[Spridgets] Parts sources and upgrades

Wed May 18 16:24:10 MDT 2022

Yes, I bought all the Moss stuff from LBCarCo.  Definitely appreciate the discount and the additional degree of separation form Moss.

Looks like some of those companies only have Mini stuff, and this is one of the ones after Leyland left their hoofprints on BMC and put a Spitfire engine into the Midget.  One of those details I missed in my enthusiasm to buy her this car.  Probably a decent engine but it just doesn’t fit like the A-Series did.  And the emission controls, which I have maintained but they make it even more crammed and less easy to adjust.

Since I have to replace chassis rubber, I’m interested in polyurethane.  However, I’ve been mostly maintaining my everyday cars for many years now and haven’t had much time for my LBC’s.  In looking at replacing suspension bushings on , say, my 99 Cobra, I frequently hear complaints about Poly bushings squeaking, if not immediately then later, even if you use the magic silicone goo from Prothane, etc.  Is that typical for Spridgets too?

We intend to sell this car as it’s extremely rust-free and original.  Not likely to become a race car, and I presume a future owner will want it to ride as new as it looks.  The car has always felt floaty on the road as if the shocks were too soft.  Figured it was the Armstrongs but now that I’ve taken them off to send to Peter Caldwell they don’t seem at all bad.  Tires are nearly new Vredesteins, as close to the stock XZX’s as I could find.  Nothing’s notably worn in the front suspension, shock links, sway bar links and mounts, etc, but as long as I’m in there I’m removing, blasting, and repainting the springs, spring seats, and A-arms because they have some rust along with lots of factory paint.  I will of courses rebush whatever I remove.

Advice on poly vs rubber bushings, brands, secret sauce to lube things, etc etc?

Hi Karl,

If you absolutely positively have to buy something from Moss buy it from a Moss dealer instead of from Moss directly.  Jeff Zorn at Little British Car Company will sell you the same Moss crap with a 15% discount and usually cheaper shipping.

Rick

On May 17, 2022, at 2:47 PM, Ron Soave via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:

Yes, much comes from the same place  That said, I use:

British Parts Northwest

7Enterprises

Minispares UK

Rimmer Brothers 

APT

MED engineering (UK)

Hope that helps - 

Ron Soave

On May 17, 2022, at 12:40 PM, Karl Vacek via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:

Hi

I was on this list in the mid-2000’s, but have been away from the list for at least 10 years.

In 2006 my wife was fondly reminiscing about the 64 MIdget I’d bought for her in 74 when we were first married.  eBay to the rescue – we bought her a very clean, 14,000 mile 78 Midget. that had been won on Wheel of Fortune. One owner till it was sold to the kid who flipped it to us.  Extremely rust free – actually lots of still-shiny threads on things I’ve taken apart.  A treat to work on, other than the fact that I didn’t realize till we bought it that Leyland had dropped the BMC engine and shoehorned a Spitfire engine into it.  I wa always a TR guy – starting with a TR3 in1965.  But it just doesn’t fit in the car well.

After I’d renewed hydraulics, brakes, fuel system, etc. she was excited for a while and drove it all summer, but after a few years she just didn’t drive it much it came out less and less till in 2016 (I think) we just put it away.  Now, after maybe 6 years in storage, we brought it home, thinking that with prices up we might recoup some of the giant pile of dollars I put into the car.

So much of the suspension rubber that I put on in 2006-7 has now split and deteriorated.  Back then there were choices in parts dealers (I haven’t been a Moss fan since Al Moss sold out – used to be a great place to get real TC parts when that’s all they sold).  Now they seem to be the only game in town, and many of the bad new rubber came from them.  Further, they don’t even list some of it any more.  Rimmer has some stuff too, and the MGOC lists lots of parts, but I don’t know anything about them except the assumption that they would have good quality.

Who can I trust?  Where can I get quality parts nowadays?

Thanks!
Karl

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