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Spitfire mg midget vs spitfire

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frankenstang57

frankenstang57

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/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gifHere's a question for you guys. In my latest attempt to participate in the GRM $2005 Challenge, I was planning on building a '74 Spitfire. The car is a miserable pile-o-crap, also read very rusty. Locally, I found a '76 Midget which looks to be relatively straight and solid. What are the pros and cons. Either way, the cars will have a narrowed 9" and a Chevy smallblock. So I guess the questin is, wich cars have better front suspension? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
The Spit is a much better choice:

1. It has a much nicer front suspension with tube shocks and real "A" arms (especially if you swap in some of the GT6 stuff....though I think a SB Chevy is not the best choice of engine, due to weight).

2. A Spit has a separate frame and does not require the trans tunnel to be torched out for your conversion.

3. Neither car has a stock rear that would take the torque of a V8...so that's a toss up.

4.When considering which car to hack-up, it is always better to do it to a Spit.....that way there'll be more Spridgets that survive! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

(btw, 3 of my students got 5th place in last years GR Challenge)
 
I'd suspect the Spitfire does - Lotus used it for the Seven and Europa. Spitfire is body on frame where as Midget is unibody but the Spitfire body panels still provides some strength. Midget already has a live rear axle so it may be easier to fit your 9" where as the Spitfire has a transverse leaf swing axle setup. I'd guess the Spitfire has more room under the hood too. I don't know about the Midget but the Spitfire's brakes aren't great stock - but can apparently be update with GT6 hubs and Toyota truck discs/calipers.
 
[ QUOTE ]
1. It has a much nicer front suspension with tube shocks and real "A" arms (especially if you swap in some of the GT6 stuff....though I think a SB Chevy is not the best choice of engine, due to weight).

2. A Spit has a separate frame and does not require the trans tunnel to be torched out for your conversion.

3. Neither car has a stock rear that would take the torque of a V8...so that's a toss up.

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gifCongrats on your student's butt-kicking performance! I took 17, not too bad with one gear in the trans! Oh well, enough Mustangs. I did get you guys in the auto-x though... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gifI'll agree, the Spit probably does have have better suspension. The car I have right now is my second, and they handle pretty good. I don't have any experience with MG's. As for the sbc, it is the most bang for the buck, period. It does weigh more than the piggy 'lil 4 banger in the spit, but about the same as the 6. I have a powerglide for it, and I'd imagine it weighs about the Triumph conterpart. I'm assuming the MG motor is similar. Frame or uniboby is irrelevent to me. I planning a cage and cutting out the firewalls on either cars to scoot the motor back so it won't be too nose heavy. I'll agree the rear ends are pretty wimpy. Gotta good idea for that as well. Does the MG have a wheel base shorter than 73"? The main reason why I'm asking all this is because the MG would be easier to put plates on, it has a Colorado title, it's solid, and generally think it would be less time consuming to make it look nicer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Wheelbase for Spridget is 80"
Overall length for rubber bumper car is 11'9"
The front unibody tub on a Spridget is narrow. If you hack it away to fit a SB, you'd likely have to create a new front suspension system. Moving the engine back is tough because the passenger area is already almost up against the rear axle.
I agree that building a Brit engine for the Challenge would be a waste. In a bigger car, the SB is a good choice. I saw a 350 Chevy in a Bugeye....it was well-done, but was (in my view) a complete flop in terms of success.
My guess is a stock sohc Neon engine hooked to a late model Dakota trans (and rear) would be pretty cheap and faster.
By the way, my vote for a hot Challenge set-up would be a Chevette with a GM V-6.
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif80" is a couple inches shorter than the Spit. The NHRA rules state that a radical motor-swap car need to be atleast 90". A 4 cylinder car will get slaughtered this year if it's not boosted, sprayed, or both. The Neon 16 valver is a respectable engine, but it also distributor less. It would require an engine management system to run and sorting out a turbo to make it go. I like to keep it simple. I already have a bunch of parts for it already. I wouldn't move the seats back in the car. Of course, foot room will suffer, but that is an issue with both cars. I'm still leaning toward the Triumph but it's just so rough. The clock is ticking too. I could always put the front half of the Spit under the MG, talk about bastardising a car! Chevettes are cool. Easy to tweek too. They're getting about as hard to find as a solid Spit! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Chevettes hard to find? We got piles and piles of them up here. Rust free too. What about a DSM turbo motor hooked up to a Hyundai Stellar 5spd?
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gifWell the MG is safe. I didn't buy it. Looks like it's going to be another Spit. I found it right before I left work Friday night. I called it's current owner and it's a done deal. He did have a TR4 for sale as well. https://www.grmotorsports.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=5853 Nice guy too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
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