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MG Midget and Sprite General - midget to italy

I am planning a trip through France across the alps to Turin and back down the French Riviera and up again through France with my girlfriend in our 1977 MG Midget. Does anyone have any advice regarding preparation, recovery cover, essential tools etc for the trip. The car is of reasonable reliability, not concourse and there is clearly a risk of the old girl not making it (The midget not my girlfriend)

I am hoping to take in a couple of the film locations for the Italian Job (sad ba$tard!!!) and am also hoping to go over that amazing bridge in Southern France, I have checked it out and it is definitely on the route.

Thanks for any feedback

Dave
d j kirk

Hi
I am organising a tour 10-20 Sept thru France / Switz / Italy in Sept. It will be a re-run of a trip I organised in 2009.
Schlumph Collection at Mulhouse.
A couple of alpine passes (you will need a Swiss Vignette (road tax))
Stelvio Pass
Monte Carlo
Napoleons Highway
Milleu Bridge
Angouleme for Circuit de Remparts motor race weekend were the main attractions.
We had only one problem with one of the eight cars. The alternator body broke where it fixes to the water pump. We had one flown out to Nice and fitted it outside the DHL office.
Carry a European Health Card.
Beware of E10 fuel.
A Anstead

There are plenty of threads in the archive discussing which spares and tools you might carry.

Sounds like a great trip - have fun!
Jordan Gibson

Dave

- there no reason why the car shouldn't be more than "reasonably" reliable, I'm sure your girlfriend would appreciate it if it didn't breakdown

Have your car fully and properly serviced and maintained before you go then after the full and complete service drive the car very regularly for 3 or 4 or more weeks before you go away to make sure the service was fine and disturbed nothing else

I'm not for carry too many tools or spares as what ever you carry you'll probably need more

a set of imperial spanners and sockets with a couple of screwdrivers and pliers

get your car in good order, constinuosly check it, regularly drive it all the time not just for foriegn tours and you'll have few things go wrong (perhaps none) any anytime

Fill up with petrol at every occassion in case you get lost and petrol stations are not always open and can be few and far between when you need then, a spare gallon in the boot never goes a miss as the Midget has a small tank

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

make sure your cooling system is in good condition

IF you want I can post my usual advice if you've not already seen it

please don't be one of those that add to the myth of classics being very unreliable, I sure your girlfriend wont appreciate it and it could spoil your holiday
Nigel Atkins

>>The alternator body broke where it fixes to the water pump.

This normally caused by stress on mounting lugs as the bolt is tighened... I'd use washers as spacers to make sure that the alternator is a close fit into its bracket before tightening the bolt up.
Anthony Cutler

We put the alternator breakage down to shock wave when the car was unfortunately rear ended. The accident damage was not severe enough to deter the owner from continuing. The damage has been sorted and the car is back on the road.
A Anstead

I found that the alternators typically used on the A series had a heavy wall sleeve in the rear mount which could be tapped to get it to fit to the mounts accurately so no washers or spacers involved.
David Billington

Dave,
If you're passing through the Charente, on your trip, then our local club are there if you need us, or if you want to meet up.

Alan,
We've now got 16 cars doing the Rallye International, on the saturday of the Remparts. I know that you said you wont be there in time for the Rallye, but the same applies, if you want to meet up with our local club, then give us a shout.

We did the Millau viaduct last year and it was certainly "impressive". Well worth the view.
Graham

When are you planning on going Dave? If it's in the heart of summer, then don't forget that the hot air has to get out of the engine, so it will be worth making some extra vent holes - not least as your girlfriend might not moan too much then about hot legs ;)!
rachmacb

Then again who doesnt want a girlfriend with hot legs... ;)
Arie de Best

Graham
Thankyou for the offer
Alan.
A Anstead

Print out the http://www.angloparts.com/en/home adresses and order when stuck on a campsite with your credit card. Next day delivery and you can fix it on the campsite. Only bring tools and the normal set of stuff like condensor, contactbreakerpoints, Tierips and ducttape. If you have a mechanical fuelpump you could consider to change to electric because you can source one everywhere.
Bas Timmermans

that's some comprehensive advice. . . cheers guys. . . . what did mg enthusiasts do before t'internet? breakdown/get surprised by strange swiss road tax laws? graham. . . . am checking out where the charente is as we speak. . .

support and advice gives me a warm feeling inside. . . thanks all
d j kirk

arie de best. . . i am taking a photo of my girl's hot legs in front of the millau bridge and posting it just for you. . . . (sneakily)
d j kirk

Oh Lordy - don't encourage him ......!
rachmacb

d j kirk, youve just become my best friend!! LOL!!


Btw Rach, where is your picture of you in front of the Edingburgh bridge that youve been promising for ages now? :)
Arie de Best

I did a trip to Italy in my Midget some years ago, two up, camping!

The car was well used at the time to say the least. I had full recovery cover and, as I had an incling the water pump was on its' way out, I took a spare. This was fitted roadside in Belgium on the way out. The head gasket just about kept its' act together until we got back. Starter motor failed on the return trip so we had to bump start most of the time. Utterly fantastic if slightly lunatic trip.

The key thing was, it was my every day car and however tatty and suspect, I knew it inside out and was fairly sure it would make it.
Clive Berry

Yep the best advice is make sure you drive it a lot before the trip!

make it your daily for a month then you will know if it will make it
Onno Könemann

This thread was discussed between 09/05/2011 and 14/05/2011

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