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Hi guys And please don't think I'm now restoring a Mini because I'm not ok ! It's about time I updated you folks on how the Midget restoration's coming on. The bodyshell is now about 90% complete in gloss coat, there's a couple of area's I need to deal with and a couple of panels to finish with 90/10 paint/thinners mix, to bring up the gloss. The bootlid has had 5 or 6 coats of 50/50 and now needs some 70/30, and 90/10 coats. Likewise the passenger door. The drivers door, is in primer now awaiting its first gloss... MORE
Hi bob,yes minilites are the wheels l am going to buy but have not got them yet,You are saying you use 5.5 wide with 185 60 x13,l would like to run that size but keep getting told that to run that size means body mods? dam am lost now. wes "wesley5060" 28969... MORE
Neat door lining, Don. What are those drop handles from? I have a spare pair like that but never knew what they came from. Guy "Guy Weller" 28946... MORE
I have become used to it, because someone in the Tavistock, Devon, UK area has a white car consisting of a later rear half with a frogeye bonnet. The radiator grill is shiny chrome with the initials A H showing in cut-out letters. It does look a little unusual. If it comes out to play later this year I'll try and take a photo'. If my memory serves me correctly, they have retained the wind up windows. R. "Roger Stinson" 28933... MORE
Don Looking good, but it looks weird seeing a Frog/Bugeye bonnet on a later round wheel arch Spridget - can't get my head round that lol! Nigel "amukdigiphoto" 28932... MORE
Nigel says (in part), "It looks weird seeing a BE bonnet on a RWA Spridget" Actually, it looks pretty natural considering both front and back are RWA. It looks weird on the half rear wheel arch Spridgets though, for sure, Nigel. I will send you some pictures of a RWA Spridget with a BE bonnet just for the hell of it. It really does look pretty good. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 28978... MORE
As I recall with the ones I removed completely it did take a bit of gentle prying and breaking loose the hardened rubber seals before the chrome ring could be twisted to its keyed position for removal. At least when you remove one it gives an additional access hole for the others. Getting the old body into the correct position to work under the dash is always a challenge. Not so much getting into position but getting back out is usually the problem. Am I the only person who thinks what may bite me when I push my hand... MORE
Hi guys, Have a few photos to share of the bugeye bonnet on my 72rwa. It is a work in progress, primer gray to sections as I get an ideas of what the best look is. As you may see still have various holes to fill . . . And much smoothing to do on the bonnet. Also is a photo of the door modification where I removed the wind up windows (doors from 69 parts car) cut the inside door metal work and also used the panels out of my 69 parts car to trim it out giving... MORE
Roger... Over here, the self-contained (within the distributor) electronic ignition is called "PerTronix". Over there, it is known by another name and dammit, I cannot think of it but I am sure a UK lister will help me out here (hopefully). Like most new things, the PerTronix (a Hall Effect Device) had it's share of teething problems when new in terms of failure's. Since I have been using one for the last 3 years or so, I've had no problems. There is an upgraded version out now for most applications called (surprise!), the PerTronix II...which compensates for reduced dwell... MORE
Hi, Roger.. We do have a lister who has done the Vizard carb (and I believe intake manifold) mods to the stock 1.25SU's. I hope we hear from him. Supposedly with these street mods, the 1.25 set-up will match the flow rate of a stock pair of 1.5's. The foregoing notwithstanding, Vizard improvements are flow bench tested/verified. Today, David is semi- retired working on "improving" American V-8's!! (and did objective testing as well on Oil Extreme...like Grassroots, good results!:). Following Vizard's engine building advice (though substituting a 45DCOE with 38mm throats) I spec'd. a "fast road" 1340 for my... MORE
"VIN Plate" Thank you, Nigel, Roger, etc.! I've never seen an oval one and on my PO'd '74 it was a long rect. plate up by the left corner of the windshield inside the car. OK..."normal"....rect. plate in the engine compartment mounted on a "frame rail" beneath the rear carb. :) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 28907... MORE
It may be the gage. Do the thermostat, or at least check it. Pull it out and put in a pan of cold water on the stove and bring to boil. It should open around 160 or 180 degrees. Then either check water temp against gage with a thermomator ( I use an instant read cooking thermometer) (Maybe that is why I am not married any more lolol) or use the shade tree mechanics method. 100 - 130 degrees. Hot to touch but can hold hand on hose for about 10 seconds. 130 - 150 degrees Hotter, can hold... MORE
it sounds a bit like a sliding sun roof, rather along the lines of the 'Web asto'. The plexiglass could be a wind deflector? Absolutely correct. You need a hole in your roof to fit it. Used on tin tops or occasionally in a removable hard top for a sports car, although I can't think why. Common fitting to MGB GTs Have a look on MGB site I'm sure you'll see one or two. Alan - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -... MORE
When I did my car I cleaned back to bare metal and welded the necessary areas in turn. I primed each area as I completed it to keep rust from forming, particularly within the seams. I also used that weldable zinc primer on all lap welded seams. As the whole process was done over an extended period it ended up as a real patchwork of primers, applied at different times, under different conditions (temperature / humidity) and I wasn't very confident of how good the adhesion of the primer was as a basis for finish coats. I then grit... MORE
