Classic Versus New

Classic Versus New

Author
Discussion

Liteweight

Original Poster:

55 posts

245 months

Thursday 2nd June 2005
quotequote all
No real topic here, just looking through the forum and have decided that the new MGs are being mentioned to much so here is a call to arms! Come on owners of the "older" MGs let us know what your doing. I'm sure there must be some interesting projects going on out there? Bored Pilot, i'm looking in your direction here as well as that random geologist with the supercharged B! :D

boredpilot

478 posts

245 months

Thursday 2nd June 2005
quotequote all
Boredpilot hears the call.

Yes the joys of old MGs cannot be matched. The smell of oil, petrol and grease. All of which has the potential to join your cloths as you open you bonnet to show off (Ok more likely you have broken down hehehe)

I do have to admit since turbocharging mine its given a whole new life to driving the once calm, to now firey little thing.

I also like the fact that I know the car intermately, I know all the nuts and bolts, I know how much a new part will cost and how long it will take to fit. I havnt got to worry about any major computer/electronics faluires with the added "how do I fix this then at the side of the road (says AA guy)"

I also like the fact its different, it doent look like every other car, its light its small, it fits in you pocket.

See the link below to the how, and what it looks like when you turbocharge your midget
<a href="http://turbocharged-midget.tripod.com/index.html">http://turbocharged-midget.tripod.com/index.html</a>

On a side note its still in the garage having new panels and a respray at the moment hence no new shiney pics on the web site

Liteweight double thumbs up for taking you MG to LeMans, id love to do the same but I cannot pass up the chance of flying my friends over each year. Perhaps one year I wont find a plane and the midget will have to try such a lenghty trip without a breakdown :-)



>> Edited by boredpilot on Thursday 2nd June 19:44

petros

2,441 posts

236 months

Thursday 2nd June 2005
quotequote all
Loved my 1975 slightly modded roadster. she had a JE 4.6 V8 with 220bhp and 297lbs of torque. Suspension and brakes to match and a noise to die for. sold her now to fund the Chimaera, hope she's happy in Denmark

Alex M

1,492 posts

244 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
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IIRC, the geologist with the sc'ed MGB is in Australia now.

Me, I'm planning on some handling mods. Panhard Rod, perhaps an LSD (still unsure about that one). Might also get a nice alloy baffled sump.
I also am working on a slightly modified (but very period looking) dash using only original looking Smiths gauges...

So much to do, so little money to pay for it.

LW, what are you doing?

Alex

Liteweight

Original Poster:

55 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
quotequote all
Excellent, this is what I was after! Old cars going quickly, the smell, the strange knocking noise from the rear you ignore until it all goes very wrong!

I have to say I'm lagging behind with midget development at the moment. Can barely afford to feed and cloth myself let alone afford performance mods (some would say I haven't got my priorities right but the girl friend insists I eat for god sake!)

I have managed to get a new set of retro style buckets in the car (had them siting in the dinning room for a year), de-bumpered her and generally tarted things up in readyness for LM but thats it.

Suspension and brake mods are next up. Going to go for the frontline damper kit at the front I think. Any body driven a car with this kit?

boredpilot

478 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
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Afraid I havnt had the pleasure of trying a frontline front damper kit, if you do get one, please let us know the improvments

Boxbush

215 posts

258 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
quotequote all
I was hoping to have my Sebring bodied B Roadster ready for LM this year but work commitments got in the way so I'll be taking the ZTT.

It took over 3 months of evenings and weekend to get the wings and valences to fit properly (not helped by using GT front wings on a Roadster) but I am pleased with the result. I also had to chop the rear inner arches slightly to accomodate the 10.5" Minilites.

Power will be provided by a Rover V8 lump from a P5B, unmodded except for a pair of SD1 heads.

The car has recently been sprayed under the bonnet, boot and cockpit so that I can fit the motor without risk of damaging a newly painted body. Hopefully I will find the time to get it finished before the end of this Summer.

Liteweight

Original Poster:

55 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
quotequote all
Boxbush

I think we can forgive you for taking a ZT just because it sounds like you have a very cool project on the go. My house mate is in the same position. He got hold of a rolling shell in primer which we are in the middle of turning into a sebring. Stupidly thought we could get it finished in time for LM but no! Just about got his old BGT and the midget ready!

With all these projects looking to be completed by next year we really should have a classic MG meet down there. Show these TVR boys how its really done!

boredpilot

478 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
quotequote all
What are we showing them, how well we can pack the tools in the boot and how fast we can fix it LOL.

Shoudnt say that, one day my little car will hear and then realy will break down on me.

SebringMG

10 posts

233 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
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Boxbush, i hear you on fitting the arches and valaences, not tried the arches yet admittedly but they look truly evil - rear valance took a good month to sort out, darn thing was not even close to being the correct size, got to have used 2-3 tins of filler on the rear valance alone

Provisionally reckon that it *may* be ready in late august/september. Once that is all done gotta reckon on modifying the suspension to the frontline coil over system then the engine change i reckon......

Boxbush

215 posts

258 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
quotequote all
[quote=boredpilot]What are we showing them, how well we can pack the tools in the boot and how fast we can fix it LOL.



SebringMG - I got my bodykit from Doug Smith at MG Motorsports as it was supposed to be one of the best available, as for the quality of other kits I've no idea, but it sounds different to yours as I had to fit the rear wings before the rear valance - still took tons of filler though.

BTW - welcome to PH.

Liteweight

Original Poster:

55 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
quotequote all
Boredpilot,

I'll have you know my midget never breaks down, honest guvner

The old girl has never done more than a couple of hundred miles in a day before so not even sure I'm going to make it to LM to show the TVR boys my tool kit (Hang on that sounded a bit dodgy, at least I didn't call it my large tool.....kit)

Sorry, work does this to you!

SebringMG

10 posts

233 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
quotequote all
Heh mine is from Doug Smith as well - fitted the rear valance then had a change of mind and decided to go the whole hog - hopefully should be able to make the rear wings fit with a bit of patience and hammering.

How did you get the fronts to fit ? Doug reckons on installing the fibreglass inside the current metal wings (after a certain amount of cuttinf first)- personally just going to bolt/glue them on....

Boxbush

215 posts

258 months

Monday 6th June 2005
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Fitting the new wings inside the existing wings sounds a bit weird to me, you will also lose the advantage of weight reduction. I did a straight replacement, it took a long time to get them aligned correctly and you have to be quite brutal (it's amazing how much abuse you can give these panels).

When fully bolted to the top rail (along the bonnet line) and fixed over the side sill it is surprising how rigid the wing becomes, and when you fit the splash panel (modified to make up the extra width) it is even stronger.

My main complaint is the quality of the moulding around the light apertures especially the side/flasher, it took a lot of filling and sanding to get an acceptable finish.

The whole wing is bolted in the same places as the standard steel wing, no glue is required.