1969 MG Midget

Roadster U/K

1.3L 1275CC 78Cu. In. l4 GAS OHV Naturally Aspirat

4-speed manual

Clear

Gasoline

This was my first MG, and they're definitely addictive. I've since acquired two more. Add a boring minivan, and that makes four. My current love is an MGA, so it's time to thin the herd. I have two Midgets, and I've reluctantly decided that they're both going to have to go. The other one is a 1967, that I'll be selling soon. This car (the 1969) is a real looker, and the pictures speak for themselves. Almost every time I take the car out, someone pulls up next to me at a light and wants to know more about it. Younger drivers often don't even know what it is. When was the last time you saw a Midget on the road? Occasionally, people ask me if they can take pictures of it. If you've never driven one, it's a real blast. They corner like a slot car. Weighing in at around 1500 pounds, they're also great on gas mileage. When I first got the car, the front oil seal was leaking, so I immediately replaced it. While I had the timing cover off, I also went ahead and replaced the timing chain and sprockets, and the water pump, just to prevent any future headaches. My philosophy is, it's cheap insurance to take care of everything one time, while you have it apart. That's the approach I've taken on everything with this car. I didn't want to have to worry about the brakes either, so I replaced the master cylinder, the front calipers, the rear wheel cylinders, all the linings, and replaced the rubber flex hoses on the front brakes with Teflon-lined braided stainless steel hoses. None of this work "needed" to be done, but I wanted a good reliable daily driver, and that's what this car has been since I've owned it. For the electrical system, I replaced the battery generator, and fan belt. The universal joints were replaced as well. The engine is stock, except for the Weber carburetor. It starts easily, runs great, doesn't smoke, doesn't run hot, and the transmission shifts smoothly and quietly. There may be an issue with the clutch, but I'm not sure. I recently overfilled the crankcase with too much oil. Shortly afterwards, I noticed the clutch starting to slip occasionally, but only if I was accelerating hard up a steep hill. I just had to back off on the gas momentarily, and it would grab. During everyday driving, it's not noticeable. The rear main seal on the 1275 cc engine is not a modern rubber lip seal, it's a spiral groove cut in the end of the crankshaft, that works like an Archimedes Screw. As the crankshaft turns, it slings the oil back into the crankcase. If you overfill the crankcase, or if your crankcase isn't properly vented, oil can slip past that seal and get on the clutch disk. If I'm right about the cause, it should eventually burn off and cure itself. In case I'm wrong, I'm including a new clutch disk, pressure plate, and throwout bearing. UPDATE, 3/26/15: I've determined that the clutch actually will need replacing, and have adjusted my asking price accordingly. I really don't have the time to do the work myself. For someone who can spend a day doing the job, you'll be getting an excellent, great-looking car for a day's work, and paying about 2K less than I did before I did all the other work described above. With a new clutch, this will once again be an excellent and reliable daily-driver. I will be including the new clutch disk, pressure plate, and throwout bearing with the car. If it doesn't sell as-is, I'll have to make the time to do the clutch myself, but the price will not be this low afterwards. Cosmetically, there are a few minor issues: There's a small crack in the lower left hand corner of the windshield, behind the wiper blade. There's a small spot where the paint is blistered on the left rear fender, next to the wheel well. The metal on the back side is nice and smooth, so it should be an easy fix to touch it up. The top is missing one snap and has a small slit in it on the passenger side, right above the window. Other than that, the top is still in pretty decent condition, and I've patched the slit with a piece of color-coordinated Gorilla tape. The rocker panels are rust-free. Rust on the undercarriage is very minimal. The paint is nice and shiny, but has a few very tiny chips and dings. they're very minor, and the car looks near-perfect at ten feet. The chrome wire wheels are what really makes this car pop, and the chrome is in excellent condition. This car is also for sale locally, so I reserve the right to end the auction at any time if I find a local buyer. If you use Buy It Now, it's yours, and any pending local sale will not take place. If you live near Orange County, California, feel free to stop by and inspect the car. I can be reached at (714) 710-9094 for any questions, or to set up an inspection appointment. If you need the car shipped, you'll need to make the arrangements, but I will assist in getting the car to the local shipper of your choice. ABOUT FEEDBACK: I'm a full-time seller on eBay. I make my living selling three phase power conversion equipment under the name Phase-Craft. This account was set up specifically for my MG hobby/addiction. I don't use it often, but will be listing a lot of spare MG parts that I've accumulated and no longer need. I will also be listing my 1967 Midget here soon, so stay tuned.