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MG Midget and Sprite General - London to Monte Carlo in a Midget

Helpful Midget owners, lend me your ears. I am a young owner of a '77 MG midget. I plan this summer to drive, with a friend, to Monte Carlo from London in my Midget. It will be a 1500 mile journey (round trip) over 2 weeks. I am asking all Midget owners who have done long distance voyages to give me some advice. I am a novice in all respects but my 1500 midget is in good shape - engine was converted to unleaded 3 years ago and lots of other work was carried out on the engine and gearbox. Is there anything I should be wary of or check? What should I make sure I know how to fix? How can I get max mpg economy? Any relevant advice from experienced midgeteers is welcomed. Regards, T.J.
T.J. Masil

Hi
You will have to improve your navigation better as you have found your way onto the MGB site.
I did this journey in September.
I went to Reims to visit the old Circuit Pits and stands.Next day Mulhouse for French national motor museum.
Next day thru Switzerland over Offenpass and Fluelpass and then 48 hairpins that are the Passo di Stelvio.
Next day Motor Museum at Turin travelling via lake Como.
Next day via Tende Tunnel to Monte Carlo. We carried on in the same vein for a total of 11 days.
Car used was a 1275 Sebring Sprite replica.
Alan
Posted 06 January 2012 at 22:39:13 UK time
Dave O'Neill2, Solihull, United Kingdom
Alan, there is also an interesting motor museum in Reims...did you see it?
Posted 07 January 2012 at 07:52:46 UK time
A Anstead, Kent, United Kingdom
Hi Dave
Unfortunately again whilst at Reims the museum was not visited.We arrived late in the day having crossed the Somme Battlfields and visited Albert. There was not enough time to do it all. We had to make an early start the following morning to allow time to visit the Motor Museum at Mulhouse. There is an excellent Railway Museum at Mulhouse that we visited on a tour I organised in 2009.A few pictures at the pits, in the pouring rain, then a full days driving thru Switzerland into Italy for the Stelvio.Reims was the only rain we experienced for the whole trip.I am organising a Loire Valley Tour inc Le Mans Classic & Bressuire Historic GP 30/6 until 14/7 this year. One room still available if anyone is interested.An alternative we chose in 2009 was after the Stelvio we went to the Mille Miglia Museum at Brescia then overnight at Turin before again going to Monte Carlo via the Tende Tunnel
Alan


A Anstead

I perhaps ought to point out that this thread has been relocated from the MGB BBS ;o)
Dave O'Neill2

Although a little off-topic, can I suggest that if you're in the area at that time, the weekend before Bressuire is the Tours Historic GP. Worth trying to get there too, a shame to miss for a week.

OrangeSpyderMan

Unfortunately we travel out on 30th.I only found out about Bressiere a few months ago. Tours must be another well kept secret.
TJ Depending on how you intend getting to France for Monte Carlo Dover / Dunkirk ferry is £58 at present cheaper than Dover / Calias; Eurotunnel;& Ports / LeHavre.
A Anstead

1500 miles in a midget in 2 weeks does not sound like anything strange.

My way is to service the car about a month before departure.
This gives you plenty of time to solve any problems you find.

For the trip bring a basic set of tools, tape tywraps and some wire.
And most importantly a moss cataloge and a creditcard.
It is always the part that you did not bring that breaks so I bring no parts.

In the past few holidays with the midget (certainly 1500mls plus) I have had no problems other than a broke throttle cable (french bike shop helped fixing that)

As for economy drive slow.
Onno K

Have a look at http://bridgetthemidget.co.uk/ ("Bridget is a 1977 MG Midget 1500 that has in the past four years ensured her place in MG history by being the first Midget to be driven around the globe in a single run.")

Jonathan
Jonathan Severn

One of the things on my "when I get round to it" list is to put a calendar of such events on my web server.

Now I've mentioned it in public, I might get shamed into actually doing it if anyone else would find it useful.
OrangeSpyderMan

And don't forget all the new legal crap you might need.

