Sunday, April 30, 2017

A Couple Of Things

While waiting for the transmission, I also ordered and found a couple of other things:


Seat covers from Moss...


And an original radiator from a '65 Sprite, that doesn't leak.  The original cores are apparently preferred because their piping is larger and does a better job than the modern American re-cores.  A little cleaning and a flush and it's ready to go.  I'll keep my other one as a spare to be fixed if I need it someday.

I bought the seat covers because I didn't like the fit of the ones I bought off of eBay, and they were on sale.  I will see if someone else can use the eBay covers.  The seat back doesn't fit right, but the base does and is more prone to wear anyhow... so maybe someone can use them at the right price.

So, I haven't been totally idle--but I really would like to finish the body work.  It's really too hot now, so I might have to wait until fall.  Sad!
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Transmission 2: Electric Boogaloo

I haven't done much with the Midget this past month, but something I have been wanting for a long time finally arrived from Malaysia (!) this week...


That is a 5-speed transmission from a 1979 Datsun 210.  I found it online in January in Malaysia, of all places, and it finally got here after taking the slow, slow boat (shipping was less that way--DHL wanted over $200--and I was in no hurry).  The 5-speed fits without modification in the Midget transmission tunnel.  The gearing is similar 1-4, and 5th gear is like an overdrive.  Oh, and 1st gear has a synchro, so no grinding 1st gear!

Between this and the 3.9 diff, I should be able to cruise at 70 at around 3500 RPM.  As is, it would run at about 4500 RPM at 70.  It sounded like a swarm of angry bees going down the highway.

I won't do anything with it at the moment, other than smile and wish I could.  But these are getting really hard to find, so having it is awesome.  I'll need to buy a conversion kit to install it (and almost certainly do a rebuild, even though the seller sent me video of it functioning).  That will be $$$ I would rather spend on paint.  Which is going to happen this year.  I swear it.

But still, yay!!!


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