MG Midget Forum

I have a 77 Midget with a 1500 and would like to instal a 5 speed but from what? Not into $3000 plus from Moss or one of those but not sure what to look for. I'm preaty good at doing mods so not affraid to takel that, any help? Thanks

Do a search for Frontline. I think they make kits for the tranny swaps. I'd advise doing a V-6, with its tranny swap though. Kill two birds with one stone.

Don't some people fit Spitfire 1500 overdrive gearboxes?

Yepp....with electric over drives....but there is more to it then just bolt and go.... But i cant remember what is involved

Prop

Gotta find one first. There are two types of the spit OD's which will bolt directly to the 1500. One, the older one, the J-Type, fits with just a little bending of the tunnel here and there to make room for the OD. The other D-Type takes quite a few tunnel and crossmember cutting and welding mods. Both are getting harder to find these days. The newest version of the Sprite/Midget High Performance Manual covers installing these a bit. Also check www.canleyclassics.com for a bit more info. Also check the triumph side of this website, as they know more about these trannies than most of us do.

I seem to recall you have to exchange tthe shifter fork arms... Watchamacallit do dad thingys.

Yepp spcialized langauge not even found in bently manual.

Prop

To everyone,Thanks and I will be checking into the info you gave me and looking up the web sights you all gave me.

Thanks again Dave

http://www.boicey.com/midget/midget_overdrive.html Will be cutting on body.
Also putting a Ford box is option. I have been thinking of it. Doing some looking. Dellow automotive has a kit to put a Toyota box in the 1275. I been thinking since the 1500 has a separate bellhousing. Maybe a thought.
Been looking at BMW looking at theirs. A 245 box looks small enough. Some are putting in Opel Gt so maybe. But bellhousing is part of box maybe a problem there. A 262 box is separate but read that it is too large for tunnel. Just some thoughts, what is everyone else may someone who has experiece in these. Maurice

I think there is few options. They are only in the thinking stages.
2 options already mention.
#1 Celica trans used in the Dellow kit for older Midget. Convert to the 1500 bellhousing. Unsure of shifter location and size of trans. Someone has a Dellow conversion on older one let us know.
#2 BMW trans Would need adapter plate to motor and unsure how starter works into that. At least shifter can be moved. Shifter is external to trans.
#3 Mazda truck trans. Has separate bellhousing but gearing is low [for truck]. But RX-7 trans gears can be swapped. The Rx-7 has bellhousing with trans except from turbo car [probably pricey] Also Rx7 shifter is further back. But can put the truck shifter section on RX7. Like said unsure which is suitable for the 1500 body.
#4 Suzuki trans. Haven't done much search on this. Can't find much on web.
I have saved links on this info. Willing to share.Maurice

Maurice, I have the Celica gearbox in my 1275 Midget. There are 2 different extension housings for the gearbox. I had both available when I was fitting the box to my car, the shorter one put neutral next to the dashboard (i.e. you couldn't get 1st 3rd 5th as it was too far forward), but came through the standard hole. Could be used with a bent lever. The longer one is what I used, and it sits just behind standard, I had to cut maybe 20mm extra out of the back of the existing hole in the tunnel. I find this great, as I know longer bash my hand on the dash! I think it's perfectly located. However the other option is that the long extension housing is easily shortened, as it is a box section in shape, so just cut a slice out, move it forward and weld it back up (after shortening the selection arms into the box appropriately of course) and you can have it come through the standard shifter position, even use the standard tin can shifter surround and bushing if you want. That's what many people do, I just decided I preferred the shift position with it moved back slightly.

All that said, I'm not sure if the back plate of the 1500 is in the same position as that of the 1275? So you need to take that into consideration.

Other than that, to fit the gearbox the standard crossmember must be cut out and a new one fabricated to restore the strength and mount the gearbox. The tunnel will need a small amount of massaging at the sides (I used a scissor jack sideways across the tunnel with some pieces of timber) to fit the width of the Toyota box. I did not cut out any of the floor (including under the original crossmember - I just cut the top off the crossmember, however this means the engine and gearbox must now be installed and removed seperately. If you want to remove them as a unit then a small amount of the floor under the gearbox tunnel must be cut out, but less than is needed to install a Ford Type 9 gearbox.

There is another Toyota 5 speed, from the early RWD Starlets, that is supposed to fit without any cutting at all. These cars were never sold in Australia, so I haven't seen it myself.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-12-01 06:57 PM by metalhead.

Just read your post again, I also happen to know that the shifter on the Turbo Mazda rx7 (FC, series 4&5) can be moved forward, up to a bit over 100mm from memory. This is a common modification as it allows them to be in the standard position when fitted to earlier Mazdas (I have a rear wheel drive 323 - GLC in the US - fitted with a turbo rotary engine and series 4 rx7 turbo box that has been shortened 100mm). However, these are quite large gearboxes relative to the Toyota or ribcase gearbox. I have an earlier series 2 rx7 gearbox in the garage as well, it is not as easily shortened but is a much smaller gearbox. I haven't put it side to side with the Toyota or ribcase to see how it compares, but I could probably do that if wanted.

Cheers,

Andrew.

Gave me a lot of info. If remember correc the 1500 tunnel for trans is larger so the Toyota box may fit. But from my readin these are getting to be rather old boxes so here we go again rare. Not sure on the RX-7 box will look into it. If you can give me some dimensions on the boxes. That may help. No rush just when you can.
Info on the RX7
http://www.projectzerog.com/rx7transmissions.shtml
http://www.projectzerog.com/images/rx7trans/B2600-2WD-G54B.gif
Hope local j-yard has one can look at and measure. On the BMW box some putting in Opel GT but has bellhousing with it. This would be good one but have read to big.
http://www.bmwmobiletradition-online.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=6674&mospid=47190&btnr=23_0307&hg=23&fg=05
Style opel gt uses but has bellhousng on box. That would not be as easy.
http://www.bmwmobiletradition-online.com/bmw/partgrp.do?model=1733&mospid=47175&hg=23&fg=05
Thanks for the info. Please no one buy nothing on my comments this only in thinking stage. I have extra 1500 engines and trans so I can do something on find something to work with. I will inform when I know more. Again thanks alot.

Check out a Toyota T50 out of a Corolla.

The T50 is the box that I have. Sorry, should have mentioned that it is Celica/Corolla, as there are other Celica/Supra boxes that are bigger (and stronger, but harder to fit). The one pictured has the shorter extension housing I was talking about. The same box (mildly uprated, called the 3T T50 as opposed to the 2T T50) was fitted behind the 4age engine in AE86 Corollas in Japan, so they are a decently strong box. They were also used in many Sevens, and close ratio and straight cut gearsets are available for them.

I'll try and get around to taking some pictures of the Mazda boxes next to the original ribcase, I won't be taking pictures of the Toyota box though as I'm not pulling it out of the car for a photograph!

Cheers,

Andrew.

The absolutely cheapest way and very easy is the Spitfire 1500 OD ..

You can buy them from the Triumph guys for 250 bucks all day long.

here is a good page of a guy who did it.

http://www.boicey.com/midget/midget_overdrive.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-12-04 09:03 PM by mikeamick.