ABP 102 Origins

This is an account of the on-again off-again restoration of a 1968 MG Midget. It is also inevitably the story of its owner’s rite of passage into middle age. But let us start with the machinery.

The vehicle in question is an Australian-assembled CKD Mark lll that was manufactured, according to the British Motor Heritage Trust Certificate that has just arrived from the UK, on 20 December 1967 and dispatched from the UK factory on 5 January 1968.

How ironic that 20 December became my wedding day. How amazing that my wife is still putting up with a Midget maniac!

P and R Williams first sold the car but I am still trying to identify the original owner and the date of registration. I did locate by accident a former P an R’s salesman who, on seeing the Midget at the motor trimmer’s towards the end of its restoration, recalled the colour (Jay Blue) and other details.

On the road 1975 - 1978

In 1975 the vehicle came into my hands via the Sydney Morning Herald classifieds but unfortunately without log books or owner’s manual. The plan was to replace a Mark 2A Sprite that had succumbed to rust and a sick engine with a healthier specimen of the same sportscar we all know and love.

The Sprite had been my introduction to sports car motoring - those sensations of hearing, smell, and touch that in motoring can only come from driving a responsive, open car. It seemed sensible and within budget to stick with a design I knew and, in any event, the Sprite’s solidity, absence of both scuttle-shake and a swing axle rear end made it preferable to a Spitfire.

The Midget went on a number of holiday trips around New South Wales including to Northern NSW, oh, and a honeymoon!

Off the Road 1978 - 1997

After three years of reliable and sporty motoring, with something sounding suspiciously like piston slap starting to develop but more importantly, a worn clutch making progress impossible, the Midget came off the road for repairs.

"Seeing the gearbox has to come out we may as well fix the engine while we are at it", I said to the long-suffering mate helping with the engine hoist - actually he wasn’t the only long-suffering mate around because he had a Spitfire that needed two people to minister to it on a regular basis! So in early 1978, with a little over 83,000 miles on the clock, out came the engine and gearbox and the car was put on blocks.

Having been an avid reader of 'Cars and Car Conversions' magazine since the early seventies, and therefore exposed to David Vizard and his work on tuning 'A' series BMC engines, the decision was made to go for a 'fast road' specification. I would dismantle and reassemble the engine while machining would be looked after by experts.

The clutch plate was indeed down to the rivets and then the gearbox was added to the list of components that should be refurbished while out of the car.

In need of some 'wheels' to get to and from work and to ferry around bits and pieces of Midget, a 1958 Wolseley 1500 was purchased. I still had a workshop manual from the time I had run a similar car in 1971 so it seemed logical to get another car to go with the manual! Unfortunately, this created a bit of a diversion because as those of you who know this vehicle can attest, it is more or less a nice wooden dash looking for a decent home. And this example, while basically sound, had a badly crazed dash and door cappings. Out they came and after four or five coats of marine varnish, rubbed down between each coat, they looked absolutely beautiful.

This was an indicator of things to come - delays to the Midget repairs while other minor projects were attended to - like parenting and studying.

Back to the engine modifications, the plan was for a 731 cam, Cooper ‘S’ valves, Mark 1 Cooper ‘S’ distributor (no vacuum advance), either bigger SU’s or a Weber, and extractors with a suitably ported cylinder head. Off went the engine for this work to be done while I had a go at dismantling the gearbox and replacing all bearings, selector balls and springs and the syncromesh cones.

All this was happening in a borrowed garage some 20 kilometres from home, a smallish unit, so portable bits like the gearbox came back to be worked on. In fact the fiddly bits in the gearbox were replaced after dismantling it on a desk in the spare bedroom - now that’s an understanding partner!

Then the propeller shaft was repainted and new universal joints fitted. A decision was made to go for a 45 DCOE Weber and it was acquired together with a set of extractors.

Back came the block with the reground, nitrided crankshaft, forged flat top pistons and new timing chain and upgraded camshaft balanced and fitted together with the bare head. I had to assemble all the rest.

