1976 MG Midget

[Loren]

Well, I went and did it. Bought a Midget.

Gonna plug in the usual "to do lists" at the top of this post, so I can easily keep them updated. Purchase story below.

Things to do:

• Install AFR gauge
• Bleed clutch hydraulics (this is seeming less of an issue, but I do want to get some fresh fluid in there)
• Secure spare fuel bottle in trunk (.5L aluminum bottle)
• Secure fire extinguisher somewhere (trunk or in front of pass seat)
• Fabricate battery tie-down.
• Fabricate an adjustable clutch release rod off the MC to allow for clutch pedal height adjustment.
• Replace front crank seal, re-seal timing chain cover, replace chain tensioner
• Install valve stem seals
• Install new rear shocks. (they should be easy, and I think they'll make a bigger difference)
• Purchase and install rear spring lowering blocks to level the car.
• Install new front shocks.
• Look into proper radiator mounting bolts, a couple appear to be missing.
• Finish major wiring project. (really just need to neaten up some harnesses and do the heater fan at this point)
• Replace turn signal and hazard flashers.
• Replace transmission mounts.
• Disassemble and clean fuel tank sending unit.
• Install 3rd brake light.
• Update rear side markers to 194 LED's, decide if it's worth adding turn signals there.
• Replace gasket and nuts on tail light assemblies.
• Fabricate a "bash bar" between the existing tow hook mounting points to protect the swaybar, and everything behind it.
• Adjust the trunk (boot) lid. It's not fitted right, I don't like it.

Stuff that's been done:

• 11/2023 - Replaced Brake MC
• 12/2023 - Replaced all exterior light bulbs
• 12/2023 - Upgraded front side markers to 194 style plugs and added turn signals, used LED bulbs
• 12/2023 - Replaced fuse block with 6-slot blade fuse unit. Added circuit for the fuel pump
• 12/2023 - Replaced alternator with a cheap Chinese 43-Amp one from Amazon
• 12/2023 - Removed Brake PDWS and replaced with a bolt
• 12/2023 - Flushed & Bled brake and clutch with synth brake fluid
• 1/2024 - Replaced wiper blades
• 2/2024 - Fabricated and installed adjustable 9/16" front swaybar
• 2/2024 - Replaced oil pressure switch (anti-run-on switch)
• 2/2024 - Removed stock oil filter adapter, replaced with PL14476 filter
• 2/2024 - Recovered and modified center console
• 2/2024 - Installed new radio and speakers
• 2/2024 - Installed main power cut-off switch, ignition button, start button, horn button and DRL button in console
• 2/2024 - Installed power panel with relays and fuses for all circuits
• 2/2024 - Installed new headlight harness with relays & fuses, and H4 conversion headlights with H4 LED bulbs
• 2/2024 - Installed new horns
• 2/2024 - Installed horn/headlight control box. Has delay relays for the 2nd and 3rd horns, and the high-beam control for the garage door opener
• 3/2024 - Replaced rear brake hose
• 6/2024 - Replaced intake manifold. Manifold is from and early Spitfire, modified to fit a 175CD carb
• 6/2024 - Replaced carb with a 175CD from a Triumph TR250, cleaned and rebuilt
• 7/2024 - Replaced speedo cable with one-piece unit
• 7/2024 - Changed engine oil and filter. PL14476 filter, Mobil 1 0W40 oil.
• 7/2024 - Replaced steering wheel with new Lecarro wheel.
• 9/2024 - Replaced choke cable with an OE style unit.
• 9/2024 - Replaced engine mounts.
• 10/2024 - Installed new seatbelt kit.
• 11/2024 - New 13x5.5 VTO 4-spoke wheels.
• 11/2024 - New 165/65-13 Otani EK1000 tires.
• 3/2025 - New stainless steel 4-1 exhaust header.
• 4/2025 - Replaced alternator belt with 15435
• 4/2025 - Changed engine oil and filter. PL14476 filter, Mobil 1 0W40 oil. Slight shimmer noted in old oil, not "glitter" and no chunks.
• 4/2025 - Compression Check 136-128-122-139
• 4/2025 - Cylinder Bores inspected, #3 has a significant rust ring scar, others not bad
• 4/2025 - Checked crankshaft end float - None
• 4/2025 - Adjusted valves to .010"
• 4/2025 - Cleaned and recapped plugs to .028"
• 4/2025 - Checked fuel pressure - 5.0 psi
• 4/2025 - Checked trans and diff fluid
• 4/2025 - Replaced small upper radiator hose
• 5/2025 - Installed PCV valve in breather hose - CV2004C
• 5/2025 - Added 2" V-band clamp to exhaust header to fix angle, and added a bracket to the downpipe
• 5/2025 - Fabricated and installed a full 1.75" header-back exhaust with a 20" resonator and Walker SoundFX 18144 muffler
• 5/2025 - Fixed coolant leak at the blocking plug from the intake manifold
• 5/2025 - Replaced thermostat with new 180 degree unit
• 6/2025 - Replaced Battery - Weize Group 47 H5 60Ah 680CCA AGM - 3 year warranty

