Working top and Wipers

[RichBall]

As some of you that have seen our car may recall the top on our Midget was all but nonexistent. Not that it stopped Susan and I from driving it through out the year. We didn't mind the cold once we were bundled up, but we did plan our trips to avoid any days with the outlook of rain. In fact we have never driven it with the top up.

Well, a few months back Rick B gave me his hand-me-down top to put on. It wasn't perfect, but it was WORLDS better than what I had. I took me awhile to get to it and once I did it took some time to remove all the rusted off screws across the rear, but I finally got it on.

https://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/fish_surgeon/Top/

This prompted me to get my wipers working now that rainy weather driving is here and staying dry is a possibility with the better top installed. My wipers were very slow on the low speed, and didn't work at all on the high speed setting. Not knowing the condition of the motor and having read that slow wipers could be caused by hardened grease in the drive shaft I pulled mine. The grease looked and felt good, and the brushes in the motor looked almost new with very little wear. With the motor hooked back up and no load on the drive shaft the symptoms were the same, slow low and no high speed. Trouble shooting the switch showed no input in high, so... I pulled the switch and opened it up to have a look. The switch it's self is very simple and mine had a fair amount of corrosion on the contacts. Taking a blade and scraping the contacts clean I put the switch back together and tested things. The slow speed setting now seems about where it should be and the high speed works as well. Even the self parking seems to be more defined. I ran out of time and still need to button things up, but it looks like I now have working wipers!

One odd thing I noticed. My wiper switch seems to have an unused option. There are contacts for a switch when you pull the switch toward you. I am assuming this may be a switch from an MGB and this is the overdrive switch.

Anyway. Just wanted to share and give Rick B a shout out for handing off his old top. It seems fitting that my car should provide one more shot at life for someone's old parts since it was destine to be a parts car at one time. Phil, still not sure whether to curse you or thank you. No, really thanks.

I've started calling it Dead Car Driving

 

[JPSmit]

woo hoo - glad it is working, and, yes, you are right about the switch it is the same as the MGB and it is for the overdrive, I have my fog light hooked up there.

 

[tweety]

hmmmm..

Living in San Diego, I've only once driven with the top up. Never.... I mean Never driven in the rain. Mainly because of very slow wipers. When they do move, they make a terrible groaning sound.

Last night I drove the car to a birthday party at my sister's. When I left home, the sun was shining. Within two hours it was pouring rain. Can't drive home without wipers. So I threw the cover on the car and borrowed on of my Bro-in-law's extra cars (an s500 so I can't really complain)

This experience coupled with your optimistic repair has me thinking that I might have to get those wipers running for those "just in case" moments like last night.

 

[bgbassplyr]

Two words - Rain X.

 

[mightymidget]

Two words - Rain X.

applied to both sides of windsheild, I have been trying the Rain X window cleaner and it works pretty good also

 

[livinginthepast]

I am sold on RainX.

Tangent: I once owned a 67 Jag 420. The windshield wipers functioned perfectly - unless it was raining, at which time they would simply stop working altogether.

<sigh>

 

[Pythias]

Driving in the rain invites the TIN WORM. It's really nice to have a top on to stay warm, and the wipers to function when they MUST, BUT...... Unless you can do body work, have the $$$$ to have it done, or just don't care, avoid it if possible. I'll show you what happens at the next N.O.S.H.I.T. this spring.

 

[tweety]

tin worm yes, but sometimes you just have to do it.