Replacement lamps, bright plastic jackets, warning triangles etc. :(
Lawrence Slater

How old are you Lawrence?/

I cant remember a time when you didn't need that safety stuff?
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

When I travel to Europe in the Midget, I try to only use E5 petrol [ie similar to that in the UK] as the more common E10 petrol may cause problems.

For headlamp beam deflectors, I just use a couple of strips of black electrical tape following the markings on the lens. It is much cheaper than the semi rigid plastic convertors and they dont stick well due to the curvature of the lens. At least it shows the gendarmerie you have made an effort!

HTH
Doug Plumb

Same basic idea Doug but I use Gaffa tape for HL deflectors.
A Anstead

Some great advice. I forgot that it is indeed a legal requirement to have the high vis jacket or 'le gilet' in the car! I'll have to look into taping up the headlamps - not sure how to do it, but I've seen it before.
Here's a a picture of Maggie.

T.J. Masil

Beam deflector photo

Doug Plumb

The latest thing is the need to carry a breathalyser http://www.lost-in-france.com/living-in-france/driving/1527-breathalyser-kits
Geoff Ev

Here is the blog for my "father & son roadtrip" in a '78 Midget this past summer.
We covered 4,600 miles round trip and had no serious issues.
This is ordered chronologically from the bottom to the top.

http://frogeyemidget.blogspot.com/

"Non-serious" issues:
Radiator hose leaking from top hose caused some concern about 1500 miles in (Seattle to South Dakota is about 1500 miles).

Remember that as you are driving along vibration may cause some things to come undone.
Study and learn how to make things work without the switches. If you can start the car and turn on the lights without the switches then you will be ready for them to fail. I agree that you can't really take enough stuff with you as spares, so learn how to make electrical stuff turn on and off without the switches and take a credit card and the number for Moss and a list of spridget owners phone numbers who live along your route and hopefully you won't need any of it and you can call up your spridget mates along the route and buy them a beer and motor on!

Having a network of Spridget owners along the way proved to be the best asset, so if at all possible plan out just who is where along your route.
The most helpful people I've ever known are fellow spridget owners, if they've got the part you need it's usually yours for free with labor thrown in for free. Buy them a beer and you've a friend for life!

Here we are at Kurt's home in South Dakota.

Rick Bastedo

Some people not that keen on bootracks have a spare bootlib with a rack fitted for when touring.A vinyl covering stops a paint missmatch.One of the cars with me on my tour was stranded for four days at Mulhouse when a wheel bearing failed. Moss sent the replacement to his home address by mistake.I had a rear wheel bearing but sods law it was his front that failed.
A Anstead

Why didn't he just buy one at the nearest bearing supplier? Even a poor fitting cheap bearing would have allowed him to get going again and enjoy his trip.

If you have another vehicle travelling with you then carrying spares is almost unecessary as most parts are available from local suppliers and what isn't can be repaired by igenuity :)

Also most French villages have a nice local garage who are only to pleased to help, handy if you need a bit of mig welding.

Biggest problem with a Spridget is the size of the fuel tank, Make sure you know how to use card operated fuel pumps otherwise you will end up stranded unless you have a modified 12 gallon fuel tank. :)

When I get this kind of question posed I like to ask how good are you at repairing cars? If you are copetent then no problems if you are not too good get some good recovery cover.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

"The latest thing is the need to carry a breathalyser"

Jeez, What is it with europeans? Do they love eroding civil liberties, and the simple pleasures of freedom? lol

How about a compulsory blood sugar tests, and blood pressure tests, and an eyesight test certificate?

So I can imagine how this works then. You get stopped by gendarme.
He says, "I think you might have been drinking. Please blow in YOUR own bag."
You say, "but I don't use alcholol EVER officer".
He says "Tough, blow in your bag."

You do, it's negative, and then you have to go and find a replacement.:(

Yup Rob, old enough to have driven all over europe, with no safety paraphernalia at all. Just that bail bond stuff for Espania.

Won't be long, before you are required to be fluent in the French language before you are allowed on their roads. I used to just say, "comprends pas" and shrug. Don't reckon that works any more LOL.