The Purchase Story
Midgets still quite common on the market, and fairly cheap. A lot of them are varying degrees of beat up, neglected and rusty, of course.
I looked at ads for probably 10-12 of them within about 200 miles. I was trying to be in the sub-$5k price range. That ruled out 3 or 4 of the pricier ones, which were in the $8-10k range.

One of the first ones that got my attention was priced at $1800. Looked straight and very complete, but with some obvious rust. A recent "barn find" with a tag expired in 2003, and has not been started since then. No brakes, all the tires are flat, etc. While the notion of resurrecting a barn-find has a certain amount of charm, I don't think I'm looking for THAT much of a project. And when I added up the MINIMUM amount of money I'd have to spend just to get the thing road-worthy, it was getting close to a $4k investment... plus a ton of time. That's part of what put me in the $5k range.

Steve and I went and looked at one last weekend that was priced $6300, $5700, $5200. It looked complete and fairly unmolested. In the pix, it looked really rust-free and like it might even have the original paint. I was ready to offer $4800, and would have paid the $5200 if I had to. Alas, it wasn't quite that good. While not "rusty", it was certainly not "rust-free", and it had a lot of significant problems. Basically, it was a car not owned by an enthusiast, and went to a family member who was even less of an enthusiast. So, nothing ever got attention until it was good and broken, and this guy didn't even know where to check the brake fluid! The big thing it had going for it was a professionally rebuilt engine. But, that's not enough. I left him with an "if you get desperate, I might give you $3k for it", and walked away.

The second one I looked at today was priced at $8000, $7000. It looked even better in pix. Had a fresh red repaint. Lots of fresh interior bits (seats, carpet), a decent top, and looked VERY original. I had a really good feeling about it, plus I had to drive to Spring Hill to see it. So, I hit the bank and withdrew $6500 cash to buy it. I planned on offering $6k, and going up as much as $6500, maybe even $6500 + whatever was in my wallet... if it was worth it, and necessary.

Well, the car really was that nice. STUNNINGLY rust free, even underneath. STUNNINGLY original. Original carb and manifolds, even the original cat in the exhaust manifold, which is almost unheard of with these cars. Looks like it may even have the original exhaust system! (somebody painted it with HT black paint to protect it) Oil looks good, nothing out of the ordinary under the hood. Tires look really good (garage kept), but have date code of 2015. The paint job, while not "show quality", is decent, and very complete. Door jams, under the hood and trunk, even inside the engine bay. The car was originally green, but you have to look into the recesses of the trunk to find it!

The engine fired right up. Has the usual smell of a little burning oil, and a little running rich. (Cathy would love if I could get rid of that, and I'll try... but, it'll probably be appropriately stinky) But, the first thing I noticed when I sat in it was that the brake pedal went straight to the floor! I moved the seat forward to be sure I could punch the pedal all the way to down for my test drive. Really didn't matter. They say the brakes on these cars are just a "suggestion". (not really true, they're just unassisted, so you have to apply a little more force) This car, the brakes were just barely a "hint". But, I got around the hood a little bit with judicious downshifting, and the handbrake worked PERFECTLY.

