My Best Upgrades

Max has fixed his Midget’s problems and added some tasty upgrades of his own

MG Midget

1971 MG MIDGET THE STORY SO FAR

Total mileage 100,000 approx. Why is it special? Modifications have improved just about every aspect of this little MG. It’s hugely entertaining on the road and perfect for some competitive action, too

MAX ARTHUR

‘My dad buys and sells MGs, and when he was offered this one back in 2015 it looked like the ideal project. ‘I’d been looking for a while and although the car already had some upgrades, there was still plenty to do. ‘The engine had seized, so I took the opportunity to have it bored-out to 1310cc, lightened and balanced and uprated to fast-road spec with a Kent camshaft and 1 ¼ -inch carburettors while it was being re-built. I also changed the induction system to ram pipes and Pipercross filters along with bigger carburettor needles and fitted a long centre-branch exhaust manifold – it’s pretty loud!

‘The rebuild also meant I could tackle the engine bay, which had been covered in thick black paint to hide rust. That required a bit of welding, but the rest of the body shell was fine with solid floors and sills.

‘The Frontline Developments five-speed gearbox was already fitted when I got the car, but I’ve swapped the lever arm dampers for a Frontline Developments telescopic conversion, which really improves the handling, and had the brakes rebuilt with new discs, reconditioned calipers and uprated pads.

‘The rest of the work involved restoring the interior, which was pretty shabby. Re-padding the seats with new foam improved the driving position, as did an aftermarket steering wheel, and I fitted a proper gear lever to replace the cranked item, which wasn’t great to use.

‘Now I’ve got a great MG Midget that’s perfect for track days and competition, as well as fast, enjoyable road use.’ WORDS Chris Randall PHOTOGRAPHY Magic Car Pics