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Spitfire Spitfire or Midget

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USABILL

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MMM??? I take this forum's opinions will favor the Spitfire! In any case, I am looking to buy a Spitfire or Midget here in the USA. They go for quite a wide range. All in USD, Both can be found for under $1,000, but pretty rusted out, for parts only. Very good drivers bring around $4,000 to $6,000 with fully restored cars selling for near $10,000. ( Why, but Midgets always seem to cost about $1,000 more than for Spitfires in the same condition.) My budget is the $5,000 area. What is best to look for, low body rust, or low mileage? I seen many around $3,000 running quite well and I get scared off by what looks to be to much rust showing. Your opinion, buy a $3,000 car and bring it up to snuff, or look for the best in the $5-$6,000 range.
Now, I do like the looks of a Spitfire over the Midget, but both are OK. Is rust more prevalent on a Spitfire or Midget, or about the same. The mechanical s look about the same. Should I hold out for a overdrive? It might add $500 to the selling cost. Oh, all the cars I look at are from private sellers, no used car lots! Opinions please.
Regards, Bill
 
Keep looking at both, for no rust and the best driving car you can find in budget. Rust just depends on history. Mileage on 40 year old car questionable. Let someone else spend the money to bring it up to snuff. Take your time, lots of cars out there but one will jump out.
 
Buy the best condition car you can afford. You can't repair a bad car for those kinds of numbers. OD is nice but condition is more important.
 
Condition and price aside for one moment, you really should try to drive good examples of both before deciding. You might fit well in one and not in the other. You might like the ride and handling of one but not the other. You might find one far easier in several respects to maintain and repair. You might simply like the looks of one over the other. In other words, once your head has sorted through price, condition and such, let your heart (and possibly your posterior and other body parts) tell you which is better for you! (All this from a diehard Triumph fanatic who has immense respect for Spridgets! ;) )
 
There is very good advice above.

I will point out a couple of trivial points. Early Midgets use the BMC A-series engine. You will find examples with 948, 1098, and 1275cc engines. Over the same period, the Spitfire had 1147 and 1296cc engines. In the mid-1970s the 1500cc engine was introduced.

In the mid-1970s British Leyland emerged as the parent of what had been BMC and Standard Triumph (among others). They decided to consolidate the small 4-cylinder engines and standardized on the Triumph 1500 engine. You will find that same engine in both the Spitfires and Midgets.

So... in addition to trying the cars on for size, keep in mind that over the years both the Midget and Spitfire also had changes in engine sizes that alter the character of the cars. Once you find the one you fit best, drive them to get a feel for how their performance meets your expectations. Of course... neither will be like driving a "new" car.
 
Neither! Sorry, not a fan of either car. Won't go into details but if you are going to spend over $3000, at least buy a MGB. I've owned and drove all of the LBs. if I could only have one it would be a TR6.
Marv
 
I agree with Marv's suggestion to broaden your search, at least in the early stage, to consider larger TRs.

If you can find an example that requires no body work or paint then that will save you a lot of dough as that is possibly the most expensive aspect of any restoration and probably the one that a new owner will be unable to do well himself.

At coffee the other day someone mentioned a midget for sale locally. I enquired if it was a car or an individual. I have no interest in getting an MG but, on the other hand, if it was a real midget...
 
I'll give the MGB a look. Many around in the $5,000 +/- range, rust is the major problem. As for the TR4/TR250 and TR6, if anywhere in nice condition, closer to $10,000 is more like it. Maybe around $15,000 restored.
 
Andrew Mace said:
Condition and price aside for one moment, you really should try to drive good examples of both before deciding. You might fit well in one and not in the other. You might like the ride and handling of one but not the other. You might find one far easier in several respects to maintain and repair. You might simply like the looks of one over the other. In other words, once your head has sorted through price, condition and such, let your heart (and possibly your posterior and other body parts) tell you which is better for you! (All this from a diehard Triumph fanatic who has immense respect for Spridgets! ;) )
Click to expand...
Bill,
Great advice posted here! I currently have 2 TR4as, 1 MGB, and 1 Bugeye Sprite which I will be picking up from the body shop tomorrow after a complete paint job. The MGB is a pleasure to drive and is a more 'refined' car than the Bugeye or Midget...very comfortable for me at 6'1" and 210 lbs. The Bugeye is more like wearing a car and although I fit well, it's tough to get in and out of. Good Spridgets tend to handle like a go cart and they are fairly Spartan and a blast to drive...the early ones have more room since they don't have roll up windows. I've not driven the 2 TR4as yet, but the one I had in the late 60s-early 70s was one of my all time favorite cars...different from the MGB in handling and power and just a little rough around the edges. Contact your local British Car Club and talk to those members and tell them what you're looking for in a car, they will love to welcome a potential new member! As far as Spitfires go I've never even sat in one, so I have no opinion.
Check the usual ads in your area, but don't buy anything until you know what condition it's in...report back here with links to the ads and we will be happy to help check it out.
Rut
 
A Midget should feel a little tighter or more solid and handle better in Stock form. The Spit I think has slightly more room (all things are relative) and were slightly faster (once again similar year car in Stock form. Style is a matter of taste of course, but the Spit is arguably better looking or at least has a little more style than the Midget, especially true for the later cars when the MGs got the rubber baby buggy bumpers. As for the alternative of an MGB, once again all things are relative, but the B is a bit more of a comfortable tourer compared to the agile and quicker steering Sprite. Depends on what you want, if you are used to larger vehicles the size of any of these cars .may be a little off-putting, esp. the Midget, but any of them on the road you will see a huge behemoth next to you and say "what is that?" "oh, it is a Corolla".
 
Having owned a couple of Miata MX5s, a 1991/2001, I must say I am a little spoiled in handling and comfort, but seems there are MX5s everywhere and I want the more "dated", a bad word to use I guess, feeling of a classic British sports car. Not to mention I,m in my 60s and people of my generation all have stories of their Triumphs and MGs. (More than that EVERYBODY has a VW Beetle story!!) and the younger folks pay no attention when a Miata passes buy, but all seem to asks "what's that?" when looking over a Spitfire or Midget. I would just say "FUN". Zeroing in on a couple now. Just getting the test drives/mechanics out of the way, then my garage will not feel so lonely!
 
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