This one drove way better than the first one. Handled more like it should. Had that "fun" feeling that it should. If I could trust it, and had brakes, it would have been a BLAST to rip around in. And so... I wanted it. I unintentionally made a show of the brakes not working when I came back. I accelerated normally from a stop sign, just into 2nd gear. Went to brake to turn into the driveway, and... of course, the brakes were having none of that! Overshot my turn as I used the handbrake to stop the car, and had to back up.

Told him that I like the car, but the brakes don't work! If I buy it, I'll need to have it towed home. He mentioned price adjustment before I did, but no number. I'd originally planned to offer $6k. So, I threw $5500 at him. He rightfully balked at that, but said "let me go ask my wife". Did I mention that it's his son's car, and his son has gone off to CA with the Army? He wanted to get this MG out of his garage, and I'm sure his wife did, as well! He comes back out and asks for "a few hundred more", so I said $5800? He immediately came back with $5700! Like he felt guilty asking for more than my offer. He clearly wanted just enough to appease his wife. So, I bought the car for $5700!

I have AAA, but they won't tow a car with an expired tag, which this car has. So, I had to rush over to the tag office in NPR. Do the tag and title work, and then call for a tow. That turned into the usual all-day affair, as they told me they'd be there at 2:27... and the driver called me at 2:29 (after we'd waited for 90 minutes) saying he'd be there in an hour and 20 minutes! But, he said we didn't need to be there, so we split. The car finally got home about 6:30.

Here she is, all safe in her bed.

[Loren]

And I've already started ordering parts. Factory manual. Couple odds and ends.

Brakes: There's no pedal at all. Doesn't seem to "pump up", either. It's just dead. But, while waiting around, I looked under the car and around the master cylinder. There appear to be no leaks, and the MC is not drained. (not "full", but nowhere near empty) There are new brake parts, too. Rubber hoses in front, possibly rebuilt calipers, new rear wheel cylinders. So, I'm thinking the MC (which also looks like it's been replaced in recent history... has surface rust, but doesn't look ancient) has failed internally. I was gonna buy the $20 rebuild kit, but decided to splurge and get the new one at $50. Parts are just TOO cheap for this car! And brakes is a good thing to spend money on.

Front Swaybar: It's missing. So, I ordered a stocker from eBay, and all new hardware to go with it. Less than $100 all-in, vs close to $300 for an aftermarket bar kit. I doubt that I'll need to upgrade the bar. The car felt pretty good without it! So, just having the stock one back in place should be proper.

Sunvisors: They're fine, but there are these little rubber thingies that they clip into to hold them up and forward. The one on the driver's side is shot, so it falls back in your face. I told the guy they'd be available for like $5. Turns out, they were $1.50 each! So, yeah... they're coming.

Oh, and I got a set of wiper blades. All 3 of them. Don't even know if the wipers work, but those blades were dead 10 years ago!

As a "project", this one shouldn't be huge. A lot of "just whatever I feel like doing to it", and eventually "whatever breaks".

[Native]

Whoo-hoo!
Congrats!

[Loren]

Thanks, Steve.

Nothing new yet, just batting around a bunch of ideas. Trying really hard to not "accumulate parts". You know how most used old "enthusiast cars" always come with a trunk full of new parts? I'm trying to only buy parts as I need them, and not get too far ahead of myself.

It's really really hard to not think "performance upgrades". We're just so programmed to think that way! But, people have been enjoying this car exactly as it is since 1975. Surely, I can give it a go and try to enjoy it as it is for a while?

But, I'm looking at available exhaust headers, carb upgrades. But, unless I find a cheap used carb (which will need a rebuild, and possibly fiddling with jets and stuff... ugh), I have trouble justifying spending a bunch of money on a carb when I know how easy it would be to do a Microsquirt throttle body injection setup on it. (I've done it before, on this same engine!)

