Can We Make a SEIZED MG Run After 42 YEARS!? - Part 1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- Today we attempt to revive a 1973 MG Midget thats sat neglected since 1978!
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Junkyard Digs
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"Maybe these cars never rust"
An early '70s British car?
On a really quiet night you can HEAR the rust spreading.
Wrong.
Not if you drive it to a self serve car wash and spray wax the underside and every other potential rust spot. Plus silicone tire shine protects exhaust.
HOORAY! he's saving an efficient car. VERY GREEN!
This Iowan You Tuber knows British cars. th-cam.com/channels/cpUgUgHlK2fJKr0k2V2JAg.htmlvideos
That's usually on dodge trucks
In the UK anything that is made of metal rusts like crazy, its brutal
"I'm an idiot. but that worked" - Needs to be a t-shirt!
MG’s are infamous for rust. When the video started I thought that it had set outside for 40 years and didn’t expect anything below the grass to still be there.
No the uks infamous for rust. Your cars grow moss after sitting for a month
As kevin's vacuuming out the midget martini, a reeses commercial comes on: "are you drooling?"
Uh, no sir. No I am not
Lol
Cool-there's a Tonya Harding in the trunk!
Edit-yes, I watch Derek at Vice Grip Garage. I'll be dipped-he is so amusing!
So do they, with the VGG hats they're sporting 😉
@@staind288 Yes, they have good taste in associates. VGG and other channels are listed under the show more tab above.
He fer sure is good entertainment-, but also knows his stuff-- help me to understand!.... heheh.
@@edwardmulder3777 Even when Derek broadly plays the small town 'Sota guy, he's teaching with a nice bit of humor. He has several engine building vids where he is really serious, and I found them riveting! He comes over as a great guy you'd like to sit down for some cold snacks with.
“This car was literally made for short people. Yes, now I fit on my knees!” Great line, love it! 😂😂😂
Man... that thing wouldn't budge! I was surprised to see the lifters as clean as they were. This thing is going to be fun to watch get built.
..."out in a cornfield messing with a midget..."
TH-cam: DEMONITIZED
JOSHUA M. OFFICIAL lol
"Me too man, me too."
Well the midget is kicking his ass😂😂
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Yep......A true British classic and it's a 1275cc engine, a very common engine for the time used extensively still easy to get spares for the engine and the Midget.
It's a rare model as it doesn't have the black rubber bumpers.
Oh and I've got the VW toy car still in the loft and I'm 49 lol.
Fun fact thats an Austin Healy engine and with it being a rear wheel drive car that engine is not a rare engine, front wheel drive cars with thos engines are rare
@@shelby3556 definitely an A series engine. essentially the same unit used in Morris Minor 1000s etc or the Mini (albeit front wheel drive in the Mini) and many others
I'm about 95% certain your MIdget is a '68. You have/had leather seats and '68 was the last year for them and the first year for the "pillow" dash. You also have a banjo steering wheel and '68 was the last year for that to my knowledge. Lastly, you appear to have only a PCV for emissions control. Later cars added air pumps and other parts which, by now, have generally been removed. It looks surprisingly good for a car sitting since '78. I have 4 MGs at the moment, one of them a '72 Midget. My '68 MGB-GT has leather seats, banjo wheel, broken like yours but worse, and a torn pillow dash. A large rodent lived in mine for some time and used all the stuffing from the seats and the entire headliner to make a nice, comfy interior. I'm anxious to view your project as it progresses.
Do you know the reason why the British drink their beer warm?
Lucas Electrics also made refrigerators.
We don't.
That joke is as old as the Queen
BEER is a completely different drink in the UK and is drunk warm or cellar temperature! what you call BEER we call LAGER and is drunk ice cold DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW!
I really don't like cold beer. 50-60° is good for a decent beer. You only drink ice cold beer when it tastes like soy ink and looks like wee.
Holy whoosh
I had a ‘74 Midget...from about 78 to the early 90s. Wish I still had it! I drove it cross county 4 times in college. Had to rebuild the engine on one summer trip home. Got it together and test drove it the night before I had to leave to the east coast. Great memories in that car.
