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MG Midget and Sprite General - midget bumpers

hi all, thinking of buying rubber bumper car and removing bumpers.what work and bits does it require to leave with no bumpers on.
many thanks bob.
bob taylor

Sorry - with the greatest of respect - there are millions and millions about this in the archives .....

If you don't want a rubber bumper car then don't buy one as it will take almost the same price in the long run to change it.
rachmacb

sorry - with the greatest respect-- but havnt time to go through archives as veiwing car tomorrow morning,
thanks for YOUR help.
bob taylor

Lol I wonder that one should be expected to repeat oneself for people who dive headlong into something they have no time to research ...

The archive is a wonderful stack of knowledge and is very easy to find things in - more so than buying something without knowing the full facts. Not to mention that there is a live thread further down if you had bothered to look.
rachmacb

Bob,

Welcome.
It is not a job that is easily finished in an afternoon, but it isn't that hard to do.
There is some fabrication to do, such as filling the front turn signal holes in and building new rear quarter corners below the tail lights.
It is harder than an MGB, but still do-able.
Nice thing is, if you get the car, you can always drive it as is until you gather the required information and parts, then go to work.

Good luck

Bryan
Bryan Durham

Bob

Don't be put off by people who think that rubber-bumpered Midgets are the best versions ever produced and shouldn't ever be altered from factory specification.

De-bumpering isn't as involved as converting to chrome bumpers.

If that's what you want to do, then do it. There are plenty of people here that will offer help and advice.
Dave O'Neill 2

For the record and for the last time I don't give a toss what people do to their cars - I do have a problem with laziness and rudeness when there are hundreds of threads on this topic. I don't see why they can't take a couple of minutes to look up, rather than expect people to repeat the same stuff hundreds of times.

Besides, I pointed out that, if you want a 1500 then fine - if, however, you want a different model, then it's cheaper to get that in the first place. Furthermore, if you want to do an engine change, for example, then you're better off with a pre-tax version.

God forbid that people should be asked to use some imagination ...
rachmacb

Rach,
I fell compelled to say that you really are quite rude to people sometimes on this BBS.
Bob has come to ask for some information. Yes there are archives but it is the readers choice if they choose to respond or not. Some people just like to help if they can.
Neil K

You may Neil, but within half a minute I pulled up the previous thread which discussed this issue - and In further depth with all the issue involved and photos!

The archive on here is probably the best in the world and comes up constantly on google searches. It is a shame that people don't use it for the hundreds of photos and wealth of information that is included there.
rachmacb

Furthermore, I think I have done at least as much to help out people in giving parts or moving things around or giving advice on other options for bumpers that perhaps I just feel that sometimes people can do things too!!!
rachmacb

Rach says
"The archive is a wonderful stack of knowledge and is very easy to find things in"

I think I could do with a tutorial on how to use the archive. I suspect that once you know the tricks it is the easiest thing in the world, but since the earliest days of the BBS I have yet to actually have a single success in finding the thing I am looking for in the archives. Sure, I find lots of other interesting stuff and can get "lost" wandering around in there for hours. But I just cannot ever get the thing to reveal specific threads that I know exist somewhere.

And I really do not see what the issue is about removing rubber bumpers. Or replacing them with chrome. Or doing any other sort of modification.
Guy

Lol Gary I find the easiest way is to use "word" and the phrase option - not always totally safe but often tightens the getting lost problems!
rachmacb

Hi Rach, its me, Guy. Not Gaps Gary - I am sure he doesn't have this particular mental block
with using the Archives!

Do you start in Archives or in Search? Do you select a year to start with? How about the box that seems to always revert to Badges and Regalia? Do you use Quotation marks? Have you found a way of searching for messages by a specific author?

Guy
Guy

LOL sorry Guy - and Gaps Gary!

You can go down to the Midget and Sprite achived pages - which are about halfway down (would have been easier if they were all the same place ;)!) and then in the search part, put as much of the phrase that you can into "blah blah" - then you tick the option of all of these words. It seems to bring up the most recent years first, so, if you're looking for something in a specific year, then yes, tick the year too (although I found that it wasn't necessary to check out the lobster porn one that Arie told me about once!)

