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More on the 1963 Midget

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tony barnhill

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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You know how sometimes you just buy a car & do nothing more than enjoy it? Well, that's what I've done with the little Midget since I bought it in 2002...I read through all the paperwork the PO gave me when I got it & knew I had something special - but it was just a fun car....so, I forgot all about the neat stuff on it & just drove it until I finally did the clutch in.

So, now that I'm taking it apart for a refresh, I'm learning a little more about it and doing some research. Seems it was sold in 1964 & originally titled as a '64....then, in '65, the dealer who sold it - Lakeland Motors in Knoxville, TN - installed a new motor under warranty...from everything I'm learning as I take things apart, all they did was long block it, and not with a Gold Seal engine but with just another new engine (wanna bet they just pulled one out of a car on the lot while they awaited a replacement factory engine?)....the carbs are from the earlier original engine, it still has its smooth case transmission, it still has the mechanical fuel pump off the original engine, it still has the original engine's early valve cover and I'm not real sure about the exhaust manifold though it appears to be the 10CG or 10CC one.

So, I'm gonna build & install a rib case transmission while I've got the car apart & use one of my 1098 'flange' type exhaust manifolds to make sure I can fit a custom 1-1/2" exhaust system...& Hap & I talked & he's gonna do the carbs right for the 10CC engine.

Now, here's a question for somebody to look under their car & answer: the '63 does not have a front sway bar....I've got a good used one on the shelf but no wishbone/spring perches...the difference between the early & later wishbones are the 3 holes for the sway bar....so, is there a reinforcing piece of metal on the backside of the wishbone directly behind the sway bar mounting holes?

I'm thinking I might as well add the sway bar while I redo the suspension & can drill the holes in my wishbones but don't know if the factory reinforced them like they did on the MGB....
 
Yes, there is additional support bits on the bottom of the A-frames of the later cars that were fitted with sway bars. I do not know when they started adding it.
 
Trevor - thats what I thought...is it a triangular piece of metal welded to the back of the wishbones?
 
Nope.
 
Ya got a photo?
 
Is this it?

100_3224.JPG
 
Nope, he needs a picture of the underside. I'll try to get out to the parts bin after dinner.
 
Tony, I've got a new lower Control arm up at the storage facility. If no one comes up with a photo, I'll go up tomorrow and grab it.
And, a '63 should have had a rib case transmission in it.
Also, I don't think any of my 10CC 1098's have a hole in the block for a mechanical fuel pump.
I'll check on that, too.

These pictures are courtesy of Ray McCaleb. The later engines didn't have a hole for the pump. This is a '66.
I'll see if I have a '65 around here to look at. I looked at the pix of my '65, but don't have anything of that side of the engine.
To quote Terry Horler, if I may, regarding the 10CC engines:
"Although the cylinder block was no longer produced with an aperture for the camshaft-driven mechanical fuel pump, the front mounting stud for a mechanical fuel pump was still fitted and seemed to have no purpose."
Jeff
 

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The new Heratage A frames of course have three holes. They also have more than just a plate behind them, I can't get a pic, too cold and dark, but it seems to go up under the spring pan as well.

If still needed, will get one tomorrow.
 
tony barnhill said:
Ya got a photo?
Click to expand...

I'm replacing the "A" arms on my '62 Sprite with new Heritage parts. There are several photos on my web site https://www.raysmg.com (follow the Spridget Project/Parts link and look under Winner's Circle). The parts are glossy black so they don't photograph well. Maybe there's enough detail in the ones I'm placing below to help.

Ray

P1010021.jpg


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How about this one, sorry it's not very good - I just stuck the camera under there & pushed the button a few times - this is the best of them:

100_4019.JPG
 
Here we go:
 

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ENGINE:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]To quote Terry Horler, if I may, regarding the 10CC engines:
"Although the cylinder block was no longer produced with an aperture for the camshaft-driven mechanical fuel pump, the front mounting stud for a mechanical fuel pump was still fitted and seemed to have no purpose."[/QUOTE]
Well, mine has one - right on the front of the driver side of the engine under the front side cover where your photo shows it! & the engine number is 10CC DAH29683 - I've not looked underneath the rear to see if there's an SU pump...I'll take a photo of the engine plate & pump tomorrow....

yep, the 1098 cars all had rib case....is a GAN2 car a 1098 car?

Guess we'll know when I mic the crank....& its always possible a PO did something that's not in the records on the car!

WISHBONES:
It appears that the only thing they did was drill 3 holes in them to accept the sway bar?
 
The earliest wishbones did not have those gusset plates. By '63 they may have been included.
 
No SU pump under the car...my 1098 block definitely has a mechanical fuel pump!!

A bit more information: To the rear of the block on the driver side is this raised number: 12G432 The 12G on top, the 432 underneath.

But, do midget blocks have "clocks" like MGB blocks?
 
Tony, the 1098 was introduced in the GAN2 cars. GAN2 16184 was the first.
I've no doubt that yours has the hole for the pump. There are even 1275s floating around with the provisions for the mechanical pump. I've got a couple here that I'll look at tomorrow and see if there's a hole in either of them. I'm pretty certain that my '65 doesn't have one, but it's in California, and hard for me to look at right now. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
If you look at the last picture that Trevor posted, you'll see the reinforcement bracket added for the sway bar.
Keep on plugging away! This is fun.
Jeff
 
Ah, now I see the gusset plate! Since '63's didn't have sway bars, guess I've gotta find a later set of wishbones if I want to do the sway bar mod

You know, I've got 3 little Midgets...love driving the '63, enjoty driving the '74 RWA, hate my '76 RB....but to me, they've always just been necessary to complete my MG collection....however, this little one is beginninh to grow on me!!

Today I got everything off the front half of the body in preparation for the body shop - to include the windshield...tomorrow I'll finish disassembling the body & move to stripping the engine compartment....

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Tony, the 1098 was introduced in the GAN2 cars. GAN2 16184 was the first.[/QUOTE]
Mine is 23980

So now the mystery: why does mine have a smooth case transmission when I can't find records that it was ever changed! hmmmmm
 
tony barnhill said:
So now the mystery: why does mine have a smooth case transmission when I can't find records that it was ever changed! hmmmmm
Click to expand...

That one is puzzling. I can find no evidence that there were any 1098 cars produced with a smooth case.
Jeff
 
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