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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 1275 Midget gearbox swop

I want to install a 5 speed or o/d box in my midget. I have a type 9 Ford box but a new Frontline kit is v. expensive so I wondered if I could use a Marina box (as used in 1500 Midget), a 1500 Midget propshaft and Spitfire o/d? Have you done this swop, seen this swop or do you think it's not possible? If it can't be done ...has anyone a spare Frontline kit or similar? Thanks.
J. I. Jones

I don't know if you can add a Spit o/d onto a Marina box but the complete Spit o/d box has been installed fairly easily in the past. I once met a lady from Old Windsor who had done it herself! The Spit box was probably the first example of box-swapping in a Midget.
David Smith

Are we talking Spitfire box to 1275 engine?
G Lazarus

Gary. Ian wants to fit a Marina gearbox to a 1275.
I could not assist when he asked me, on the phone, yesterday.
Alan Anstead

Ah, I should learn to read!
G Lazarus

It's perfectly do-able (albeit I bet you have to modify the tunnel in order for the O/D to fit).

Chris Groves uses the 'Single Rail' box (Marina/Midget 1500/Spitfire 1500/Dolomite 1850) as the basis for his 'dog' box as used by a number of the Class A Midget Championship cars.

You'd need a custom bell housing and clutch set up.

Additionally you'd need to shorten a Midget 1500 propshaft.

I would have thought the best way of sourcing a box + O/D is to get one from a scrapper Spitfire 1500.

Or talk to a Triumph specialist like Mark Field at Jigsaw racing:

http://www.jigsawracingservices.co.uk/

Deborah Evans

You can fit a spit o/d box on the back of a 1275cc engine but fitting a Ford 5 speed is a better swap.

Lots of info and all the options covered here....


Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

Gez louies,

Fitting an O/D spitefire tranny box to a 1275!!!....WHY???

Granted its sorta doable... provided you got the Head, Hands, and Wallet for it, BUT wont be cheap thats for sure.

If your going to embark on that type of enginerring nightmare, why not do something cool...like a MX5 drive train swap...engine, tranny rearend swap, or get that wreacked ferrari from the other thread and swap in its drivetrain into the midget....or even do something suited to the 1275, like a BMW box, or some such box that is common and cheap....If your stuck on doing a spitefire box, the best case option thats easiest and cheapiest would be to get a 1500 midget and hook up the spitefire box to that...far easier and less expensive then mating a spitefire box to an A-1275

BUT, Id sure like to see you mate the spitefire box to a 1275...that would just be to cool to follow

prop
Prop

Thanks for the comments, people. The Ferrari or BMW or complete MX5 swop because the o/d spit box could be expensive... Is this a US sub-prime plot to destroy my personal finance system?
Could Daniel elaborate on his view, please.
And as for the lady doing this swop in Old Windsor...well, I'm full of admiration but somehow it makes me feel worse than ever. Contents of garage anyone? Spanners, sockets, type 9, spitfire and marina g'boxes etc ...
J. I. Jones

It's not that expensive to fit an o/d spit box to an A-series in fact possibly cheaper than fitting a 5 speed. The issue is that's a bad conversion with lots going against it.

Rather than elaborate on my view look at the image attached to the previous e-mail and buy the book with many thousands of words, tables and photos just on gearbox swaps alone including a photo of a spit o/d box fitted to an A series (page 90).
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

One of my best mods was to fit a T9, i had loads of grief getting it sorted to my satisifaction, but after 6 standard boxes it's worth the hassle.
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

I know I love my datsun box, Im hoping it keeps going up in value so I can sell it for a type 9 conversion....Im guessing this time next year the datsun 5 speed with kit will go easily sell for $3000, that means a brand new type 9 box and kit plus $500 in pocket change to boot....oh yeah, its my birthday, its my birthday, Im the man with a plan....LOL.

okay its not really my birthday...at least not for another 17 days.

prop
Prop

The Datsun boxes have become pretty rare, and I think the T9 was never common in the U.S. I would think someone might come up with a conversion for a very common box like a T5 as used in so many GM (and I think also Ford) products. Are these too big? Has anyone already done it? You can get a variety of gear ratios depending upon what you pull it out of. I think you can get them with an overdrive ratio of 0.79 or 0.63.

Charley
C R Huff

My understanding is the T5 is a tight fit, I think there is a kit based in the land down under that makes a conversion kit....there is a company on the east coast called qauntum mechanics that does a vary nice kit for $2500 for the type 9... everything new and included

http://www.quantumechanics.com/categories.php?op=newindex&catid=6

prop
Prop

I've just had the Frontline T9 kit fitted with the shortened remote.
Check here for details:
http://www.frontlinedevelopments.com/
Yeah, its expensive but it's much stronger than the original etc and that 5th gear is gorgeous on the motorway!
I'ts taken a few months to run in, it was a bit sticky for a while but now is a lot smoother.




Mallorcaben

Hi, Ben Can I come and see your car? Always willing to test drive a car in Mallorca! Am persuaded by wildoliver to go triumph route...
J. I. Jones

Triumphs are agro, i should know if anyone does. I've had 14years of trying to sort one out.

Fit a T9, i get 70mph at 3500rpm with a 4.22 diff, the rev limiter is set to 7K, but i doubt it's a 140mph car somehow.
Brad
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

3500rpm in 5th at 70mph usually means you have a 3.9 diff on 13 inch wheels and 70 profile tyres.
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

This thread was discussed between 04/12/2008 and 18/12/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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