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Extra Engines Included! 1967 MG Midget

For the second time in as many weeks, we have an MG Midget for review. Normally, I would space out reviews of the same marque and model but what accompanies this 1967 Midget makes it an interesting study. It is listed as a 30-year barn find from San Francisco, California and it’s available, here on craigslist for $15,000. Thanks to Ikey H. for this tip!

The seller introduces this midget by stating, “This 1967 Midget was a barn-find that the previous owner parked in 1988 due to a clutch issue. It was stored in his garage and subsequently stored in an aircraft hangar after I purchased it.” This MG car actually shows pretty well on the surface, just as this 1962 Midget from BF Classifieds does. And the seller adds that there is no rust that he could find or signs of crash damage. Additionally, this MG has both soft and hardtops though the soft top appears pretty worn and the hardtop could use a coat of paint. The finish and chrome bits are both presentable and all of the trim looks to be in place.

Where things get interesting is all of the extra stuff that comes with this car. While the installed, 71K mile, 1275 CC, in-line, four-cylinder engine turns over but doesn’t start, the seller suggests that it should be disassembled and resealed. He sites rodent damage to hoses, with what could be downstream effects, as the reason for the additional caution. And, if the installed engine isn’t up to the task of powering this Midget, there is another 1275 CC engine, complete, minus carburetors, and a Morris Ital 1275 long block that is partially disassembled. Need another cylinder head? There is a four-valve BMW head that can be adapted to the existing engine or the Ital block. Transmission problems? No worries, there is a Datsun 210 five-speed manual included plus another original style four-speed. Differential? Got ya covered with an additional assembly plus a couple of extra clutches. Confused? I bet! Check out the listing, the extra parts listing is too extensive to recite here.

The seller doesn’t go into too much detail about the interior other than to mention that both the steering wheel and radio have been replaced with non-original pieces. The seat upholstery is a bit worn but is in pretty good nick overall, as is the dashboard and instrument panel. It appears that the gauges are clear and the switchgear is all installed with no unoccupied openings, something frequently encountered with British sports cars. The only observed problem is with the carpet, it is not only faded but pretty well deteriorated too.

So, there’s a lot of stuff going on here but what we have is a sports car, and its menagerie of parts, that were discovered, bought, and are now being passed on as an all-in-one purchase. If you are up on MG mechanicals and have some skill as a wrench, this Midget could have some appeal. The price, however, seems outsized – especially when you don’t really know exactly what you’re getting with the car (its installed engine) and all of the extra parts. I’m not much of a risk-taker, but how about you, does this seem like a reasonable deal?

Comments

  1. Avatar angliagt Member

    Van Ness is not a city,it’s a main Avenue in San Francisco.
    It used to be “Auto Row”,where many of the car dealers were.
    There are still some dealers there,& a lot of elaborate buildings.
    That said,it seems to be a decent driver,but they should
    be asking less than $3000.That under hood shot makes it look
    like it needs everything redone there.

    Like 7
    • Avatar Jim ODonnell Staff

      Thx angliagt, fixed.

      JO

      Like 0
    • Avatar Steve R

      The map at the bottom of the ad shows the car is actually in Altadena, which is east of LA, next to Pasadena.

      Steve R

      Like 0
  2. Avatar bobhess Member

    Way hefty on the price but the ’67s were probably the best Spridgets ever made. We had one several years ago and wish we still had it.

    Like 2
  3. Avatar Matt B

    Bleeding the clutch slave cylinder on these is a son-of-a-#$%^&. Wonder if that’s why it was parked.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar bevis

    15K???? this guy needs to cut down on his ?smoking”

    Like 4
  5. Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

    Stumbled onto a pair right after I bought my Sprite back in the 70’s. Guy had work done on one and had a parts car and I could have gotten both for around what I paid for the Sprite. Only real problem I found was where the drivers door hung was rusted out. I should have sold the Sprite and bought the pair but I didn’t.

    Like 0

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