You are here:

Classic/Antique Car Repair/MG Midget transmission switches

Advertisement

Expert: Paul Wilczynski - 7/29/2009


Question
I have a 75 MG Midget that I am rewiring. It has an earlier model year (don't know what year) 1275cc engine & tranny. There are 2 switches on the tranny. One is on the driver side & the other is on the passenger side, both up by the shifter. One I know is the back-up light switch. I can not find any info on the other switch in any of my manuals (Michell's & Haynes), wiring diagram, or in parts catalogs. Any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance. Tim

Answer
Depending upon the year, this could be a US-mandated neutral safety/seat belt interlock switch, common in '73 and '74.

Check it with a continuity tester. It should show "closed" when the tranny's in neutral.

Hooking it up's a matter of preference, not a "must do".

--Paul

Classic/Antique Car Repair

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Paul Wilczynski

Expertise

Most questions involving vintage car restoration, mechanical and body, paint and upholstery. Parts sourcing. Extensive experience in wood-bodied station wagons, British and French cars of the '40s through '70s. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Citroen Maserati, VW Beetle, 1955-65 Chevrolet (especially Nomad station wagons), Corvair.

Experience

Wide-ranging and long-term. I owned a restoration shop in the 1970s, continue to dabble in vintage exotics. At one time, had a seven-car collection of contemporary exotics which I had restored and maintained myself. When I was 18 years old, I designed a woodie kit for the VW Beetle, which I developed into a product which was featured on television and in over 100 magazines and 25 books at last count. I still own and drive one of my creations. I owned a design and fabrication consultancy from 1982-2002, specializing in show car fabrication for manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, etc. Since 2003, I have been a department manager in Industrial Design, and a full-time instructor in automotive design and fabrication at the university level. My students go on to design automobiles as staff designers for major auto manufacturers worldwide.

Organizations
Western Automotive Journalists, Industrial Design Society of America.

Publications
Long list of magazines and books, including Playboy, VW Trends, VW Greats, Hot VWs, and European automotive magazines.

Education/Credentials
I teach design and fabrication at university level. My education is in Industrial Design, University of Illinois (1966-1970).

Awards and Honors
Many awards for restorations in local concours and shows.

Past/Present Clients
Mazda, Ford, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Mercedes, Porsche.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.