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Advice for looking at a 79 Midget 1500

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mgless

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Hey folks,

Noobie here. Going to look at another Midget tomorrow, this will be the third one. Asking price seems right and he says it doesn't have rust.

Unfortunately, it's a 79 and I was hoping for a pre 75 model (love that chrome!) No offense to 75-79 folks of course! It's still a good looking car, and is a good color. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

Anyway, I've done some searches here and elsewhere and it seems the 1500 motor may not be as suitable for a noob such as myself. Should I steer clear, or is it not as bad as I seem to have convinced myself?

I understand the thrust washer and rod bearings are weak. Are these difficult to replace? The car has 80k and supposedly runs well. My mechanical abilities so far have been changing various fluids, plugs, an oil pan, and a few other small things on some newer cars, though I'm looking forward to an inexpensive car I can actually wrench and learn on.

Other than that, anything in particular about 79 models I should check for? Engine or otherwise?

Thanks!
 
Your mechanical abilities are more than mine when I got my midget, so don't let that deter you. The '79 has a great gearbox, solid and has synchros in all gears! There are lots of pluses for 1500, but my only advice would be......
If it's not exactly what you want, you may want to wait until the car you want comes along. At the same time there's nothing wrong with getting your hands dirty and having some fun in the meantime!

Outside of the drivetrain, there is little diffrence; merely interior changes through the years and, yes, bumpers.
 
I wanted a rubber bumper Midget when I started looking last spring. I like the look of the car. First and foremost I wanted a car with no rust. I did not want to spend the time & money to repair rust damage and repaint the car. I wasn't concerned as much on the mechanicals or interior. The first 4 Midgets I looked at (2 in OK City and 2 in Dallas) had rust problems. I almost purchased a Midget from California but the owner's wife had a accident with the car and that killed any deal to buy it. I finally found a nice 76 on Ebay. Yes Ebay. I talked to the owner and he sent me many pictures. I only paid $3700.00 for the car and it has been great. Like Baz said above don't settle for the 79 if you want a chrome bumper Midget. Look on Ebay, Hemmings Motor News, & Collector Car Trader. You will find the car you want.
 

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Also https://www.britbits.com (located in Rye NH) usually have a fairly good selection of LBCs for sale. They don't have a chrome Spridget at the moment, but they did a few months ago, and I almost bought a Bugeye from them, until one turned up 3 miles from my house. Yes, I know NH is a stretch for you.
 
The 1500 engine is not so bad for a street car.
I've been racing a 1500 for the last 4 years (and many more street-miles on the car before that). I'm replacing the 1500 soon (with a 1275, to make my car vintage-legal) but I'm keeping the 1500 for a Spridget street car.

The main thing is to get the stock carb set up right, or replace it with an old style SU carb (not that hard).

Yes, replace the thrust washers right away, no matter what anyone tells you about the car. You can do it with the engine in the car and it's cheap and not that complicated.

The main thing about the newer cars is that they are less likely to be rusted out (although at 25+ years, it's still a gamble).
The rubber bumpers are a matter of taste, but they do a good job of protecting the car and if you don't like them. swapping for chrome is easy.
I have a page on the process ~HERE~.
 
I'll second the advice to go after what you want. I deviated from that advice when I was first looking for a LBC, and bought a rusty TR4 instead of the Bugeye I wanted. Wound up selling the TR4 for a loss to get what I wanted.

There are lots of Midgets out there, no need to settle for less. eBay can certainly work, as can the Collector Car Trader and other such online sources.
 
There is a TR6 guy who designed and built a better thrust washer that is supposed to be much, much longer lived than the stock variety. I have lost his contact info, but maybe someone on the Triumph forum will have it.

I have heard that for street driving, the stock-style thrust washer should give you at least 35,000 miles of good service.

While I can't speak from real experience, it seems to me that in many ways the 1500 is easier to work on than the A-series. Most everything is easy to get to and a lot of engine work can be done with the engine in the car. Also, you can set ignition timing without crawling around on the ground.

The worst part about working on the 1500 is removing/installing the intake and exhaust manifolds. Oh how I hate that job!
 
mgless - I have not replaced the thrust washers on my 76 MG Midget. The car has 55K miles and runs great. I have replaced the water pump and fan clutch (this is a problem area in my opinion) since the fan clutch is only pressed on to the water pump. Mine came loose and ruined the radiator. I haven't thought of doing any bottom end work on the engine at this time. How whould I know if the thrust washers need to be replaced?
 
aeronca65t - you said "Yes, replace the thrust washers right away, no matter what anyone tells you about the car. You can do it with the engine in the car and it's cheap and not that complicated." I have had my 76 MG Midget since July. It has 55K miles on it and ir runs great. Should I be looking at replacing the thrust washers? Is there a way to know if they are failing? How can they be changed with the engine in the car? Can they be replaced without removing the crankshaft? Is there a procedure available to do this? Thanks in advance for your assistance.
 
So... if the thrust bearing is left too long, it can ruin the block, right? Is this something that can be "covered up" if the repair wasn't done in time? If the car has 80k miles, is it safe to assume it's been replaced?
 
na, not at all. it just mostly needs changed when you rebuild the engine. Not to worry.
 
RWA (Round Wheel Arch) Midgets are my second favorite Spridgets, after Bugeye. Heck, I've even got one of each right now.

I'd agree that the price is a reasonable starting point for negotiations, if the car is as sound as it looks from those pictures. Go look at it carefully, and see what's up with it.
 
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