And then, I have trouble wanting to go through all that... on an old 1500 pushrod engine that was designed in the 50's. Those Mirage engines are still available for under $1000. I didn't mind going through all of those "intermediate steps" when I was learning from them. But, now, I already know what I can get from a carb... and I know what I can get from going EFI (and I'd be happy with it, as long as the engine held up). But, the drop-dead reliability, better economy, much lighter weight, and lack of leaks and smells that come with a modern Mirage engine appeals to me.

I'm going to try to leave it alone as long as possible. But, I expect I'll do EFI before I spend money on a carb.

Oh, and my used swaybar that I ordered on eBay got canceled. Turns out it was bent, and they noticed it when they were packaging it. So, I have to find another one and there aren't any as cheap as that one was. Of course, me being me, I started thinking: "I could make one, use tubular steel, make it lighter..."

I really need to just get this thing on the road so that I can DRIVE it!

[Jamie]

Well, I went and did it. Bought a Midget.

It actually looks pretty good.

Next time, see if I'm around before you call AAA...especially since they measure response times in days now (I dropped my AAA membership after the 3d time they stranded me). If it's light enough to push onto the trailer, I don't care if it has current tags or not. And what better way to bring a vintage car home than with a vintage tow vehicle?

[Loren]

Thanks, Jamie, I didn't even think about you being able to tow. You were probably at work, anyway... it was a Tuesday afternoon. I did try to call Ken to either see if he could tow it, or just limp it over to his house to wait for the tow. Couldn't have been more than a mile from his place.

It definitely took a while to get the two. AAA must be very limited in who they contract with these days.

But, at least I got the tag and title work done. One less thing to do next week.

[Loren]

Looked over the car a bit while Philip was over to see the car today. Looked it over closer a few minutes ago, and took some pix. Man, it's great to have a high-res camera in your pocket! Saves me from having to keep running out to the garage. The pix aren't that interesting, I'm not going to bother posting them.

What I noted today is that the car leaks engine oil and trans fluid. Weird was that the gear oil spot was FORWARD of the engine oil spot. Musta run down a frame rail or something? I might chalk that up to being tilted up onto a flatbed. We'll see if it continues. (it was a pretty good spot for 4 days) Also noted that the fuel pump wiring is crappy, and the fuel pump is zip-tied to a fuel line in the engine bay.

It looks like the engine oil is leaking on the left side. I was first thinking it was around what appears to be an oil cooler adapter. (hose ports plugged) But, looking closer, it might not be that. It might actually be the very thing that killed my Spitfire 1500 engine (same engine used in this car). The oil pressure switch appears to be seeping... and if it's like the one in the Spit, it's SPRAYING oil at higher RPM. On this car, that switch isn't mounted directly to the engine, it's over on the fender where a T splits the oil line that goes to the oil pressure gauge. I ordered an OP switch. I'm going to replace it whether it's leaking or not. That $5 part cost me a $3500 engine in the past!!!

All this got me thinking about engine oil. Whatever's in there is VERY thin. I wouldn't be surprised if it was 5w30, or even lighter. On the floor, I thought it was brake fluid, but it didn't smell. This engine was designed for 10W30, and being an older engine with flat-tappet lifters, it needs more zinc than most modern oils have. All the old LBC guys swear that you need to run old school 20W50. ("that's the way we've always done it!") But, I very much believe in the absolute THINNEST oil possible at start-up. So, I want a 0W oil. When warm, I'll concede that the engine might like something heavier, but 50 probably isn't necessary. So, I sought out a 0W40 oil, and found Mobil 1 FS "Euro Spec" oil. It's got the weight that I want, and ample zinc content. And it's fully synthetic. That'll keep me happy. Given the miles that this car will see... I might never have to change it. Okay, I might change it at 3 years just "because". Odds are, that won't be much more than 2500 miles.