I forgot both of you lived in Iowa. Awesome collab. The MG needed a savior!
The chrome strip down the middle of the bonnet/hood plus that crossflow radiator mean this is a late 67 to late 68 Midget, not 73.
If you pause the video at 10:46 on the registration tag it says "YEAR: 68"
I love these Midgets, I did my apprenticeship at a British Leyland / MG Dealer in the Seventies. They were never powerful, reliable nor watertight (roof leaked like a sieve)....but boy, they were fun to drive!
I would love to get my hands on this one, it is in remarkable condition, most of what we have over here (UK) is either re built already or suffering from severe tin worm and a complete basket case.
Thought it was an MG?
@@edwardmulder3777 It is... MG was one of an absolute shedload of brands that were owned by the British Leyland group in the 70's & 80's, so if you wanted a new one back then in the UK, you would invariably end up at a BL dealership :)
@@edwardmulder3777 MG Midget...
Now there's a sales slogan for ya, not reliable, powerful or water tight
What is tin worm?
Cole the Cornstar is an awesome youtuber! Been following his stuff for a while. Glad to see you guys did a video together. I love old junky cars (own a 77 C10 myself) and farming (farming simulator and I collect 1:64 cars and am working on a farm diorama since I have a city diorama)
There's still hope. I just finished reviving an engine that was so badly rusted there was in inch thick pile of rust on top of the piston, with about a millimeter thick rust ridge on the cylinder.. It's possible. It just takes a lot of force. Yeah it's going to have a ton of blow by and trash compression afterwards, but you don't need to worry about that. Send it.
The british guys with the old Ford Capri did the same and it was in way worse condition, basically the whole engine was a pile of rust
You just let it chooch to its heart's content and its all okay XD
Chooch inc. sennnnndddd itttttt
theres also mastermilo82 with their tank engine that was rusted to hell
Just discovered you and can’t stop watching…you’re awesome! Keep doing what you do.
Garaged its whole life....
"hmmm lets drag it out into a corn field and let it fill with water for 8months" - non car guys
I get nervous if I just leave my 1962 Studebaker GT Hawk (first car!) out overnight, let alone for several months.
Yep... It's what happened to the '79 Oldsmobile Holiday 88 coupe I had, sat in a garage non running for like 12 years, sat outside for 1.5 years before I got it, the 1.5 years where hell on it.
I'm currently working on a 1966 Cadillac Calais swapped with a 472 that has been sitting for 20 years.....
There's heavy pitting in the cylinders. If they were to get the engine to turn, it's still going to destroy the rings and it will smoke like a freight train, if severe compression loss will not also occur.
@@robj2704 Imagine if you watched the video!
The "Dragon Wheels" matchbox car was a blast from the past. I had one of those in my official Matchbox carrying case (a black, plastic container shape like a wheel and tire) when I was a kid in the mid '70's. I remember that one specifically because it was my favorite one. Thanks for finding that Mook.
I love this. I learned to drive a stick in a 1961 MGA. I'll be looking forward to seeing more of this car being brought back to life. Keep up the good work.
Mook!
Good to see you!
Love the smirk at the camera!
Meanwhile in Iowa, Dont have a funnel, just use a corn leaf.
$800 tool kit but not a 99 cent funnel......my luck.
And then proceed to pour the ATF upside down, making it much harder to pour. Smh.
great video, the next one will be epic, my buddy was a mechanic at import car specialist and pulling the motors on these was somewhat of a task, if you needed a clutch job you had to pull both motor/trans together to do it, he had a 1970 MGB with the split rear bumper , North America only if memory serves me right, we pulled the engine/trans at home is his garage for him to rebuild both and he did sort of a performance build on it, rod, pistons, cam valve springs and built his own header and intake manifold to put a webber on it and got a more modern trans with shift synchros in it and boy the next summer did that thing fly it had almost 30% more horsepower and had a redline of almost another 800 rpms, 100 mph was easy for it, great to see you having fun with a small english car, they are a blast to drive👍
Sure Cole could have mowed around it for you. Cooper looks like he would fit sitting on the hood of a Camaro with a 6 pack of beer.
