New owner with some questions

[alphadog]

Recently got a 79 midget... free to a good home from my cousin. It runs ok and is complete except for some minor items (headrests) - but I do have some questions that I can't find answers to:

1. Front (maybe the back) appears to be lowered as the front the tires rub when turning - is there one thing to look for? Assuming that lowering midgets is not uncommon. Spring height to check?

2. Wheel lugs appear bent inward - further inspection implies the cause is oval'ed out holes in steel wheels - is this common? Are stock wheels in good shape available?

3. Towing on dolly may have dented oil pan - is this removable with engine in car?

4. Tires are 165/70 R13 - I heard 13" are impossible to find - is this true? Any ideas?

5. Brakes are really poor (plan very far ahead) - but E-brake works, and front wheel removal shows calipers working, back locks up when braking hard. Assume water in brake line.

Thanks for any advice

 

[Rut]

Welcome to the forum and post pictures as soon as you can. Pictures can help us spot problems as well as admire your new car!
Rut

 

[bthompson]

I can help with a couple of these. Maybe.

#1: It's pretty common to lower rubber-bumper Midgets. Federal regs needed the headlights raised slightly, and the bumpers add significant weight. The result looks a little high; lowering an inch or so makes a big difference both visually and in the handling. Shorter springs may have been installed, but it's more usual (and cheaper and easier) to drop the spring pan with spacers. Check to see if the four bolts under the spring pans have little tubular spacers on them. Tires will be a tight fit no matter what.

#3: Yep, you can pull the pan with the engine in place. A good thing, too; because at some point you will need to replace the bearings and thrust washer in a 1500, which can be done with the engine in situ. (It's easy enough to pull the engine and trans together, but not something you want to do unless you really have to.)

#4: Thirteen-inchers aren't impossible to find, but they're getting harder to get in the U.S. Still a world market for them, though, so they'll be made for awhile yet.

#5: Better get your brakes sorted! It's a simple system to work through. Master cylinder, hoses, calipers, done. Affordable, and good insurance for a car that is not forgiving of collisions.

 

[JPSmit]

Welcome! And Happy New Year. May I add a couple of things?

1. In terms of lowering, 1275 springs are shorter and a common modification.

2. In terms of wheels, Midget wheels are 4x4" or 4 x 101.6 mm. There are 4x100 rims out there (honda?) and some have used them, either bending the bolts or using wobble bolts - neither is safe. Post a pic and we should be able to tell if they are correct.

3. Rear brakes are adjustable.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Welcome to the forum. sorting the brakes is usually pretty easy and affordable. Definitely replace the rubber hoses and flush the lines. Then replace the wheel cylinders/calipers if needed.
155/80R13 are plentiful and cheap. Look at craigslist for some good used rims. Replace the wheel studs. They will need to be ordered. Your friendly local auto parts store will not have them in stock.
Get a workshop manual to safe yourself some grief. These cars are simple, but they do have a few quirks.

 

[alphadog]

I have had a TR6 for about 30 years - so most of the midget is somewhat familiar - got the Bentley and Haynes manual for both cards and just need to get some warm weather to get to work.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Great another Dayton Spridget owner. I'm in Beavercreek. I'll assume you know Steve Miller at MG Automotive in Kettering already. If this list can't solve you've got a local resource plus a number of folks locally.

 

[urchin]

Congratulations on your Midget!

1. 13" tires can still be purchased, even ordered by the one gas station on an island off the coast of Maine. Several companies still make them. If all else fails, contact Clark's Corvairs [www.corvair.com] in Shelburne Falls, MA. They're the biggest parts supplier for Corvairs in the US and they carry 13" tires.

2. I once had a wheel fall off a '78 Spitfire because studs failed on a wheel. Do replace them right away; it's easy to do.

3. Wheel cylinders and rubber lines can be ordered and replaced easily. If you do it yourself, invest in a set of flare wrenches, designed to remove brake or fuel line connections without rounding them off. You can buy them at any auto parts store.

4. Stock wheels are advertised in Moss Motors and Victoria British catalogues. You might also find that any British car specialist in your area has some extras on hand; if a Midget was junked it likely still had its spare in the trunk.

You're a lucky guy! 2014 is off to a great start for you.

Jeff

 

[SaxMan]

Welcome! I'm a recent Sprite owner (about 5 months now), so I'm also experiencing growing pains. You definitely came to the right place. There are some extremely knowledgeable and helpful folks on this forum.

1. You may want to check your springs. Two of my leafs in the right rear leaf springs had snapped in half, only one leaf was holding the car up. That caused a rear tire rub. It's probably unlikely with front coils, but certainly worth checking.

2 & 3 - Haven't really experienced either one, so definitely not an expert in that field

4. I just bought a set of 155/80R13s for my '69 Sprite at a local tire dealer. I didn't have too many choices for 13 inch tires, but they did have them

5. An issue I had with my rear brakes were the rear axle seals were leaking and fouling the brake pads. Again, not sure if that is your issue, but certainly worth checking.