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To buy, or not to buy . . .

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vagt6

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Your input/advice/logic will be most appreciated with a recent purchase opportunity that I have.

I've been looking for a nicely sorted RWA Midget for awhile now and I might add that I'm in no hurry to find one. I'm willing to wait.

However, in the process I've also grown a bit more interested in the 1500 Midgets (rubber bumper). Until recently I never really liked the look, and would much rather have a 1275 as opposed to the 1500 lump.

Well, a very good deal has presented itself to me in the form of a 1975 Midget with a literal frame-off restoration. The car is like new, maybe better. And, the price is right, well below the "Blue Book" and Hagerty's guides.

So, talk me out of it! What are the pros and cons of Midget 1500 ownership?? What's to like/dislike??

What's a near-concours 1975 Midget worth? What's a good deal?

Your input, please. :thankyousign:
 
I have a 1500 and I love it - mind you, I've also converted to chrome bumper.

Pros

almost certainly an unleaded head
syncro in all four gears
mine (76) also has headrests/ shoulder belts which might not be as "cool" but is certainly safer
Electronic ignition already

Cons
rubber bumper
pollution stuff on engine - while it is removeable, you are left with an anemic engine - about 55 horses, single Zenith Stomrberg carb - though I have an SU. though Hap is dying to make a 1500 racer. That said, in britain, the post 75 cars were the first genuine 100 mph Midgets with dual Su's and 9:1 compression. You can put the duals on but will need to cut the inner fender slightly.

The 1500 is a slightly more fragile engine because of the thrust bearings - they sometimes fall out. That being said, if you don't sit with your clutch depressed it shouldn't be a problem.

Conclusion - if it follows you home it follows you home. it will be valued less than a chrome bumper but, it is the same wind that blows through your hair.

If it is a deal - buy it! you'll never loose
 
I like the RB 1500 Midgets only slightly less then others. I owned a '75 years ago and loved it. I love my '63 too. The 1500 actually appeals to me a bit because it's a bit of a step child to the purists. I like that. Rubber bumpers don't look all that bad to me either.
I'm in a similar boat, got a line a very decent '75 for a song.
 
For a street car, I don't really see much difference between a 1275 and 1500.

There's a slight weight penalty, but nothing that spoils the car in any real way.

The 1275 engine is somewhat better, but in stock form, it's not really that big a deal. I prefer the crash-first ribcage, but again, it's not that much better than the 1500 box.

When my 1500 was a street car, I switched it to chrome bumpers (as JP has done). But that's something you can decide to do (or not) later on.
I also lowered mine right away....I disliked the "jacked up" stance. But again, you don't have to do that right away (or ever).

The ultimate street Spridget is probably the '67 model year, but all of them are fun.

For just street driving, I'd pick a nice 1500 car over a ratty A-Series Sprite (even a Bugeye) any day of the week.
 
Thanks to you all for the wisdom, it was helpful.

I'll go drive it this afternoon, we'll see. If he'll take a lowball offer, the car might just follow me home . . . :yesnod:


I'll let you know.
 
Well . . . took the '75 1500 Midget for a drive after going over it. Really, it's better than new with a recent frame-off resto. Looks very nice, mostly new parts. It has a Weber carb/electric choke, tube shocks and front sway bar, handles nicely with no rattles, shakes or pulls. Gearbox is solid, no smoke, etc., etc.

BUT, it is SMALL!!! I forgot how small Midgets are (no pun intended). I'm 6'2" about 190lb. and it was CRAMPED with the seat fully back.

I'm now wondering if it's simply too small for me. This could be a deal buster that compels me to look for an LBC with more legroom (MGB?). Strange, because I've had two GT6s and found them comfy, mainly because there's more legroom.

QUESTION: have any of you taller Spridget drivers found a way to get a bit more legroom in your car? What to do???
 
Try getting in it with the top up!
 
Get a Mk I Midget. The absence of the radio console, thinner seats, and door recesses give them more room inside.
 