I thought about removing the oil cooler adapter, but it also serves the purpose of offsetting the oil filter location and allowing fitment of a longer oil filter. I like the idea of a longer filter, so I'm going to leave it. And, who knows, maybe I'll want to fit an oil cooler someday? Or an oil accumulator device to protect against loss of oil pressure. (not likely that I'll do either, really)

The good news: My first parts order has shipped, so I'll get my brake MC this week!

[Jamie]

What I noted today is that the car leaks engine oil and trans fluid.

Well, LBC! If there's no puddle of oil, there's no oil left!

Tuesday...yeah, was probably at work. But I'm only doing part-time now, and I have lots of control over my hours, so it's always worth a try. AAA roadside service has gone to the dogs over the last several years...it's not that they don't have contracts, but there's not much of a penalty for missing a pickup time or outright turning down a job, and the call center staffs don't communicate changes back to customers. Not just my experience...got that from an inside source (that was not Ken's wife!). I did some research and moved my roadside assistance over to Good Sam Club a few years ago -- they advertise mainly for RVs, but they have plans to cover anything.

[Loren]

I keep remembering things that I need to do. My to-do list keeps growing!

[Loren]

Parts are in!

[Loren]

Got the brake master cylinder replaced. Found some minor surface rust underneath it, of course. Cleaned that up and hit it with some black paint.

Had to modify a socket to get the lower MC mounting nut on. The hole was just close enough to the body of the MC that the socket prevented it from threading! And there's no way to get in there with fingers to hand-start it. So, I took a 13mm (1/2") socket to the bench grinder and narrowed it a bit. That did the trick!

While we were bleeding the brake fluid from the LF caliper to empty the MC before removing it, I was pretty sure I'd spotted a (significant) brake fluid leak. So, after getting the MC all sorted, we did a quick system bleed (we have pedal now!!!) and checked for that leak. Sure enough, there it is. There's a thing that looks like a brake proportioning valve. It's actually a "brake pressure differential warning switch" assembly. It's leaking from the switch.

Tightening the switch did nothing, and it looks like there's no seal under the switch. WTF? So, removed the switch. It's made of plastic, and it's got a groove all the way down the threads, and even under the "sealing surface" at the base of the threads. WTF??? How's it supposed to seal with a groove in it?

Interwebs to the rescue! Couple of quick searched turned up that the way that assembly works, no brake fluid should ever reach the switch. There are o-rings on an internal shuttle assembly (just like inside a brake prop valve) that should keep the fluid away. Clearly, one or both of those o-rings has failed!

But, I want to drive the car, dammit! So, I wrapped the switch, and especially that "mating flange" area with a bunch of teflon tape and put it back in. It held pressure. I'm sure it won't hold forever, but it's enough to get a little driving in. Quickly checked over the rest of the car, and aired up the tires.

And so, the maiden voyage of my Midget took place! Steve and I lightly flogged it around Safety Harbor and the brakes worked fine. The engine runs great, especially when warm. Actually has a surprising amount of torque given that it still has a 100% stock exhaust on it. Trans shifts great. Suspension feels okay given that it's missing a front swaybar. Even the shitty 8-year-old (full-tread, garage kept) tires seemed okay.

Lots more work to do, but, I'm really happy with this car now.

The only other new things I learned today besides the leaky PDWS and a couple missing screws on the pedal box cover was that there's a bolt missing on the shock lever (car has lever shocks, and the shock lever acts as the upper control arm). Not only missing, but broken off, dang it! It's a pinch bolt. The end of that arm has a split, so it just holds it tight against the shaft that it attaches to. There's another much bigger bolt with a cotter pin that actually holds the assembly together, so it's not going anywhere and that bolt has probably been broken for a very long time.

Rather than trying to remove that broken bolt that's buried 3/4" inside a 1/4" diameter hole... I think I'll just expedite replacing the shocks, which I was going to do, anyway. There's an outfit that rebuilds them to "better than new". All the folks on the forum rave about this guy. And he's not TOO expensive. Probably about the same price as a set of Konis for any other car. He can do custom valving if I want it. I may discuss with him. For my purposes, I may want slightly more rebound damping... kind of like you get with a mid-range adjusted Koni. But, I may not even do that. I don't plan to put stiffer springs on it, and I'm not autocrossing it. It already handles really well. Just getting it back to proper stock damping should be good for it without degrading ride quality.

