Description
By: Practical Classics .
MG Midget and Austin-Healey Sprite Restoration Guide Description
The complete do-it-yourself Spridget restoration guide covering MG Midget and Austin-Healey Sprite restoration, including stripping the interior and dashboard, engine removal, removing door locks, refitting the engine and transmission, repainting at home, exterior trim replacement, and much more.
Introduction
We enjoyed our term with the Midget, the sixth car we have completely rebuilt in front of the camera for our 'Project Car' series. But this did not mean that the task of returning it to near-new condition was always easy — as with most old cars once you begin to strip the paint and remove other people's bodges, our Midget turned out to be rather more rusty than we had anticipated.
However, Ken Wright and Dave Jones who did the vast majority of panelwork in Lindsay Porter's workshop were not dismayed and the car emerged at the end with probably a better panel-fit than when it was new (in fact we almost forgive you, Ken and Lindsay, for trying to fit an MGB grille at one stage; every rebuild has its incident of brain-fade ...).
Our thanks also go to our suppliers Spridgebits of Birmingham; Graham Sykes and Jed Watts really did pull out all the stops in finding all the parts for the car, from 'gold dust' items like a brand new front grille to the smallest nut and bolt. Their extensive range of second-hand spares were extremely useful too. Certainly, to attempt any work on a Spridget without their informative (and exhaustive) catalogue to hand amounts to sheer folly!
But we must also thank other suppliers and indeed it is one of the benefits of being a Spridget owner that there are now several reputable and efficient specialists serving this part of the MG market; certainly the Sprite and Midget Centre of Richmond, Surrey could not have been more helpful when the car was moved to Beckenham for its engine installation. Mentioning which, our thanks also goes to Eric Gilbert who made a superb job of rebuilding the engine, and who successfully tackled the 101 little detail finishing jobs which have to be done before a total restoration project finally wins an MoT certificate.
We were genuinely sad when it came to part with the Midget; it went in September 1985 to Mr Rolls who operates a garage near Maidenhead, Berks and who appreciated that here was a car into which had gone some 1,300 hours of work and almost exactly £3,000-worth of parts. We hope the Midget gives him good service; it certainly should do!
Paul Skilleter
