Good afternoon!
It’s been a while since I posted on forum, but now it's time I’ll write a bit about my Midas Mk1, FNT349V. More precisely I have questions I haven’t found answers on my own.
I had the privilege to buy this Midas some years ago and at that moment I wanted exactly this Midas – VIN code with 001 and 1979. At that time, I didn’t know, that there were and luckily still are 000 and prototype car.
Here a couple of pictures, when I saw her for the first time:
My plan was to give her a good clean yesterday, but weather wasn’t on our side, so new outside pictures will be in future.
As this Midas isn’t my only hobby, or project, restoring have been on hold. Mainly because I got it as ongoing restauration project and as it is 001, I’ve had different plans with it. Starting with full “frame off and all bolts and nuts” restauration. Latest one is to keep the body as original, as possible, to keep the patina and preserve the life she has had – car is original only once.
Why it’s time to write about it right now – I have crazy and over ambitious plan to get her back on the road this season and if I succeed it and still have little funds left, then participate in Midas at 40th Aniversary get together at Greenfield factory site at the end of August. I must try to refurbish and keep as much as possible, but still change everything necessary.
I have to say, I really love this Mk1, as it is a mixture of surprises and mystery and although I already got great information and history from some of previous owners, I always like to know and find out more.
So here are some questions I haven’t find answers on my own, but maybe some of you, who have had longer history with Midas could help me.
1. Original or self-made Interior side panels? My Mk1 has interior fiberglass wheel arch covers as probably most Midasis have, but mines are covering all the side to small window and almost to the door. As my English isn’t good, I better show some pictures. Panels in the car:
Panels out of the car:
It seems, they have been made in one peace, not prolonged usual arch covers and are quite thin. So, I’m interested in, does any other Midas have similar panels and does anyone know did those panels came with the car from factory or some of the owners have made them?
I guess other fiberglass panels are usual - front A-pillars, roof lining (unfortunately couldn’t get out yesterday, as some rusted screws need a bit different approach), rear hatch side covers, and rear lights cover with spear wheel place.
After removing side and rear panels I found very clean and beautifully preserved body:
2. Original wheels? My Midas came with golden Mistral 12”x5” wheels and I would like to keep them. I’ve found that they aren’t very common nowadays and it seems, that they were used in other Midasis too. As they are currently in rough condition:
Then there are two options for me. One is to restore them. I already asked quotes for it and it is pricey. It is cheaper to buy set brand new Mini wheels + spare wheel. But they wouldn’t be right wheels. Second option is to thoroughly clean them and if they are straight and don’t wobble, then keep them as they are, to match condition of the body.
But if they need restoring, then I would like to find out, are those golden Mistrals were with Midas from the beginning? Or did some of the owners put them on car? If second option, then I would like to know, what the wheels were before.
I’m asking this, because my first idea was, that if I’m going to restore them, then I would like to paint them white. But if golden is original colour, then I would like to keep it. That rises another question, why they were golden, not white, silver, or some other colour?
3. 145/70 or 155/70 R12 tires. My Mk1 came with 145/70 and as I need new tires, I haven’t decided yet, either to buy same size or 155/70R12. My main concern is, wouldn’t bigger tires start to rub against anything. Here is picture with original size tire and there is only some 25-26 mm (1 inch) between tire and rear beam.
When I added some 110 kg in car, it seems that tire doesn’t get much closer to beam, but it’s much closer to rear side of the arch. Unfortunately, I couldn’t measure those gaps, as I was part of that 110 kg in car
Luckily my donor Metro have 155/70R12 tires and I found a spare one, to try on Midas:
Now the front gap was less than 20mm:
Unfortunately, I couldn’t do the weight test, as due to Metro wheel construction tire’s inside part was already touching body when I tightened the wheel nuts. Even with those wide spacers my Midas came with:
My question is, does anyone else have Mistral 12” wheels on their Midas Mk1, and what tires do you use on Mk1, despite wheel brand? I’m interested in Mk1, because from what I’ve found out, Mk2 have more spacious rear arches and could fit much wider range of wheels and tires.
4. What were original front indicators for early Mk1? I’ve read, also in this forum, that Mk2 uses UK Metro indicators, but Metro came out 1980, so 1979 Midasis couldn’t have them. By look, my Mk1 have two different ones and I would like to find out what originals would have been.
Yesterday I took them apart and found out, that both have same base – Lucas L867. And with information from this site:
http://tvrna.tvrccna.org/lucas/lucas-lamp-assy.htm
it seems that these could be TVR parts 16279 r.h. and 16280 l.h, because of the indicator body.
Right side indicator seems to have original lens, it has L867 printed as on body, so on plastic.
Left side indicator has other lens and by look and by codes it is from Mini Clubman:
Interesting is, that to fit on Lucas L867 body, both side parts have been cut off of the Clubman lens and it nearly fits inside of L867 lens:
By wiring it seems, that Lucas L867 could be original indicators and if so, then after cleaning I’ll see, can I save them and need to buy just new lenses and seals, or I have to search for new whole units.
5. From what car is outer weather strip? Weather strips on my Midas are cracked and hard and would need replacing:
I’ve talked with Alistair and if I’m lucky, I can buy all body seals I need from him, but I would still like to know, if this weather strip is coming from certain car.
Second question about weather strip is, does any Midas have inner one too?
6. From what car are those seats?
Once again, if these are original seats and I could find headrests for them, then I would like to keep them and one day restore. Maybe from time and set materials they aren’t too comfortable, but I’ve sat in worse. Firstly, I need to clean them and when Midas is running give them a chance to prove themselves.
7. From what car are window mechanism? As my Midas came without doorcards, then inside of the door was clearly visible and to roll up and down the window, there were those interesting “winders” that weren’t fixed to mechanism:
As handle isn’t fixed, under it comes out this rectangular base:
I’ve read and been told, that door locks, handles, window mechanisms with winder handles and hood cable should be from Ford Fiesta Mk1, but after some research in internet I found only one Fiesta Mk1 window winder handle, and it’s fixing is “star”, not rectangular:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... 5-223-5213
Could this add have wrong picture? Or in UK Fiesta window mechanisms were different? Or my Midas doesn’t have Fiesta mechanism? Last one of course rises lots of other ones, starting with from what it could be then?
I would really like to find out more about my Midas history and answers to questions I raised today. Most likely I’ll have lots of newbie questions when I progress with restauration, but I think for today it’s more than enough