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Chas, My two cents worth , garnered from 30 plus years of Sprite ownership, is that judging from the amount of time the car has sat and the fact that it does have SU's is that perhaps you should remove the carb dampers and be sure that they are clean and move freely. Also clean the carbs inside with some appropriate spray being sure to squirt it through the needle , seat and fuel line. The mixture needle can be gingerly cleaned with the spray and some soft rubbing with a 3M scuff pad, should it have a build... MORE
Hi, Guys Just thought I would sound-off to the List, since my family isn't into car stuff, and does'nt understand envy, lust, & being happy for another guy - all at the same time. I think you guys will understand. A friend, Fritz (who has a very nice 59 Bugeye as a daily driver) came by the house late yesterday to show me his new "project." Jumped into his Bugeye & drove over to his place (end of LBC content). In his garage is an absolutely gorgeous '58 Mercedes Benz 190 SL convertible! One of his sons had found... MORE
FYI - Several members of the List have discussed trailers for moving their Spridgets (be they "queens" or "donors" ). Saw this on Ebay, with a fairly good current price & thought someone might be interested. Size looks about right, may need to move storage racks. No financial interest, yada, yada .... Jim Rogers San Juan Capistrano CA 59 Bugeye (Marked "other" color - primer) Title of item:=A0 =A0 12ft enclosed trailer with ramp door Seller:=A0 =A0 mnyssen Starts:=A0 =A0 Jul-04-01 14:41:17 PDT Ends:=A0 =A0 Jul-14-01 14:41:17 PDT Price:=A0 =A0 Currently $710.00 To bid on the item, go to:=A0... MORE
Saw the retractable seat belts advertised in Victoria British. Has anyone installed them in a bugeye? Are there other choices? I'd like to both lap and diagonal belt. DGaryWhite 1670... MORE
Mike, Most everything is different. You'll need everything from backing plates to shoes. I'm pretty sure drums are the same though. I've heard some say that some material needs to be trimmed from the drum edge so they don't rub the backing plates, but I've never had a problem myself. Parking brakes rods will work as is, as will hydraulic line hookups. I've never heard of anyone doing this upgrade/switch without discs up front though. I don't know that there is anything to gain without discs. It's been a while since I made this swap myself, so I may... MORE
A poorly installed rear gasket and cover can certainly contribute to this problem, as can a cracked rear plate. If the do crack, a common plce is between the oil cover cutout and the the crank opening. However, the most common culprit is too much internal pressure and/or a poorly installed rear seal cover. Bottom line is all these details should be assembled carefully and correctly to increase the likelyhood of building a no leak engine. I'm building another one now, so we'll see if I can do it again. Gerard Gerard pixelsmith@... 1614... MORE
Most of the oil leaks from the crankshaft past the scroll seal. Brazing the oil pump cover into place would certainly contain any oil leak from the oil pump, but I would suggest that if your oil pump is leaking you've got an assembly problem. I've never had any problems with the oil pump leaking, but I have a tad less experience than yourself, Bob. "Grant Bowyer" 1600... MORE
W H Y? They do not handle!! Too much maintenance!! WHY? Steve "Stephen P. Mers" 1589... MORE
Hi Colin, Thanks for replying to my question with such detail. I had the engine overhauled prior to installing it in my bugeye; new everything just about. I hope it isn't the engine. I will try what you have suggested and see what happens. The part that I can not figure out why the tranny will not leak sitting static and leak about a cup of oil an hour with the engine running with tranny not engaged. Perhaps it is the engine that is leaking. Well I will try both tests you recommended and see what happens. You also... MORE
Hi Colin, Thanks for replying to my question with such detail. I had the engine overhauled prior to installing it in my bugeye; new everything just about. I hope it isn't the engine. I will try what you have suggested and see what happens. The part that I can not figure out why the tranny will not leak sitting static and leak about a cup of oil an hour with the engine running with tranny not engaged. Perhaps it is the engine that is leaking. Well I will try both tests you recommended and see what happens. You also... MORE
Ok, I was invitied to introduce myself. I currently own 5 Bugeyes; 1) complete and ready for restoration 2) fully retored to showroom condition, rubber mats, crossply tyres etc etc 3) one owner and 14,000 miles from new 4) lightweight race car, all fibreglass panels, 1380cc engine etc 5) the "Fright", built in 1964 from a wrecked Jaguar E-Type with all mecha nicals grafted into the Bugeye shell. Lotus 16 independent rear end with J aguar inboard discs. Engine modified to full Le Mans D-type specs, triple webers etc, 330 bhp. Top speed recorded at 158 mph. 0-60 mph... MORE
Joe The bad news is: there is no good news. Two of the features (note: not faults, but "features") of the Sprite/Morris/Austin engine and gearbox combination is the total lack of oil seal at the rear of the motor, and at the front of the gearbox. Both rely on a scrolled machining in the rear main bearing of the engine, and the front cover plate of the gearbox, that (in theory) rolls any oil back into the sump or gearbox as appropriate. Problem is - it doesn;t work too well. If either leaks, then the oil passes into the... MORE
