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Bradster- As I recall from my buddies just delivered Arizona '65 Sprite - one bag, two sticks. However, I am more than willing to stand corrected on this. I am going by what I saw with this particular car (which I wished I owned....it's in such terrific shape....no rust....NO rust!:) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 14107... MORE
Regulation-wise in "deviating from standard rules and approved procedures to the extent necessary" as he/she got the airplane safely on the ground at the "nearest suitable airport in point of time". Oh, yeah...almost forgot. Ya' know where Elmo Quesada found himself professionally within a week of his leaving his position of FAA Administrator- occupying a seat on AMR's (American's) Board of Directors!! Great salary and perks including great stock options! ALPA flipped out!! But their attempts to overturn Elmo's "directive" got "stalled in committee"....... forever!! Sure I believe the Warren Commission report. Sure I believe TWA800 went down due... MORE
Bout the AA stuff.. had a short briefing today.. seems all the F100's are being phased out when maint. due. AA is going to a rolling hub set up (longer between flights - layovers longer).. but they also said to look for an increase in AA egglet flights.. that good for you Bob? yep.. something new.. lay off thousands.. people left picking up the slack, working harder...sure - thats new stuff. Well.. back to primer paint time.. floor looks good..must try some on the spridget! =) chuck n tx croche 14102... MORE
I use SEA 30 NON detergent I had an X British Leyland mechanic rebuild my trans and he said that is the best for it. Jason 1971 MG Midget "Jason Gross" 14073... MORE
Got my Arkley through its MOT test on Friday, so now it's on the road instead of just being trailered to autotest events (did anyone see it at Silverstone in the California Cup Autotest?). Looking forward to some fresh air motoring I set off for a drive with the hood down. However as soon as I got up to about 30mph, instead of fresh air I had the strong odour of exhaust fumes - like driving a Minivan with the back doors open. Is this a characteristic of the aerodynamics of the Arkley rear end?, as I don't remember... MORE
Well gang, turns out my rough starting probalem on the Volvo was a blown head gasket. A small fracture between 2 and 3 was evident but boy are those pistons clean now! I pulled the head today after finding the oil contaminated with water yesterday. It was the color of very blond coffee. Just my luck, I just changed the oil and filter last week. I guess the good news is I don't think the head or the turbo housing is cracked like a couple people speculated. I'll be taking the head to the machine shop on Monday and... MORE
Right on. I think my last restoration started out to replace a light bulb...someone once opined that the reason people love British cars is that they need us... "tloutrec" 14019... MORE
OLD GEEZER TEST. 1. Where did headlight dimmer switches used to be located? a. On the floor shift knob b. On the floor, left of the clutch c. Next to the horn 2. After drinking the beverage, some people punched holes in he bottle cap of a Royal Crown Cola bottle. For what purpose was it used? a. Capture lightning bugs. b. To sprinkle clothes before ironing c. Large salt shaker 3. Why was having milk delivered a problem in northern winters? a. Cows got cold and wouldn't produce b. Ice on highways forced delivery by dog sled c.... MORE
Don- Good numbers for a stock HC 948 except for #3. A "leak down" check will tell you where #3's compression is being lost. 1. Into the crankcase - rings 2. Into the exhaust system - valve related 3. Into the intake system - valve related Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 14000... MORE
Went to an amazing meet last night at Hockley Heath near Birmingham (UK).Maybe 2-300 cars everything from a 1947 Frazer Nash to a Beetle trike dressed as a vampire! Lots of 60's & 70's stuff,MG's,Triumph,Cobras.Saw 5 or 6 Midgets/Sprites,including MASC members.Anyone out there been to this event?(First Tuesday every month).What I liked was the inclusive attitude-no complaints about the non-standard bits on my car! Steve 72Midget "Steve Cowling" 13958... MORE
YES, I'M A BAD AMERICAN by George Carlin I Am Your Worst Nightmare. I am a BAD American. I am George Carlin. I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some mid level governmental functionary be it Democratic or Republican! I'm in touch with my feelings and I like it that way, damn it! I think owning a gun doesn't make you a killer, it makes you a smart American. I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimized, and does not entitle you to anything. I believe that if you... MORE
Bill- It now becomes obvious how the stock three-point belt (shoulder/chest "strap) evolved!! And 'why a Simpson 4 point (at least!) is even a better idea! Should you not use a should/chest strap of any sort, they the least distance between the wheel and your chest is the best way to go. You can only "accelerate" (before that "sudden stop"!) in accordance with the distance involved to do so!! :) The immediately foregoing is said "tongue in cheek", of course. Get a shoulder belt setup.....and use it!! Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 13908... MORE
