MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Second hand performance bits

Is it just me, but considering the midget was built in large numbers and raced from day one. From works teams right down to the clubman competitor. Enthusiastic young lads on the roads in the 60s/70s and catered for by loads of companies still today. How is it that you hardly ever see any second hand performance enhancing parts for sale? I know stuff wears out etc, and im not necessarily condoning buying items that have had a life and are questionably past it, but I dont see anything! Good or bad. Am I looking in the wrong places (eBay mostly)?
C Mason

I think 2nd hand race parts are held a little closer to the vest... they do come up on ebay but another good source are the forum classified... like ours and just making friends at the local club level, for knowing who as what.

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Hi

It depends what performance bits you are looking for. Some performance engine bits are shared with other vehicles, some of which are more popular and numerous (e.g. some engine bits for Minis), as well as some performance upgrades from other standard vehicles have fallen out of fashion/donors less numerous.

For example Austin 1100 cylinder heads for small bore A Series are not as cheap or available as once were, as well as fewer people lightly modifying the standard engines in 998cc Minis or 948cc Sprites and Morris Minors. Even MG Metros as donors of 12G940 heads and 1.75 inch carbs no longer as easily or cheaply available.

Similarly the supply of standard good value 1275 engines in Midgets and Marinas are less common.

Spares can circulate round specialist groups, for example if there is something particular to a race or speed event series. Try the respective online forum.

Modifications for the road can fall out or into fashion, as well as the cars themselves. K Series engines now being done, and for Minis the use of BMW heads, Honda engines etc whereas previously modifiers may have built offset bore 1380cc/1430cc A Series engines.

Some of the parts suppliers and manufactures for Midgets and A Series engines have gone too, as well as for standard parts (including ones from other models to use as performance upgrade).

Performance bits? Have you started looking out the specialist suppliers, e.g. Peter May Engineering and Peter Burgess?

Colin Mee is hillclimbing a Midget, so may have comments, as well as other racers on this forum.

Cheers
Mike

M Wood

Indeed I do compete in club hillclimbs, except it's a Sprite!

I started hillclimbing a couple of years ago with my son as complete novices in the most basic Roadgoing class where there is limited scope for modification. However, this has not stopped us starting to uprate it within the regs.

For safety related items and parts that wear I have always bought new.

To stop my helmet hitting the roof, I bought a Sparco Sprint seat from Demon Tweeks. For racing, seats must be 'in date' but the dating rules don't apply to speed events (hillclimbs and sprints) so you can pick up out of date seats quite cheaply on ebay - but buy carefully as a lot of seats will be a too big for a Spridget. Demon Tweeks and Merlin, based at Castle Coombe circuit, carry some A-Series and Spridget parts.

So far my performance upgrades have been chassis-related 'wearing' parts such as brake pads and polybushes, so they have all been bought new from Peter May. He has been very helpful in advising which way to go with the various options.

If you are looking for more horse-power or performance parts, I can recommend Race Retro at Stoneleigh (Warwickshire) in February. There were quite a few 'A Series' performance parts available, both new and second hand. For instance there was a good number of new and used Weber carburettors. I was very tempted by a vernier timing set for £90 (and am regretting not taking advantage of the opportunity). Many new items were on special offer not everything was cheap. I thought that £125 for genuine but not pristine Speedwell ram pipes was excessive - if anyone has a pair of 1 1/4" ram pipes for a reasonable sum I would be interested. I was not in the market for a new cam so I didn't study them but there seemed to be plenty of NOS on offer.

Even if you don't buy anything, there will be some fantastic cars on show,with rally action on Sat and Sun and you just might bump into a few famous faces - Dave Richards of Aston Martin in my case! I also saved £10 on my subscription to Motor Sport by renewing on their stand as well as getting a free MS umbrella!

I hope some of the above is useful.

Colin
Colin Mee

This thread was discussed on 28/06/2015

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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