Well, I took the Smidgin out for its first couple of rides, yesterday
down some nice little backroads, and I also drove the sucker to work
today.
I embarrassed myself yesterday in wierd way. I was driving along with my
girlfriend and it seems that the choke cable is sticking a bit. I
reached under the dash whilst stopped at a light to fiddle it loose
again.
The car died. It then wouldn't turn over. The electrics were dead. No
lights, no nuthin'. Omigodomigodomigod. My first electrical MG gremlin.
Any idea what the problem was -- as long as we're doing the guessing game
thing? The hint is that the fix was free, and nothing shorted out and
nothing became disconnected under the dash.
So, I drove the car to work. What they say about Midgies not being good
on the freeway is true. But I do have one question. Even with a 4
speed, should it be revving so damn high? The tach had an indicated 5K
rpm and what couldn't have been more than 65-70 MPH. Can this be, or did
a PO change the final ratio on me for better acceleration? I say 65-70
because the speedo seems to have a mind of its own, which will need some
looking into. All I know was I was going slightly slower than flow of
traffic.
Or is this the 10 volt vs 12 volt issue? Is my tach reading too high
because it's getting too much juice?
I'm also experiencing some coolant spitting from the drain tube beneath
the radiator cap. This car doesn't have a coolant reservoir. Should it?
Could this spitting be a result of a bad head gasket? I'll probably
change the gasket anyway to be sure, but if anyone has any insights, let
me know. It isn't overheating and the temp guage reliably reads between
180 and 190 degrees F. I did also just get a 160 degree thermo for warm
California summer driving.
Other than that, all I can say is I have a slew of jealous coworkers who
can't believe I got this car at such a steal. I'm stoked (as we
Californians like to say)!
Cheers,
Andy Ramm
'67 Midget MkIII -- The Smidgin
'77 RD400 -- Rippin' Deamon
'74 GT550 -- 667, Neighbor of the Beast
'86 RZ350 -- Coming soon to a twisty road near you
DoD #1682 -- I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you
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