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Rivergate visit

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mccalebr

mccalebr

Jedi Knight
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When I started the Spridget Project one of the first decisions made was that it absolutely MUST have a Rivergate 5-speed. I have one in the '73 Midget and love it! At the MG2006 Concours I was advised by a judge that I could gain another 5 points IF I were willing to remove the 5-speed and revert back to the original rib case transmission. We both laughed...NO WAY!!!

One way to determine whether a Rivergate 5-speed might be for you is to ask a present owner how they like it. A better way is to ask a present owner if they would do it again in another car; I am.

I made a run this week up to Sale Creek, TN (just north of Soddy Daisy, which is just north of Chattanooga) to visit Rivergate. Everyone knows that Rivergate is THE place for a 5-speed transmission option for a Sprite or Midget. There I met Will Perry, the present owner of Rivergate, and his father, Bill, the founder and also Mrs. Perry, Will's mother. It's a family operation and that's a good thing. No corporate execs blowing cigar smoke in your face, no, these are real folks and about as nice as you could ever imagine. They run a great shop and the quality of the product...well, you already know the answer to that.

I'm going for the full Rivergate package. Will is rebuilding my Datsun 210 transmission, modifying the case and shifter, providing the conversion kit, as well as the speedo cable and gear drive starter. You can see what some of the conversion parts look like on the Parts page on my web site:

https://www.raysmg.com/rays_mg_midget_62_sprite_parts.htm

When paired with the new engine from Hap...miles of smiles!

Ray
 
Have you considered Paul's kit from Morriservice?
I have a rivergate kit in mine, but I'm going to have to replace the clutch earlier than expected. I'm wondering if I should have used paul's kit so that I could use the Datsun clutch. Otherwise, I've been very pleased with the Rivergate kit. Honestly, I do not know what is wrong with my clutch. I plan on pulling the engine in Feb to take a look.
 
I thought long and hard about this conversion when I decided to have Hap build me a motor. I've decided to stick with the 4-speed for now, as I live in the mountains and don't know how much I'd use the overdrive anyways, given how well the motor should run at a decent RPM, and the steep grades around here.

I'm still holding out for a future swap if it seems right, though. Certainly nice to have a couple of well-regarded options out there. Even with the most expensive Datsun transmission, it's still a fair bit cheaper than many of the options available for other cars.
 
I have the Morriservice kit in mine and I love it. It's really the same story: I visited Paul being that he's here in town and he's just a regular guy doing the kits out of his own garage/machine shop. I brought him my flywheel and he made the necessary mods to use the datsun clutch pack. I was able to save on shipping charges being that he lives close and he was very helpful. His kit was straight forward and I was able to do the entire conversion in one weekend. Tear down Saturday, rebuild Sunday and on the road.

I think the expenses were comparable and I like the idea of using the Datsun clutch pack. Saving on shipping merely sealed the deal.

Finally, dollar for dollar, there is no better mod that I have made and I can't think of any other mod that could really make that much difference, dollar for dollar.

JACK
 
Thanks for the input, guys, especially about Morriservice. So, it would seem we really have two quality, and friendly, options and competition is always good. Being in opposite ends of the country probably contributes significantly to both our conversancy with the "other" dealer and our choice when it comes time to purchase.

Ray
 
mccalebr said:
Thanks for the input, guys, especially about Morriservice. So, it would seem we really have two quality, and friendly, options and competition is always good. Being in opposite ends of the country probably contributes significantly to both our conversancy with the "other" dealer and our choice when it comes time to purchase.

Ray
Click to expand...
That is always a problem with a hobby supported by small specialists. As a buyer of parts and services, I want to get the best price for the desired quality, that often points me towards the Big Guys (Moss & VB). But I want my local LBC shop to be there when I need a part in a hurry or have a problem that needs more than I can bring to bear. So I tend to spend a lot of my money locally too which drives up the cost of my project a bit. I consider this to be insurance that shops like Hal's, or Rivergate, or Paul or APT, etc. will continue to supply their knowledge and passion for these wonderful cars.
 
I did the rivergate swap to a stock 1275 several yrs ago and drove the P out of the car for several yrs.(maybe 4 or 5). Pulled the motor and replaced it with a SC motor and put 4500 miles on it this summer(didn't have to change the clutch disc) and have had no problems. I have had a lot of fun with this and it has made my BE quite a bit more roadable. However, it is not stock, I really don't care about this aspect for my BE. A buddy of mine said when I had the 948 in the car, I had to drive like a madman, just to get around, for some reason, I still do.
 
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