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Cox Engine of The Month
Amazing....The MG Midget...it runs
Page 1 of 1
Amazing....The MG Midget...it runs
Kicked the tires and lite the fires and it just started. Total surprise as I was expecting a long drawn out process of misses before a hit. But there it was purring like a kitten. Well almost.
None of the emissions are hooked up, no coolant in the radiator, no muffler, no fuel in the tank.....(used gravity feed through a funnel) and the wrong carburetor. We did go through the standard top dead center on # 1 valves closed thing but Mark just set the distributor where he thought it should be and she cranked to life. No timing light, no dwell meter, no over thinking. Only ran it about 15 seconds (no coolant) but we repeated it several times. First time it has had life in about 25 years.
I did tear the engine down and freed some stuck rings, cleaned the oil and fuel pumps and dusted it up a bit. Compression is good, about 145 psi in all four so it did not need a lot of attention.
Now to attach some hoses, fill the radiator, install the correct water choke carburetor and spin it around the block.
From there to here:
None of the emissions are hooked up, no coolant in the radiator, no muffler, no fuel in the tank.....(used gravity feed through a funnel) and the wrong carburetor. We did go through the standard top dead center on # 1 valves closed thing but Mark just set the distributor where he thought it should be and she cranked to life. No timing light, no dwell meter, no over thinking. Only ran it about 15 seconds (no coolant) but we repeated it several times. First time it has had life in about 25 years.
I did tear the engine down and freed some stuck rings, cleaned the oil and fuel pumps and dusted it up a bit. Compression is good, about 145 psi in all four so it did not need a lot of attention.
Now to attach some hoses, fill the radiator, install the correct water choke carburetor and spin it around the block.
From there to here:
rsv1cox- Top Poster
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Posts : 11314
Join date : 2014-08-18
Location : West Virginia
Re: Amazing....The MG Midget...it runs
Well Bob that's just great. Always really satisfying the hear them fire up. Even though I do it for a living, every time I start an engine after some repair I still get a sense of satisfaction. When it's a labour of love like the Midget it's even better. My old Corolla had a complete mechaincal restoration- engine was rebored and everything machined up like new. All new parts were used where available. To think that they can go from boxes of a few hundred parts to a "living breathing" engine is amazing. Hope you can get it through to the next step easily and get that spin around the block soon. You're clearly a very patient man.
Rod.
Rod.
Oldenginerod- Top Poster
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Cribbs74- Moderator
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Posts : 11907
Join date : 2011-10-24
Age : 50
Location : Tuttle, OK
Re: Amazing....The MG Midget...it runs
That is a thing of beauty, Im astounded by what you have done in a short time!! It would take me five years.
Are you going to do the bodywork also?
Ron thats how I drove my MGB the whole time I had it, top down, half zipped tonneau cover. When it rained I held the cover over my head.
How I did that steered and shifted I don't know.
Are you going to do the bodywork also?
Ron thats how I drove my MGB the whole time I had it, top down, half zipped tonneau cover. When it rained I held the cover over my head.
How I did that steered and shifted I don't know.
Last edited by crankbndr on Mon Oct 30, 2017 8:33 am; edited 1 time in total
crankbndr- Top Poster
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Join date : 2011-12-10
Location : Homestead FL
getback- Top Poster
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Posts : 10473
Join date : 2013-01-18
Age : 67
Location : julian , NC
Re: Amazing....The MG Midget...it runs
Wow Eric, I have been "crowned" many times in my life and had the lumps on my head to prove it, but never in such an elegant way. I accept your honor in the spirit in which it was offered.
Nice MG Midget Ron, somewhere around a 1972 I would think. CB, I'm not much of a body man never having worked with sheet metal, but I have done some fiberglass/bondo repairs. There are many stamped reproduction body panels available for all MG's but they can be expensive to buy and difficult to properly install. I do have a left side stamped rear fender repair panel that my son will weld in and I will finish.
Thanks all for your comments.
Bob
Nice MG Midget Ron, somewhere around a 1972 I would think. CB, I'm not much of a body man never having worked with sheet metal, but I have done some fiberglass/bondo repairs. There are many stamped reproduction body panels available for all MG's but they can be expensive to buy and difficult to properly install. I do have a left side stamped rear fender repair panel that my son will weld in and I will finish.
Thanks all for your comments.
Bob
rsv1cox- Top Poster
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Posts : 11314
Join date : 2014-08-18
Location : West Virginia
Re: Amazing....The MG Midget...it runs
These threads always get my attention....not sure why now that I have plenty of time to do a restore that since retirement I never did consider except once ... a local 65 Ranchero with all the same running gear as my first hand me down ride...even same color and interior...
These projects must be a labor of love...I know there are some few cars hat once restored can bring more than the cost but most of the time they get sold for a fraction of all the parts and labor involved
I never really did a full restore for my self...but a lot of times got enlisted to help with some cool projects
None ever had good photo documentation of before and after...
