Fun little car that was expensive to maintain
Replaced carburetor.
Not a bad little car. Expensive to work on. Fun to drive. Problem with transmission synchro in 3rd gear. Probably abused by previous owner. Other than that, it was a pretty good car. Difficult to get worked on. Needed TLC from a British Mechanic.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 26th September, 2020
Fun, expect breakdowns and you will be OK!
Most things! Won't bother listing everything. This is an old car, so things go wrong! They were not reliable new!
Instead of ranting about the reliability (which is poor, and expected) I will rave about the FUN!
With the roof down on a summers day, this car is amazing. The smell, feel and zest this car has is hard to explain. You fall in love, and that makes it that bit harder when it breaks down!
The steering (with a smaller steering wheel fitted) is very good, scuttle shake is not too bad for a car this age. Upgrade the brakes and you will have near modern stopping power!
Upgrade the tyres too, and it will handle a lot better.
The rot on these can be a problem. If you can, buy a fully restored one, and look after it! Otherwise, have a full glassfibre body fitted and rust on the bodywork will not be an issue.
I would also recommend you go to a specialist if you are not a competed DIY mechanic, they know the cars inside out, and can fix common problems very quickly and easily.
Running cost are very good (excluding repair costs).
I would recommend this car to someone willing to expect breakdowns, but wanting lots of good fun and a whole other world of motoring.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 4th December, 2006
High maintenance... beautiful car
When I got the car the brakes needed to be replaced. My wife was driving behind me on the way home and my MG was leaking oil all over her windshield. It left a trail of oil all the way home. When I was close to home the muffler fell off. This was just on the way home after buying the car. My wife was doing everything she could to keep herself from laughing.
After repairing the brakes, oil pan gasket, and the muffler. The car started to over heat. I replaced the water pump.
Not too long after replacing the water pump the starter blew. I am still waiting to replace it.
Believe it or not... despite all of the problems... I love this car. When it runs, I forget all of the problems. This is definitely not a reliable car, but will put a smile on your face during those nice summer drives.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 27th February, 2004
Did replacing the water pump solve the overheating problem?
I have a 1976 MG Midget, and contrary to the other comments, mine appears to be reliable. It has had lots of things replaced starter, generater, clutch and other things, but it is 31 years old I expect some things to go wrong in an old car, but I have never been stranded and with luck (knock on woood) I never will. I love this little car, I bought a new one in 1973 when I was 18, and always wanted another, and at 52 I got one (lucky me)
I purchased a 1976 Midget about a year ago, great car, lots of fun to drive. Mine has been great and has not let me down as of yet. After all it is a British car so it's just a matter of time before something happens. I also drive a Land Rover, so I'm already familiar with the British vehicles. You have to know this going in before you buy an MG, but the fun to drive factor outweighs any quirks you may have. My advice would be to check for any major leaks and check your brakes. There is a line that has a check valve in it that is prone to fail. you can simply plug the line to solve this problem. Buy and MG and have Fun!
28th Sep 2020, 02:26
Interesting comment about the 3rd gear synchro.
1st gear is usually the first synchro to tank.
Your problem is likely the result of indifferent British Leyland Motors workmanship that was typical of Mid-Seventies Britain ;)