[Car_Restoration] 1976 Mg Midget Into A 1968 Ah Sprite - A True 's

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

How have I missed this thread.....excellent work.

I love old british cars....whitworth, imperial..........nightmare!

[cRaig 273 1 Cars]

Project is pretty much on hold again due to uni work, but things are moving slowly in the background. Got the doors back from paint, the chap has done a really good job, taken out the few flaws from the fibreglass moulding process (one of the doors was slightly sunken in the middle) certainly should look the part, need to get the rest of the car machine polished asap to match!

New autosparks wiring loom has arrived and been loosely pulled through the car. Will start working on the car again in earnest in a month or two..

 

Sadly now the doors are finished I'm running out of reasons not to just pull my finger out and get this finished..

 

 

Edited April 23, 2014 by cRaig

[cRaig 273 1 Cars]

Turns out the doors have been painted the wrong colour. Original metal door is pictured on the right. Sometimes wonder why I bother with all this car rubbish..

 

DSC00408

 

Bit annoying that they were supplied with the paintcode and the paint came from the same paintshop that mixed the paint when we sprayed it. It turns out it had some solvent in it which was only vaguely mentioned on the paint tin label, which they can no longer use, and that shifts the shade of the finished paint a few shades out, so the direct replacement no longer matches.

Still, they have scanned an original panel now, and we have the proper paintcode for future reference. Turns out our shade of MG Flame red matches Scania Truck Red perfectly...not sure if that is a good thing or not!

[cRaig 273 1 Cars]

Wow, another year.. where has the time gone..?

 

Well, between graduating, various other projects, starting a business, pottering with the 205, have made some more progress with the midget (the current good weather is encouraging me to work on this over the 205, I miss top-down driving..)

 

Since the last updates the old 1970s wiring loom was condemned (at last!) and a new autosparks loom has been purchased and fitted. Was pricey at 300 quid, but money well spent. Its a lovely thing, fits nicely, with period braid etc, and they happily increased the spec over the age-specific standard, by including wiring for a boot mounted electric fuel pump, hazard wiring as per the later cars, and other little touches such as extra wiring for electric gauges.

 

This meant the new wrinkle painted dashboard could be fitted at long last. So much more satisfying wiring it in to a new, less crusty wiring loom!

 

 

Also fitted the genuine radio box we picked up cheap from Beaulieu, have fitted a sony head unit, which even though its a modern unit I think is plain and unassuming enough to not look out of place (plus it happens to light up pinky-red!) It has an aux in, which is ideal, and I've fitted a hidden amplified FM aerial which means we can have radio without having to fit an unsightly electric pop-up aerial which most midget owners resort to. The sound is really great from the new speakers and parcel shelf, actually get decent bass, its not prize wirnning by any stretch, but sounds as good as a boggo modern car, eg the 406, which is a real plus to driving it on long journeys- actually being able to hear the music!

 

 

Have ditched the mechanical capiliary dual oil pressure/water temp gauge, and have replaced with with brand new smiths electic gauges with matched senders, so should be both more accurate and reliable! The oil pressure sender has been replaced with a pressure switch- which is attached to the red warning light which in standard form is the blocked oil filter light. Less ideal than having a pressure gauge, but still will alert to any major problems (I had little confidence in the old gauge anyway!)

 

Really pleased with the dash, I think it looks so smart with the wrinkle paint and new gauges. Do like the dash mounted ignition switch, more satisfying than the steering lock one (which was crap and often sticky anyway)

 

 

Tackled a few more wiring jobs, including pedal mounted dip-dim switch (very cool period feature, every car should have one! )

 

 

And sorted the general boot wiring, including a new facet fuel pump mounted in the boot. For added "safety" have also fitted an inertia switch in the fuel pump feed picked up cheap from the scrapyard. Admittedly its not going to give the midget a staggeringly good euro NCAP rating, but every little helps Parcel shelf wired in neatly, and underside of parcel shelf covered in fabric, very pleased with how its come out.

 

 

 

Also discovered on filling the fuel tank that the old tank which I had cleaned up and painted was starting to 'weep' petrol, no specific leaks, but the paint on the outside started bubbling/lifting, which suggested that at least some fuel was making it through the tank, which didnt fill me with joy. A new tank was sourced and fitted, which also gave the opportunity to fit a new matched sender to the fuel gauge, to try and improve the smiths standard 'guess-ometer', accurate to the nearest half tank or so..

 

 

 

Refitted the oil cooler, as I wasnt happy with it, and the cheap bobbins were already starting to perish. Made a new aluminium mounting bar, and used 'double' bobbins, which I have alot more confidence in. Also fitted the spare FIAMM pair of horns left over now the 205 has the oe compressor one. Should be friggin loud!

 

 

Also resolved the lack of colourmatching doors. I lost patience with trying to match the colour accurately.. so went for a contrast instead. It has the added benefit of pissing off every dyed-in-the-wool MG owners club midget beard.

 

 

 

3M matte black vinyl wrap is a joy to work with, and for a first attempt at wrapping, I think they have come out rather well! Perhaps not to everyone's (or indeed, anyones..) taste, but its something a bit fun and different. Currently debating a matte black stripe front-to-back over the car to tie it all together.

 

Fitted the repaired toneau cover, and, from some angles its starting to look like a finished car..! Bled the brakes today, just need to source a new clutch pipe and then that can be bled as well. Then it just needs fluids and the engine wiring up, then can get it running...! You never know, it might even see this summer...

 

Edited April 21, 2015 by cRaig

[BusEngineer 7]

Excellent update as always Craig