One of the things I like about Bobs stuff...he does a great job of painting the whole picture
when you see the before and now the near end of that MG engine bay..one must be impressed..I know I am
These projects must be a labor of love...I know there are some few cars hat once restored can bring more than the cost but most of the time they get sold for a fraction of all the parts and labor involved
I never really did a full restore for my self...but a lot of times got enlisted to help with some cool projects
None ever had good photo documentation of before and after...
One of the things I like about Bobs stuff...he does a great job of painting the whole picture
when you see the before and now the near end of that MG engine bay..one must be impressed..I know I am
fredvon4- Top Poster
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Posts : 4013
Join date : 2011-08-26
Age : 69
Location : Lampasas Texas
Re: Amazing....The MG Midget...it runs
Thanks Fred. Taken as a whole it does look a bit intimidating. But piece by piece it's less so. It's that "How do you eat an elephant" thing.
I have never made money on any of my restores. Not my objective. But I haven't ever lost much either. My son is different. His first thought always is - Can I sell it in the future and not lose money. A much more practical approach and he has done very well using it. Me, I just like keeping busy at something constructive.
He just starts a little higher on the food chain than I do. Bumpers and trim on. New wheels and interior to go.
Get a Ranchero or something similar Fred that's a little out of the ordinary. It's greasy, dirty, frustrating fun.
Bob
I have never made money on any of my restores. Not my objective. But I haven't ever lost much either. My son is different. His first thought always is - Can I sell it in the future and not lose money. A much more practical approach and he has done very well using it. Me, I just like keeping busy at something constructive.
He just starts a little higher on the food chain than I do. Bumpers and trim on. New wheels and interior to go.
Get a Ranchero or something similar Fred that's a little out of the ordinary. It's greasy, dirty, frustrating fun.
Bob
rsv1cox- Top Poster
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Posts : 11314
Join date : 2014-08-18
Location : West Virginia
Re: Amazing....The MG Midget...it runs
I hear you Bob but I am holding out for the day I out live my wife....or NOT seriously I have absolutely zero desire to be left behind
BUT
Decades ago we laughed about our insurance policies... now permanent, and how who ever lived was gonna be rich enough to at least get the one bucket list thing high end ...a....never would buy on purpose desire
Her's in an insane jeep off road monster
Mine is a full modern Foose finished 59 caddy
I actually would have bought and restored the local 65 ranchero if some ass hole had not schooled the owner of the build codes for it... worth every bit of $900 in it's condition...but was a low production version and he was holding out for $3000 or more....
Had to pass as the damned thing was brought to Texas from New Hampshire and a real rust bucket and interior was total trashed....build codes are not every thing
Once I bought and quickly sold a "bullet" mustang... made a buck or three
Was a guy locally that had the exact same Shelby 2+2 in White/ white that I had briefly used......but he knew what he had and would not come off of $45K
I once spent $9.9K to put a Suzuki Hayabusa GS 1100 in a 1800lb Smart car... $7K for the car... $1500 for the cradle... $1200 for the hopped up GS1000...sold for $21K....only build I ever made a buck on
as noted above I was enlisted many times for some one off build... 283 V8 in a poor mans vette...Opal GT
77 Caddy Fleet wood body on top of 4x4 chassis
chopped up Chevy Nomad 4 dr to 2 dr with GM 500 CI engine
Ford V8 289 into a German Ford Taunus that originally had a V-4... tranny bolted right up
So I have had a life time of that fun and aggravation.... getting a guy like Foose to build me what I WANT is a pipe dream on my disposable income... but dreams are fun too
BUT
Decades ago we laughed about our insurance policies... now permanent, and how who ever lived was gonna be rich enough to at least get the one bucket list thing high end ...a....never would buy on purpose desire
Her's in an insane jeep off road monster
Mine is a full modern Foose finished 59 caddy
I actually would have bought and restored the local 65 ranchero if some ass hole had not schooled the owner of the build codes for it... worth every bit of $900 in it's condition...but was a low production version and he was holding out for $3000 or more....
Had to pass as the damned thing was brought to Texas from New Hampshire and a real rust bucket and interior was total trashed....build codes are not every thing
Once I bought and quickly sold a "bullet" mustang... made a buck or three
Was a guy locally that had the exact same Shelby 2+2 in White/ white that I had briefly used......but he knew what he had and would not come off of $45K
I once spent $9.9K to put a Suzuki Hayabusa GS 1100 in a 1800lb Smart car... $7K for the car... $1500 for the cradle... $1200 for the hopped up GS1000...sold for $21K....only build I ever made a buck on
as noted above I was enlisted many times for some one off build... 283 V8 in a poor mans vette...Opal GT
77 Caddy Fleet wood body on top of 4x4 chassis
chopped up Chevy Nomad 4 dr to 2 dr with GM 500 CI engine
Ford V8 289 into a German Ford Taunus that originally had a V-4... tranny bolted right up
So I have had a life time of that fun and aggravation.... getting a guy like Foose to build me what I WANT is a pipe dream on my disposable income... but dreams are fun too
fredvon4- Top Poster
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Posts : 4013
Join date : 2011-08-26
Age : 69
Location : Lampasas Texas
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