I have an option on a midget as a donor car.
It is a failed restoration project and is unrecoverable. Any suggestions if this is a good or bad choice or anything I should think about?

TIA

Caber

Yeah go for it....space frame chassis then a nice old 1950's style body to go on top....hint hint

The axle is too narrow, suspension archaic, and the motor (whether 1300 or 1500) wouldn't pull the c*ck off a chocolate Santa unless you spend vast amounts of money on tuning parts. Which kind of defeats the object....

Hope this helps!

I would seriosly think about it. I would use the escort rear axle and the reast can be taken up with the midget running gear. If it's an old 1275cc engine then 100bhp is reasonably inexpensive to achive as parts for the A series engine are plentyful especially on ebay. You could even Turbo charge it!!

One Project i was going to do was a Midget MK Indy but 2 litres of Ford power was too much of a temptation!

[Edited on 4/11/05 by donut]

quote:

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Originally posted by caber
I have an option on a midget as a donor car.
It is a failed restoration project and is unrecoverable. Any suggestions if this is a good or bad choice or anything I should think about?

TIA

Caber

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Front suspension was used by Westfield with great success (a lot less bump steer thanescort set up). Using the suspension involves ditiching the lever arm damper and fabricationg upper and lower wishbones, it has been done before but it may be tricky to get through SVA because of sharp edges.

The rear axle is too narrow and will need the use spacers Better to use a Morris 1000 or even better a Riley 1.5 axle.

The Triumph 1500 engine has a very weak bottom end it runs big end bearings and has crank thrust washer problems.

The 1275 engine has a much tougher bottom end and responds to tuning better but it has cylinder head gasket problems (gasket blows between 2 & 3 cylinders) and was prone to burning valves even in the days of leaded petrol.

1098 comes in two forms the later type is closely related to the 1071 Mini Cooper S engine and has a larger dia crank and is very tough and tuneable.

Gearboxes on all Sprite/Midget models are major problem the 1275 box is the same as the Marina, the other boxes are Austin A40/Morris Minor.


All in all it would better to leave for someone to reshell -- Midget shells are still available.

I built a Midget based kit way back in 1887. It was called an Arkley SS. It was basically a rebody on the existing MG bodywork. doesn't the Westfield 11 use the Midget as a kit ? It used to originally.

Personally, I can't see any real reason not to. Power and performance would be limited. I drove a Shorrock supercharged Midget in the 80's and it still struggled to do 0-60 in 8 seconds ! HTH

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Originally posted by ayoungman
I built a Midget based kit way back in 1887.

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Personaly, I think a midget would be a good doner.
All the bits from a midget can be used.
The midget instruments, steering wheel, handbrake and gear levers look good.
I think the seats could be used or modified to fit.
Since your car would be a re-bodied midget, you should get an age related plate. If the midget was old enough, then I think your car would be tax exempt.
Wire wheels might be cool on a seven.

Ok, so it'll never be a road burner but a decent car for not much money.

[Edited on 4/11/05 by JonBowden]

Don't do it.

By the time you've bought a Ford rear axle, fabricated new wishbones, steering rack extenders, spent several hundred ££s building a halfway- decent tuned 1300 A series motor ( tuning a 55bhp engine to over 100bhp is neither cheap nor easy believe me; I've done it...)etc. etc. etc... you'll wish that you'd not bothered.

All the parts you need for a book Locost build are cheaply and readily available, either new or second-hand and (for example) a lightly tuned Ford 1600 X/Flow knocks spots off a 1300 A series engine. It just doesn't make sense to use a non-conventional donor just because it happens to be there. There isn't actually that much of the Midget that you would want to re-use.

There are probably lots of people that would disagree with me, but rest assured that they have never built a Midget based Locost. An Arkley SS is NOT the same thing...

or.... sell me some bits i can use as a donor for my a30 resto project!

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Originally posted by JonBowden
...If the midget was old enough, then I think your car would be tax exempt...

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are the rules for tax exemption available on line anywhere ?

First Westfied pre lit cars where Midget / Sprite donor...as was the Westfield 11.

A series engine was quite sweet but the gearboxes where not great in my opinion.....although they often use type9 fords in Midgets now but I guess the adaptor kit would be quite expensive......

quote:

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Originally posted by caber
I have an option on a midget as a donor car.
It is a failed restoration project and is unrecoverable. Any suggestions if this is a good or bad choice or anything I should think about?

TIA

Caber

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quote:

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Originally posted by Surrey Dave
snip
A series engine was quite sweet but the gearboxes where not great in my opinion.....although they often use type9 fords in Midgets now but I guess the adaptor kit would be quite expensive......

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quote:

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Originally posted by Memphis Twin
The axle is too narrow, suspension archaic, and the motor (whether 1300 or 1500) wouldn't pull the c*ck off a chocolate Santa unless you spend vast amounts of money on tuning parts. Which kind of defeats the object....

Hope this helps!

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quote:

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Originally posted by JonBowden
are the rules for tax exemption available on line anywhere ?

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Get one of these for it , you'll get free road tax that way.

OK about 50 50 for and against. Problem is I have yet to see a locally available escort axel or engine, most the sierras are pretty late I have yet to see one with a complete Pinto engine, lots have CVH or more often DOHC neither that good for locost due to size and requirements for lots of bits to fit.

I agree that the midget axel is a bit narrow I have been trying to figure out how much too narrow and if it is possible to use big offset wheels and spacers to make up the difference.

The resulting vehicle should look like an early super seven so wire wheels or even steel would look appropriate.

If anyone knows of a more suitable donor or parts to build a solid rear axel locost near Edinburgh please let me know.

TIA

Caber

Went to take a proper look today. The midget remains are the TRIUMPH SPITFIRE engine and gear box type it is worse that I thought so not interested any more. Still looking for a cheapdonor near Edinburgh, scrappies are less interested in selling complete cars it seems one I spoke to today wanted £350 for an MOT failure Sierra pinto , didn't even know if the engine ran!!!

Caber :-(