• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Newby with a '79 Midget

mtarcher1

Freshman Member
Offline
Hi all, I'm a newby just joining from west central Washington State. At the start of the whole "covid thing" in March I purchased my low mileage '79 Midget from the original owner. He'd driven it for just a few years and then parked it in 1986 with the intention of bringing it out in his retirement years. His bad back and other things got in the way...unfortunate for him but good for me.

I spent the last couple of months getting it ready to actually start and finally cranked it over for the first start just last week. It'd been stored covered and inside on concrete in central Washington (an arid area) so is like new, but cranking it up needed to be done carefully to ensure the best possible outcome. New cooling system components and making sure the pistons were free in the cylinders were the big items. It stated and ran, and following an adjustment to the carbs, it is running great.

Access to the internet including forums like this one is making this Midget much easier to work on than the 1960 Sprite I owned back in the early '80s! The pandemic slowed me down a bit since some maintenance items were slow to ship but I'm sure glad I have the car; it is a very nice diversion.

Next steps are new tires and then brake hoses. And chasing down the odd little electrical issues like flashers but no turn signals.
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
welcome! and sounds like a great project - I have a '76. we would love to have to see pics
 
OP
M

mtarcher1

Freshman Member
Offline
Midget.JPG
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
looks great! nice colour
 

DavidApp

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Hello and welcome to the forum.

Sounds like you have a time capsule. It is great that it was stored so carefully.

Of course it will need new tires even if they look good the rubber will have deteriorated.

David
 
Top