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All true. But it still doesn't mean that someone shouldn't have wire wheels on their Sprite. There are people who choose to drive theirs with cross ply tires. Doesn't make it wrong, or bad, or anything else except their own personal choice. If they want the original experience, with poorer handling than would be achieved with modern enhancements, why not? There is a car in the northwest that amounts to a Bugeye tub with modern components, all the drive train, suspension, etc are derived from modern cars. Other than the outside appearance, it is a modern car. Is it... MORE
I am looking for a complete wire wheel set-up for a Bugeye. Does anyone have one? I need front and rear. Thanks. "Barry Knickerbocker" 1585... 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
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
There are a couple of NOS (new old stories) on the club web site: http://reality.sgi.com/ahsdc Interview with Rauno Aaltonen on left foot braking describes the use for both front wheel drive and rear wheel drive cars. The Wheeler/Davidson privateer Sebring Sprite in the 1967 Targa Florio A good yarn They are both reprints from old Goblins Gazettes You can access the articles by clicking on the "Technical" menu button on the top frame.. There is a bit of commentary at the bottom of the 2nd article - I did a little chasing up on the pairs' other attempts at... MORE
Anyting better than the standard 274's will help. I am running 340's and love them. I also am running alloy wheels and 165/65 HR 13 tires. It can make a big difference! Take Care-Steve "Stephen P. Mers" 1487... MORE
Hi Mark Engine spec as follows: - 1380cc A+ 1300 Ital block, 73.5mm Omega forged pistons, EN16T Midget crank, balanced Cooper 'S' rods, ARP rod bolts, modified Midget flywheel lightened and machined to accept 7.5" AP racing clutch, crank & flywheel dynamically balanced, Kent 310 'scatter pattern' camshaft, Kent vernier duplex timing gears, steel centre main strap, Vandervell (Clevite) 'VP' main and big end bearings, baffled sump, modified race cylinder head, 11:1 CR, ARP 11 x head stud kit, 35.5mm x 32mm Ivey race valves, Isky race valve springs, 1.5 ratio roller rockers, Lucas 'Rita' electronic ignition, 3.5" Maniflow... MORE
Not much Bugeye left in that car... Don't see the point in upsetting the handling by putting a heavier engine into a light car (bet it understeers like a pig...). A friend has a MG Midget with an 1800cc Rover K series engine and 5 speed Ford Sierra gearbox fitted - last rolling road session showed 230bhp at the wheels. My personal favourite would be an 1100cc Honda Blackbird motorbike engine fitted to a Mk1 Sprite... Regards James "James Bilsland" 1454... MORE
and a Schneider cam (specs if you care; Intake: open 22.5 deg. Close 57.5 deg. Duration 260 deg. Lift 390 in. Exhaust: open 57.5 deg. Closes 22.5 deg. Duration 260 deg. Lift 390 in.) I had 1 1/4 SU carbs with out chokes and 3 inch velocity stacks. Distributor had a modified mechanical advance with a CD transistor ignition. So much for the hard stuff. I told my guy I wanted to make power between 5,000 and 8,000 rpm. I was running a 5.125:1 rear end gears out of a Morris Minor and 20.5 in diameter tires. He calculated... MORE
The pins do nothing to support the hood at the front of the frame. You need to add some spacers to the hood in the spot that meets the frame at the locating pins. It may be that the frame struts have been bent down or were damaged. The hood rests on the frame and slightly on the rubber supports. It should contact both at the same time. THe pins actually locate the hood so it can be locked. "tim roy" 1271... MORE
Hi Matt. I am using Bridgstone 165/65 HR 13 Potenza RE92 on my BE. They are short enough not to give you any major problems and still get more meat on the ground. You can see a picture in the Gallery. I am using a disk brake front so it is wider and am currently using 1/4" spacers on the rear. What is your backspacing on your new rims? If you want more pictures or Specifications, let me know. Steve "Stephen P. Mers" 1267... MORE
Folks Has anyone out there installed the 13" x 5" 8 Spoke Alloy Wheels on their Bugeye? I purchased a set from Victoria British and would like to know what is needed up front and rear so the tires don't rub when mounted on the wheels. Are low profile tires required? What size? I imagine longer wheel studs are also required but don't know the length (depends on the wheel spacers). My current setup has the original wheels and tire size but bought the 5" for a wider track wheel/tire. Any help would be much appreciated. Matt in Pa.... MORE
The saga continues. The VIN on the registration should read AN5L 41542. I just scraped the paint off the plate on the wheel well and it reads: AN5L 19170. I think I may just turn the plate over, screw it down and forget getting it right. Does the latter VIN make it a 1959 ? DGaryWhite 1250... MORE
Gerard/Biff Thanks for the info. I found the Sprite Club site in the UK and their vehicle data confirms your explanation. The car was originally from North Carolina and was registered in Pennsylvania in 1991. The car has been repainted and naturally the plate on the frame (wheel well) was painted over. I may try to clean it up. I know that if I try to correct the error(s) I probably won't get to drive it for months. I'm enough of a purist however to pursue the correct VIN and year of manufacuture for the Bugeye. DGaryWhite 1249... MORE