They’re a couple good ole boys lol. If you don’t watch then you should
14:12 Ghost riding 2 whips simultaneously
I had a 74 MGB back in the day. Loved that car. So much fun to cruise around in. Good luck with it!
If you read that Registration Renewal card you'll find that it's actually a 1965 MG Midget which means it was only driven 13 years based on the 1978 license plate.
Cool find!
MG sitting there for 42 years long time new battery full tank of gas get the car moving as possible seats repair good condition awesome video in lowa corn field bless you stay cool junkyard digs
I believe the starter is stuck on the flywheel. It’s a pretty common thing on early MG’s.
I've worked on a lot of M.G's. Yes that may very well be, the jammed starter was quite common. Also using a pry bar on the flywheel teeth through the starter opening is how you free of a seized motor.
So is an electrical fire lol
That's an awesome little challenge. I can see Mook falling in love with it when it's running.
One drive and they will be hooked....I love these little beauts...so much fun!
It looks like she is the only one small enough to drive it.
Yep great little cars and still relatively cheap
An MG midget is one of my favorite cars of all time! I had a '73 for a while and loved it. I regret selling it every day. I'll get another one one of these days.
You know she's got quality sheet metal if it holds water.
I would say it is good... but what about the hole in the firewall from mice???
Sheet quality metal is a thing too...
@@charleslaatz6189 treated for corrosion not mice teeth. Those fuckers can chew thru almost anything
@@Rainaman- Look what the Nazi's did to Brit. tanks....lol' them mice are dyn-no-mite!
XD
6:04 Those are twin SU side-draft carbs, the same kind used on early Datsun 240Z’s (and possibly Roadster’s, but I’m not sure). I knew MG’s used the same carbs as Datsun’s but it’s pretty cool actually seeing the same carb setup being used on this as on my ‘72 240Z. Anyway, love the content, keep up the great work (and shenanigans)!
Those nails were probably installed when the car went through the shim line at the factory.
British Leyland Quality.
@@darrylyoes414 MG was there throw away dept., Rover was there Money.
I found a sanding disk on the floor of my classic Mini that had been painted over in the factory.!!
James Eastwood I’ve owned 4 LBCs (all MGs). I love them but they’re garbage.
LBC = is that Long Bridge Car ?
There's no way I'm messing with a metal-eating mouse.
I'm seeing a car, for Mook to take over! Lol
If this and her channel are any hint, this isn't big enough for her.
That model car maybe
Take it to the good guys
Oh yes
Things don’t get cool until Mook shows up ! Good for you, Cool Girl. Get that Midget running. I used to work on them and drive them. Fun ! That’s why they called them Sports Cars.
When you're working with mouse crap, wear a dust mask. Their crap let's off spores, and it will make you deathly sick.
Hantavirus!!!!
Or atleast wear a gloves ffs it's disgusting
Perhaps fill it full of enzymatic cleaner so wherever the bad stuff went the enzyme will follow. As much as you try to clean it otherwise, it's gonna put off stink and filth to the end of it's days.
There's nothing like cleaning out a car just to cut your hand open on a jagged rotted out jawbone from some old mouse corpse.
@@brookvalliant7813 That car need desinfection cleaner first.
I live in New Zealand, which is about as far away from Britain as you can get - but even I was cringing a lot with the stresses the poor little A-series engine was being subjected to! :D
We have quite a few MG Midgets still running down here and they are a very basic engine that puts up with a lot of punishment. They also have a lot in common with engines from other cars in the BMC range - notably the Mini - and I have seen A-series 948cc, 848cc, 1098cc engines sit for years under trees, then get turned on the crank - sometimes after a small 'pop' sound - fairly easy and without a huge power bar or soaking the bores. Sometimes these engines were in cars, sometimes not, but if they were going ok when shut down, the motors came back to life pretty quickly. The worst I have encountered was a stuck valve, which came right after a little persuasion with a hammer and small drift.
