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[Stiggolas]

Having just got into the boating scene, I used to race 1/10 buggies. turns out I was a bit crap, but I enjoyed the building more than the racing.
Thing went from bad to worse until the building culminated in a 1:1 scale Seven replica, this I enjoy driving much more :)



Hope the pic works, it's my first go!!

[grasshopper]

Yup, that worked and congrat's that looks the mutt's.....

I was planning to build a lo-cost with my daughter and her (now) husband. It didn't happen so I bought a Porsche 'project' with my share of the budget. Still fancy building one like yours. So what's under the hood and was it as easy as they say?

[Stiggolas]

The car is indeed a scratch built Locost. It was finished in 2004 and at that time Mkll Escorts were stilll available relatively cheaply so that's what it's based on. A slightly tuned 1700 crossflow supplies the power. As for ease of construction, if you're mechanically inclined (as I suspect most on this forum are!!) it's a pretty straightforward build. Nowadays most are Sierra based and IMO look a bit wrong (too tall to accomodate the taller engine and too wide).
We took her to the south of France a couple of years ago (that's where the pic was taken) that was an adventure :)

[oldiron]

  Nice car. Looks like you did a fine job on it. One of the other Mayhem members, ggeorge, took on the same job and came up with this one:

John

[triumphjon]

what are you all going to do now , rwd escorts are so expensive they are no longer viable donars , and seierras are almost non existant !  looks a very nice biuld all the same , well done .

[mattycoops43]

bmw 3 series are cheap as chips now. would that fit? i drive a 20yr old 325 that goes like stink in a saloon body, I dread to think how it would go in that body!!!!

[Wasyl]

Beautiful looking car,..I wish i,d had crystal ball when I was younger,I bought a Messerschmitt bubble car like this in 1967 for the huge sum of £100,..I saved for 2 years, to get it,
now their selling for in the region of £15,000 


Wullie

[triumphjon]

we would all like to have the hindsight in knowing what will be of value in years to come ! think i bought a mk 1 escort two door saloon for £350 with tax & test not only about ten years ago , i was at a show only last summer , a mk 2 two door BARE SHELL  was over a thousand quid !  if only i bought a few of them when they were at rock bottom give away money ! !  loads of the "family fords " have all but disapeared from our roads !

[Circlip]

Not sure if it's still there Wullie but there was a "replica" website for the Messy. Uses a Honda 250 powerplant, much more reliable and robust than the original KR's.

  Regards  Ian.

[dave301bounty]

Wasyl ,what was the top speed you got out of the bubble,they were years ahead ,never got around to looking into one ,did you motor a lot ,and what was the fuel to miles .as you say they are fetching a lot now .

[Klunk]

I built the Robin Hood 7, sierra based with a 2 ltr pinto, 6 speed box, race cams etc, drove it once! I let a mate drive it and he totalled it!!! £3000 down the drain. The insurance would not cover iT!!!

[garston1]

I'd love a messerschmit, a 3 wheel bond or a heinkel bubble car

[geoff p]

Not sure if it's still there Wullie but there was a "replica" website for the Messy. Uses a Honda 250 powerplant, much more reliable and robust than the original KR's.

  Regards  Ian.

The original's engine had two sets of points so it could be run in reverse, which meant you had all the gears (4, if I remember correctly) going astern.  I got mine up to third-gear but rolled her when I tried to turn - something to do with having the lid open at the time 

I wish I still had her .....

Geoff

[Wasyl]

The one I had,had the 350 Sachs engine,handlebars for steering the gearshift was, if my memory serves me well, on the left side,..a selector gate, cable operated stick to  a 4 speed box,..top speed approx 65+mph  scary when you know that your a**e i only 6in off the ground,mpg high double figures,think 70+
i alo rolled mine,lost the canopy,but it still drove,..a cabriolet without a hood,great in the summer, youcould also get the deluxe version,a 3 seater in line,There used to bea company in England that did repo,s in kit form,don,t know if they,re still on the go,

Wullie

[triumphjon]

ive a mate with a bond 875 , its basically a hillman imp engine / gearbox and rear axle , with a couple of seats in the front and a very basic single front wheel & steering ,, i was taken for a test run after we got it running , lets say i shall stick to my four wheels ! !

[garston1]

I'd imagine it had a better centre of gravity though!

[irishcarguy]

I learned to drive in a messerschmit. Practised sunday mornings on the road from London to Brighton. Top speed was about 65 mph.Most of the time you were staring at hubcaps. I wish I had it now just for the sheer terror of driving it. I am now restoring an MG midget from the the ground up. needless to say all the parts have to come from U/K. Will post some pictures when  I figure out how.!

