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C

Crusis

Freshman Member
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Hello all!

I just bought a 1979 Midget off of Ebay, I don't even have it in my possession yet. I've wanted a small sports car like this for a long time, and finally took the plunge. Sold my '53 Ford to pay for it, in fact.

I do have a question, if you don't mind.

How large of a human being will fit in the midget? I am 6'2" tall and 235 pounds. I'm going to be a bit saddened to have to sell it after just getting it if I don't fit.

I'll probably have a lot more questions for the experts here after I get the car. I'm going to pick it up and haul it home next Wed/Thurs and hopefully it will be nice here so I can drive it as soon as I can.
 
Welcome!
You are just a big bigger than me and I've been driving Spridgets (Sprites and Midgets) for over thirty years. Getting in and out of a Spridget is my personal form of "yoga" (keeps me limber!).
My most-recent Spridget is a '78 Midget which I drove on the street for many years (It's now a racer).
One of the first things I did to it when I originally got it was install thinner seats (in my case, I had some old seats from a Bugeye Sprite). The normal '79 seats are quite thick and waste a lot of interior space. A while later, I modified the steering column by shortening it (about 3"). This required me to eliminate the key switch on the column (I added a dash-mounted key switch). These two changes made the car very useable for me.
I guess I would just say to try the car for a while and see if you think these mods would suit you. In the long run, if you just can't used to it (or don't wish to modify the car), you may consider swapping it for an MGB (a lot like a Spridget, but about 20% bigger).
G'luck!
 
Thanks!

I'd like to keep this car, it's in great shape and I think I got a steal in buying it. If I have too, I'll try your fixes. Haha... I could use some yoga anyway. Keep the old bones limber.

Thanks again! I look forward to plundering these forums for information on my new car, all the tricks, tips, and advice I can get. I might leave the car as is this summer, but eventually I won't be able to resist the call for power and modification that goes along with it.
 
Welcome aboard! only about 4 more weeks till i might be able to get mine out.....i cant wait. i really miss my little LBC.

mark
 
Where in Indiana are you located?
 
Welcome! I have a tall friend (6'2") and a taller brother (6'4") who have both ridden in and driven my Midget without much issue. Like Aeronca stated, entry and egress can be interesting. Heck, it is for me and I am 5'11". But once you are in, it is very comfortable. There is a deceiving amount of leg room! I think that you will end up being very happy, and this forum is a jackpot for info and tech advise.

Welcome again! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
 
hello and welcome! Congratulations on buying your great 'little' car!
On the length and height subject:
I'm 1.90 meter and weigh about 95 kg. I have absolutely no problem (other that the problems everyone has :smile:) getting into and out of the car. And I still have the original steering wheel installed!
 
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Sorry I took so long to reply, but I've been driving. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Trevor, I'm located in Greenwood, IN, just South of Indianapolis.

Just as everyone says, I fit in the car just fine once I'm in. The car isn't as restored as I was led to believe, and upon further review I might have overpaid for it a bit, but it's so fun to drive I'll get over it. The previous owner had house carpeting in it, etc. I guess I get to take a personal hand in some of the improvements to this car.

Thanks again for the welcome!
 
Welcome indeed!
I'm 5'11" and needless to say have plenty of room.
I did, however, get a smaller steering wheel the other day
and now it's possitively roomy!
Unbolted the rollbar today and thus have more room in the back as well.
Hope you all are enjoying the spring weather as much as I'm
doing over here in the far east.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Glad to hear that you are not too far from Louisville. Are you going to be able to make it to the Marques on the Green British Car Show in Louisville? I'm trying to get as many spr idgets there as possible. It is a great show in a park lik setting with plenty of trees. There are social events on Friday evening as well. see https://www.britishbash.com for details.
 
Welcome aboard! Hope you have fun with your '79. I've got a '77 that's been a rolling restoration since I picked it up two years ago. They do have a surprising amount of legroom for such a tiny car, even better than the Saturn I used to have.

-Dave
 
Great to hear! Hope it is everything you expected, you know, leaky engines, dodgy electronics, porous tops, intermittent gauges, under-effective brakes.............ande more fun than you will ever have in most other cars!
 
Re: New Member: Hello!

Hey, I'm a new member too as of last week. I have a 76 Midget (five years) which I took entirely apart and put back together. I'm no mechanic, but I've learned so much working on the thing that I even repaired my own transmission and rebuilt the engine with the help of a Haynes Manual and a little advice. Hope you have a lot of fun with it. The little kids in the neighborhood will love it, I guarantee! And once you get in it, you'll have enough room. There is an art to entrance and exit!
 
Re: New Member: Hello!

At 6 foot, 218 lbs I had lots of room in my '73. The Midget is a great little car. It's small, nimble, but not always so guick It's aptly named as it really does catch the spirit of MG's early cars. Welcome aboard.
 
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