MG Midget Forum

I got my touring tank finished just before a test drive to MG2024 in Texas. You can't enlarge the tank to the side because of the spring and exhaust, can't enlarge to the front (easily) because of the fuel outlet, and can't go down because it is already low. So, the back is really the only way to go (or up into the boot). But, you can't go straight back because you would end up with a pretty low rear that may be susceptible to "traffic calming" structures as well as going up/down driveways, etc. So, I sloped it up with a triangular enlargement that seems to work well and I ended up with an 8.5-9.0 gal. tank giving me an easy 250 mi. range. (No, I won't be doing that in one sitting. I'm no Phil Burke!) I cut up an old tank to make a mockup before cutting up the new tank I got for the project. I found out pretty early that I did not have the welding skills or the fabrication equipment to do this right. I ended up laying it out on sheet metal and took it to a small, custom fab shop that had quite impressive shears and brakes about the size of the Midget! Cut and bent the metal for me for N/C. Then I found a welder that TIGed it for me after I made a pretty good mess of it with my MIG. (That was not N/C). I was afraid I would not be able to get to the rear mounting stud with the extended metal so I put a fixed nut on the tank flange, removed the stud and used a bolt through the boot floor and it seems to work fine. I painted it with truck bed liner (it is hard, textured paint, not the rubbery stuff) and will be road testing soon! The 3 B's and MGF going with me should not have to make extra stops for me to fill up. If anyone here is going to Katy, please look me up. Would love to meet some Midget folks in the sea of MGBs!

Looks great!

Nice work, Jack!

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In 1974 when I was 18, I passed on buying a running and driving 1966 E-Type coupe for $1,500, which is what they were selling for at the time.
Fifty years later, I'm still kicking myself...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-15 07:27 PM by pbcjr.

Looks nice Jack!

Nice job Jack!!!

I also have a bigger fueltank to have a bigger range, works great.
Fits direct on the original floorbolts.
But im the lazy type of modifier and not so creative as you, I just bought an aloy one in the UK.

A very nice job.

The company used two tank bottoms joined together, for a 12 imp gal capacity:

https://www.jacobsmidget.com/abingdon-competitions-dept

Don't know about you gents, but I'm married... having a larger fuel tank will NOT help with making fewer stops along the journey.

Cheers!

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Thomas (Count) Basey
_______________________________________________________
“With each replacement of parts, my British car slowly becomes Chinese.”

Ha! Now you tell me there is one available off the shelf! Do either of you have any information on those tanks? Karl, I didn't see any reference to a fuel tank on that website. I guess I could have had a custom alloy tank built, but that would have been way expensive. And not as much fun! I did see reference somewhere that someone just took a second tank and connected it to the top of the original tank and doubled the size. But, it took up most of the trunk space which you need on a road going car.

Even with the 28gal [500+ miles hwy range] tank in our Expedition, fuel is the limiting factor on stops, not the wife's bladder.

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1975 MG Midget 1500 - Midge
Work in Progress

Arie,

Who did the alloy tank come from?

By the time I’ve burned through 5 or 6 gallons of fuel in my Bugeye, l’m usually more than ready and very willing to get out, stretch my legs and take a leak.

Re #8, the reference is one of the images on that web page, but you are totally right, it would use up most of the boot space. I tend to travel light, so not really a problem for me.

As always another thing Jack does that I want to copy.

If there is an off the shelf or if BMC could get us a group buy on a custom tank that approaches 10 gallons I am a buyer.
Be a lot easier for me to tag along to Carlisle imports this year in my 76 if I can do it without stopping long the way.

Price depending, I'd definitely be interested.

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1975 MG Midget 1500 - Midge
Work in Progress

Forgot to say mine is 9 (UK imperial) gallon what comes to arround 40,86Ltr

Jack, did you make/extend? any baffels in the new fuelltank to prevent fuell moving arround to enthousiast when cornering?