I haven't actually done a search for a specific author, although I know that some others have, so I suspect you put their name into the quotation marks.

Perhaps it's worth a whole separate thread :)!!!!!
rachmacb

hi all.
thank you for all the sensible answers i got it was very helpfull.just an update, bought the car today and very happy with it.not sure about the bumpers yet i think they could grow on you but will have to wait and see.
many thanks bob.
bob taylor

Bob

Good to hear you've joined the Midget fraternity.

Now take out your grease-gun and grease 3 nipples each side of the front suspension.

This is the most important job on any Midget.

Peeling off the bumpers can wait unitl the weekend... ;)

Anthony
Anthony Cutler

Hi Bob
Well done and welcome aboard, there are lots of different avenues you can take when debumpering so the best thing would be to post something in the technical section and then help will be on its way.
This conversion is my personal favourite
http://www.freewebs.com/tifosirana/tifosirana.htm
Rob Newt

Hi Bob, congrates on buying your midget.
I too have a 1500 and made it bumperless, just love the smooth lines and it improves the performance(massive weightloss).
Rachel still has the bumpers and that is why she is always driving last.
LOL!!!
Midget50 has just become an unsafe place for me... :)

Im totally nuts on this bbs, its brilliant and so much better then al the other spridgetforums ibve seen BUT the archive is realy something i never had working right for me.
I sometimes am lucky to find it in 20min. but most of the time it cost me more the 40min. IF I ever do find find what I was looking for.
Mostly I give up after 30min.
Most anoying thing is I cant lookup a word/frase in a specific year, its either selecting on year(all thousand or so threads of 2007) or you select on phrase and then get every thread with that particulair frase from 1994 on.
Why not fill in the phrase/word then year you suspected it was handled and/or auther of thread to help you look more specific.
The archive should defenetly be made easier to work with, also for the non-computer-nerds like me who still have no clue how to make a picutre smaller to be able to post it here(tryed all the instrUctions given on this bbs and still it doent work for me...)

If only I wasnt this good looking and hung like a donkey but rather understand more of this computercr*p. LOL!!
Arie de Best

Welcome Bob, I've bought most of my classics knowing very little about them - not sensible or logical, but some say that about running classics

Below is my usual advice to new owners (the others know what it's gonna be)

It only cost me years of experience and many, many (and a few more manys) thousands of pounds and you can have it for free - it's very good advice:-

Buy an owners Handbook as it tells you so much you need to know as to own, drive, service and maintain your car - (Ref: 0058) http://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Online_Catalogue_Handbooks_5.html

Always have the battery in good condition and all battery connections and leads clean, secure and protected, same for all electrical wiring and connections

As soon as possible do a full and proper 36,000 miles service (see Handbook) only miss out items that you have 100% proof have already been done very recently, including;
g/box and back axle oils
brake and clutch fluids
coolant
dissy cap, rotor arm and leads (buy good quality ones)
http://www.distributordoctor.com/rotor_arms.html
fan belt

Check the age of your tyres if they are 6 years old or more replace ASAP regardless of tread depth, this will improve, the braking, steering, ride, handling and possibly noise, of the car greatly

Use the car regularly - to get used to it, sort out any wrinkles and prevent others, and enjoy it

Every few weeks check your horn and wipers work (no problem if you use the car regularly)

Follow regular checks, servicing and maintenance as per owners Handbook

Drive in all weathers, the Midget hood should be very watertight if fitted correctly and the heater is more than adequate, if working correctly, for the small cabin

Do not do any cosmetic or improvement work for at least 12 months of regular use, unless you need to replace parts or components, as you may need to use the money elsewhere on the car

Also very useful, you can get suppliers catalogues for free to get you started to see where things go but in my personal opinion they’re not as good paper copy like - (Ref: 0016) http://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Online_Catalogue_Parts_Lists_3.html

Cheers, enjoy your car
Nigel Atkins

to arie de best

have you any photos of your debumpered midget, would love to see them.
bob.
bob taylor

A de bumpered 1500 goes like poo off a stick!! It's like a whole new car. poly bush the front end at least and fitted shorter springs. Total cost for mine was about 50 quid all in.

Nick Sayle

This thread was discussed between 04/04/2011 and 06/04/2011

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