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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Frogs rebuilt for Le Mans 2, Frogs at Le Mans 0

The title tells it all.

You may remember the lengthy thread regarding me and my friend Neil and our attempts at getting two Frogs rebuilt and taken to Le Mans.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

Neil still suffers from excesive oil leakage and decided the day before departure to take his MGB GT instead.

I set off in my Frog but it became clear after 30 odd miles it was never going to make it.
Despite doing 600+ miles worth of shakedown testing with nothing but smiles all round, within 30 miles the brakes decided to play up and it was FWB that were the probable culprit. It started as minor brake judder but soon deteriated until I was lucky to get it home.

Back-up plan? None. Arrived home, threw everything into the yellow midget and set off to the ferry port.

The yellow Midget (see vehicle profile), The car that hasn't been washed for a year, the one that hasn't had an oil and filter change for a year, the one with an exhaust so loud it make my ears sing, got me there and back with only a dead alternator to spoil things.

The car I lavished thousands on sits in the garage sulking, unable to turn a wheel without major wobbling.

Go figure?

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

Sorry about that... its the life kf a spridgeteer

At least the threat of.being bored with nothing.to do is no longer a realistic option

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

If you haven't used it much for a year why would you need to mess with the sump plug and filter?

Sorry Rob, only a jest in utterly poor taste.

It is a pity you couldn't win that challenge, but it gives you more time to bring it with you next year,. sorted

Both of you

See you there
bill l

Obviously a very ill mannered and spoiled frog. Send it to bed with no supper.

Charley
C R Huff

Was always a standing joke amongst my Le Mans group. My midget is tinkered with/pampered/upgraded (delete depending on personal view) and is the one that has needed most roadside assistance on the way to Le Mans. Friend's spitfire has been mostly trouble free...right up until it lost the whole clutch on a busy 3 lane motorway outside paris 4 years ago. And yes I towed him off with the Midget. Safer than sitting in the middle lane casuing mayhem.

Other friend's MGB gets zero maintenance and has been mostly trouble free ! Although I do think my personal record has been blighted by misbehaving moderns previously.

So I think the full roll-call over the last ten+ years is....

Me:-
Subaru Impreza no 1 - Compleetely destroyed its rear brake pads on the N138. Allowed it to be taken away (big mistake) and had to return 2 weeks later to collect.

Subaru Impreza no 2 - Ate a big end bearing just south of Rouen. 2 Weeks inside 3yr warranty. Recovered home on low loader.

MG Midget:
Coil died 4 miles outside Calais. Replaced with random bosch one from freindly local french garage
Misfire all the way down...finally found failing HT lead on the Sunday morning when I went to Arnage in the dark.
Gearbox locked in 1st on Le Mans ring road - eventually got it free and no more problems
Temp guage (old dual guage) failed 5 miles from home. Was final incentive to go electric temp guage.
Fuel Vaporistation in traffic causing a few stalls (this year)

Friends...
Spitfire - Broke its Alternator(dynamo?) mounting in the middle of nowhere. Replaced with bike - multi spanner thing from my tool box.
Clutch as mentioned - recovered home on low loader
Think the diff went noisy one year (but didn't fail)

MGB
Failed brake light switch
Overheated...including coolant clearly leaking from head gasket. Allowed to cool and been fine ever since. Gasket never been changed. (FFS)
Battery wire in-explicably "jumped off" battery terminal.




Dean Smith ('73 RWA)

. . . . and Gary's frog always gets there, despite the fact that only the dirt is holding Gaps together.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Yes Nick but a lot of that well earned dirt is French anyway.

It probably thinks it's its patriotic duty to keep Gaps coming back 'home'.
bill l

This thread was discussed between 09/07/2014 and 10/07/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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