[Loren]

Next up: I've ordered the Brake PDWS rebuild kit, and all of the exterior light bulbs, plus an LED brake light to mount as a 3rd brake light. Need to figure out where and how I want to mount that. But, I really do want a higher and brighter 3rd brake light in this car. Having functional turn signals will make me less nervous, as well!

[Loren]

I've decided to build a swaybar to replace the one that's not there. Figured that warranted its own thread.

[Loren]

Swapped some light bulbs to try to get the lights all working today. OF COURSE, that didn't go as planned.

Started on the RF corner. Nothing worked there. As soon as I started looking under the fender, I started seeing shit I didn't like.

Lots of twist & tape wire connections from whoever did the paint work. Rather than dig for the bullet connectors that are there, they just cut the wires, and poorly spliced them back together. The front turn signal/marker assembly had no ground at all.

I ripped out all of those splices, did it up right, fixed the missing ground. Still no lights. Started tracing it back... as far back as I could get without unwrapping the whole wiring harness. There is continuity, but no power.

I put that corner back together, and got back to at least replacing some bulbs and figuring out what else is broken.

New signal/marker and brake light bulbs front and rear. The stupid side marker light bulbs, even the old ones, don't fit right. They're loose in the connectors, causing them to be intermittent. Weird.

Got all the turn signals working, and brake lights. Back up lights and interior light work. Something is wrong with the hazard flasher, and some of the dash indicators don't work, but I'm not worried about that right now.

What's not working: Running lights on the right side. I've not looked at the wiring diagram yet, but forum search indicates that it's probably a bad connection at the fuse block. Left and right lights are separated there for some reason. So, that could be it.

I decided that I'd like to have turn signal "repeaters" on the sides, and I don't want to give up my side markers to do it. So, since the side marker bulb fitment is "weird", I'm just gonna ditch those old bulbs completely. I ordered a set of 195 bulb (T-10, I think they call it) sockets. They're round and rubber to plug into a round hole. I'm going to drill holes in the side marker light housings for two of those bulbs. One for running light, one for turn signal. That'll cover both bases, and get me away from intermittent bulb connections. Going with LED for those, for a little more brightness. Everything else I just used long-life standard bulbs.

The other thing that showed up today was my 3rd brake light kit. It's actually a pair of LED trailer lights that includes amber sequential turn signals. But, for now, I'm just going to use one as a brake light. It's about the size and shape of the 3rd brake light on an early Miata. I'll need to fab a bracket to attach it to the front edge of the trunk (boot!) lid. I don't think it will look too bad.

So, I at least know that my turn signals and brake lights work. Put it all back together and went for a drive! This car is fun to just toodle around the neighborhood in. Rides amazingly smoothly, too. I was really surprised at how it handles speed bumps. But, still corners nicely, and makes cool noises when you rip through a good portion of 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

[Native]

Nice progress happening there.
I'll be looking to get another drive in once you've got that custom sway bar done.

[Loren]

Ugh. So, I found that the stock fuse block (4 fuses, spade connectors, very simple) is only $10. I figured replacing that would be easy and cheap, and probably eliminate some bad connection issues both with the wires and the fuses. Those old fuse blocks are nearly impossible to effectively clean.

But, I didn't get that part on my last order, and the British parts place I order from is one of those places with big shipping charges. Would have cost $10 for the part, and $17 for shipping.

So, I went to eBay to see if I could find one there. And I did. It was like $14. Cool. But, scrolling the listings, I spotted a direct replacement that uses modern blade style fuses. Even better! Seemed like a no-brainer, and it was cheaper.

Then, I started searching to see what "they" have to say about such things. Found that people have used them, but also people have gone a lot further. (and I did the same with my Spitfire... the wiring on these cars is just STUPID, I'll explain later)

Down the rabbit hole, I went!

