Diesel Midget

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By Keith & Sarah Fossey

This Midget started life because we wanted to have a small, economical, fun car which can be used in all weathers and not break the bank. It’s taken a lot of time to plan and refine but the end result is just what we wanted.

We started with a good body shell, stripped it to bare metal and repaired all sections that had rusted, including the outer sills which were replaced with 1.5mm thick steel to give the body extra rigidity. The front panel was cut off and made to bolt on to give better access to the engine compartment. The original radiator and engine mounts were removed and modified to take the new engine and gearbox, and fitted with a brand new, custom made radiator.

Because I have always worked with diesels I chose the Isuzu 1.5TD from the Corsa as a perfect power plant, but had to convert from front wheel drive, so I found a Getrag 240 gearbox fitted with very few mods which gives 5 speeds with overdrive. This gearbox is lighter than the original, being of all alloy casings. We decided to keep the hydraulic clutch but convert to a concentric slave cylinder from a Saab which has made the clutch much quicker and smoother in operation.

After overhauling the cylinder head and engine with new shells, rings, honing the bores, a new injector pump and set of injectors, and getting the valve clearances spot on, the only part that needed modification was the oil pick up and sump so it would clear the front crossmember. Of course being an OHV engine the 1.5TD is a lot taller than the old A series, even though it weighs less, and wouldn’t clear the bonnet. So we bought a new one made in GRP and glued a power bulge in place which makes it look like a Healey and keeps people guessing.

The spec of the engine makes the car very quick and powerful but still revs high at cruising speed, so we found a special brand new 3.5:1 ratio rear diff which makes the car really useable at all speeds.

To protect the engine we have added a coolant low level kit to the header tank which tells you when the water level has dropped, so the engine should never overheat.

The rev counter is accurate as the insides are from the Corsa and have been transplanted into the old shell; the speedo is working but reads 5mph slow due to differences in gearing.

One thing we had to move from the engine compartment was the battery, as there was no longer enough room for it and the new 4kw heater matrix. This we relocated in a custom built compartment behind the driver’s seat, like the MGB. This means no more source of corrosion on the bulkhead and also spreads the weight better; the car is almost perfectly balanced between front and rear with just a slight bias to the front.

Not content with just changing the power plant, we have also had time to modify the brakes and suspension to make them safer and more stable. We have added a Watts linkage to the rear axle, turreted the rear shocks and converted them to fully adjustable gas damped telescopics.

The front discs are standard Midget but we converted the rear to take MX-5 discs and calipers, making up stainless steel adapter plates and connecting the handbrake system to the original. In the process we also had the hubs and half shafts re-drilled to take 12mm studs at 100mm PCD which gives a large choice of wheels. Currently we have a set of 14” alloys with 165/70/14 tyres.

We have fitted front springs from an Austin A35, which are a little softer and give a more comfortable ride. The rear springs are a pair of new parabolics, originally made for racing, with polybushes fitted for durability.

The exhaust is a complete new stainless system from the turbo in 2” pipe.

We made up the front and rear bumpers out of 2” stainless, and just below the front bumper is a custom made rail designed for an A frame attachment to tow behind another vehicle e.g. camper van.

There is a brand new fuel tank, which has been modified for diesel, and is connected to a sedimenter and electric fuel pump which isn’t necessary for normal running but handy for emergencies and changing fuel filters.

On the inside, we decided to move the windscreen wiper motor to make the operation smoother and whilst doing this we changed it to a 2 speed with self park. The new heater is very efficient but as an extra precaution against the cold, while changing the seats, we added heating pads to the back and base, re-covered them in leather, which make them very cosy. The seats themselves are from a Hyundai Coupe and are much more comfortable, but you lose a little head height with the roof up but a six footer can still get in with a bit of wriggling! The roof frame has been stripped and painted and a new custom made mohair roof fitted to match the colour scheme.

Another thing that was irritating about the standard car was the awful door mirrors. It now has brilliant convex glass type from the MX-5, and although not chrome they at least give you good vision behind and don’t stand out like sore thumbs.

I’ve had lots of fun displaying the car at shows as well as using it for running around. I’ve never bothered to do any really accurate fuel checks but guess it averages around 50 to 70mpg depending on how it’s driven.