Actually, I'm thinking the bushings were probably silver soldered in. There would be a real problem in using brass to braze them in. By the time you got the joint hot enough to melt the brass brazing rod, the bushes would be at (or very near) their melting point. Silver solder melts at abt 1200F as opposed to brass at abt 1500- 1600, so it is easy to use it to join brass to steel. In fact that is one of the reasons that silver solder exists in the first place - to provide joints as strong as brazing,... MORE
Absolutely and as I said earlier if your units are cracked or have more than surface corrosion invest in a new set and then have those rebuilt, with proper rust protection the arms should last many decades and with proper lubrication the bushes should last several tens of thousands of miles. All spridgeteers should have the motto "Spare quarter of an hour? Lube that front suspension!". "Jeremy Cogman" 13836... MORE
excellence is the standard .....perfection, however will cost a bit more....LOL "TO YOUNG TO QUIT....TO OLD TO CHANGE" David A. Stevens Jr. Utilities Engineer II NYS Office Of General Services Sheridan Avenue Steam Plant 79 Sheridan Avenue Albany, NY 12210 "Stevens, David" 13849... MORE
Bill, I have heard that somewhere in SC there is a reproduction shop that makes the original floor coverings for the Bugeye. Will try and get the name for you but since you are in SC try the internet for british restoration parts. Bob 60 AN5 Tampa, FL MTGBRKR1@... 13845... MORE
Hi Sprigiters, I have now run in my rebuilt Mk 3 Sprite engine (1098) and would like opinions on what is the best oil to use. The car is only used once a week, and does 2K miles a year maximum. Oils being considered are Mobil 1 15W/50, (sythetic) Castrol XL20W/50 (Clasic range), Moris Multivis 15W/50 (semi sythetic) or GTX Magnatec 15W/40. I keep reading about not using to much detergent (i.e. modern engine oils), as it causes carbon to dislodge and ash build up in combustion chambers. I also have, dare I say it a Triumph Vitesse (38K... MORE
If the car has an engine in it, try WRITING to the Heritage centre. Give them all the details you have, i.e. VIN no, Engine no, and, if you can , the original colour. Sometimes it is easier to get an answer from a letter than a phone call. Margaret South Lincolnshire (UK) mmbrock88@... 13820... MORE
I have just accquired a Mk IV AH Sprite (chassis no H AN9 65486) which has no registration document or number plates. I've spoken to the Heritage Trust at Gaydon, the DVLA and people from the Midget and Sprite Club in an attempt to find out the original registration number but no-one has any record of it. I'd rather find out the original number than get an age related one so that I can trace the car's history. Does anyone know of any other ways to find out, have lists or has (miraculously) anyone out there owned this car... MORE
Chris I hope you don't mean discarded it into the bin? Those old radios etc can be rebuilt and are often worth a pretty penny or two!! AW "Andrew Worley @ Mi-King" 13808... MORE
By all means replace the arms with new or rebuilt ones. Don't try welding them up. Rebuilding the complete front suspension is straightforward, and not terribly expensive, unless someone convinces you that you need to spend $250 for a special reamer for the kingpin bushes. Any competent automotive machine shop can ream and hone these to size. My shop charged me 10 bucks each side to do the job. A newly rebuilt front end is a real joy - you won't believe how tight and light Spridget steering is when correct. "tloutrec" 13797... MORE
Hi Chris, Sadly, no, there was no price reduction. But I got a good deal all round, including good seats, at no extra cost, in exchange for my tatty ones. And he sold my old shell for me to a young lad who wanted to build a Midget to race. I still get 'freebies' from time to time. Like the other week, when making enquiries regarding seats for a Mk 1 MGBGT that my husband bought for a song to restore, he gave us a pair! All right, they need refurbishing, but at least we have seats to work... MORE
When I had a Heritage re shell on my Mk3 Midget about 10 years ago, I had a new hood fitted, as the old one was getting a bit sad looking. Somehow, the garage fitting it managed to put a small rip in it, just behind the header rail above the door, on the bit behind the turn up. He put a few stitches in it, and lots of superglue. To this day it has not leaked! Margaret South Lincolnshire (UK) mmbrock88@... 13748... MORE
Has anyone modified the speedo cable set up in a '75-'79 to avoid the little "boxes" that the stock car has... My speedo doesn't work... and before I figure out which of the SIX seperate components in the speedo connection (from trans to guage) is giving me the problem... I wanted to find out if there was a way to bypass some of these things by just buying a longer cable or ??? -Brett "Brett LaCroix" 13743... MORE
Chris- (err, I think we agree?) The glass bonnet is a better deal for anyone comtemplating the "switch", in all respects and DOES save the steel ones for the guys who want to keep their Frogeye's "original". The glass fibre is much easier to lift, much easier to fit as a forward tilt item and results in nearly a 50/50 fwd/rear weight balance. Unlike the steel bonnet, it can be more easily removed if necessary for TOTAL access in minimum time with minimum effort. Had mine not been in such great shape on the Frogeye I bought (or someone... MORE