Note for the future - if a power bar is popping the crank pulley bolt (which is done up to around 120psi initially) on an A-series engine and it aint budging when going the other way, that engine will never turn without a rebuild. Note also that they do not have aluminium pistons as standard (they are only used in performance-built engines to lighten them for quicker revs - usually along with a lightened crank and flywheel) and the carburettors are of SU branding and probably the HS3 or HS4 model. An SU carb is more likely to work correctly after long sitting periods than any other carb as they are again quite a simple setup and with no accelerator pump. As long as their is oil in the dashpots (under the black screw-on thing at the top) - and there was - they should work fine if the carb pistons move (which they did) and the accelerator / butterfly pin is not seized (which it wasn't) , but a bit of WD40 would sort either of those out. The float bowl valve is normally the only thing affected (if anything) over time though.
Minor points to note - that car looks to be (at the latest) a 1970 model by way of the rear guards still being squared off and not rounded as in the 71-74 model. Similarly, the grille is a vertical chrome one that appeared on the MkIII (68-70) as opposed to the matt black one they replaced it with for the '71 year. The sills (rocker panels) were also painted matt black from factory around this time (although some owners requested they didn't) and the generator was not replaced with an alternator until later in the 74 model. Yes, she could very well be positive earth, but at the same time a lot of cars were changed to neg earth so they could run a radio. If the car looks like it had one, you can take that as confirmation. Either way, the car will still start and run and lights will still work if wired up backwards. The only thing you MAY encounter is that the generator does not work or the voltage regulator (black box with Lucas on it on the firewall or inner RF guard) starts smoking when the generator is spinning......but if the mice have been at the wring, neither of them might work anyway. I have swapped over vehicles from pos to neg earth by just turning the battery around and nothing died at all, so you may even be lucky there. There is nothing electronic to kill on these things and that's one of the beauties of cars of this age. You probably want to drop an alternator in it if you are doing it up to use regularly in any case.
They are a fun little car to drive, although they cannot be called either rapid or powerful. They were (and still are) a car to look cool in and THAT they can do in spades. That one looks pretty solid for a fairly easy restoration once the HAZMAT team have finished de-mousing the interior and you have a new wiring loom! Good ones are well sought after and they command a good price if done right. Do us proud, mate :) Looking forward to part II
A cameo by Cole the Cornstar. I am glad you brought Mook. Your videos are incomplete without Mook.
Those cars area ton of fun. Had a ‘75 Midget I cruised the highways with. Had an aftermarket exhaust and it was a fun ride.
Save the midget! That’s a great find complete with knockoff wire wheels!
my 66 Midget was one of my all-time fav cars. They were everywhere when i was a kid but rust took most of them to MG heaven.
Am 60 years old and have legit been awaiting this video for three weeks.
And me, I'm 66 😂 Go Mook !! She is going to love this car.
Absolutely love this video. My dad had a 1970 midget and loved that car hugely. Really looking forward to seeing where this goes.
The loose suspension just makes it more exciting to drive. Speaking from experience.
If I remember correctly you have to pull the transmission out with the engine. It doesn’t have enough clearance between the front of the engine bay and transmission shaft to pull it out separately. I think the Haynes manuals recommends removing them together. For a good source on anything mg related check out university motors on TH-cam.
Headlines: Guys catch and spread Hantavirus plaque from old abandoned MG full of Rodent excrement!
The look on Mook’s face. She tries taking off the valve cover, wrench won’t fit. A car of this vintage probably has some weird British sized bolts. Nice find and good luck with the MG
I didn't know he was wearing a corn shirt~ Glad he pointed that out to me~
Wasn't the shirt he has multipac abs.......
its a 68 I think! the grill, and the registration tag point it to be a bit older at least, would make more sense than a 73 being parked after 5 years, but weirder things have happened haha great vid!
Yes, it’s a 1968 Midget. I have had 2 1973 Midget. 72-74 have a round(more desirable) rear wheel arches.
The picture of registration paper under dash even shows this to be a 68, the tags were registered 1-1-73.
Correction…..tags registered 1-30-73
Btw, love your channel
“I’m an idiot, but that worked” 😂😂
That had me rolling 🤣
@@johndeerekid167 These car jokes are getting 'out of hand'
low range is great for stupid stuff like that, or a few clicks of the e brake.
I'd be scared to let my $30k truck roll like that without someone to hit the brakes. But it made me laugh.
