MG Midget Forum

Is anyone here using one of these and what did you do with the long antenna wire?

Just keep it rolled up behind the dash. I have them in both my cars and cant fault them. Denid

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68 B roadster, Daffodil yellow, supercharger, Burgess SC head, SC cam, Mikuni HSR 48 carburetor and engine built for supercharging.

73 BGT V8 conversion starting with a bare shell. Built the engine "3.9L Rover" early in 2016 with high comp pistons and a few other nice bits, plus a T5 ford trans. Started on the body late 2016 and complete late 2017, Did all the work myself, mechanical, body. paint etc.
Finished and going well, great to drive and quick. Now has a nice 3.23 LSD.

I ran the wire under the carpet and put the antenna on the metal panel behind the seats under the carpet. Can't tell it's under there. Works perfectly with the top up. I have the Datsun trans. Decided I didn't want to fool with the GM self-destructing right angle adapter thingie. Glad I bought the Speedhut.

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1969 MG Midget with Datsun A15/5 speed

I have one in my ‘77B. It works great, I highly recommend. I am not sure about the midget, but I put the sensor up behind the center of the dash. It sits on top of the dash, cable behind, dead center up against the windshield. Any excess cable was coiled up and zip tied under the dash.

Thanks guys! I'm running a angle drive on my Datsun trans., worked fine (60K+) until the plastic gear in the trans. died.

I have one. I rand the antenna wire through the bulkhead (I can't remember what access hole I used, probably the one vacated by the old speedometer cable) and followed the route of the bonnet latch cable from there into the space behind the front grill. My antenna is behind the grill stuck to the sheet metal over the left horn. I didn't have a lot of slack left to take up and I don't have an antenna stuck on the dashboard. Win-win. It gets plenty of signal and is very discrete.

Or you can get creative with gauge faces like I did here for Bugsy IV my BE

I love mine. I put the Spitfire OD transmission in 2 different Midgets. I could never get the speedo to work so I bought Speedhut speedos for both cars. On the first one I ran the antenna wire behind the vinyl panels over the wheel well and out under the top to the small corner area very near the boot lid. The second one I ran through the boot and out the hole with the license plate light wires. I riveted a square plate to the rubber bumper for the antenna magnet to hold on to.
It never occurred to me to try to hide the antenna as the instructions tell you to put the antenna where it will have a clear access to the sky. But previous posts say it works hidden.

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Jere McSparran
JMAC Engine Shop
Website: http://www.jmacengineshop.com
email: jmacengineshop@gmail.com
Phone: 217-232-7303

Jere,
in pic #2, the 4-in-1 gauges -- has it been that long since I have driven my Midget that I don't recall this set up? Possibly!! But, just in case not, where did you get this gauge?
in pic #3, is that a Speedhut tach plus speedo? Do they come like this, or are you a gauge Maestro and are one of those guys who can combine gauges?

Jere -- one additional question ref the speedo on a Spitie OD tranny: I have yet to install my engine/Spit OD trans (got ensnared into redoing son's '56 Jag XK140 -- wellllll, I probably more volunteered to do it). WHat were the problems with using the stock Spit speedo cable? The angle drive, or cable routing, or?

Hi Steve, I haven't seen anything from you for a while. Good to know you are still making visits while working on the Jag.

Those gauges you refer to are all available through Speedhut.com. They have a design feature to their website that allows you to make it look the way you want. I uploaded the Midget 1500 graphic and the MG graphic. The gauges are 4" so I had to rearrange things on the dash to make room. There are several little features that are pretty cool too, like lights that warn you of high or low limits that you set. I was able to set the fuel low level light to illuminate when I reach 1 gal. left in the tank. And a high limit light on the temp gauge.

As for the speedo issues... The speedo of the Spit OD tranny comes off on the opposite side and I think it runs in reverse of the Midget cable. My midget cable birdcaged. I'm not saying that the speedo can't be made to work. I just decided it was going to take more effort in figuring it all out than I wanted to spend. Plus the accuracy of the GPS speedo was attractive to me. I'm not a purist when it comes to comfort items.

I hope that answers your questions, Steve.

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Jere McSparran
JMAC Engine Shop
Website: http://www.jmacengineshop.com
email: jmacengineshop@gmail.com
Phone: 217-232-7303

Wow -- I will have to check them out!




Thanks.

it works hidden, but not enclosed. so it can be behind the grille, but not in the trunk. It needs a window to the sky, just doesn't have to be a completely vertical window.

The gauges are great. I work at a place where we install a lot of different gauges, but we use their cable speedo drive box a lot. The antenna honestly Ive stuck under a metal dash numerous times with no issues. I cant say its any less reliable with it on the dash VS under, but we have had no issues. Another nice thing about the cable drive is you can keep your stock speedo if you should so choose. Im gonna do that for my bugeye. And another feature, not that it matters for our cars, but the speedo drive box is fairly small, and it has a VSS input. So if you have a VSS signal, you can run it with the GPS antenna. Drive the car, its self calibrating. Then dump the GPS antenna. Anyway, yeah. Try just putting it under the dash and see how it goes