In my not so humble opinion, the prettiest body is the frogeye '58-61(?), the
best body is the Mk II (sprite Mk I Midget). I like it because I think that
things like wing windows, door handles and folding tops are ugly. The early
MkIIs had drum brakes and smoothcase trannys and 948 cc motors. In '64
they got disc brakes, webcases and 1098 cc motors. The Mk III is my least
favorite model (made from '65 - '67). The Mk IV (from late '67 - '74) has
the 1275 motor, crossflow radiator and folding top. I just removed the top
on mine for the summer months; 6 bolts and about a dozen screws will do the
trick. The 1098 motor is my least favorite powerplant.
What the car came with from the factory has very little to do with what parts
it will have on it now. Things to look for (mechanically) are:
1275 cc motor
webcase tranny
disk brakes
crossflow radiator
As far as bodies go: '62-64 are the nicest of the spridgets
'58-'61 (frogeyes) are the prettiest, but don't have a bootlid,
access is from behind the seats
'71-'73 midgets have round wheel arches which make it easier to put on wider
tires. On a square wheel arch car, if you want to run anything wider than
165s, you'll need to get a panhard rod from Winner's Cricle.
There are some "upgrades" using datsun drivelines (1400cc motor, five speed
tranny) that many people really like.
Larry
--
People vastly underestimate the elegance of brute force.
lrc@red4est.com http://www.red4est.com/lrc
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