If it still has the original Lucas OPUS ignition system, they frequently failed. Good candidate for a Pertronix replacement, which is easy enough to do and still keep the stock wiring harness for the distributor if you find another working 45DE4. Thrust bearings have been mentioned. The '75s had a smaller radiator and had some overheating issues, which were corrected later.
 
I sat in a '75 1500 a week ago, after owning a MK1 (1963) for the last year, (and owning a '75 20 years ago) my first impression last week when I got in the 1500 was WOW; cramped (compared to my '63) the top was up on the '75 but what you notice most was lateral crampiness of the doors that have roll up windows, thus less elbow room. Getting in my '63 with the top up is no picnic (I'm only 5' 11"). But, I don't mind the "fitted" feeling once underway. The radio console on the 1500 and such makes for less knee room, as has been mentioned. Maybe you can redo the seat bottom to lower it on the '75? Ditch the rails and build a lower baseplate?
Not that hacking up a really nice example of a 1500 would be high on my list.
I don't know that a 1500 is any worse then the RWA you were looking for though.
It maybe better in that it rides a bit higher, right? Don't have to "climb down" so far?
 
I prefer my '63 MkI Midget because of the extra room inside it...my least favorite of all my Midgets is my '76.
 
The thing about later Midgets is the overstuffed seats and the console.
I'm 6'1" and about 200 #. With seats from an older car (like a Bugeye or Mk 2) plus ditching the radio console helps.
I also ditched the steering lock and shortened the steering column. It was great with these (fairly simple) mods.
 
Auhhh, shucks, get a bugeye and have lots of room.
 
That's right Jack...all Nial's work done for you from the factory!! :jester:
 
I had '72 seats in my '69 but replaced them with '67 ones- significantly more room (thinner backs make the difference) and WAY more comfortable!!
BillM
 
there are thinner seats, but, at 6'2" you don't have a ton of options even so far as a Bugeye. More to the point, you already mentioned the full restoration of the car you are looking at. Unless the price is soooo good you can't walk away, I'd suggest you look for something else. It just isn't right to buy one done and have to start start tearing it down.
 
At 6'1" (34" inseam, 210#) I fit pretty well in the Bugeye -- better in some ways than I did in the TR4 I had before. The extra side room you pick up from the hollow doors makes a difference.

JP nailed it I think -- no Spridget is particularly valuable (excepting some Bugeyes) so if this one isn't just what you want then keep looking. Lots of Spridgets of all years are available.
 
JPSmit said:
there are thinner seats, but, at 6'2" you don't have a ton of options even so far as a Bugeye. More to the point, you already mentioned the full restoration of the car you are looking at. Unless the price is soooo good you can't walk away, I'd suggest you look for something else. It just isn't right to buy one done and have to start start tearing it down.
Click to expand...

It's really great to have all this experience and advice, I appreciate it.

JP, your comment may be one of the most relevant: why purchase a perfectly restored example and tear it down? I agree totally.

Unless, of course, the price is right! I can always drive it for a while, then sell at a profit (famous last words with LBCs, I know).

I'll let everyone know how this transpires.

Great ideas, everyone. :thumbsup:
 
If the 75 is a US spec car (not Cali) it should have 9:1 compression ration. That makes a big difference in the 1500 driving experience.

For me, the best thing about 1500 ownerships is I can tear mine up while I learn/figure out what I want and not have to worry about destroying the value of a true classic. I firmly believe that rubber bumper cars will never have the same status as the earlier cars. But they are a great value, and have a very torquey engine if configured correctly.

If the car is a great value, you can customize it to fit your needs, without dealing with all the hassles of rust repair etc. Again, the nice thing about RB cars is not very many people are looking for concourse examples, so you can customize (within reason) without destroying the value of the car.

BTW, that stupid radio console HAS to go. I am only 5'10", and that thing nearly de-kneecapped me! What a terrible design!
 
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