@@VintageCars999 There should really be a dead mans switch in the seat to prevent that tbh
Digs, dude... Rocking the MG back and forth looked like sending your kid sibling to catch a wave in the surf!!
13:30 “I need more friends”
Local Facebook for sale ad - no friend requests being accepted 😂😂
Dude I got like 500... About died
Junkyard Digs I believe it. You’re a hero around here 😂
Thanks for the stresses, smells, physical exertions and general effort that made this video so awesomely fun
Damn it, been waiting on this video after seeing you on coles channel. Now i have to wait for part 2.
The MG Midget like most Morris group cars of the 60’s and 70’s used a twin 1 1/4 inch su carburettor setup on a 1275 engine derived from the Austin Mini. The engines are super simple to work on access is great and they are pretty reliable if you do the basic essentials (electronic ignition kit etc). Please save this old girl she needs it, do a full rebuild the A Series Engine is a finite resource nowadays so it’s worth rebuilding trust me.
Cheers mate all the best
Sam 🇬🇧
I can tell you why the hood hinges were rewelded actually; since the hoods were thin and held up by one hefty arm (surprisingly), they were often bent.
I like how you don’t use a bunch of air or pneumatic tools. Just good old man and mook power! 💪
Good lord an mg that still has its sills and isn't rusted through . Must have been one of the few that went through the strikes intact .Not fast but a bomb proof engine and really good fun . You are a lucky man
I saw you guys on Cole the cornstars channel and I've been waiting for this video
You're working on stuff from my side of the pond :) 20w50 engine oil is what she will want, you can use motor oil in the carburettor dash pots also. That's a desirable little motor. I believe the colour is ' Blue Royale '
other people: that car will never start, junkyard digs: haha engine go brrr
Loved the comedy value of single handedly moving the Sprite. Good luck with the engine replacement 👍
All modern engines have "dissimilar metals". When's the last time you saw a motor with cast iron pistons?
This is two years late but I'm sure he's referring to most engines now having aluminum blocks and pistons
@@tannert8361 most engines now have aluminum blocks with iron sleeves and aluminum pistons
Just yesterday saw a Detroit Diesel with steel pistons and steel sleeves. Also Chevy Vega 2300 with aluminum pistons and aluminum cylinders. My friend has one of those engines sitting in his basement.
@@theodorgiosan2570 when was the last Chevy Vega made?
Just the shadow of that mullet being cast by the sun gives me chills..
I was waiting for this video when I saw a sneak peek on Cole's video.
Mook is here to save the day. If she can’t get it running, you got problems. LOL 😝
I had a 64 with a Weber down draft
I miss that car everyday, amazing to drive
Here from Cornstar Farms. Smooooooth sponsor mention. And that think with the self-driving truck? Impressive. Edit: Coop's truck in the background of the follow-up vid would be righteous. Looking forward to it.
When you grabbed that corn nest I said, out loud, "don't get bitten by rabies". My headfat is dumb
I had a 62 in 75. Found it in a junkyard in California Mohave desert near Victorville. Ripped the engine out, put a datsun b210 engine in it. Had it at rebuilt and spec'd out at a machine shop that built drag motorcycles... It would turn 9k instead of 5.5k. Two and a half times the amount of horse power than original engine. Blue tinted windshield, painted canary yellow with an off set black racing strip the whole length of the car. Custom made mahogany dash with a full set of Stewart Warner gauges. And custom black leather interior. Wire wheels. My first wife made me get rid of it. I should have got rid of her. (I did about 2 years later.) Sold it to a friend, his wife totalled it. It was a blast driving it...
When I saw you at Cole’s I know it was gonna be great
Used to pick up cars all the time when I was a young kid I would have Farmers fields in Minnesota that's what we drove around we would look for one when it was going bad we would find another one always had a spare and one thing I've learned if you use dryer sheets in the car and on the motor and electrical you will never get a mouse or rat not even spiders just a heads up love watching you guys brings back memories
Why is that guy wearing a crop top?
I know, I know, very corny joke...
Finding a good corn joke is like searching through a Maize.
I tried.
