Sir, Can you give me any advice as to how I can improve the performance of my 1939 ” T.A.” M.G. Midget ? I bought the car new in April 1939, and have since covered 10,500 miles with practically no trouble of any kind worth talking about, bar an excessive heaviness of the steering whichlI don’t seem to be able to. cure by stripping down and reassembling the box, filling box with ” Redex,” fresh oil, and everything one could possibly think of. The confounded thing still seems to be binding somewhere; I say binding because when I get the steering on to approaching full lock, it gives out the most horrible groaning noise I Can you Suggest any

cure for this ? What I really want to do is to take up competition work Seriously after the war, and would like to know the best way to improve the performance of the Midget. Would it be possible, do you think, to raise the Maximum speed from 83.27 m.p.h. (stop Watch and Diseol in tank) to approaching 90 per ? I know I am pro

bably making you laugh with the figure 90 odd, but do you think it can possibly be done ? The body on my car is perfectly standard in evefy way, i.e., I am not using cycle-type wings or anything like that, no weight-reducing has been carried out, and no work on the engine bar one de-coke at 8i thousand which it really didn’t need. I suppose that really I can’t grumble at all when I can get 83 odd over the flying quarter ; the dealers who sold me the car say she’s quite the fastest they have ever handled, but I want to improve on this it’ I can. I am now using oversize tyres on the rear wheels, instead of the normal 4.75 x 18 I am using 5.00 x 18. I find the comfort and roadholding have improved considerably with the fitting of these, but that the getaway has not been improved the slightest ! I get to 50 through the gears in 15 secs. dead again with Discol„ but now with these tyres and Pool this has dropped to 17 sees. The motor is in excellent fettle and using oil to the tune of only 1 pint to every 300 miles or so. I am of the opinion, and you will probably agree with me here, that the stroke of this engine, 102 m/m., is a little on the long side for excessive revs, and I em naturally worried as to how con rods, little end, and big end bearings would stand up to sustained speed Of over the 5,000 r.p.m. mark. Keep the flag flying with the only motoring periodical ” By Enthusiasts for Enthusiasts” and the very best of luck. I am, Yours etc.,

PAT. STILLEY.

14th Btn. Sherwood Foresters.