MG Midget Competition Car - Autotesting

[@caly5328]

Just the smile on the drivers face says it all

[@stevehill5637]

Thumbs up from Central Florida! I have Midgets and an MGB that I LOVE to drive. We have an active local MG car club. Thank you for the exciting ride-along.

[@moweroutdoors]

Great to hear from you. Unfortunately I've never had a "B", but at some stage I'd love to have a V8 BGT!

[@brookfab]

Only finding your videos now. Great footage. Fantastic wee car and great driving!!! 👍

[@moweroutdoors]

Thanks...although we both know that driver and car both could do with alot of improvement. Still need to sort my clutch and get out again this year.

[@paulbryan5685]

Thank was awesome!! My 1962 Midget dreams of have a 1275

[@moweroutdoors]

Thanks very much. They're all fun with whatever cc you have; its hard not to let yourself get discontent.

[@EmmaBriggs]

Great navigating. Shame she was let down by the driver. Smiles all round.

[@moweroutdoors]

Driver has a lot to learn...navigator is a born natural. Great day's fun was had though.

[@davidburman451]

What a blast ! Im so done with static car shows. These little beasts were meant to be driven . Back in the day 50plus years ago we all had MG's. I had afew Midgets then a couple of B's...ending up with a Spitfire. We drove the hell out them and loved every minute. Did some pillon courses here in Canada with a BGT....then marriage...kids...jobs...mortages...you know the story. I still have a garage stored 1275 RWA Midget needing restore and a 76 Spit in my backyard....hopefully on the road before I pass on. 😂👍

[@moweroutdoors]

I know the story exactly! Always higher priority things to be done before the "toys" get attention. Mine was lying up in a shed for a few years there for similar reasons. Finally took the time to sort it and now decided to just get out and use it. We had an absolute blast that day, and my wife has been asking a few times when the next one is. Was at a smaller event on Thursday past there and there must've been 6 Midgets, a BGT, Minis and a few others...all being driven harder than I can drive mine. Go for it, the cost will soon be forgotten, the fun and laughs won't. Never managed to own a Spitfire, but have always wanted a GT6 (For Sunday drives) and a V8 BGT wide arch Sebring replica for a bit of touring. What year is your Spitfire?

[@davidburman451]

@@moweroutdoors thanks for the reply. The Spit is a 76 but honestly it's a "FrankenSpit" built from several cars and still not on the road. Cheap way to get a car although its taken years of grabbing good stuff when it turned up. I did by the grace of the motor gods get an actual new never under a car Spitfire frame years back. BLM listed and sold replacement frames here up to at least mid 70's. This one had been purchased and the guy was in the process of transfering his suspension front and back to it. He put an excellent black coating on it tough as nails. Could be powder coat or Por15. Then it was abandoned for years. I found it in upper New York State a half days drive from my place. In Canada a virgin never patched Triumph frame is a rare find. The body came similar a local guy had a spit and frame off did new floors...sills and outer rocker then primed it.. its a great match for the frame. The motor came from a scrap yard and need a total build....thats now almost ready to drop in. Of course it needs paint. At this point it will be a backyard spray just to get on with it. The RWA Midget was my older brothers....he bought new in 74...drove to 45,000 miles always mechanic mantained then parked it for decades. But in a garage....I kept after him to do it up but eventually he sold it to me for a token amount. Its got a small amount of Canadian rust but is utterly complete and un molested . Sits awaiting attention....I have plans 🙂 The Spit is a 1500..gets around ok but is a bit of a lump. The 1275 A series engine is a wonderful piece....lots can be done with them. In the 70's mine was balanced...cammed...CooperS head and distributor by the previous owner he could'nt make run right so he traded it in I figured I could and straightened out the timing added 1 1/2 " SU's...... and raised hell ! Of course I blew it and the transmission up within a year. I should have kept it but MGs were cheap and plentiful .....not now !

[@moweroutdoors]