PS,nice car TJ, not bonkers about the naming convention though. :)
Lawrence Slater

Hi LOL

If you think it is right to drink and drive in the name of freedom then please do not drink and drive near my grand children, there's a good chap!

If you haven't got a measuring kit how on earth would you know if you were OK to drive after a meal and a glass or 2 of merlot?

As we say in the UK
"if you don't like the rules then don't come!!"

Guess you wont be driving in Europe anymore then Law?
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

OSM

Any more info on the Tours Historic GP? Website?

Thanks
Dave O'Neill2

TJ,
if you want to email me I'll give you some notes

nigel atkins (one word) at bt internet (one word) dot com

properly prepared there's nothing to 1,500 miles in a week or less let alone two, classics don't have to be unreliable and poor running that how the previuos and present owners make them

as for economy it's mostly driving technique plus vehicle weight load weight (including driver and passenger), full and proper servicing, maintenance and repair of the vechile (or lack of) and aerodynamics
Nigel Atkins

Where did I say I drink and drive ROB? I must have missed that. I must be dyslexic or something.

And you guess very wrong Robert, I'll be driving anywhere in europe I feel like driving, --- and anywhere in the UK too. :)

Lawrence Slater

TJ,
for 50 Spridget I went to Gaydon from St Etienne in 6 days, with only a 948cc Midget.
A total of 2000km without troubles:
http://www.spritemidget.com/?page_id=81&lang=en
So A 500 in good condition can do the job.
Laurent
ld derancourt

That is good to know mate I thought you were not happy at authorities taking action to stop idiots drinking and driving, i am pleased you have reconsidered and are happy to go along with the rules and ensure the roads of europe can be made as safe as possible.

Many of us in the European union pride ourselves on being as safe as possible, we do constant risk assessment to ensure we all go home from work each day fit and well, unlike some countries who take risks with peoples lives with the intenion of undercutting the competition.
:) QED
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

GP @ Tours : http://www.grandprixdetours.com/

Anyone around there, or Bressuire or Le Mans Classic, give me a ping if you want a beer...
OrangeSpyderMan

As for fuel economy, I found that driving my modified Midget was like this:

Driving about 60 mph = 40mpg
Driving about 70 mph = 30mpg
Driving above 80 mph = 25mpg

Driving on the Road America race track = (basically forget about it) Gas costs about $10 / gallon on the track - guess how I know?

We were driving with a few other Midgets and Sprites.
This made it easier to maintain 60 MPH when we all wanted to get good mileage.

This Midget has a High Performance head sporting twin HIF4 carbs on a Nissan A15 motor with a dogleg Datsun 5 speed and a 3.7 diff.
Nice setup for long distance driving.
Now if I can get my rings to stop passing oil...
Rick Bastedo

Ha ha ha. Well good for you good europeeans and your pride then Bob . Enjoy your constant risk assesements, and take extra care crossing that road on your way home from work. :)

And there you go, it seems you thought wrong again. I haven't reconsidered anything. I've always been keen to stop idiots of all kinds. And even keen to stop those who are not idiots, but nevertheless drink and drive to excess. I also always obey the rules ;), esp the dd ones, as not to do so, is prohibitively expensive these days. :). I'm very happy to be stopped systematically or randomly, and asked to blow in a bag. I just resent the idea that I might have to supply my own. No doubt coming to this country too, if good europeeans have their way.

And what exactly have you demonstrated then?

Lawrence Slater

Orange
I am touring the Loire Valley and will be at Bressiere
on Sunday and Classic. So far we are a Sebring Coupe. Three Frogeyes, a rubber bumper Midget and a 1275 Midget.
Anyone else fancy touring with us there is a room vacant at present (see above).

As for the carrying of Breathalysers info from Caravan Club is that is being considered at this stage not written into Law.
A Anstead

previously my current Midget done 50 mpg at 50 mph

measured on the M6, even my wife told me to speed up but I wouldn't I wanted a good distance to test it over

later our friends caught up with us and we followed them at 'normal' motorway speeds and dropped to 25 mpg
Nigel Atkins

Well my normal commuting gets me about 27mpg so you know about how I can keep my speed under control from that.