I haven't corresponded lately but have been checking messages regularly. I have all my Bugeye mail sent to a separate folder and really am able to go through all messages quite easily and quickly delete the ones that don't pertain to my interests. I've been on other lists but enjoy this one the most. I've been bouncing back and forth from brake rebuilding, gas tank restoration and painting rear end and underneath pans and anything that needs it with Por 15. I like the stuff. I was reading in the brochure about a floor pan repair kit they have.... MORE
Group; Any suggestions for supplier on floor boards and/or windshield glass? Both need it. Have seen prior posts on glass replacement, and do not wish to attempt it myself. Do have contact for glass installer, tho. Need the floor boards all the way from firewall to front of rear wheel well areas. Thx in advance!! Mike F. ashtin49@... 1184... MORE
2x6 is too narrow (width is only 5.5 inches) and doesn't leave much margin for error and droppng a wheel (or two) off the ramp. A 2x8 or 2x10 will give you more strength and is the minimum in my opinion, and I've done it about 20 times. A 1-by strip nailed to the inner edges and extending above the boards will help you guide the wheels and stiffen the ramps too. Gerard pixelsmith@... 1181... MORE
A couple of 6"x2" planks make good ramps, you'll need a winch or a couple of stron assistants though. When you tie the car down, tie to the wheels and rear axle- if you tie to the body, the car's suspension movement can loosen the ropes. Just my 2c G Grant@... 1178... MORE
Bob M, It's not that the rack is mounted upside down that makes the difference. The difference is that the rack and steering arms are mounted behind the wheels instead of in front of the wheels as it is in the Sprites. Gerard pixelsmith@... 1152... MORE
Bob, At minimum, you need a RHD dash (or cut and flip a LHD dash) and a RHD steering rack. If you could flip over your rack, you'd have the unusual driving experience of turning in the opposite direction of the way you turned you steering wheel! A steering rack from a LHD Morris will do the trick though. There are some other modifications related to instrument placement (wiring) and and different routing of hydraulic lines. pixelsmith@... 1147... MORE
I've recently seen several comments @ re-doing the interior, and I thought I'd throw mine in as well. My '61 bugeye had beat-up panels and grungy car pet that looked like it came from someone's closet. so I tore eveything ou t to re-do. Bought new seat kits and a carpet replacement kit from Moss (k ind with the snaps). Also bought the aluminum covers for the footwell cross bars, and they were a great finish. Now that its all done, however, I'm no t sure why a need to replace the panels up front. sure, I see why... MORE
The idea is to bleed the brakes based on the length of pipe from the master cylinder to each wheel, starting with the longest and working to the shortest. With either a LHD or a RHD car, the relevant measuring point is the 4 way connection which for both, is mounted on the right side inner wing. The single pipe from the master to that connection is shared by all wheels, equal in length and therefore irrelevant. The 3 way connection at the rear is mounted on the right side of the differential, and therefore the pipe to the... MORE
Don't trust a 40 +/- year old tach!!!! Get out on the Highway and check it with a known good Speedo. If you want to do the math, check out this site so you can find out the number of revolutions per mile that your selected tire size is turning. http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html Don't worry about what the URL says, this will give you the correct numbers so you can plug them into the following formula: 60,000/(Tire revs per mile x Diff ratio) = MPH per 1000 RPM This formula doesn't care if your running 10" Mini tires or 17" Super... MORE
Jim, You can't calculate top speed with just gear ratio. The main factor is the aerodynamic drag. The drag can be calculated with: D=1/2*ro*S*Cx*V^2 with V velocity, Cx drag coeficient, S surface area and ro air density. The power absorbed by this drag is: Pdrag=D*V=1/2.ro.S.Cx.V^3 You see the drag is proportional to the cubic power of the velocity. Other power losses occur, especially in the wheel/road contact, but their all very small compared to the aerodynamic drag. A steady speed is obtained when the aerodynamic drag power balances the power at the wheel : Pwheel=Pdrag The speed is then:... MORE
Bob, Yes, by all means, drill smaller to cause the spline to "score" into the hub. They will not stay in position when torque is applied to the lug nuts if you don't. I don't have specs on the drill size and I don't think the lugs come with it. As I recall, you measure the size of the non-spline section of the bolt which is smaller than the diam. of the spline overall outside diam. and drill that smaller size. Then you try the bolt it tight with washers method to be sure it goes in firmly without... MORE