@davidburman451 This is what I love about YoutTube comments; you end up chatting to folks from all over the world that have exactly the same interests in life! A mate of mine jokes that we need to go over the pond with a 40ft container each and fill it with all the toys we want to bring home. You guys seem to have it all over there. Mind you, that Spitfire body and especially that frame are pretty much once in a lifetime finds. The Spitfire is a project well worth taking your time and doing it right. It's not every day you get those kind of opportunities, so well worth doing. The Midget - go for it for a fun build. There's hardly a Midget in the UK/Ireland that is standard. Most of the ones out competing at these Autotests are K-Series engined, Ford English axles, all 5linked Frontline front suspension and so on. Couple of Duratec engines and a good few Toyota with the Toyota box being the go to. I built mine hoping to stay elligible for the Historic stuff, so its still on the Midget back axle (With competition shafts and LSD), added anti tramp bars and a panhard rod. Up front its just a DIY turned up bush to get better camber. So I'm not competitive against the vastly quicker cars...but its just so much fun to drive. Absolutely love it and no massive money tied up in it. Defintely, get the Midget sorted out, but don't do her too tidy or you'll never want to drive her hard!! Keep your Spit for the road runs and shows...Midget for a bit of hooligan driving!! My engine is essentially standard, ported head and high ratio rockers...but hard to get a cam for mower power that doesn't loose bottom end...and I struggle getting off the line if I haven't managed to remember to keep the revs up (While clutch in, locked up the wheels on the brakes and going from reverse to first at the same time!!). Keep at it. Oh, and do the Spitfire Green please...

[@odl21]

Awesome!

[@moweroutdoors]

Brilliant fun even at very low speed

[@andrewjjhalliday]

💪💪💪

[@oliabid-price4517]

Those of us that also compete (1972 Hillman Imp) do it properly. Remove the steering wheel knob and the hydraulic handbrake and then see how you do. You don't need to use the handbrake anyway with rear wheel drive...

[@moweroutdoors]

Listen here...I need all the help I can get to keep up with you Mini and Imp folks. I could do with another 60bhp and a few more arms and I'd still not be fit to keep up!! If it helps convince you...its still on drum brakes and more or less standard engine...I just keep the tyre pressure up.

[@caly5328]

I have a 61 bugeye sprite with an sbc 383ci in it. Makes me want to put thinner rear tires on it and autocross it.

[@moweroutdoors]

Give it a go! I've found doing a couple of simple events, things with low risk (Nothing to hit and no big speed involved) is a great fun way to use the car. Plus, you really get to learn the feel of sliding around...which just might come in handy some day!

[@sherlock1895]

I did alot of auto crossing, and hillclimbing in my day, but never using a suicide knob. That’s weird to me. Cheers!

[@moweroutdoors]

Hi, and thanks for watching. Alot of the guys in the front wheel drive cars use them, but not too many in the Midgets. I guess mainly due to the seating/steering position. I use a knob on my ride on mowers, so I'm used to steering that way, so for me, after a bit of getting used to, it feels faster. For faster bits or hillclimbing, I don't think you'd want it, but for the low speed constantly changing direction stuff, it really does help. Know a few guys that tried it and just hated it...and plenty of guys quicker than me that don't use it too! One of those love it or hate it things I guess. I must take the John Deere logo off it...

[@sherlock1895]

@@moweroutdoors I was thinking about my hill climbing days (1960-70) and I don’t think a race car would pass tech inspection with a suicide knob. This is just a deja vu moment for me. NO! Keep the John Deere knob that’s way cool. Cheers!

[@moweroutdoors]

I intended on making a quick release bracket, that picked up on the holes in the steering wheel, so I could take the knob off and on quickly. But I wanted to try it before committing, and the JD one was cheap and handy. Its just ended up staying on! I don't do any hill climbing, but I suspect you're right, it'd not pass. Mind you...I'd have a few other mods to do to pass it (Solid rear bulkhead for exampe)...nevermind needing about another 80hp...Did you hill climb Midgets or what did you race?

[@sherlock1895]

@@moweroutdoors Auto crossed Austin Healey Sprite. Hill climbed Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider Veloce, and 1963 B/P Corvette. Fun times. Now I have are some great memories. My current car is a C8 Corvette. I may do a track day…or not. At 75 my eyesight and reflexes aren’t what they were when I was in my 20’s…Bahahahaha! Cheers.

[@moweroutdoors]

I assume from your Corvettes that you're in the States? Over here we never got big stuff really. We think a 2ltr 4 cylinder is big cc. Always felt hard done by; living on a continent where we miss out on so many great motors. We can't even buy an F150 here. Closest we can get is a diesel Ford Ranger. I know its in a totally different league, but I once walked passed a 1957 Ford Fairlane (Think that was the name from memory). It took me about 15minutes to walk past thing thing it was that long, and it had some amazingly huge engine, with embarrassingly low horsepower, and a 3speed auto. That moment I think started my jealously of american cars off! I could just wee me wafting along is that big lady, listening to Millie Small. Some day, when this KZbin kicks off and I make it big time...I'll have a GT40 and a 427 Sideoiler Cobra sitting in the garage. Well, maybe sitting in the living room actually!!!

[@oscart7506]

*Promosm* 😀