Ordered parts from Amazon (no shipping). Instead of a 4-slot fuse block, I got one with 6 slots. That will allow for a couple things to be fused separately. (the car has 4 35-Amp fuses... that's a LOT of current going through wires before a fuse does anything!) Then, I got to thinking that I'm going to put some things on relays at some point. Probably an electric fan, probably the headlights, etc. Rather than having a bunch of random relays hanging under the hood... I got a nice, compact 6-relay box. Each relay is fused, so I can separate the wiring even more.

Then, because I want easy access to switched and unswitched power, I got a couple of small bus blocks to connect to. This will be a lot of work, but I'm not going to do it all at once. I'll do the simple fuse block replacement first. Then I'll lay the foundation for future upgrades by installing the bus and relay blocks.

All-told, I spent another $50. But, when it's done, I'll have a safer and more functional electrical system. "They" say that doing things like putting the headlights on a relay actually makes them brighter because the current isn't having to flow through the stupid little headlight switch. Ditto the fan blower.

One of the stupidest things about these cars is that amount of completely unfused wire in them. There's a 10-gauge brown wire that goes directly from the battery to the fuse block. UNFUSED, that brown wire continues to the ignition switch, the hazard flasher switch, and the headlight switch! The ignition circuit is never fused. The hazard flasher itself is fused. The body lights are fused AFTER the wire comes out of the ignition switch and goes back to the fuse block. Ditto EVERYTHING else... it goes from the ignition switch to the fuse block. The HEADLIGHTS are never fused at all. Power goes from the ignition switch to the headlight switch, DIRECTLY to the headlights.

So, if you happen to get sloppy with a wrench under the dashboard, or have one of those brown wires (or other "switched", but not "fused") wires get chafed and short out on something... you're looking at unlimited amperage until that wire goes up in smoke!

[Loren]

Holy crap, I need to stop spending money on this car! Mind you, I'm still under about $6400 total, and I'd have paid $6500 for the car if the brakes worked. But, I'm accumulating parts WAY faster than I'm doing anything with them. Gotta stop and let myself catch up!!!

The latest 2 days have had me spending more money on electrical stuff. In addition to the above, I already had an 80-amp relay that I never used from a previous project. I got a 50-amp circuit breaker to go with it. I can run ALL of the power through that except the starter. Have two fused (what a concept!) "hot" circuits, one for the ignition switch (to power on the main relay) and one for the radio, maybe the brake lights and the horn. Everything else can be switched.

Also got a horn button, cute little thing with a horn symbol, backlit. Rather than futz with the notoriously finicky horn button on the steering wheel, I'll just put that on the dash somewhere. I don't use a horn much, but even on my very first drive... danged if I didn't need it. When you're the smallest car on the road, it's helpful. The horns themselves are present, hopefully, they work.

Because I hate the way the steering wheel lock on the ignition switch works with it's stupid button that you have to push to get the key to turn off... and the fact that I plan to just leave the key in the ignition, anyway... I want to just leave the key in the ACC position rather than OFF. The only accessory is the radio, and I'm going to set that up on the "RUN" circuit along with everything else.

Given that... I want a hidden security switch to at least keep someone from starting the car. Figure I'll put that right in that ignition circuit that trips the main relay. Then, I figured, I could give it a faux alarm by making that switch a toggle between the main relay, and the horn relay. Ended up using an ON-OFF-ON switch, so the normal position will trip the main relay, the OFF position will simply do nothing (and I mean NOTHING, not even a click), and the other position will sound the horn. If nothing else, could be good for a chuckle when friends ask to drive it.

Thought about putting that switch (or the horn button) where the cigarette lighter is. Then, I thought that I should leave that for USB charging. So, I bought a lighter socket replacement USB charger.

And I read on a forum that there's an outfit that sells all the proper factory wire colors. So, I went ahead and ordered some of the colors that I know I need. Some 10g and 14g Brown "unswitched" power wire, 14g Green "switched" power, 14g White and White/Black "ignition" circuit wire, Purple and Purple/Black for the horn. Good quality wire, price is decent. Poof, another $30 gone.

