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MG Midget in distress.

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That one's definitely in good hands! Looks like your brake will come to the fore on the project, too.

I'd not be too concerned with wiring though. The diagrams on Advance Auto are great, the Bentley book as well. Biggest issue has to be the metal fabrication. The sills in particular should be a concern.

I'd say leave the engine for last, it'll need a sound shell to go into and shouldn't sit rebuilt until it has a home. But shipping the SU's to Curto for bushing R&R wouldn't be a bad thing. They won't "atrophy" on a shelf. šŸ˜‰

Good that you've now got the shop to do the project. I'm another who'll be vicariously admiring your progress.
 
Thank you Doc.

I had just dug the SUs out with the intention of getting them off to Joe C. That will double the value of the car. I will probable get the front and rear shocks off as well and send them off for rebuilding.
The Break worked out great on the shelf bending. The shelf fit with only minor adjustment.
The sills look OK. There are some holes in both the drivers side and passengers side floors. Still debating what is the best repair approach on them. Buy a floor pan and cut out what I need or fabricate repair patches.
I Tend to work on multiple parts at the same time, bodywork then switch to mechanical parts. Probable a brain malfunction on my part.
So I will strip the engine down and am thinking I may need to set the gearbox up on a test rig so I can spin it over to see how much noisy it makes.

I am trying to work out what happened to the wiring as I strip it out.
I also need to get a plan together to get the Emission stuff off as most is already gone. PCV valve or what?

My TR engine sat for a couple of years after I finished it. I would spin it over from time to time to keep things oiled.

David
 
It would be much quicker and easier to get floor pans and piece them to fit the damaged originals, considering what it would take to fabricate pieces from raw sheet. Limit the aggro.

As I've commented in the past, most of the bodged wiring (and mechanicals, too) we've seen are the result of the first decade or so of an LBC's life, being treated with ill respect. "Silly li'l ferrin cars" kind of thing. Not worthy of permanent repairs, "toys" to be patched up to run at least expense or attention to longevity and safety. Scotch-locks, house wiring wire nuts and bare stripped ends of wiring just twisted together and taped up... all less-than proper. Metric fasteners "close enuff!" to the thread pitch of the originals to be jack-leg forced to fit. All sinful IMHO.

David said:
I Tend to work on multiple parts at the same time, bodywork then switch to mechanical parts. Probable a brain malfunction on my part.
Click to expand...

Hardly malfunction. It's not a production shop job you're into, you get to set the pace and the priorities. The change-up prevents boredom and keeps up the momentum!

The "engine last" suggestion is a personal thing; we're in a rather corrosive environment down here, the engines would get disassembled, machine work done and units reassembled with as little time sitting around in pieces as possible before run-in. They're a start-to-finish concentrated effort.

With the SU setup, there are plugged vacuum ports on the intake if you wanted to have the earlier BMC crankcase vapor recovery, but just rigging up a spill-bottle from the vent pipe on the valve cover would suit, methinks. Besides, a 1275cc needs to "be all it can be"!! Great engine for a Spridget!

As an aside; since the car is a metal bumper one, have you considered blanking off the holes for the side-marker lamps? Much "cleaner" look and fewer electrical concerns, IMHO. A "pre-1968" in appearance, with an engine that should have been. šŸ˜‰
 
I have seen the side marker delete mentioned other boards. I need to look at some photos of both options. I am not as set on getting the Midget back to Factory Original as I was on the TR3A and on the TR I did some convenience mods. Alternator, extra fuses and USB outlets.

On the Passenger side the floor pan replacement seems the way to go. The drivers side there is less damage as far as I can see at the moment.

There is a fuel tank vapor recovery line to a canister in the engine bay. The valve cover has a tube connection and there is a connection on the timing chain cover. I presume I will need an air in and vapor out for the engine.

David
 
My 1275 has a little can on the timing chain cover that went to a PCV valve. My local 1275 guru said skip the PCV and just run a hose from the can to the air cleaner. If you don't vent the crankcase I understand it will leak oil. My '67 is before all that pollution stuff.
 
needs a vented orifice i.e. 1/8" hole in the oil filler cap and a PCV Valve in place to create negative pressure in the crankcase. Doing so will solve most rear seal leakage.
 
