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New 1969 Midget owner here. getting rid of parts

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Johnny_V

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So I just picked up this wonderful lil project. A very doable 1969 midget. anyways.... I am NOT staying stock at all! I want to use the stock parts I dont want to fund or trade for what I do want...
Dont know if this is the place to do it or not but figured it was worth a shot. Here is what I have to start to get rid of.

The 1275 engine complete or part out.
carb set up
The stock 4 speed tranny
stock seats (ok condition)
an extra set of doors (pretty good)
extra trunk lid (pretty good)
Convertable rack with out top (pretty good)
the front locking piece for top (pretty good)
the complete stereo box and assembly (pretty good)
the convertable snap cover
some extra wire locking wheels
stock steering wheel
all gauges and dash assembly
complete exhaust
and more soon

What i am looking for...

Summitt style racing seats
a chevy 350 sb pre emissions
roll bar
after market wheels
steering wheel adapter kit and wheel
hood scoop
nice speedo,
and ofcourse the allmighty DOLLAR!

please let me know what u have or if u have any other suggestions
thanks
Johnny
240 529 3687
 
Re: New 1969 Midget owner here. getting rid of par

Johnny_V said:
So I just picked up this wonderful lil project. A very doable 1969 midget. anyways.... I am NOT staying stock at all! I want to use the stock parts I dont want to fund or trade for what I do want...
Click to expand...

????
I'm confused.
I would humbly suggest you DON'T hack the thing up. It's a great little car as it was engineered. IMHO
 
Re: New 1969 Midget owner here. getting rid of par

Take a REALLY good look at the engine bay, a SBC won't fit and if you modify it to fit in there, the car WON'T BE DRIVABLE.

At best is a 60 degree V6 like a 2.8 or 3.1-4 will work with LOTS of modifications.

Sure there is a SBC Midget out there but the car is useless.

If all you want to do is LOOK at a small car with a big motor, then by all means go fo it.

Sell it and get a MGB if you have to go V8.

It'll be alot easier. (and cheaper)
 
Re: New 1969 Midget owner here. getting rid of par

I'll second that. Spridgets are built closely-packed, and the entire body is structural, so you can't go hacking things up without some pretty careful re-engineering. For instance, you won't be able to fit bigger tires without <span style="font-style: italic">completely </span>re-doing the wheelwells and fenders, and everything that butts up against the wheelwells from the inside, (which is, well, <span style="font-style: italic">everything</span>.)

By the time you're done, there won't be any spridget left in the mix! I'd say re-think your plan: you don't need (or want) great thundering horsepower from a huge heavy engine, in a car this small. Stick with the stock setup and carbs; you <span style="font-style: italic">may </span>end up loving it. Spridgets were made to be light and flingable--they don't fling as well with all of the weight over the front wheels.
 
Re: New 1969 Midget owner here. getting rid of par

+3

*Anything* can be done with enough time and money, but with a Spridget, the amounts (especially time) will be gigantic for a project like this.

Even if you are retired and have nothing else to do with your time, it would probably be a weighty task.

Most of use here probably would advice against this because we have already seen the "results" (more than once). I personally drove a SBC-powered Sprite once. It was completely spoiled compared to a standard car......it was more of a cartoon than a sports car.

For example, the center tunnel is even too small for a Miata trans. So you will have to re-engineer the unibody. It took a friend of mine two years to do a fairly staightforward Toyota twin-cam swap and he's retired with a super-understanding wife.
Grassroots magazine did a swap with a Miata into an MGB. It took well over a year with many hands working and an ideal shop setup. But also, they did it *properly*.

To carry the weight of a SBC, the lever shock front suspension is sort of a joke. It's not a matter of bigger wheels....you'll need to go back to the suspension pickup points and start there (my 80 HP race car has re-engineered and strengthened pickup points). You'd really need a stronger front sub-frame.

Stock rear axles will take about 90 HP max. Racing axles with double bearing hubs will cost about $1200 and they are good for about 220 HP max.

As was already said above, by the time you are done, there will hardly be anything "Midget" about the car.