hi group; Looking for bugeye dash and steering column assy in good condition. Don't care if dash has radio cutout, plan on putting one in anyway. Dash needs to be as original (ie no Extra holes!!) as possible. Steering column needs to be as complete as possible (housing/shaft/bearings etc) Any help?? Thx in advance.... Mike F. ashtin49@... 1537... MORE
It is quite possible that the regulator (remote on these cars) is not functioning correctly. This is quite easy for your local auto electrician to check for you, and will not likely cost anything. The repair may cost tho, and may involve an adjustment to your regulator, to increase the charge out of the regulator, or replacement altogether. It may also be a fault in the generator, such as worn bushes, or a failure in the armature. The other thing not always considered is the current drawn through ancilliaries like headlights. The original pre-focussed beams had very low requirements,... MORE
I've waited for two months but now have a week of fine weather driving under my belt in my '59. The car needed a new gas tank, carb kit and fuel pump. I made the mistake of fixing one at a time. It makes for a lot of down time waiting for orders. I now have concerns about the cooling. The car runs between 190 and 200 degrees and seems to need topping up every couple of days. I haven't had it out for a long run but instead have stayed in the city. I'm waiting for a thermostat... MORE
Its an epedemic now.. I always fill the tank just to where I can hear it start to enter the bottom of the filler neck. I did just that the other day, then drove 21 miles home. The car is normally left in a garage however it was occupied for other repairs so the bugeye ended up in the driveway, wrapped up in a cover. When I got home from work the next day I noticed a large stain on the cover. As soon as I got close enough to investigate, the smell of gas gave it away. Now... MORE
Dan, Do you have the BAE # plate from the door post ? I think British Motor Industry Heritage Trust needs any one of three numbers (BAE or the AN5 # from below carbs or the engine #) to search the records. Is the number stamped on the top right hand foot well under the wiring harness similar to your AN5 - 35XXX ? Mine are within a little more than a hundred of each other. If someone changed your VIN # ...these will be wildly different. BTW the foot well number is of no use to the BMIHT... MORE
Do I replace the guage in the dash or the sensor in the side of the motor? This was suppose to be a rebuilt motor that I've put in so not sure if I got screwed on this or not. mike "Mike Aarset" 1464... MORE
Hello, I am thinking of buying a Sprite from one of my neighbors that is a mess. The engine and transmission have been removed and disassembled in the drivers seat! I like the looks of the car, but I would like to make it a sort of custom hot rod. I would like to put a modern engine in it, like from a Miata, or something along that line. What engine swaps have been sucessfully done with Mk1 sprites? Thanks for any help! brendencovd@... 1449... MORE
Mike, that is either the bearing shells or the rockers. Hope for the rockers as they are a lot cheaper to replace. Easy test, pull the valve cover and start the car when warm. If oil flys everywhere it is the rockers if not it is rebuild time. Crash "David Ramsey" 1440... MORE
Hi Team, I'm looking for a fan switch for a Bugeye Sprite. Everyone tells me that these are not availale as reproductions, such as from Moss Motors or Victoria British. Anyone got any leads or ideas on where I might find one? Please respond privately to sebring1955@... Thanks. Cheers, Reid Trummel http://www.healey.org sebring1955@... 1434... MORE
Does anyone know of a bright red Bugeye/frogey with pure white upholstery (including a rollover bar cover)it's quite distinctive. I saw it parked outside a condo in Key west FL during Bike Week about five years ago. I think the licence had the word "Hog" in it I'd love to find more information about it, as it's the reason I now own one. Strange I have to go all the way to USA to fall in love with a British car Gary L London England "Gary Lazarus" 1433... MORE
The appeal process is shown on the back of the Canada Customs documentation that would have come with your shipment. From experience, I can tell you that your appeal will be denied, with the reason given that Britain has no free trade agreements with Canada that cover this tariff classification. It's odd though, as I have ordered from AH Spares many times, and only once have I been assessed duty........ Doug Ingram Victoria BC 1958 Sprite (AN5L/636) 1963 Sprite Mk II project (HAN7L/30003) "Doug Ingram" 1428... MORE
I presume you mean the space between the rocker cover (the pressed steel cover that has the oil filler hole in it, retained by two bolts) and the he ad (which kind of looks like its part of the rest of the engine, but actual ly its not... the head is the bit with the spark plugs screwed into it.) In which case, you can unscrew the two retaining nuts, remove the rocker cover, and fit a new cork gasket. The old gasket has probably hardened. When you're fitting the new gasket, use a thin smear of gasket sealing... MORE
Another suggestion is to solder them shut. Small holes are pretty easy to do and shouldn't cause any panel warpage. You do have to get the metal really clean and use flux too. I would use a reamer or a file to clean the sedges of the hole too, making sure you have bright metal around the edge. Gerard pixelsmith@... 1403... MORE
