MG Midget - Just get it finished !!
Discussion
The story of my litte MG Midget is a long one. It was my very first car and bought with my savings from my first 'real' job. I ran it for a couple of years on a shoestring but eventually the bottom end of the engine went.
I hadn't done very much spannering at the time but with some friends help I got the engine out...only to discover quite a bit of rot hidden underneath. On closer inspection I discovered rust in other places such as the sills etc. I knew it was a bit tatty but the extent of it gave me a bit of a fright.
Looking back, the experience of taking out the engine taught me a couple of things; i) I really enjoyed tinkering with cars and ii) I like to do as much as I can myself and usually attempt things with very little knowledge but usually manage my way through (eventually) !
So - roll on 22 years & where is it now ? Answer : still sitting in the garage awaiting completion and has been the butt of many a joke over the years.
I have done some work on it. I went to night school to learn how to weld. With some specialist help, the engine has been rebuilt. It's had a respray of sorts (changed to tartan red). I've rewired it and the suspension rebuild is 'underway'.
It's also been dragged between about 6 different homes and left in boxes and on driveways/spare garages/ gunder gazebos etc while I've rebuilt my TVR. That's now complete and it's time to finally get the Midget back on the road.
Sorry for the long post but I had a thread in 'Readers Cars' for my TVR rebuild which I found invaluable for motivation and for the hints, tips and encouragement I received. Maybe if I start a thread on my Midget I'll finally get it back on the road where it belongs.
If you don't mind , I'll keep this thread updated as I work to finish it. Target - on the road by next summer.
I hadn't done very much spannering at the time but with some friends help I got the engine out...only to discover quite a bit of rot hidden underneath. On closer inspection I discovered rust in other places such as the sills etc. I knew it was a bit tatty but the extent of it gave me a bit of a fright.
Looking back, the experience of taking out the engine taught me a couple of things; i) I really enjoyed tinkering with cars and ii) I like to do as much as I can myself and usually attempt things with very little knowledge but usually manage my way through (eventually) !
So - roll on 22 years & where is it now ? Answer : still sitting in the garage awaiting completion and has been the butt of many a joke over the years.
I have done some work on it. I went to night school to learn how to weld. With some specialist help, the engine has been rebuilt. It's had a respray of sorts (changed to tartan red). I've rewired it and the suspension rebuild is 'underway'.
It's also been dragged between about 6 different homes and left in boxes and on driveways/spare garages/ gunder gazebos etc while I've rebuilt my TVR. That's now complete and it's time to finally get the Midget back on the road.
Sorry for the long post but I had a thread in 'Readers Cars' for my TVR rebuild which I found invaluable for motivation and for the hints, tips and encouragement I received. Maybe if I start a thread on my Midget I'll finally get it back on the road where it belongs.
If you don't mind , I'll keep this thread updated as I work to finish it. Target - on the road by next summer.
It looks like we have a very similar fleet!! What is it with TVR owners who also have Midgets? 
The S is in 'as bought' condition but the Midget has taken me over 7 years to get round to finishing, I have had it down to a shell, new sills and various welding plus a full respray (if I'd known that I could get as good a finish as I have then I would have painted it a better colour! but that is the original).I put a second hand engine and 'box in it, this was done on a budget, re-trimmed it as well as all bushes, pipes etc. replaced and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I did it all myself. They are great fun, as you know, I never had one when I was younger but always wanted one, almost as much fun as the S but very little chance of losing your licence]
Did'nt I see a post on the S forum about your 'garage to die for'? No excuse, get on with it!!!
If that's not inspirational, then ignore me!
Happy spannering,
Paul.
The S is in 'as bought' condition but the Midget has taken me over 7 years to get round to finishing, I have had it down to a shell, new sills and various welding plus a full respray (if I'd known that I could get as good a finish as I have then I would have painted it a better colour! but that is the original).I put a second hand engine and 'box in it, this was done on a budget, re-trimmed it as well as all bushes, pipes etc. replaced and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I did it all myself. They are great fun, as you know, I never had one when I was younger but always wanted one, almost as much fun as the S but very little chance of losing your licence]
Did'nt I see a post on the S forum about your 'garage to die for'? No excuse, get on with it!!!
If that's not inspirational, then ignore me!
Happy spannering,
Paul.
PotlessPaul said:
It looks like we have a very similar fleet!! What is it with TVR owners who also have Midgets?
The S is in 'as bought' condition but the Midget has taken me over 7 years to get round to finishing, I have had it down to a shell, new sills and various welding plus a full respray (if I'd known that I could get as good a finish as I have then I would have painted it a better colour! but that is the original).I put a second hand engine and 'box in it, this was done on a budget, re-trimmed it as well as all bushes, pipes etc. replaced and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I did it all myself. They are great fun, as you know, I never had one when I was younger but always wanted one, almost as much fun as the S but very little chance of losing your licence]
Did'nt I see a post on the S forum about your 'garage to die for'? No excuse, get on with it!!!
