the
distributor tied in place with a dog lead. Parts are readily available from a
variety of sources, some more trustworthy than others. If you have checked
prices for a modern American or Japanese vehicle, I think you will be amazed at
how inexpensive these little cars are to fix. As an example, the coil I needed
for my Cherokee lists at $253. Fortunately, I also own another Cherokee who
volunteered to be a parts donor. As far as vandalism goes, when I park in a bad
neighborhood, I leave a large German Shepherd on the passenger seat, with all
the windows rolled completely down. For some reason, I have never had a problem.
As far as purchasing an LBC, you should really get the advice of someone you
trust who is familiar with the trouble areas (rust). Buy the best car you can
afford. The mechanical aspects are fairly cheap to fix - body work is VERY
expensive. You can get lots of advice from this list, as well as opinions. My
suggestion is to decide on the model you like best and look for one. The Bugeye
will probably set you back the most for the purchase price, but it is every bit
as reliable as a squarebody. The engine (unless updated) is just a little
smaller. If you want roll-up windows, a Bugeye or early Midget is not for you.
They have removable side curtains. What area are you in? Several list members
will check out a prospective purchase for you. Happy hunting!
Kate
Patricia Sauthoff wrote:
> Hello,
> I'm joining this list because I am considering purchasing a
> spridget, and thought this would be an excellent resource for my questions,
> and I have just a few! First of all I'm a 20 year old college student, so
> money is definitely an issue. I really like the frogeyes, (hey I'm a girl
> and they're cute!) but I question the practicality of them as daily drivers.
> I commute about 60-70 miles a day for work, so break downs would be a huge
> inconvienience, besides the monetary issues! I also wondered if anyone has
> had any problems with vandilism, my work is not in the greatest of
> neighborhoods (though far from the worst). I was also wondering about the
> cost of upkeep, I would be doing what work I can, but don't have a lot of
> time or money to be putting into the car. I have gotten a lot of technical
> info from my boyfriend and the mg list, but if anyone has any advice for
> what someone like me might want to get it would be greatly appriciated.
> Thank you
>
> Patricia Sauthoff
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