"It's Iowa, all I need now is, like, Busch Light and a gallon of ranch, and I'll just turn into a cornstalk or somethin I don't know." "Casey's Pizza." "Yeah!" yeah, that's pretty accurate for us Iowans
I think 42 years ago it was already difficult to get this MG running. So if you are able to make it run, you'll be more lucky that a lot of MG owners ;)
This is awesome! My parents have a 78 Midget sitting in their barn my brothers and I have been DYING to restore. We just need a space to do it!
Last time I came this early I had a kid...
Lmao
Lol
Well I had a hand full of not having a kid, because I am the king of #$@#$#@ out.
That’s the Pull out game being weak.... don’t blame the short sprint. 😂
17:19 Holy hell! I know these are small cars but the way he is bending over to work on the car here it really does look like a go cart.
Registration said it was a 1968 MG and that registration expired in 73.
Good thing this isn't a reading channel 😅
@@JunkyardDigs Yeah they got a car guy and a corn guy. The reading guy comes later.
@@JunkyardDigs heheheh
I was thinking it looked more like an MG
yep the bumper screams 1968..that was my guess.
Have you ever seen the movie Unstoppable? Towing the car while truck is in gear kind of reminded me of the poor guy that let the train go while not on board! Excellent job!
Have fun with the Lucas electrical system. I had to redo almost every connection to get lights and accessories working.
Once they've rusted, they're gone. It's great you found it being parked outside for only 8 months! Might be bale to save it!
Very cool project! This whole episode was a little “corny” though...😉😂
I have two of those Matchbox Dragon Wheels VW beetle cars. So cool. No idea what it would be worth but those older diecast cars with metal bases are always worth something. Nice find by Mook.
My brother had a 58 MGA that had a crank start that you could use from the front of the car.
A surprising number of oddball cars retained that feature until very recently! I wouldn't entirely rule out the possibility that some Russian cars still do! Some 1990s models definitely did!
Now this just got interesting Mook is here. I just love her.
Lol! “Thirsty boi mode.”
You do the best deep poopification videos, but the dead mouse and unexpected bonus! Quality entertainment and I always enjoy your videos. Dave
You should invest in a pair of gloves. I prefer to work on a car with my bare hands, so I can feel bolts and whatnot, but mouse poop is a different story.
Nice License plate! It gives you the name of a product and how many ounces you'll need to clean up after working on the car! GOJO 34!! hahaha!
I like Cole good enough, but Junkyard Digs deserves some respect. Dont feel like Cole gets that.
Kevin , hi its called galvanic corrosion . dealt with that a few times myself . You , Mook , McCool and Thunderhead make for a great watch . thanks
Those things never ran right straight out of the showroom, they leaked so much oil you had to carry extra in the back.
Paul Wieringa ok, prove me wrong
Not true... but rod bearings and valve springs usually broke after 25K miles...
Buzz Waldron never had those problems however within 10k miles my charging system caught fire, the coil literally exploded on the highway, and the dealership couldn’t stop a pan leak. The car was in the shop for 4weeks because the parts came by slow boat...
I have to admit tho it was sure a blast to drive
@@lenlabrie4487 - Still have my '75 Midget, Buick 215 aluminum V8 BW 5 speed... looks like this:
2.bp.blogspot.com/_EWHALwCFKn8/Sksg1hIOE7I/AAAAAAAAATU/DUMdviSvldM/s1600/101_0384.jpg
'Mustang Grabber Orange' color...
'Ol Peg needs and I mean NEEDS something like this in the back of his truck @15:40! That's one MINT 👌 tool box.
Man I can’t get enough of car revivals ❤️
Welcome to British Leyland, your welcoming gift includes sliced busted hands as well as crawling around on the ground and knowing that leaks mean there's fluid in it. Enjoy the charm!
That Dragon Wells I actually have a mint condition one I paid $15 for
over priced 14.75..
@@allenschmitz9644 whatever you say I wanted it I bought it the worry about the price of something you want his Petty or was that poverty
@NASA F I'm sorry were you talking to me or that other idiot proposition isn't that thing prostitutes to
@@rodney1818 who asked for the spelling/grammar police? im sure you didnt
@@yamahonkawazuki ya idiots that can't take a joke always put a smile on my face