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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Bargain! It's brand new!

One of the cheaper cars to sell at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Bonhams Auction today....

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24120/lot/242/?category=results&length=180&page=1

Did you buy it?
A Cross

Sorry, Try this link

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24120/lot/242/?category=results&length=180&page=1

Andy
A Cross

FGS nearly £29k incl premium for a rubber bumper. Ok unregistered but it is a lot of money.
Jeremy MkIII

It must be nice to have a new midget, but what would you do with it?
Dave O'Neill 2

I thought the 1500 had one carb. Was that just over on this side?
Jack Orkin

The UK got twin SUs while the colonies got the single Stromberg.
Martin

it sold for over $37,000 usa

OMG....only 35 miles and been in storage the last 39 years ...WHAT a freaken nightmare mess that car is going to be

Really at this point, its nothing more then an ultra expensive parts car

Its going to need a complete nuts and bolts rebuild, ever gasket, every piece of rubber, ever piece of plastic has got to go and be replaced, tje electrical system, the suspension the steering the entire drive train, engine complete rebuild plus all the componets, the tranny, the rearend

If you do the work yourself maybe a year or 2and with the cost of parts wjat they are $10 maybe $15,000 even the seat skins will probably turn to dust once your butt and the sun hits it a few times

Why would someone do this, and this was a dealership that owned the car, they obviously knew bad things happen when you let these cars sit for extended periods of time

Heck jay leno has employee that work for him thats all they do is drive his cars to keep all the fluids meshing gears lubed, gaskets healthy.

Obviously the new owner is a moron or he wanted a brand new car to be a garage queen in his man cave that will never be driven ... used jusf as a drink coaster for when the mates come over to watch the game on the big screen

What a waste ... so sad, as they say, use it or lose it, 40 years later this car lost it

Im guessing 500 miles on the road and this car is ready for the salvage yard crusher

Prop
1 Paper

I seriously doulbt even the camshaft is properly broken in at this point, and the valves probably not even seated the piston rings wont be bedded in. So thst means the cly will have glaze with a coat of rust or they certianly will once they run that engine a few hundred miles under load

Just sitting here thinkimg about all the damage this car has taken over the last 40 years cuz no one could be bothered to turn the key for 1/2 hour per month ... or at least roll it across the floor once a year for 10 minutes

Its just sickenimg to thinl about

Imagine if you stayed perfectly still in bed for one week with no body movement.... nothimg just a coma complete stationary, what would your body be like in one week, it would twke a month in massage amd Chiropractic Care, just to walk to the bathroom by your self

Just insane

Prop
1 Paper

Oh wait

The owners aka the idiot dealership that put this into storage 40 years ago ... replaced the brake disc, the calipers and the brake hoses and rwplacwd rhe brake flujid

So let me guess... a seal in the brake caliper blew out some time back from sitting so long and the fluid drained out all over the brake disc and it all rusted up really bad

Am i guessing that correctly ? Cuz why else would you replace a brake disc with only 35 miles on it

Gez

Prop
1 Paper

Couldn't agree more Prop
My Elan lived (or died) in the corner for 30 years before I decided to wake it up
What a mess----as you say rubber stuff dies
I had to replace everything--brakes, clutch hose and cylinders--regasket the engine/box
screen rubbers-door seals, doughnuts
Everything rubber like rack boots tierod boots, even the headlight pods were gone,and the windscreen had delaminated--heater fan motor and cooling fan motor were both seized as well
All good now though--that won't happen again

willy

use it or lose it
William Revit

'Use it or lose it' absolutely Willy.
Worst thing you can do to a car is to let it stand unused.
Turned out nice here despite the weather warnings ...might have to get the Midge out.
Jeremy MkIII

I once came across a similar unregistered car mid 1990s in a showroom of a garage somewhere near Pen y Groes in North wales . They used to be an Austin rover dealer and he swapped it with another dealer for a Metro early 80s as they were in such demand at the time , imagine that ! He wanted about 15k then . He let me have a good at it I seem to rember panel gaps and finish weren't we expect today . Could be the same car I suppose
Mike Fairclough

Since they changed out some parts, it is no longer original. They are only original once.

Clare
Clare Ravenwood

If you register it would it have to meet today's standards for emissions, safety, etc
mark heyworth

Whowwww mark that is not cool,

if thats the case id think it would be almost impossiable to get a 40 year old car to opperate with in todays emmission standards

I guess being new /rebuilt and your leaned it out to the lowest you could go, maybe

I just dont know to be honest... but i have to guess thats got to be a challange

Look at VW the last 2 years they had to cheat big time eith all kinds of sensory gimiks in order for there new cars right off the factory floor to pass emissions standards

This car may still end up as a permanate artistic drink coaster in the guys man cave with his 84 inch big screen tv

Rebuilding the car is one thing, but passing todays emissions with a 40 year old car.... pass 😐
1 Paper

Send it to me. It would be registered as a 1979 car as that was when it was made and it is over 30 years old therefore exempt from emissions testing. Problem solved..

Clare
Clare Ravenwood

If you registered it, it would be tested for emissions based on a 79 engine. The same thing happens if you build a kit car based on a donor car. The emissions are based on that engine, provided you use it, and the V5 has a note on it stating this even though the car is brand new.

Trev



T Mason

So we have a bit of confusion as to how its tested

Is it tested agianst todays standards or on the standards of 40 years ago

Cage match...lets get ready to RUMMMMMBBBBLLLLLEEEE ! its on

NOW fight.....haha

Prop
1 Paper

And still on the original tyres..... at 38 years old that is going to bring some interesting handling and braking distances
Dominic Clancy

Certain all is based on date of manufacture. Therefore would only need to pass emission tests current then. John.
John Hutton

John, I think you will find its engine date as opposed to car manufacture date. As an example I know of a 2013 build car using an 80's donor car and the emissions are based on that engine. The owner was a bit concerned how he would get on when it had its first MoT last year but it came up on the computer with the correct limits and it is also stated on the logbook.

Trev
T Mason

This thread was discussed between 30/06/2017 and 04/07/2017

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.