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1977MGMidget

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I have a 1500 Midget and on the weekend I was at a show and a fellow was looking at my car and said it had a Spitfire engine in it and not a Midget engine. I asked him how he knew and he said the serial number started with FM and I think he said the midget started with PF. Is he correct?
 
You could be real lucky!

Seems this is a federal version of the '74 1500. I built one of these for my Spit Mk II. It is a great motor, very robust, and better than the Calif. version, which I think had different compression ratio. I bored it about 40 over, put in a nice cam, but not too race oriented. The thing was a screamer! Best motor I ever built. I hope yours has a great future too.
 
Thanks Brian you made me fell better. When I found out it wasn't the original motor I was a little wizzed. But it runs
great, good oil pressure etc. so what more could you ask for. Would you say it is a better motor than the original?
P.S. it was shipped to Canada if that makes a differance.
Thanks
Ron Garant
 
Ron

I think this is the engine to have. Mine sat around for a few years until I found a car to put it in. Then I built it up and installed it.

Here is a picture of the car:

ocmsrzr1.jpg


I later sold the car. But it had the best engine I ever built.

Good luck on yours.
 
I have a circa '63 - '64 Midget, 1098 motor. I have 2 cracked heads and since the car is so rusted that it will never be cherry again, I have given up the quest to keep it original and decided to find a different engine. Is the Spitfire engine you are all discussing compatible with my midget?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have a circa '63 - '64 Midget, 1098 motor. I have 2 cracked heads and since the car is so rusted that it will never be cherry again, I have given up the quest to keep it original and decided to find a different engine. Is the Spitfire engine you are all discussing compatible with my midget?

[/ QUOTE ]

No. Completely different. Different trans too.
You could make it all fit (using the mounts and driveshaft from a newer Midget) but I think the best engine for that car is a newer 1275 cc Sprite/Midget engine.

By the way, although the 1500 Spit and Midget engine are the same, they do have different oil pans and oil pumps (to accomodate the different frames in these cars). My 1500 racer has a '76 Spit engine (with a Midget pan and pump).
 
Not to mention an entirely different exhaust, radiator, shroud, hoses, expansion tank, etc.
Not worth the trouble in my estimation.
1275's are easy to find, and will drop right in with no modifications other that maybe having to change the water outlet, and re-plumbing the oil separator mounted on the timing cover.
Jeff
 
Absolutely! There were far more 1275's made than 1098's. Additionally, there were 2 versions of the 1098 made, one with 1 7/8" main bearings, and one with 2" mains. 1275's are plentiful, and relatively cheap. Also a lot more bang for the buck than a 1500.
Jeff
 
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