Thank you Jim and Bayless.

I am also getting advice to keep the vapor canister to stop it smelling of gas I presume from the fuel tank.

David
 
DavidApp said:
Thank you Jim and Bayless.

I am also getting advice to keep the vapor canister to stop it smelling of gas I presume from the fuel tank.

David
Click to expand...
If this is relevant, if you replace the tank, it doesn't come with the return hole for the vapour canister.
 
DavidApp said:
On the side marker delete do you do front and back side markers?

David
Click to expand...
I deleted both

1647346398560.png


while I was at it I deleted the reverse lights as well (If you look under the bumper near the exhaust you will see the motorcycle signal light that is my reverse light)

1647346501252.jpeg
 
Thank you JP.
Very nice looking Midget.
I see what you mean by removing the side markers.
I was thinking of going with white but may do the Iris blue. Before I took the plunge and bought the Midget I took a look around at all the MGs at a car show trying to get a feel for how much trouble I was getting into with the Midget. I saw a couple of cars that were Iris Blue and thought that would be a very nice colour for mine.
 
I think Iris Blue is a gorgeous colour. Also, weirdly, Bedouin.

Mrs JP picks car colours - she chose Old English White - but the first car I ever truly fell in love with was an iris Blue Bugeye.
 
As you may have noticed in earlier photos there was body filler around the drivers side rear quarter. I decided to strip the old filler to see what was going on. I could tell there was accident damage by the lumps on the inside.
With the filler cleaned off I have decided that I need to do a patch high up on the wing behind the side marker as the opening for the rear light is messed up. It will enable me to delete the side marker as well. The rear apron has suffered several incidents. There is filler under the paint so I think a replacement apron is the best course there as the rear light is bent in a bit as well. I did manage to push some of the dents out with my hydraulic power pack. You can see the holes some PO or repair shop made pulling the dents.
Any thoughts on this.
David
Drivers side wing s.jpg
Drivers side tail light area s.jpg
Drivers sie rear light 2 s.jpg
 
only that it looks like it was repaired with a can opener. :rolleyes2:
 
The wiring mods were done by the same guy.

KAS in Australia does the floor replacement panels in front left, front right, back left back and back right sections. Their price is the same as Moss but shipping kills them. They made great seat pan replacements for my TR3A.

David
 
DavidApp said:
The wiring mods were done by the same guy.

KAS in Australia does the floor replacement panels in front left, front right, back left back and back right sections. Their price is the same as Moss but shipping kills them. They made great seat pan replacements for my TR3A.

David
Click to expand...
These have appeared for sale locally - no idea about the product but, with the favourable exchange rate this could be an easier/ closer solution

Mg midget mgb gt Austin Healey Jaguar xke e type floor pans | Auto Body Parts | Guelph | Free local classifieds - Kijiji

Hello my name is Chris Saur the owner of Royal Restoration a cnc machine shop fabricating,die building molds,fixtures,jigs,tooling and components located in Kitchener Ontario Canada. We also build vintage British sheet metal mgb mgb-gt floor pans with seat nuts welded on and fuel and brake line...
www.kijiji.ca www.kijiji.ca
 
Thank you JP. That looks like a winner.
Moss has one side Back ordered and the Australian place is $50.00 more .
I will call them in the morning.
Have to get the rear apron from Moss.

David
 
DavidApp said:
Thank you JP. That looks like a winner.
Moss has one side Back ordered and the Australian place is $50.00 more .
I will call them in the morning.
Have to get the rear apron from Moss.

David
Click to expand...
any word?
 
I got an e mail from Chris saying they were out. I presume he was refering to the supply of floor pans. Also got a reply on another MG forum saying PM me for details on the supplier.
Waiting for their reply.
I may end up going with the Australian co as I have seen their work.
David
 
DavidApp said:
I got an e mail from Chris saying they were out. I presume he was refering to the supply of floor pans. Also got a reply on another MG forum saying PM me for details on the supplier.
Waiting for their reply.
I may end up going with the Australian co as I have seen their work.
David
Click to expand...
makes sense
 
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