[JB]

I am now restoring an MG midget from the the ground up. needless to say all the parts have to come from U/K. Will post some pictures when  I figure out how.!

What year is the Midget? I had a 1976 rubber bumper model 

[irishcarguy]

The Midget is a 78 body,( rubber bumper) I have converted it back to a 1275 motor (now 1380 with Omega pistons,Carrillo rods,titan roller rockers,titan oil pump, EN 40 crank , Kent cam(286 scatter pattern) Kent timing gears,everything is lightened & balanced, Datsun clutch & trans 5 speed. Cylinder head from Swiftune,exhaust system & intake manifold from Maniflow,MX 5 seats,14x6 wheels,Yokohama tires,quaffe  diff ,uprated halfshafts, wheel spacers 1.1/4 inches wide back & front , spax shocks back & front, Frontline suspension system at the front with lowered springs & 10 inch vented rotors with 4 pot calipers (wilwood USA) 3/4 inch anti roll bar front .Full racing harness 12ins. Motolita steering wheel. I think that covers most of what I have done & I have not turned a wheel yet, Oh and forgot twin 1.1/2 SU carbs & ali radiator. As you can guess automobiles are my business & I have done most of the work myself. I would like to finish it soon but paint & trim looks like another ten thousand dollars so it will have to wait awhile yet,besides I have 2 tugs to finish first(Smit Nederland & Fairmount Alpine). I love Midgets they are real fun to drive & quick too Mick B.

[Nordsee]

The one I had,had the 350 Sachs engine,handlebars for steering the gearshift was, if my memory serves me well, on the left side,..a selector gate, cable operated stick to  a 4 speed box,..top speed approx 65+mph  scary when you know that your a**e i only 6in off the ground,mpg high double figures,think 70+
i alo rolled mine,lost the canopy,but it still drove,..a cabriolet without a hood,great in the summer, youcould also get the deluxe version,a 3 seater in line,There used to bea company in England that did repo,s in kit form,don,t know if they,re still on the go,

Wullie

That was the "Tiger", not many built and even fewer Imported into UK,about 250 I beleve, must be worth a fortune today, if you could find one, it was frighteningly fast and the Road holding etc was fine for 200ccs, but not upto coping with 350cc....

[JB]

Mick B.

Your Midget sounds brill, hope you can work out how to post some photo's, some names there which bring back some good memories...Motolita...Spax...!
My Midget only stayed with me 8 months, lovely car only 3 years old and low mileage but the steel rubber covered bumpers and body modifications ruined the handling and the tyre/steering feedback, the rear end would flick out without warning even at moderate speed on roundabouts and bends! on a wet road you had no idea what the tyres were doing, felt like a duck on ice, terrible!

I went back to another chrome bumper B roadster 1973 model in Bronze Yellow...previous B was a 1967, Flame Red (resprayed..by a fireman!) no sycro on first and wires, also had a BGT 1973 in Damask, Midget was Flamenco Red...strange colour that, looked orange under the lights in the garage.

Have you seen the site with the MG colours...photo's here..

http://www.teglerizer.com/mgcolors/

Cheers

JB.

 

[irishcarguy]

I know what you are talking about, they completely ruined it with its American mods. It is all these faults I am removing,the bumpers are long gone.they acted as big pendulums at each end, They will allow us to drive the car without them here. Thank you for the web site, its in my favourites now. You can look up my shop on the net ie= "britishcarsinternational.com" I have worked on British cars for over 40 years. I think the MGB is the best of them all ,but my soft spot for the midget is that I won many slaloms when I was younger in a 1969 model, second childhood they say. Now I am wondering how I will fit in it, I have put on a few ? pounds since those days. I have had to cut back my work load because of heart problems but should not complain as I am still on the right side of the grass LOL.Mick B.

[nhp651]

oh hindsite is a great thing...
if only i hadn't gone out that icey Boxing Day morning  a few years ago for a "spin" which is what i eventually did, i wouldn't have written this beauty off, and might still have had it.

oh and before anyone says out that's a dirty thumb print on the photo in a not too glorious place, 

[JB]

Whooaa..healy 3000...who's that good lookin guy though  

not changed much either, shame about the rag top

[nhp651]

yeh, she was a mk111 phase 11.......had been fully restored, and i bought her with a wodge of cash that i brought back from oz.......had saved up for a morgan plus 8 whilst out there but by the time i got home the cost of them had rocketted, so bought the healey...........she was a real beauty.........turned heads where ever i parked her.
that was taken outside oxford united's football ground where friends lived at the time............sadly i've worn even less better, lol