Spridget's are like a lost Puppy...

Spridget's are like a lost Puppy... they follow you home... I think I will call my new addition "Bridget"

Allthough I already have a 1967, and many friends think I'm nuts, they don't appreciate that I now have a first & last generation example of the 1275 era Midgets, plus the round wheel arch with split rear bumper looks so nice, of course I prefer the earlier grill & metal dash...

An opportunity for me to aquire a decent "driver" 1974 Midget RWA presented itself recently... tonight I inked the deal, she will be in my garage tomorrow night !

She runs strong, good oil pressure, tight suspension (the rearched leafs in the back are a little high I think), has a bad u-joint & needs lots of TLC - for example, turn signal lenses are showing cracks, lens gaskets look like a hen has pecked them, top is worn, bumpers need to be eventually replaced, rubber overiders need to be removed, dashpad is cracked... Rostyle rims are hiding under those ugly hubcaps, factory jack & lug wrench in the trunk & factory hardtop included...

Driver's are fun, you can drive & improve all at the same time !

What do you think ? More pics to follow, but these are the only ones I could get in the limited light this evening.

Nicely done. Besides, they're small enough that you can fit a whole bunch of them in a standard garage.

Looks great! and, remember Jer is one of this Garage Mahal guys that drives the rest of us nuts.

Was it local?

See I knew that I would find support here ha ha
Drew - Actually I was just out putting my 67 on dolly's to roll her across the back of the garage, so there will be room for the 74 tomorrow night!

JP - As soon as I get the plates/insurance on the 74 (Bridget), she will be driven to the Garage-Mahal (my mothers home) for a winter re-hab session, then she will be ready to join the 67 (Midge) at car shows next spring, think I will keep one at my home & one at mothers (where I go almost every weekend) then they both will get exercise ! Yes it was a local car, apparently it was a local car originally, then was bought & moved about 4 hours away, then current owners (now previous owners I guess) bought it & brought it back to home turf, looks like it was originally "Bronze Yellow" before being painted red (I already had my head under the dash/kick panels looking for original paint hints) - some typical repair has been done but pretty sound & straight (except for some paint damage where somebody learned the importance of door check straps when the new paint job had already been done - I have some pillar re-painting to be do)

Very nice Jer!!! Love the "Jayne Mansfield" bumpers. My Spridget is a 1974 Midget in disguise.

Steve

Nice looking car, Jer. Lucky find. I purchased a nice RWA Midget last year after a very long search. Thought I'd never find a nice example, then one appeared on eBay and I snatched it up.

Great find, keep us posted on your progress.

Nice, Jer! Which one will make it's way to St Ignace next year? I think you'll need to recruit some extra drivers to move your fleet south!

I'm working through the suspension on mine so I can finally bring it up there next summer.

Thanks, yes I always had the thought in the back of my head "if I ever come across a decent RWA for a fair price, I just may have to jump at the opportunity..."

Kevin, I have already started plans to have both cars at St.Ignace, I will be coming from Elkhart Lake straight to St.Ignace but my friend Jodie who I go to St.Ignace with every year may be driving the 74 down for me... I was able to get a temp permit & bring her home tonight, but then it had to go in the garage as I had company for dinner & funeral to attend, tomorrow night I will remove the hubcaps as I don't think I can sleep another night knowing rostyles are hiding under those
I got some daylight pics before she was put away in the garage to share.

sure doesn't seem to need much - gotta love those Sabrina's though

Looks like a really nice find!

If I park mine next to yours come June '11, it's going to be embarassing. The bondo on mine will detract the value of yours just by association! :wink:

I'm looking forward to having your car in the mix at St.Ignace Kevin what a great show for you to celebrate having the car back on the road & it will look just fine along with my car(s) which are far, far from perfect - but we are driving them & having fun - and that's what matters.

Nice car

Never thought of Bridget or Jayne Mansfield, you guys always come up with something clever.

Pat

Nice find.

Thanks Jack, so far so good - Got the inspection on wednesday, plate tags & insurance yesterday & drove it to work this morning ! (a little cold outside 0'C so I had the top up) -
Appraiser is coming to see later today so I can get fire & theft coverage - then down to my mom's garage for a grease & oil, and change the u-joints - wow that front u-joint sounds pretty sick, probably never got grease from PO's I will spend the weekend doing mechanical tweaks & make up the winter parts wish list
Also got the "interesting" hubcaps off, looks better already.

Update - Drove car 50 miles to my mothers garage last night, ran strong 65 mph no problem (except for bad Ujoint vibration), 60 psi oil press on start 40 psi on highway.

On hoist at 8pm, went to bed at 2am Jobs done so far:

-Oil & Filter
-Tranny Oil Change
-Rear diff lube change
-New Ujoints installed
-Front brake pad retainer springs changed (helps when you have extra parts around)
-Rear brakes serviced
-Full grease job
-Adjust emerg brake

Jobs for this evening:

-Rad flush
-Adjust valves
-Compression check
-Change upper trunion bushings
-Possibly flush brake & clutch fluid

New parts discovered on car during service:

- Front struts or shocks (whatever they are called)
- Rotors & pads
- Wheel cylinders,hardware kit & shoes
- One rear brake drum (why oh why wasn't the other changed at same time ?)
- clutch slave & master cylinder
- water pump
- alternator
- plugs & wires

Parts to be ordered to date:

- steering rack boots (current are weather checked and clamps are shot)
- tie rod ends (current are tight but rubbers are shot)
- one rear brake drum (why not)
- caps for lower fulcrum pins (missing)

Then I will move onto the cosmetic wish list later, just took for a drive, new u-joints were the fix, no vibration or noise right up to 75 mph (fastest I have had so far)

Sounds like a great find.

I picked up the hardtop, manuals & box of parts last night that wasn't available when I got the car last week.
Hardtop appears to be an original, painted body colour though (red) really nice condition, box of parts & manuals I haven't had a chance to go thru yet - one score is a new glue on dash pad overlay that hasn't been opened yet - that was on my wish list as the dashpad is cracked - perfect, one less part to order!

Nice, the hard top is great to have.

Pat