If that's not inspirational, then ignore me!
Happy spannering,
Paul.
Some form of masochism I suppose. Your Midget looks great - credit to you. I wish I had the money at the time to buy an early one but I could only manage a rubber bumper one. Too late now to swap, I'm too attached to it.The S is in 'as bought' condition but the Midget has taken me over 7 years to get round to finishing, I have had it down to a shell, new sills and various welding plus a full respray (if I'd known that I could get as good a finish as I have then I would have painted it a better colour! but that is the original).I put a second hand engine and 'box in it, this was done on a budget, re-trimmed it as well as all bushes, pipes etc. replaced and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I did it all myself. They are great fun, as you know, I never had one when I was younger but always wanted one, almost as much fun as the S but very little chance of losing your licence]
Did'nt I see a post on the S forum about your 'garage to die for'? No excuse, get on with it!!!
If that's not inspirational, then ignore me!
Happy spannering,
Paul.
Yes, the garage was mine. No excuses this winter
PotlessPaul said:
It looks like we have a very similar fleet!! What is it with TVR owners who also have Midgets?
The S is in 'as bought' condition but the Midget has taken me over 7 years to get round to finishing, I have had it down to a shell, new sills and various welding plus a full respray (if I'd known that I could get as good a finish as I have then I would have painted it a better colour! but that is the original).I put a second hand engine and 'box in it, this was done on a budget, re-trimmed it as well as all bushes, pipes etc. replaced and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I did it all myself. They are great fun, as you know, I never had one when I was younger but always wanted one, almost as much fun as the S but very little chance of losing your licence]
Did'nt I see a post on the S forum about your 'garage to die for'? No excuse, get on with it!!!
If that's not inspirational, then ignore me!
Happy spannering,
Paul.
Some form of masochism I suppose. Your Midget looks great - credit to you. I wish I had the money at the time to buy an early one but I could only manage a rubber bumper one. Too late now to swap, I'm too attached to it.The S is in 'as bought' condition but the Midget has taken me over 7 years to get round to finishing, I have had it down to a shell, new sills and various welding plus a full respray (if I'd known that I could get as good a finish as I have then I would have painted it a better colour! but that is the original).I put a second hand engine and 'box in it, this was done on a budget, re-trimmed it as well as all bushes, pipes etc. replaced and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I did it all myself. They are great fun, as you know, I never had one when I was younger but always wanted one, almost as much fun as the S but very little chance of losing your licence]
Did'nt I see a post on the S forum about your 'garage to die for'? No excuse, get on with it!!!
If that's not inspirational, then ignore me!
Happy spannering,
Paul.
Yes, the garage was mine. No excuses this winter
gifdy said:
Not good. I knackered the diff on my TVR so any spare time has been put into getting that sorted first. New role at work has meant a lot of travelling so I'm not home much. I'll think of more excuses later ......
Oh no sorry to hear about the diff - sounds tricky. Hope you have more luck and back on the MG soon, and I hope it isn't still in that tent - I rather think the weather we've been having may mean the tent is now somewhere off the coast of Sweden/Norway Andrew
AndrewS2 said:
gifdy said:
Not good. I knackered the diff on my TVR so any spare time has been put into getting that sorted first. New role at work has meant a lot of travelling so I'm not home much. I'll think of more excuses later ......
Oh no sorry to hear about the diff - sounds tricky. Hope you have more luck and back on the MG soon, and I hope it isn't still in that tent - I rather think the weather we've been having may mean the tent is now somewhere off the coast of Sweden/Norway Andrew
)
Thanks for the interest - it's given me a well deserved kick up the arse I need !
Edited by gifdy on Thursday 9th January 16:40
.
.
Similar for me too, an overlap of 9 months of ownership of both, but once I finished the restoration of the MGB, I sold it, foolishly as I only have undercover storage for one soft top. If I had a garage like gifdy I would have kept both. I had use of another garage but it was on the other side of town, and I wouldn't have travelled to use the car that was further away.
No TVR...but have had my Midget for about 23 years...
Various gaps in being on the road but has been going strong for the last 7 or 8 years. Now with a tweaked 1380 ex-marina (!) engine. Just needs a quick blow over for the boot lid for next year. Will also be tax free for the first time :-)
Various gaps in being on the road but has been going strong for the last 7 or 8 years. Now with a tweaked 1380 ex-marina (!) engine. Just needs a quick blow over for the boot lid for next year. Will also be tax free for the first time :-)
Gassing Station | MG | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff