• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

New MG Midget owner

Share this page

W

Warpman89

Freshman Member
Offline
Hello, I am new here and have some questions regarding my 1973 mg midget. Please be patient with me, I am new to British cars, but have a decent amount of experience with American cars.

1). Where can I find new tires for my midget? The original owner's manual says the size is "145sr13", but I cannot find those for sale anywhere on the internet.

2). What is considered the average fuel economy for a well tuned 1275 midget, in mpg's?

3). Is an MG midget reliable for a 300 mile trip, or do I risk breakdowns or other problems?

4). Is it normal for the transmission to have noisy bearings, or should get that checked out?

5). What grade of lubricant should I run in my transmission and rear axle?

Thanks
 
Hi Warpman - Welcome to the forum!!

I bought tires at Les Schwaub. I don't know if you have one of those where you live. I got the 165 x 13's which fit very well.

You should get above 30 mpg if it's stock and depending on driving habits.

Mine is reliable for a long trip, but YMMV (your mileage may vary) depending on the condition of the car.
 
BTW there is a "Midget area" here - it is called "Spridgets".
 
Welcome!

1). Where can I find new tires for my midget? The original owner's manual says the size is "145sr13", but I cannot find those for sale anywhere on the internet.

You can use 155s or 165s with no problem. I just put four 165s on my brothers '73 Midget.

2). What is considered the average fuel economy for a well tuned 1275 midget, in mpg's?

25 to 35+ mpg...depends on how you drive it and what kind of shape various items are in (plugs, points, distributor cap, plug wires, air filter, and even internal engine parts like piston rings). Also depends greatly on igniton timing, choke adjustment and other settings. Buy a repair manual and start checking things out!

3). Is an MG midget reliable for a 300 mile trip, or do I risk breakdowns or other problems?

It's just as reliable as any other 25 year old car...and probably easier to understand and fix

4). Is it normal for the transmission to have noisy bearings, or should get that checked out?

Check you trans oil. Don't just top it up...drain it and re-fill it. A friend of mine has had a noisey Spridget trans for over 10 years....just listen and see if it's getting worse. Sythetic oil may help a little bit in this regard. Noise is not "correct", but it often does not require immediate attention. Also be sure it's not something else (like the throwout bearing)

5). What grade of lubricant should I run in my transmission and rear axle?

Trans uses ordinary motor oil. 10W-30 is fine. (or sythetic...but it will leak out quicker)
Rear axle uses 80-90 weight gear oil

And yes, Rick is correct...you are better off asking these questions in the Spridget area of British Car Forum rather than here Nevermind...I see Tony's moved it here!
 
Well thank you very much. This will be very helpful.

BTW, are there any problems I should watch out for or vital maintenance required for these cars I should know about?
 
Get under it somehow (preferably utilizing as much safety equipment as you can muster) and check for loose or missing nuts & bolts. Be sure to get a shop manual for it, and make sure everything is properly lubed.

I myself had several very important nuts and bolts coming loose when I first got mine.
 
Check the condition of the front suspension. They need frequent greasing, and if it has been neglected, then it will need a rebuild.

Also, check the oil level in the shocks.

The drive trains can take much abuse and run well even when tired.
 
as for tires those 145's are a metric size. Youll have good luck with 155/70-13 very cheap too. Usually this is the size they offer when you see tires adversed for $19. As for things to look out for everyone is correct in saying give the front end a once over, but also be careful with 35 year old brake hoses and pull the rear drums, these often have axle gasket leaks and oil the brake assemblies. (Look for posts on replacing axle gasket if need be.) Also Moss and Victoria British are great outlets for OEM Parts. Although I find everything I order from Moss comes super fast. Theres many great people here that also offer performance and OEM parts if need be. Good Luck And Welcome!
 
That list is good for any car.
 
I run 175/60R13 on the front and 175/80R13 on the rear. The fronts are Michelin the rear are Firestone. I choose the larger tires for the rear due to mine being a daily driver that gets between 450 and 500 miles per week. Mine is a 69 Sprite with a 73MG 1275 with the stock rib case tranny and the 390 rear gear. I'm running the 73 SU carbs and average 40 plus miles per gallon. The front tires came from Sears and the rear tires from the local Firestone tire store. I would say that these cars are very reliable and would not hesitate a trip in mine.

Anthony
 
40 plus MPG is good stuff.
 
So in the rebuild of the Spridget by Classic Motor Sports Magazine they installed 14" Superlite Wheels. I've never seen anyone on this list comment on that Wheel/Tire Combination.
 
Baz said:
Where in the great state are you Warpman?
Welcome!
Click to expand...

Near the Joliet/ Naperville area. Southwest of Chicago about 40 miles or so

BTW what are the fluid capacities of my trans and rear end, in American measurements?
 
Warpman, the tranny takes 2.7 pints of the same oil you use in the engine, and the rear end gets 2.1 pints of 90W gear lube.

Jeff.
 
Jeff, a 1973 Midget would have the spitfire steering rack, so it would be greased.
 
Thanks, Trevor. I mis-read the year of the car in his profile. I went back and edited the steering rack lube comment out.
'72 and up didn't even <u>have</u> the lube fittings on them.
Jeff
 
Back
Top