Faults:

Nothing major post restoration by the previous owner.

Rotor arms have shorted out.

General Comments:

I am enjoying my second 1275 cc Midget - both the later Mk III models with the aesthetically pleasing chrome bumpers and round rear wheel arches. The first was not restored and I owned it for a couple of years in the late 80's. It was my only car and didn't let me down too often, but... the release bearing on the clutch gave up and I had to have the front suspension rebuilt after king pin wear caused an MOT failure (statutory annual road worthiness test). I finally said goodbye after I broke first gear due to an undetected oil leak. However, I was not cured of my fondness for the Midget as I resolved to try again...

My second and current car has been extensively restored by the previous owner. I've finished off some of the work (unleaded conversion, new hood) and more could be done, but the point is, it's a blast! I use it for limited mileage connected with my work and it is my "antidote to people movers" - we have four offspring, so my "real" car is a Toyota Picnic! The Midget was cheap to buy and will hold its value, was registered pre-1973 and is therefore tax exempt in the UK, parts, especially through the excellent owners club, are cheap (more so than an MGB) and plentiful and even some motoring journalists in the UK agree that they are just fun to drive.

Don't get one to rely upon unless you have lots of time and enjoy tinkering or have a cheap and friendly local who knows about SU carburettors, points and other "old fashioned" bits and bobs. I'm just going to see how long I can keep mine!

Faults:

It's an old car so the usual things have needed doing: brakes, shocks, etc.

Had a gold seal recon engine just before I got it, but in the 30000 miles I've done in it over the last few years, its never broken down or so much as misfired.

Bodywork needed some work though, new sills, front wings (VERY Expensive!), and some work on rear arches.

Fitted new mohair hood as well, as original plastice one was worn out, which was cheap and not too tricky to fit.

Also use a hard top in the winter, which helps (a little) with the Midgets main problem of letting in water from just about everywhere.

General Comments:

Drives like a dodgem car, steering is so direct that to begin with you feel as though you are going to drive into a field on the next turn.

Once you get used to it though, its great fun. You're so low to the ground, you feel as though you're doing 100mph when the Lada just behind reminds you that you're only doing 30.

Heaters are phenomenal.

Perfect for sunny days with the top down on a windy country lane. Although I've driven mine to Scotland and back on motorways - I'm the first to admit that its not ideal for that!!

Faults:

Probably easier to list what didn't go wrong. This one had been professionally bodged by an alleged restoration company "Enigma Restorations" in Lancashire. Repairs included a rolled up copy of the Sun (Newspaper) in one A pillar and lots of filler with iron filings (so you can't tell that it's filler with a magnet).

Knew the 1500 engine well since I had a couple of Triumphs. Engine is no problem as long as the radiator and water pump are clean and working. This one also had an oil cooler.

The only problem with the engine was blowing a piston ring at 80,000 miles - a fairly common problem and not that difficult to fix. It always got me home which is more than I can say for my Golf!

Did a lot of welding underneath including floor pan and an inner sill.

Replaced the front dampers for uprated ones and a thicker anti-roll bar. This improved matteres drastically. Also lowered the suspension by 1/2 inch. It already had telescopic shock on the rear and I put slightly larger tyres on.

Also replaced all the flexible brake lines and one cylinder.

The hood leaked as did the drivers footwell until I welded up the hole under the front wing!

Replaced most of the small suspension parts including bushes and bearings.

General Comments:

It was good fun and actually not too unreliable really. Never had too many problems getting it through the MOT.

It went quite well with some K&N filters and a gas flowed exhaust & manifold plus the suspension mods.

Could frighten an XR3 up to 40 mph, but a bit low geared for the motorway really.

It was good fun at the time, but I wouldn't want to do it again.

You have to bear in mind that it was built at a time when BL employees spent more time holding placards outside the gates than they did building cars. I now have an MX5 which is utterly reliable.