Thinking of getting a Midget

[Dominic]

Hi Folks
Firstly merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

It's been an eventful time here, my daughter has just given birth to my first Grand-child, born in the early hours of boxing day.

Now, I'm toying with the idea of getting myself an MG Midget or AH Sprite - and wondered if anyone here can give any advice as to which one to go for?

My uneducated preference would be for an A-series rather than the later 1500, probably a late 60s variant. How easy are these cars to work on compared to a Minor?

Probably would need to sell or swap my 1968 2-door Morris which is now in good running order with new braking system (kunifer and all new Lockheed cyls) all new water hoses incl heater hoses, 1275 Marina engine with about 25000 on the clock, 3.9 diff on reconditioned axle, poly bushes, & new battery to mention just some of the work carried out.

If anyone has any ideas, or might be interested in selling or swapping something suitable, please let me know!

Dom

[bmcecosse]

Don't touch the 1500 version........ Round arch models are much sought after. Make sure you can get in/out the car - and your head doesn't stick up over the top of the windscreen....... These cars are named 'midget' for a good reason......... And - you won't get a pram in the back!

[morris van]

Apart from owning a 1971 Morris Minor van I also own a 1970 1275 Midget which I have owned for over 21 years and a friend has a 1978 Midget and wished he had a 1275.Someone I know is 6 foot 6 and owns a Midget.

[autolycus]

I owned a 1968 Midget 1275cc for fourteen years, and a few months ago offered it for sale or swap for a Minor on here. It's now gone to the USA.

Roy is right (how often do we write that?): 1500 rubber bumper Midgets are horrid things, quite apart from costing money to tax. Some purists like the really early Midgets, but others argue that they're underpowered and sidescreens are a pita. The hood changed with the Mk III (folding frame as against a kit of bits). I'd argue that the 1969-70-ish facelift was a step in the wrong direction, with their loss of chrome trim strips, skinny bumpers and mangle-wheel Leyland badging. So I reckon 67-68 is where to aim. I'm not convinced aesthetically about round wheel arches.

In terms of working on them, you'll recognise everything apart from the front suspension, but you may curse the smaller engine bay, and the hydraulic clutch, and bang your head a thousand times on the bonnet.

Which brings me to repeating Roy's warning: yes, a tall young man can get comfortable in one, and a tall old man (who, me?) is OK once he's in, but try getting out when it's parked against a kerb, then repeat with the hood up. Wear narrow shoes if you only want to press one pedal at a time.

But if you can get in and out of one: buy it, and, as the MG lot say, "Drive it till the roads wear out".

Kevin

[mike.perry]

A Frogeye Sprite is easy to work on, open the bonnet and sit on the wheel. No opening boot so you have to stuff your dirty weekend luggage past the seats and then try to retrieve it later, and also hope that you do not have a puncture and have to get the spare wheel out

[smithskids]

My wife and I had a frogeye before we graduated to a Lotus 7 and it was great fun, if you took the seat backs off you could sleep in them,but watch your head if you wake up in the night.
I think its razor blades now its number was PNL98 Iris blue.

[chickenjohn]

I had a Midget in the workshop for a new wing and some welding a few week ago, late 60's one it was. I drove it round the block a few times, they feel oddly familiar to drive, like a low "sports" Minor with a longer bonnet (was my impression). The steering and gear change is very similar. Don't expect one to be much faster than a Minor though!

Enjoyed it though!

[morris van]

With my Midget it feels as if you doing 80 mph when im only doing 40,maybe because its lower to the ground than a Minor

[Dominic]

Thanks for all the replies - I've arranged with some very kind people locally who own a sprite and a 1500 Midget to have a try out. I think I'll probably be looking for around a 1968/9 Midget, with the more convenient roof!
Completely agree re: speed seeming faster in a small low down car. I had a Peugeot 205 Roland Garros until recently, that felt very fast when going at quite moderate speeds, especially on narrow-ish roads!

[moggiethouable]

A Frogeye Sprite is easy to work on, open the bonnet and sit on the wheel. No opening boot so you have to stuff your dirty weekend luggage past the seats and then try to retrieve it later, and also hope that you do not have a puncture and have to get the spare wheel out

Triumph spitfire was the same, you could sit on a nice warm tyre while you worked on the engine.

[Matt Tomkins]

my dad has a midget -- great fun little car and almost identical mechanicals to the minor -- HOWEVER because of its size, access is a lot more difficult than on a minor. simple jobs like swapping the points/condenser take a lot longer through lack of access (in the end i removed the dizzy and built it up on the bench.
That said, we are very spoiled by the accessibility of things on a minor
if you can deal with bending double to do things and regular skinned knuckles i'd go for it

[ASL642]

Just be sure not to park against high kerbs - you can't open the doors!

[Dominic]

Just be sure not to park against high kerbs - you can't open the doors!

That was always fun when I had a Citroen GS & then a BX.
You'd park with plenty of door clearance, then on return an hour or so later, the hydraulic pressure would have decayed, sinking the car right down so it would scarcely allow the door to open against a low kerb, let alone a high one! One soon learnt......

[kennatt]

I had a midget in my youth,believe me you can do a bit more than sleep in one,only just but then that was in my youth

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Just be sure not to park against high kerbs - you can't open the doors!

That was always fun when I had a Citroen GS & then a BX.
You'd park with plenty of door clearance, then on return an hour or so later, the hydraulic pressure would have decayed, sinking the car right down so it would scarcely allow the door to open against a low kerb, let alone a high one! One soon learnt......

...to not have bought a fancy French car in the first place and have stuck with good old Hydragas.

[Dominic]

Nononononnono the GS & BX were super cars (ok not supercars) a nightmare to work on definitely but delightful to drive, esp. the bright yellow 1979 GS that I had. Bought cheaply 2nd hand and sold on for what I paid for them (more than in the case of the BX) I remember the first time I saw the BX when they had just come out - the only car at that time that I had ever drooled over! (good job I had a spare hanky with me)

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

I have no driving/owning experience of them so cannot say anything about them really... I believe one must own and drive a car to pass judgement on it... but at a show last year I was chatting to a guy who had a GS there and he was telling me how terribly thin the steel was in relation to the British cars of the time. It was however a technical marvel, leaps and bounds in front of many cars of the period and had a flat four if I remember correctly?

The steel was indeed remarkably thin and and when I got back to my old Allegro I gave it a triumphant thump!

[les]

Give it one from me I love 'em.

[rotgnom]

Hello Dom,

I've got a 1100 Traveller und a 1275 Midget which is an ideal combination. Both are mechanically nearly identical but driving feels totally different.
Make sure you feel comfortable sitting in a Midget and have a close look at the seats. There are different types of seats which are not original and some give you a very uncomfortable sitting position. If the original seats are past due they might give you up to 10 cm extra headroom.

Achim

[StaffsMoggie]

There is a lot of prejudice regarding the Triumph engine in the 1500 Midget. This probably stems from its lower tolerance of abuse compared with the A-series! Provided a 1500 is well maintained and not driven everywhere at a million rpm it will be fine! The 1500s tend to be better value than the A series cars. People seem to rave over the 'round arch' 1275 Midgets for some reason. The poly bumpers are not to everyones taste but you cant see them from the driving seat and thats where the most fun is had...

Access around the engine is a lot tighter than in a Moggie, and a lot poorer than the fantastic access to the same engine in my Spitfire.... But, nothing is difficult.

So, all Midgets and Sprites are great fun to drive, but don't dismiss the 1500.