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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
Guy Well I haven't used it all yet! I've still got about 3/4's of the 5 l can remaining, but I still have to do the whole of the bonnet, 1 door and a few bits and bobs. I wasn't going to do the whole thing with a 5 l can, and as I said - I could buy the 5 l can for the price of 3 x 1l cans - so went that way - I don't mind if theres plenty left over for touch ups. The other reason is because I had a slight mishap, which... MORE
How much you use also depends on how much flatting off is needed between coats. One thing you don't mention is the use of guide coats when doing the prep sanding. I used a variety of old aerosol cans for this - cleared up a lot of part-used stuff that haid laid around far too long. Guy "Guy Weller" 28756... MORE
Duncan I'm not that familiar with the term 'lacquer' as far as I'm aware it covers pretty much all car paints, as they're all a form of lacquer. What I think you mean is Nitro-celullose Laqcuer, commonly referred to as just 'cellulose' and if you do mean this then yes, thats pretty much your only option for spraying at home. (some bright spark trying to be clever will probably come up with alternatives, but in practical terms 'cellulose' is your only option for spraying at home). The other commonly used paint in the auto industry, in fact its the... MORE
From: amukdigiphoto [mailto: amukdigiphoto@... ] Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 5:50 PM To: midgetsprite@yahoogroups.com Subject: [midgetsprite] Re: Paint Advice Duncan I'm not that familiar with the term 'lacquer' as far as I'm aware it covers pretty much all car paints, as they're all a form of lacquer. What I think you mean is Nitro-celullose Laqcuer, commonly referred to as just 'cellulose' and if you do mean this then yes, thats pretty much your only option for spraying at home. (some bright spark trying to be clever will probably come up with alternatives, but in practical terms 'cellulose' is your... MORE
I am assuming that this is the low compression version. I am reading between 105 and 120 which is not very encouraging. Mark "Mark Howard" 28712... MORE
Mark, Haynes puts the spec for Federal cars at 125 psi. They all should be close to that. When I first bought my 1975 the compression test was an early indicator of the kind of fun (and expense) I was in for. ROb C Webfoot Leisure.com rob@... 630-841-6077 robbiesg@... 28704... MORE
Hi all, I am requiring some information about the front chassis assembly of a 1500 '76 midget. I know that you can get the chassis legs but are the rest of the components available separately? I am going to contact the spares places tomorrow to find out from them but i thought i would ask all the night owls out there to give myself a head start. Thanks in advance. Abestea "abestea" 28695... MORE
Well... With no intent to be a wise-guy, ass-u-me(ing) it's all mechanically in decent shape...what's the problem? The timing specs are in the book whether it's the Cooper S mech. dizzy or the later vac. one, right? So are the carb. set-up directions. You MAY need an SU carb jet centering tool (much better than using the carb. needle shank) and a portable hand held tach so as to positively "see" that slight momentary rise in rpm as you lift the air valve 1/8" or so off the jet bridge and a Unisyn (or the like) to positively "see"... MORE
G'day guys All this discussion on crunching clutches just woke up my tired brain to something I had forgotten. The diaphram clutch as fitted to 1275cc and 1500cc cars is very sensitive to the amount of travel. They actually need LESS travel to release than the earlier spring clutch. That's one of the reasons the slave cylinder is 1" and not 7/8". Larger bore = less travel. If you have TOO MUCH travel at the clutch end, the diaphram plate will go over-centre, and crush the driven plate back onto the flywheel. I have seen this happen a few... MORE
Anyone know off hand what the compression should read for a 1976 1500? Thanks Mark "Mark Howard" 28667... MORE
Stewart Nice theory, not so good in practice! The problem with the sill badge holes is that they have to be bang on exact, otherwise the letters end up looking wonky. There's very little tolerance in getting them out of position. I drew out the exact hole positions using the letters as guide (I'm a Graphic Designer by vocation so you would think I'd be good at this) on piece of tracing paper on a drawing board - tranferred this to a peice of scrap steel, punched through the holes, drilled the holes and tried the letters in the... MORE
the clue was in a previous post, it's all soldered together empty *then* filled with the magic fluid; so the tube will be fed through the housing, then the bulb soldered on. You just need to find a source of the right size tube, a scrap bulb and head and solder it all together. (don't forget to put the protection 'spring' over the tube before you do the soldering - just imagine how you'd feel if you had to re-do it all!) David 28639... MORE
