Midget/ Sprite owners?

[Fod01]

Hi,

I'm a member of the Eastern OSHIT and Spridget lists.

Just curious if any Hearth.com brethren are members as well

Gabe

 

[Danno77]

I know that many British car owners and Italian car owners act like they dislike the other group, but we both know a small car guy is a small car guy.

I own a 1980 Fiat Spider and a 1977 Fiat 128 sedan. Not in the market for a midget or a sprite, but would love to be an owner of a nice MGB GT some day.

 

[Fod01]

Thats funny. The chair and vice-chair of my local MG club do not own an MG. They've got a Fiat X1/9 (and a lotus, but who's counting).

I'm rebuilding a Midget because thats the car that sat in my dad's backyard since 1985. I'm fortunate to have become friends with an enthusiast that lives very close. He's building an MGB GT to take cross country next year.
If you ever find yourself itching for the GT, let me know. Everything is for sale at the right price!

In a couple years, I hope to be a T'bird guy. Dad's got a '55 he started restoring back in the mid-70's.
I wanted to cut my teeth on the Midget before attempting that classic.


Gabe

 

[FanMan]

I never owned a British car, came close to owning a Spitfire a couple of times, but my buddy had a Midget (he's 6'4" tall so he had to install a 12" steering wheel to clear his knees), but I owned three Fiat 124 Spiders over the years, 1971, 74, & 77. Paid $400 for the first, $500 for the second, and $600 for the third (an alarming trend). Gave the last one free to a friend; it was running but sorely in need of TLC. He did a mint restoration, drove it for awhile, and sold it for $8500. Now I have a '92 Miata... not so much "character" but it always gets me home!

I still aspire to a Lotus 7, though...

 

[jharkin]

Dont own one myself but they are fun cars... Right up my Dad's alley. Over the years he had a a couple TDs, a Healy 3000 Mk.II, a straight 6 E-type, among others. When I was in College we talked about buying and restoring an MGB together. Never did.

Then I got interested in early 70s Alfa Spiders. Never did buy one but my buddy did and we drove the crap out of it.

More recently Ive lusted after picking up an older S2k... but those are $$$

Now Ive got young kids and no time for a project car.... when I do get around to it something small light and convertable will be on the list.

 

[fossil]

Loved Sprites...bug-eyes & later. Was a teenager then, had a friend with a Sprite, and another with a Sunbeam Tiger, but I couldn't afford the mammoth couple thousand $$$ to buy a brand new car. Years later I restored a '51 MGTD. Lots of fun, turned out really nice. Interesting little car...more fun to drive than to ponder the underlying engineering. More years later I had a '95 Jaguar XJ-6...very comfortable sedan out on the road. Lots of British cars I was fascinated with, and still some I'd like to own. Rick

 

[peakbagger]

THe older midgets were about as simple a car as could be. Easy to rebuild if they werent rotted out. They were popular enough that JC whitney stocked lots of wear parts and inevitably, the costs for the parts were on the low end.

I seem to remeber that like many cars of the era, the steering coolumns were rigid and if someone unfortunately had a front end crash, they steering column would harpoon the driver.

In the later years after 1967, they got heavy and the emmisions and extra safety gear really screwed them up.

 

[FanMan]

The friend I gave my Fiat to also has a 100% original TD that his grandfather bought new. Regularly driven, unrestored, faded paint, beautiful. He talks about restoring and I keep telling him he's crazy; it's perfect the way it is.

 

[ironpony]

I like British motorcycles Triumph etc
but as for cars
Mopar or no car

 

[HollowHill]

My first car was a '63 Austin Healey Sprite. Loved that car, FUN!

 

[lukem]

My dad had a 74 MGB GT. I learned a lot helping him work on that thing....which was often...and usually electrical.

 

[jharkin]

Funny bumper sticker I saw in the Pitts at one of the Limerock vintage race weekends:

"The parts falling off this vehicle are of only the finest British Craftsmanship"

 

[Danno77]

My dad had a 74 MGB GT. I learned a lot helping him work on that thing....which was often...and usually electrical.

74, IIRC, is the last of the chrome bumper models, and exactly like what I'm looking for.

The MGB GT was designed by Pininfarina, who also designed the Fiat I drive

 

[lukem]

74, IIRC, is the last of the chrome bumper models, and exactly like what I'm looking for.

The MGB GT was designed by Pininfarina, who also designed the Fiat I drive

74 1/2 is when they went to the black plastic bumpers, I think.

This one had chrome. Cool little car.