If you want to build a small car with a big V8, I'd suggest a Cobra replica. Things will fit and the engineering is sound. Personally if you are really looking to build a fast, small sports car, I'd Google "Locost".

But here's a better idea. Fix the Midget up with it's 1275 and drive it. These cars are great fun and truly balanced. They are the perfect example of a true sports car. If you are looking for a wheel-spinning drag car, there are far better choices. But if you are looking for an excellent, balanced sports car, you already have one.

As always, it's your car and your choice. G'luck whatever you do.
 
Re: New 1969 Midget owner here. getting rid of par

Go to www.britishv8.org and snoop around and you can get some ideas for midgets and sprites.
 
Thanks guys... I knew I was gonna get a bunch of them.
Heres the skinny.
Ive done all the measuring and know what I am getting into. I am more than capable of making this happen. I like the "impossible" stuff.
I have plenty of time for the build and am in no hurry. The car will be hacked up and reconfigured through out. Sorry if that bothers you guys. Thats just what I do...lol.
I have a massive amount of access to used parts that I can "make" work.
The sbc is not for this car but i AM considering one for it.lol. I have a couple of engines laying around for it I may use. Havent decided yet on the power. I definately am not doing the norm though. Guess ill see yall at the track!
Thanks again guys for the input.
 
There was a small block on E-Bay (may still be on now),
I assume you are a chevy person, but if you are doing a V-8, consider the small block V-8 ford. They are a smaller motor and can be built just as cheap and fast as a chevy. I have a Ford V-8 bugeye. Carrol Shellby used the ford in the AC Cobra

You better have good welding skills, small feet, and good health insurance. The short wheel base is a killer. It will swap ends very easy under direct power. Find a floor/table jib, strip the car and start building a chassis on the table to cradle inside the bug eye.

These cars are unibodied and built in two pieces then joined behind seat. this is also where they are proned to rust. Being design for a small amount of torg. you can imagine what would happen if you hook up hard with 350 lbs of torg under these conditions.
 
The one with the BMW engine is a really nice job. You can see that it took a lot of thought, planning, and effort. Not what I'd want to do, but I can appreciate it.
 
Yeah thanks man. I was measuring up the bottom end of a 351 today and it seems about right.
Im figuring in a 2 - 3 year project here. Frame and all. We'll see!
 
mightymidget said:
There was a small block on E-Bay (may still be on now),
I assume you are a chevy person, but if you are doing a V-8, consider the small block V-8 ford. They are a smaller motor and can be built just as cheap and fast as a chevy. I have a Ford V-8 bugeye. Carrol Shellby used the ford in the AC Cobra

You better have good welding skills, small feet, and good health insurance. The short wheel base is a killer. It will swap ends very easy under direct power. Find a floor/table jib, strip the car and start building a chassis on the table to cradle inside the bug eye.

These cars are unibodied and built in two pieces then joined behind seat. this is also where they are proned to rust. Being design for a small amount of torg. you can imagine what would happen if you hook up hard with 350 lbs of torg under these conditions.
Click to expand...


I WANT PICS !!!!!!!

I'd love to see how you did it.

I'd love to have a 5.0 BE !!!!!
 
Keep the Midget as is. Take a look at themite.com if you want to see what 200+ HP in a Spridget will do. Interesting build.

On another thought was out watching Autocross in Dayton last Sunday and saw a Superformance Lotus 7 clone absolutely smoke everything in A Class with it's 4 cylinder engine. Vettes, Mustangs, everything. A V-8 isn't always the fastest way to go.
 
I don't think that's the right url.
 
yet again. nope.lol. There will be a v8 in it. You like the 4 banger so much? ill sell it to ya cheap! Just messing with ya man. But seriously, we dont do lil engines 'round here! lol. oh... and did that lil kid build a 200hp, 4 banger midget???
wrong site I think. let me know if ya figure it out. Id still like to see it.
thanks man
Johnny
 
If you are going to do a v8, then consider lengthening the car by about 6 inches. This can be "easily" added in the cowl section upon which the windscreen sits.
 
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