I forgot to add, if you're not too bothered about originality, you can get ones that use an electric temperature sensor; these are more convenient if you need to remove the gauge from the dash, or the sender from the head or radiator. The original ones are usually ok if left in place - I only had to change mine because I needed to get the dashboard out, and the sensor bulb wouldn't unscrew from the head. Regards David "David Jacobs" 28589... MORE
The stud pattern is the same for early Metros, but I'm not sure when it changed. If you're talking 13" ones from a GTA or Advantage they might be after the change point. Early Turbo 13" ones should fit. The offset is different so you might get clearance problems unless you use spacers. Regards David "David Jacobs" 28552... MORE
Castor Oil & Castrol (Castrol R) Got to admit, Dave, I've no clue 'cause I do not know whether the "early" Castrol Oils I grew up with in the late 50's & early 60's were vegetable oil or petroleum based, though I believe it was the later. And the Castrol's before that??? Castrol "R"....formulated for high rpm higher pressure, anti-foam, "racing" oil I would think but here again, not familiar the specific base or formula. But I bet Chuck Christ might know a little about the early Castrol Oils considering his Dad was in racing during Castrol's early days... MORE
Alan It's always very difficult to put prices on cars, specially without the ben =3D=0D efit of seeing them, and owners quite often have very strange ideas on what things =3D=0D are worth, but at the end of the day, naturally, you need to decide what it =3D=0D s worth to you. Simple economics says that availability/supply and demand dictate prices of =3D=0D any product or service and that applys equally to cars. There are plenty of =3D=0D cars about in that condition and I don't see queues at sellers doors for th =3D=0D em, so that suggests the... MORE
Cap'n Ewwwwwwwww does anyone actually drink that cr*p? N "amukdigiphoto" 28492... MORE
David... A flat spot (most especially with a VP3 Kent 276+ cam) is not unusual with a 45DCOE using the larger 4.5 or 5.0 aux venturi. You will notice this carb configured for racing uses the smaller 3.5 aux vent which brings the main system "in" a little earlier in the game. Was using 1.4+ intake valves and a VP3 cam. Noticing this, I changed out my 4.5's for 3.5's and jetted upwards accordingly to 145 mains and 175 air correctors while retaining the 50F9 idle jets the carb came with. (Then I rechecked the ign. timing to make... MORE
I decided I was bulletproof against the cold and refitted the head and all that stuff and the car started! How about that!!! That 45dcoe is giving me a flat spot the size of Grand Canyon! Always had one, but it seems worse now. Cam + cold I guess. I will chart the numbers and ask around. They came from Vizard's second book. Now I can bundle up (old farts don't like it at 50 degrees ABOVE zero) and drive it. I even have a scuba head thingy if I get too cold. Too funny! Maybe I'll glue a... MORE
Alan Gram.....!!! Looking for a fibreglass BE rear clip? You live in USA? MiniMania, Speedwell, Sports & Classics....$500+-!! :) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 28383... MORE
Thanks all, and David in particular Yes, that is the book I was after. I think I have read, and have, most of the books in print about Spridget restoration, but this is one I have not seen. I have been told that it is quite an enjoyable "light" read, rather than a how-to-do-it restoration guide. Probably not worth buying it but i might see if the local library will get a ccopy in on request. I wasn't too serious about the "Zen" bit. I'm not erxpecting anything deeply philosophical, after all I wouldn't class "Zen and the art... MORE
Just received a new book I ordered from Amazon. Great detailed color photos of year by year model changes, trim and interior changes and such on all Sprites and Midgets including Innocenti. Good price at Amazon $17.47 I think a good reference source and coffee table book. Love those color photos. Original Sprite & Midget The Restorer's Guide by Terry Horler Photography by John Colley. Don "Don May" 28372... MORE
Nigel, you may know this one..... There is apparently a book by a Doctor, about rebuilding a Midget. It is apparently more a narrative about the process, including a bit of "Zen & the art of rebuiding old cars" about it, rather than the normal DIY repair guide. Any idea who the author / what the title might be. I think it dates from the '70s and may well be out of print. Guy "Guy Weller" 28356... MORE
I believe that what you are looking at is a Bugeye chassis fitted with an original Sebring nose and a Speedwell hard top that was sold in the sixties. If you look close you can see the speedwell bonnet badge installed on the front. The speedwell nose featured a raked back windshield that was moulded into the front cowl. It looked like it was removable from the rear but in reality it wasn't. The racked back windshield allowed the little thing to reach a higher top speed.I have been looking for one of these for years to replicate but... MORE