Meanwhile, parts keep showing up. Hopefully, I can at least get the brake pressure switch out Sunday to rebuild it... maybe even get it back in. And I'm catching up on other house projects, so I'll have more time to do car stuff.

[Native]

[Loren]

Took a nice drive yesterday with Ben. Got out of Safety Harbor for the first time. Car cruises nicely at 50 mph, and I must have finally gotten it fully warmed up. The idle oil pressure got down to 10 psi, which seems about right. (never got much below 20 before) I bet it either has no thermostat, or it's stuck open. I have a 180 on the shelf, just need to get to it.

Alternator bearings started squealing on our way back.

Spent probably 2 hours looking at alternator swaps last night. GM alternator swaps are common. Plain ol' cheap alternator from a 70's Camaro (and every other GM) can be made to fit with custom brackets and splicing wires. Saturn alternator is a better fit, but requires a pulley swap and "reclocking" the angle of the back plate. Not a lot of people choose Denso alternators, that seems like a better choice to me. People are chosing "readily available and cheap" over "drop dead reliable".

The easy button solution is a late 70's Ford Fiesta alternator. It's a Bosch unit that is a direct bolt-in/plug-in replacement with higher output.

Eventually, I started looking at the Fiesta alternator and stock replacements. The British parts suppliers have stock replacements for like $130. Found one on Amazon, brand new, 43-amp vs the stock 36, for $68. Ordered it. Worst case, it fails in 6 months. Then I can decide if I want to have the original one rebuilt, or "upgrade". Say what you want about Lucas, that old alternator was still working. Bearings failed likely due to not being driven!

[Loren]

I decided that I'd like to have turn signal "repeaters" on the sides, and I don't want to give up my side markers to do it. So, since the side marker bulb fitment is "weird", I'm just gonna ditch those old bulbs completely. I ordered a set of 195 bulb (T-10, I think they call it) sockets. They're round and rubber to plug into a round hole. I'm going to drill holes in the side marker light housings for two of those bulbs. One for running light, one for turn signal. That'll cover both bases, and get me away from intermittent bulb connections. Going with LED for those, for a little more brightness. Everything else I just used long-life standard bulbs.

Started working on this yesterday. Cut the back off of the stock bulb socket to give easy access and clean things up. Found that I couldn't just drill 1/2" holes to stuff the 194 sockets into. There was even a hole about the right size in about the right place in the light assembly. But, to use it, I'd have to cut a hole in the fender. Don't want to do that.

Instead, I'm just using JB Weld to stick the sockets in place. Got the side marker lights in today. JB takes 6 hours to cure, so I had to let it rest. This evening, I started looking at the turn signal bulb situation. Decided that I don't like the hot spot of the bright LED bulb. The lens is somewhat "frosted", but doesn't diffuse the light enough for that bright of a bulb. Cathy had a piece of ceiling light diffuser panel in her photography stuff. I was able to cut pieces to fit behind that lens. Worked GREAT! Gotta get some clear glue to hold them in place.

And I just made up some wire clips/brackets, whatever you want to call them, to hold the signal bulb sockets in place so that I can glue them. To get the diffusion right, I need to place them pretty far away from the lens, it's making things awkard to assemble. But, I got the wire holding it in place, and was able to "tack" it with some JB. I'll recheck the alignment of everything tomorrow, adjust as-needed, then put some more JB on it. Ultimately, I've got to fill about a 1" diameter hole around that socket with JB, I just want to be sure it's all positioned properly before I get too crazy.

Found the rebuild kit for the Brake Warning Switch. (it's really small, and was buried in a box o' parts) Removing that from the car should be my first task on Friday. Gotta get that done, then properly flush and bleed the brakes and clutch.

Almost ordered gear oil for the trans and diff tonight. Made myself hold off. 1) because I need to stop spending money. 2) because I need to stop accumulating parts/supplies and get some WORK done.