Not much more than badges and a few fancier cosmetic appointments differentiate the Midget from the Sprite. Known together as Spridgets, these fraternal-twin cars feature simple technology that nearly anyone can understand and wrench on. Modifications and dramatic improvements are easy to make. Unfortunately, some well-intentioned “upgrades” have problematic results. Here are tips for avoiding several common Spridget blunders.
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I couldn't have said them better myself!
This article couldn't be more timely. I just bought a 67 sprite that needs a lot of work. Thanks for the warnings!
Don't embark on a very ambitious engine swap. They are never ever ever ever simple or easy or cheap.
Teh E36 M3 said:Don't embark on a very ambitious engine swap. They are never ever ever ever simple or easy or cheap.
This statement applies to pretty much any engine swap in any car.
Did a Fiat 1600 DOHC into a Midget way back when and it must have been easy enough since I had little money and few tools at the time. We could debate how well done it was.
NOHOME said:Teh E36 M3 said:Don't embark on a very ambitious engine swap. They are never ever ever ever simple or easy or cheap.
This statement applies to pretty much any engine swap in any car.
Did a Fiat 1600 DOHC into a Midget way back when and it must have been easy enough since I had little money and few tools at the time. We could debate how well done it was.
Haha. Seriously. I did a 4age swap in 2003 and was 'done' in just over a week. And then spent 14 years sorting it. This time I'm 2 years into it and it's not running yet.
In reply to Teh E36 M3 :
Agreed. A friend, having lost patience with the no-power Brit engine, swapped an RX-7 rotary into his Spridg. By the time he had it reliable, everything from the bellhousing back including the IRS, wheels & brakes were also RX-7. The noise was incredible even with a pipe that went from engine to rear bumper, made a 180 and halfway back up front, with several mufflers along the way. Would NOT recommend this for road trips. Fast, though.
After many Sprites and Midgets.... for me, the best engine upgrade was to go to a 1275 motor from the early 948s and 1098. You can tweak the 1275's to do just what you need them to do without upgrading rear axles shafts and the like due to overpowering. them. Remember...engine power is only as good as you can get it to the wheels! Overpowering these cars ( in my experience) is mostly an ego trip on how neat the engine swap is! Of course, if that is what you want to do, I would say go for it and like other's say.....it's never cheap and the sorting process gets extensive. An MGB or GT is a different story. V6 and V8 upgrades are more 'sortable'. Still, never cheap!!
Once again, just my opinion and 'not necessarily that of mgmt!!
In reply to Coder :
67 is the best year (in my opinion). It's last of the steel dash, first of the 1275 motor, no side marker lamps, no head restraints and not boogered up with smog controls. If yours is not a rust bucket and the tub is solid, it's worth putting back together. Everything, even today is still available most parts are interchangeable with other years. That of course depends on whether you are doing the work or paying someone else. That is the beauty of the Spridget. Lots of fun and driveability without being afraid of 'destroying a classic' which is what is happening today to most upper grade marques.
Had a Bermuda '72 and autocrossed it successfully for many years. The best engine improvements were replacing the pistons with 8.8:1 compression aluminum Hepolites, matching and polishing the intake and exhaust ports, and removing a thumb-sized piece of casting slag fused into the #4 cylinder intake.
A mechanical wizard set up the scrambled SUs and said "don't let anyone touch them." Car had about 45K miles when it came to me. Had I had more funds, I might have tried the close-ratio BMC gear set, or, even better, a 5-sp from a Datsun 1200/1400. The advantage of the later 1275s was the 3.9 rear axle which made the car much more pleasant at highway speeds.
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