First production midas found in barn

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First production midas found in barn

Postby Mi das 1 » Thu Jan 12, 2017 1:40 pm

Hi there thought I would mention that I have just purchased a mk1 midas (the same car) for the second time . This car is believed to be the first production car sold to a Mr John Smith on August 25th 1979 Rev no Jly 862 V . I first purchased it from a guy in Aberdeen in the early 90s when I was 21 had it for a few years and now found it in Fraserburgh 28 years later in a sorry state if anyone knows anymore history on the little midas you can get back to me or can contact me on 07999 456 250 thanks Mark
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Re: First production midas found in barn

Postby benofbrum » Thu Jan 12, 2017 5:27 pm

Back last Autumn, I bought back a Mk1 Midas which my wife had formerly owned many moons ago. The rear number plate carries the message " The Very First Handbuilt Midas".
It was registered on 1st October 1979 and carries the chassis number D01000 and registration JEH 448V This is the car which features in many of the magazine road tests of the period.
The previous owner, Terry, passed on to a box of history and magazine test publications or reprints. One of these is a publication, dated September 1979, from the factory which has a stop press announcement that the first car had just been delivered to Mr Smith of Hendon.
I guess this is your car. What is the chassis number?
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Re: First production midas found in barn

Postby Stuart » Thu Jan 12, 2017 5:52 pm

benofbrum wrote: What is the chassis number?


Number 2, does that make this car the third one made then :?:

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Re: First production midas found in barn

Postby Mi das 1 » Thu Jan 12, 2017 7:43 pm

Ye chassis no is do 10002
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Re: First production midas found in barn

Postby ACourtney » Thu Jan 12, 2017 9:14 pm

If it is the car sold to Mr Smith of Hendon then it is the first customer kit sold. This is referred to in the Midas newsletter that can be downloaded from the Midas Owners Club website
http://midasownersclub.co.uk/downloads/ Select archive cd > Bronze mk1 > brochures and ads > newsletter 0979 p01.jpg

I believe that Neil's car JEH448V was the first production specification car built by the factory - the previous car CNC297T was the first prototype so may have had some detail differences.
JEH 448V may have been given the chassis number DO10000 retrospectively (most chassis number sequences start at 1), or it may have come out the mould before Mr Smiths car. Whatever, it would still have been under build in August 1979 if it was registered in October 1979. If Mr Smith's car was bought as a kit then it is highly probable that he was still building his car and didn't get it registered until after JEH448V.

There was also a chassis number D10001 that MOC records say had the registration number FNT349V and was also White like Neil's car.

I don't know what system Harold Dermott used for issuing the chassis numbers. Did he issue the chassis numbers when the cars came out the mould? when the customers collected the cars? or when the customers were ready to register them? If it was the latter then it would explain the confusion as to which was the first production Midas.

I had previously commented on this on the Facebook page, but annoyingly the thread has been removed.
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Re: First production midas found in barn

Postby Mi das 1 » Thu Jan 12, 2017 9:22 pm

Thanks for that information just glad to have it back after 28 years want to get it back on road asap
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Re: First production midas found in barn

Postby benofbrum » Thu Jan 12, 2017 11:19 pm

JEH448 V is entry number 4 for the Prescott Classic Hill Climb this year
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Re: First production midas found in barn

Postby MargoC » Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:55 am

After reading yesterday's post in FB I checked my FNT349V Midas's V5 (VIN/Chassis/Frame No. D.0.10001) and it says, that it is registered on 15.11.1979. By that I would guess that Harold Dermott issued the chassis numbers when the cars came out the mould. But that's just my guessing. In any case it's great that so many MK1-s are coming out :)
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Re: First production midas found in barn

Postby ACourtney » Fri Jan 13, 2017 9:45 am

Hi Margo,
That would more strongly indicate that Harold issued the chassis numbers when the cars were ready to register. D10000 was registered in October 1979 and your car D10001 in November 1979.
We know that D10002 was the first kit to be collected by a customer as that is well recorded, but then again D10001 may already have been moulded and sitting around waiting to be collected.
I wonder if Mark's V5C confirms the date of first registration? That might clear up the mystery.

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Re: First production midas found in barn

Postby MargoC » Fri Jan 13, 2017 11:20 am

My mistake. At first I read out from Mark's post, that his car was registered on 25th of August 1979, but now I understand that this was the date when the kit was collected and registration date may be different. It would be interesting to know, what Mark's V5C says about registration date.
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