The handling upgrades section covers the most effective modifications for improving the Midget's ride and handling characteristics, from individual component upgrades to comprehensive bush and damper packages. Most upgrades can be combined to deliver a transformed driving experience without compromising the car's essentially original character.
Front Telescopic Damper Conversion
Replacing the original front lever-arm dampers with modern telescopic units is widely regarded as the single most effective handling upgrade for the Midget. The conversion kit includes the telescopic damper units, mounting brackets, and all necessary fixings. The telescopic dampers provide superior control over wheel movement compared to the lever-arm originals, particularly on rough or undulating surfaces, and they do not suffer from the gradual fluid loss that eventually renders lever-arm dampers ineffective.
Rear Telescopic Damper Conversion
Rear telescopic damper conversions are available from specialist manufacturers for both the 1275cc and 1500. These complement the front conversion and provide a matched damping response front and rear. The kits are designed for fitment without permanent modification to the car, including the necessary brackets, bushes, and fixings.
Lever-Arm Damper Upgrades
For owners preferring to retain the original lever-arm configuration, whether for concours authenticity or simply by preference, uprated units with increased damping rates are available on an exchange basis. These provide improved control over the standard units while maintaining the original appearance, and are a worthwhile upgrade in their own right for cars where the telescopic conversion is not preferred.
Polyurethane Bushes
Complete polyurethane bush kits are available covering the front suspension (top trunnion bushes and inner fulcrum bushes), the rear suspension (spring eye and shackle bushes), and the anti-roll bar mounting bushes. Polyurethane offers greatly improved durability over standard rubber and provides sharper, more precise handling. Road-specification polyurethane is recommended for road-driven cars, offering a good compromise between improved handling and acceptable ride comfort. Race-specification polyurethane provides maximum precision for competition use but transmits more road noise into the cabin.
Anti-Roll Bar Upgrades
Uprated anti-roll bars in larger diameters than the original specification provide improved roll stiffness and reduced body lean in cornering. Three diameters were originally available, and fitting a larger-diameter bar is a straightforward upgrade requiring matching diameter clamp bushes. The link arms and bearing straps are common across the range. A heavier anti-roll bar transfers weight more aggressively across the front axle in cornering, providing sharper turn-in response at the cost of slightly more body movement on uneven surfaces.
Lowering Kits
Front lowering spacer sets and rear lowering kits are available to reduce the ride height. A lowered Midget has a lower centre of gravity and a more purposeful appearance, but ground clearance is reduced and the suspension geometry is altered. Lowering is best combined with uprated springs and dampers to maintain proper suspension travel and control, fitting a lowering kit alone without other suspension changes can cause bottoming out on poor road surfaces.
Panhard Rod
A Panhard rod provides lateral location for the rear axle, preventing the body from moving sideways relative to the axle under cornering loads. The standard Midget rear suspension relies solely on the leaf springs for lateral location, which allows some lateral movement under hard cornering. A Panhard rod kit eliminates this movement, improving rear-end stability and driver confidence.
This is a particularly valuable upgrade for cars used in competition.
Aftermarket Steering Wheels
A range of aftermarket steering wheels in various sizes, materials, and finishes is available from Mota-Lita, Lecarra, Momo, and the MGOC Club range, allowing owners to personalise the driver's environment and improve grip and feel. Aftermarket wheels require a boss adaptor matched to the car's production date and original horn arrangement, full details are available in the dedicated steering wheels section.