"50 mpg at 50 mph"

Ouch - that's just too slow to drive a Midget, but a good test and it might follow from my table above that if I could drive a couple hours at 50 Mph I might also get 50 Mpg.

I just can't do it.
You have much more stamina than I do, my hat's off.
Rick Bastedo

in my previous Spridget because of a replacement gearbox dispute I travelled up the M1 and M6 on a return journey of over 100 (UK) miles at 49 mph for weeks

so it was easy for me, if fact it taught me that you don't have to go your cars's maximum speed staying in the outside lane until a faster car was on your rear bumper

mind when I used to do the same journey at a bit more pace in my V8 I could empty the much bigger petrol tank in two runs

since I done my 50mpg test in my present Midget it's been improved and the test would probaly be done over a much shorter distance as the car is so much more fun now up the rev range
Nigel Atkins

Surely 25 mpg at 80 is a bit low for that spec car?

I did a lot of 80mph driving on my midget 50 trip (1000mls) and still managed 28mpg.
And that is with a 1380 on a weber with a 4 speed.......
Onno K

I assume we are both talking about a mile being 5280 feet and a foot being 12 inches.
Or 1 mile = 1.609344 Kilometers

The other variable possibly being the size of a gallon.

1 US gallon = 3.785 Liters.
1 Imperial Gallon = 4.546 Liters

Are you all using either one of these measures of gas, and if so then which?
Rick Bastedo

yes 1 mile = 1,760 yards :)

or 1,609.344 metres

for petrol 1 imp. gals. = 4.546 litres

we almost talking the same language :)

I was talking about converting GB£ to US$ and UK gallons to US gallons for Props $10 US gallon to a mate of mile and he told me that a mile is a different distance in some country to the mile we know

BTW I worked it out at the time that we pay around $8 per US gallon for gas already in the UK
Nigel Atkins

That certainly makes me feel a lot better.
For mileage in Imp Gallons my figures look like this:

Driving about 60 mph = 48 mpg
Driving about 70 mph = 36 mpg
Driving above 80 mph = 30 mpg

That's definitely much better although I'd have been paying 20% more per gallon were they measured this way. The MPG rates would definitely make me feel better.

The gas I bought on the race track was the most expensive I had ever purchased, at $10 per US gallon or $12 / Imp Gallon.
It was very good gas however, and was available on the track so I didn't have to leave the area.
Rick Bastedo

Sorry Onno I missed your post

I said 'normal' motorway speeds not 80 mph our speed limit is 70 mph

how you interpret 'normal' free flowing motorway speeds is a different matter

I was travelling, or trying to keep up with and somtimes overtake, a Honda S2000 (most powerful n/a 2.0l engined car) and a Toyota Supa 3.0 litre

when we pulled off the motorway we went to a petrol station to fill up and as I'd already filled up after the 50mpg test and knew the distance from one to other I was able to work out 25 mpg

that was before my 5-speed box, on old carbs, previos exhaust manifold, on Aldon igniter head instead of 123 full electronic dissy and before Peter Burgess RR tune up

as my car now runs so much better especially at higher revs I'd probably get 23 mpg as I'd push it more :)
Nigel Atkins

to be fair our car was fully loaded with the wife and I and a weekend's worth of undergarments - we could use one pair as a parachute should the brakes ever fail
Nigel Atkins

8<---- snip
As for the carrying of Breathalysers info from Caravan Club is that is being considered at this stage not written into Law.
8<---- snip

That's correct. No requirement (so far) to have one, though it will probably happen (somewhat pointlessly, but that's a seperate thread).
OrangeSpyderMan

And, btw, if all goes to plan I'll be at both Bressuire and Classic Le Mans (in the ACO area) in a slightly tatty RWA that's not damask red (repainted by a PO in a non-original colour that I can't find).

Hope to see you there. I'm mostly harmless.
OrangeSpyderMan

This thread was discussed between 07/01/2012 and 09/01/2012

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