Ramsay

somethingsortaclever asked: I'm thinking about buying a 1976 mg midget. I've told they're really unsafe though. Any thoughts on this? And have you had any problems with it?

Hi there. My purchase was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment one… We do have some other perhaps more interesting classic cars, but I quite fancied it as a little run-around. It was fabulous in summer, just nipping about with the hood down. Haven’t used it over winter though. Obviously we got cheap classic car insurance on it which saved some money. They are notoriously fiddly cars in terms of getting access to things that need fixing and adjusting. But luckily parts are dirt cheap. Tyres are £35 each, unlike £75 on my golf, and £180 on my truck! They’re very simple so easy to fix. Mine is the 1500cc so is fairly quick, but i still haven’t pushed it above 55mph. The smaller 1200cc would be easier to maintain and fix, and are usually cheaper to buy, but don’t expect to go much above 50mph as they can be quite delicate cars. Also, don’t pay too much for it. I got mine for £1200, and whilst it has it’s problems, as a bit of fun it’s perfect. The standard price for them seems to be £1250 - £1750 although obviously nice, unrestored, low mileage ones do sell for £3000 - £4000. In answer to one of your questions, no, they’re not safe. I have only taken mine on the motorway once and it wasn’t that enjoyable. If you do buy one, buy it as a bit of summer fun, expect little things to go wrong with it, and don’t use it as your main everyday car. But yes, they are great fun!