Son and the car are in Cincinnati. Body is good, little rust, no collision damage. We took the 1275 and the trany out to inspect, and all seems o.k. Things I think it would need are : Engine gasket set, clutch and slave, Motor mounts, battery and a soft top. If I where nearer I would have had it on the road. We have had it for about a year with no procross except the inspection. He was going to do the body work first and paint, I was more intrested in getting it running, for fun, then paint... MORE
Wes... Mine are velcroed to my velcroed trunk matting. The inside rear of the BE makes a great, huge "boom box"!! :):) My "spare tire" is in a can! :) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 28846... MORE
Ed No I wasn't referring to the rear wing seams. The spridget shell is constructed from many parts and assemblies, many of which have been spot welded together - anywhere you look on the car you will see overlapped steel joints where one 'assembly' has been spot welded to another. It's these 'overlapped' joints where one piece of steel overlaps another piece of steel and has been spot welded that I'm referring to. Because the spot welds are done at intervals down the steel panel, this doesn't form a 'continuous weld' and leaves areas that water can get into... MORE
Duncan How did it go with sandblasting the engine bay on your car? What media did you use? I am getting ready to undertake the same job. I was also going to use the blaster on the outside of the panels, doors, wings, etc but I was thinking of using plastic beads for that. Have/can you use them in the pressureized sand blaster? Any info is welcome Thanks Mike mk2sprite@... 28817... MORE
From: amukdigiphoto [mailto: amukdigiphoto@... ] Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 5:34 AM To: midgetsprite@yahoogroups.com Subject: [midgetsprite] Re: Paint Advice Duncan I'm not familiar with the base coat/clear coat system, although the last time I ordered some cellulose gloss from my paint factor, they did ask if that was what I wanted, as thats the alternative to the 'all-in-one' system that I'm most familiar with and use. The all-in-one system contains the pigment and the gloss, and the high shine is slowly built up by successive coats, flatting back inbetween. To achieve the very high shine, you let the paint... MORE
Nigel, Excellent Expert Explanation The "guide coat" thing I think about like this... The surface to be sprayed should be flat, concave, or convex, but should not have dimples, hollows or high spots. Spraying a very thin dusting coat of a contrasting colour at first just changes the colour of the panel, but as you then flatten off with paper around a flat block it has the effect of removing the guide colour from all the peaks and high spots. The valleys and low spots remain untouched by the flat block show they show up with the contrasting colour.... MORE
Roger I used a company called Brown Brothers, who I believe are part of the Partco group. They're based down in Guildford, but I think they have other outlets all over the country. They're primarily an auto-factor for the Motor Trade and do a lot more than paint. The paint I used was brand named Tetrosyl, they also do ICI Autopaints, but as that works out at about 20% more expensive than Tetrosyl I used Tetrosyl ;) I also got an 'own-brand' 2.5L tub of filler from them for about 15 quid I think it was, when you consider... MORE
Duncan I'm not familiar with the base coat/clear coat system, although the last time I ordered some cellulose gloss from my paint factor, they did ask if that was what I wanted, as thats the alternative to the 'all-in-one' system that I'm most familiar with and use. The all-in-one system contains the pigment and the gloss, and the high shine is slowly built up by successive coats, flatting back inbetween. To achieve the very high shine, you let the paint fully harden (4-5 weeks) then use a gentle rubbing compound on it and a rotary buffer. Regarding etch primer,... MORE
Yes, I have a standard Small British Garage (SBG) and have removed two rear axles and suspension in one go. Putting back together will probably as ind ividual parts though. As far as I can remember, I placed a wheelable trolle y jack under the diff housing I put axle stands with about 9" square 1/2" ply between the stand and floor pan (to spread the load) on either side of the car, under the rear bulkhead. I remember having to move these though, b ut at which stage of the operation me memory fails me It will become... MORE
From: amukdigiphoto [mailto: amukdigiphoto@... ] Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 5:34 AM To: midgetsprite@yahoogroups.com Subject: [midgetsprite] Re: Paint Advice Duncan I'm not familiar with the base coat/clear coat system, although the last time I ordered some cellulose gloss from my paint factor, they did ask if that was what I wanted, as thats the alternative to the 'all-in-one' system that I'm most familiar with and use. The all-in-one system contains the pigment and the gloss, and the high shine is slowly built up by successive coats, flatting back inbetween. To achieve the very high shine, you let the paint... MORE
Jim, After moving the stands from the axle to the floor (near the rear suspension mounting points), I walked around the car and suddenly noticed the front floating above the stands (positioned under the front chassis legs...) So the car was performing an unexpected balancing act :-) and almost tilted to the rear. If this had happened it would for sure have fallen off the stands! I immediately increased the front weight by putting a number of heavy items on the front chassis legs! Afterwards I moved the stands to the boot-floor. The car is completely stripped in the... MORE