No doubt in contemplation of this monumental task, the thought was, "seeing the engine and gearbox are being refurbished, we can’t put them back into a tatty engine bay - it will have to be resprayed." And this lead to the need for the brakes and suspension to be revitalised and of course, the respray the car had been given during its previous ownership was not the best, so maybe attention was needed there too.

This was getting all too much. I could not afford to do all the work which seemed to be multiplying every time I looked at the car and my level of interest began to wane. The bottom of the engine was assembled, the sump was filled with oil, the top of the block was covered and taped up, and the head was wrapped in an oily cloth. And that is how they stayed from late 1978 until April 1997 when the project became a case of doing a proper job and getting the Midget back on the road, not to mention clearing it out of the borrowed garage.

Year of Action - 1997

With children either into or about to enter their teens and a creeping sense of urgency to get things done that required some measure of youth to enjoy, a menopausal decision was made to fix the car or get rid of it.

Get rid of it! How could I get rid of something that had quietly been accumulating the gravity of age and long-term ownership. Here was something that was of an era, the 60’s, that produced so many changes in popular culture. I actually had in my possession a product of 1967, the year that produced 'Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band' and other fabulous music. A lot of the music was British - so, too, was the Midget.

To have hung on to a car for so long without completing the job just did not seem defensible. Plus it was not just any old banger, it was a roadster, a sportscar, something that did not exist for utilitarian reasons but for the sheer thrill of driving. This world of excitement was so close - a matter of throwing a few nuts and bolts together!

Clearly this was not going to be a rational decision! Nor was it. The cost of the full restoration would not be reflected in the value of the vehicle if it was sold. But who was talking of sale? This would be my contribution to preserving in working condition a piece of cultural history that could be handed down to future generations.

More importantly, it would give free expression to typical male anal retentive behaviour by ensuring, for example, that all screwheads were aligned in the same direction, that every part was as close to original as possible - the opportunities were endless!

So, in April 1997 having decided that the body and running gear needed someone with the right skills and equipment (I still did not have proper garage accommodation to carry out the work) I enlisted the help of Bob Rowntree, a specialist in Sprite/Midget repairs. As an aid to originality, I found 'Original Sprite and Midget' by Terry Horler, the Brooklands Books collection of road tests, 'Gold Portfolio 1961 - 1979' and the 'Practical Classics' guide to Sprite and Midget restoration to be of invaluable help.

The objective would be to restore the Midget to as-new condition but not to absolute concourse standard because the car would be driven regularly in the manner it was meant to be. I had already decided that enhanced performance would improve the car’s appeal without destroying its character - many Sprites and Midgets were similarly treated - as long as the modifications did not change its external appearance and were appropriate to its period.

Task number one was to strip the body of all its components taking it back to bare metal, then removing any rust prior to being resprayed.

Luckily, or maybe as expected of a car that had spent almost twice as long on blocks (19 years) than it had on the road, rust was minor with none in the floorpan, some in both outer sills and the lower leading and trailing sections of the rear guards and a little in the usual spot at the base of the door pillars. The leading edge of the bonnet also had the usual water-trap induced rust problem.

As was the case with other parts for Sprites and Midgets, repair sections, including sills were readily available for each of these areas and minimised repair costs.

At this stage, I became a frequent caller to UK parts firms and, in between reports about how bleak the northern hemisphere weather was (how could the poms have popularised top-down motoring?) various obscure bits and pieces arrived on the front doorstep often in a matter of days. Parts like replacement slats and badge for the Midget grille, the throttle linkage for the Weber that would not foul the bonnet and tool and hood cover bags. Of course many parts are available from local importers and manufacturers so there seem to be few Midget parts that cannot be replaced if repair is impossible.

Meanwhile the body was being readied for paint after fitting up all panels and adjusting gaps. The biggest problem was the left front guard that, due probably to accident damage, was not flush with the door post and sill. But eventually it was made to fit and the gaps were as good as if not better than new which means they are far from perfect but heck, that is the story of the whole vehicle!

So, in July 1997, the body spent a month in the paint shop for finishing and a good application of two-pack Dulux in the original colour, Jay Blue. Apart from originality, this colour had the advantage of being somewhat rarer than the ubiquitous red and it was peculiar to Australian-assembled Midgets and MGB’s.

