The Slave2anMG is picking bugs out of his teeth

"Slave2anMG" (Slave2anMG) 06/19/2015 at 09:39 • Filed to: None

7

14

The Midget needed a ton of brake work. A lot. New master cylinder, new rear cylinders, and who knows what else. It was all at least 25 years old and I suspect the master was original (in a 1972 car). And getting the master cylinder out is a right bitch. A major major bitch. And frankly one I’m not willing to tackle. I may be a glutton for punishment but I’m not a masochist...so I took it to a local shop that specializes in such weirdness...and in Miatas. In fact, I bought my car from the shop owner in 1989 :) He kept the car about 3 weeks...as expected...had to order the parts and such. Picked up this morning - it has brakes again, or as good as the brakes get in a 1972 Midget (not that good...). Drove home, grinning like a compleat fool. An utter happy fool.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Slave2anMG 06/19/2015 at 09:42

5

You’re not a masochist and you bought an old British sports car? I don’t believe you.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Slave2anMG 06/19/2015 at 09:43

0

Haven’t seen what it takes for the master on these, but the rear wheel cylinders are a piece of cake. Still, if you’re having one thing done, might as well have more...

Slave2anMG > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/19/2015 at 09:48

0

The master is a pain primarily because you can’t get to the damned bolts. It ended up taking front rotors, rear slaves, shoes and pads all the way round. He pulled and repacked all the wheel bearings, new oil seals on the rear axles, and that new master. Rear shoes were fouled with leaking brake fluid and a little axle oil. The brake flex lines were already stainless braided teflon so are essentially forever parts. Also cleaned and reset the parking brake mechanism. All fine with me because, well, 43 year old car and I’d replaced nothing but the flex lines in the 26 years I’ve owned it...

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Slave2anMG 06/19/2015 at 09:52

0

I *have* done the clutch master on a TR6. Royal pain, that one was. For a Series IIa (early) or II Rover of the US persuasion, masters require pulling the left fender off most of the time. ENGLAND! *shakes fist*

Gear oil on the shoes in a midget is perfectly normal for how it’s set up - “Hey, let’s have the axle gasket get held with only two screws when the brake drum is off, there’s no way removing the brake drum can cause that to loosen!”

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 06/19/2015 at 09:59

2

The Midgets are for people who are self-deceived about masochism. Light, simple, meant to draw people in with a “how hard could it be”, and then WHAM.

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Slave2anMG 06/19/2015 at 10:03

0

All right! Glad to see it’s on the road!

More pictures please.

Needmoargarage > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 06/19/2015 at 10:34

0

I had a violent love/hate relationship with my ‘71 MGB. These car’s won’t usually treat you nicely.

Slave2anMG > Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger 06/19/2015 at 10:37

2

A broadside and front wedge...a car for which I paid $500 in 1989. Rebuilt the engine on the front walk of the duplex I was living in. It’s utterly unrestored. I did put a Datsun 510 transmission in it years ago; still have the original gearbox. Also fitted tube shocks years ago when the lever shocks got weary and were very expensive to replace; they’ve actually gotten cheaper since then. Wiring harness is unmolested. It’s not pretty; bonnet has a big wrinkle in it that’s been there as long as I’ve had it. I just enjoy driving it and keeping it mechanically sound. Solid floors, solid rockers, solid A-pillars...truly some surface rust is all. That white patch is where the cheaply applied orange paint is peeling off revealing the original white. I fitted the early style grill and turn signal lenses...original grill was missing.

It’s an absurdly tiny car nowadays...a street legal go kart. Not enough power to get into real trouble but a hoot to drive quickly and especially on a twisty road. Going fast in a slow car is great fun.

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Slave2anMG 06/19/2015 at 11:23

1

Love it! How have you been dealing with surface rust? I still need to buy you a few beers for the Datsun Z radio.

By the way, don’t know if you saw this on oppo.

desertdog5051 > Slave2anMG 06/19/2015 at 11:38

0

I know your pain. And I own an MGB. Your pain intensifies with each repair that must be done. Nice Midget. Do you look over the windshield or slump to see under it? At 6’1” I prefer to drive mine with the top down so I can see over it.

Slave2anMG > desertdog5051 06/19/2015 at 13:06

1

I’m right at 6’0” and am able to look thru the windshield...I suspect if the seat cushion webbing was still taunt that might not be possible. I can drive it with the top up; having said that I took off the sun visors years ago as they were simply in the way :) My wife followed me home from the shop and said I look *very* tall in a very tiny car...

Slave2anMG > Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger 06/19/2015 at 13:37

0

Hah! Moar Datsun! I had not seen that!

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Slave2anMG 06/19/2015 at 14:43

0

So is the Midget dual zeniths? Those round rear arches are the best.

Slave2anMG > Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger 06/19/2015 at 14:46

0

Twin SUs, not Zeniths. Rubber bumper Midgets came with a single Zenith...