Meanwhile, running gear was being overhauled with the rear axle and differential getting a new set of bearings and seals throughout and reconditioned splined hubs. Similarly, the front splines were “remanufactured” while the suspension wishbones were refurbished and new kingpins fitted. In keeping with the motor modifications, the opportunity was taken to upgrade the suspension by fitting a thicker front anti-roll bar and telescopic dampers to the rear.

So, too, was the 'go' department getting some attention. Dr Bob (Rowntree) stripped down the motor and gearbox to review my handiwork of 19 years before - and just as well!

The camshaft bearings had not been renewed and the flywheel key on the crankshaft had not been replaced. The crankshaft also needed linishing to free it up due to the nitriding process having increased the journal diameters enough to make rotation by hand difficult. And most importantly, the block had not been properly chemically cleaned with swarf not removed from nooks and crannies that require the replacement of the small plugs covering oil galleries. One ill-effect of having been unused for so long was rust on the pushrods so these were replaced.

Having decided to go for a larger diameter clutch as a more reliable solution to handling the enhanced engine power, a new flywheel was needed because the existing lightened flywheel was machined in a way that precluded its fitment. The third to fourth gear selector hub in the gearbox was sufficiently worn to warrant replacement, all other bearings and baulk rings having been replaced when I last put the gearbox together all those years ago. The only component not touched was the propeller shaft to which I had fitted new universal joints and carefully painted with black engine enamel back in 1978.

In the 'stopping' department, new brake discs and wheel cylinders, reconditioned calipers, and brake drums were made ready for the return of the painted body.

So began the laborious process of reassembling the car in August, starting with front shock absorbers and brake and clutch master cylinders. All the brightwork and external fittings including lights, external rear view mirror and door hardware were added. During September and October the engine and gearbox were installed as was the rear axle.

The dashboard, repainted in crackle black, and finally, the windscreen were fitted leaving the wheels as the outstanding major item. These were new wire wheels with four and a half inch rims that came up from Melbourne and with new tyres were fitted at the end of October. At last, the Midget was back on its 'feet' six months after serious work started!

On reflection, I thought the project might seem an inconsistent mixture of absurdly original and non-original parts. For example, the engine bay proudly boasted the original coil, now polished with the correct Lucas label, the original engine bay starter button, the original blinker unit and the copper oil pressure gauge tubing with brass clip, all polished. Yet alongside them were the Weber carburettor instead of the familiar twin SU dashpots, a fuel pressure regulator and extractors!

Well at least I was going to stick with the original steering wheel, I thought - a real concession to originality because it is usually the first item to be changed by owners. And, I further rationalised, the modifications are period ones that will improve the car's capability without altering its external appearance. Perhaps this car has struck a balance - what has not been enhanced is very original while what is not original is deliberately so to help it do what it does better!

Off went the Midget to the trimmers for new trim and hood in December. Again, the trim was as close to the original as we could get it.

On 19 December 1997, the big day had arrived - fire up the engine, obtain a blue slip and then to the motor registry for registration. It all went so smoothly as to almost be an anti- climax but with 83 824 miles on the odometer and 19 years since it last ran, the mighty Midget was mobile again.

More than just mobile, it went like it never did before with a willing motor eager to rev and with ‘tight’ suspension, ABP 102 was a beauty! And that classic ‘A’ series siamesed port exhaust note unleashed through extractors - what a joy to behold again on my first trip in a sportscar since ABP 102 last ran in 1978!

Next

Now the decisions to be made are what club activities to get involved in - how best to join with fellow enthusiasts to get the most out of the Midget/Sprite driving experience and to find local roads that allow the Midget’s handling and quick steering to shine through.

As for tinkering with or improving the car further, there surely could not be anything left to do. Gee, now that I think about it, that 4.22 diff ratio does seem a little low for the engine in its new state of tune...........

Paul Orton,
SCCA member 1972 - 1989 and 1996 to date.

Reprinted from: Sprite Torque, July 1998