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Nigel, When I was doing my shell, I was also constrained within a very cluttered 7'6" wide single garage which also housed bikes, canoes and all the other parafanelia which comes with having 3 kids. (where does all that stuff come from?) I moved the shell around very successfully by bolting two 4" pallet castors (cost 2.50 GBP each) to the front floor mounts for the rear springs, with a third clamped to the underside of the front cross member. First 3 wheeler Sprite? Being castors, I could move it in any direction and push it out into the... MORE
Bob wrote " Funny you mention the TR-4, I see many more Bugeyes than TR-4s. Did they all rust out or something? Just never see one......." Faster, yes, BUT not so much fun to drive .... Not so good around corners .... not so 'chuckable' or so tuneable.... Engine not so 'bullet-proof' .... Oh, and it cost more. I'm sure others would disagree, but it certainly wasn't quite my style. R. Flame suit on :-) "Roger Stinson" 28287... MORE
Steve It's not an easy book to get hold of for some reason. I didn't even know it existed until I happened to spot one on ebay.co.uk by chance and got it. I think Amazon do have copies of it. I wouldn't normally advocate buying all books on Midgets and Sprites (lot of crap ones out there and the Lindsay Porter one is now very dated) but I've found this one to be invaluable for advice and reference, and pretty much rely on it exclusively now I'm almost at the 'fitting' up stage. Like most books you'll come across... MORE
http://www.hangji.com.tw/cgi-bin/productfn/pdt_product_lst.pl?CatID=132 looks like a carb to me! It's not listed in the Mo$$ pricelist for MG, Triumph, Austin Healey and Classic Mini Parts, either. It looks to me like a later style part number than most of 'our' cars. Regards David "David Jacobs" 28278... MORE
'Restoring Sprites and Midgets - an Enthusiasts Guide' by Grahame Bristow (Brooklands Books) Nigel, Checked the garage library at noon and don't have a copy. Thanks for the check list, I'll see if I can get a copy of the book before I get too far. Steve Quandt Steve Quandt 28272... MORE
Hi everyone. I recently have come across some NOS parts that were from a British inventory buyout. I am trying to identify some, so any of you catalog guys out there may be able to locate and tell me what it fits. BRC6156 It looks like a spare tire cover, I thought it was Triumph? Checked the Roadster factory price sheet with no luck.Maybe Jag or big Healey?? Thanks in advance Mike "mk2sprite2000" 28261... MORE
Steve Woohoo! Many congrats. I don't think I am ahead of you Steve, I'm just finishing off the final primer coats on the passenger side wing ready for colour - that will be the last 'bit' on the car that needs to be colour coated. I still have both doors, bootlid and bonnet to colour coat as well. I don't know if you have this book or not - 'Restoring Sprites and Midgets - an Enthusiasts Guide' by Grahame Bristow (Brooklands Books) but it really is a very useful book in terms of reassembly. It's been written with the... MORE
One over looked form of shipping which is quick and perhaps less expensive is Greyhound Bus. They will take large objects (even a bugeye bonnet.) No s pecial packing is required other that to pad sharp corners. I shipped a rol l bar using them. You must take it to the Bus station counter and it must b e picked up at the closest station at it's destination. Fast, as it is put on the next scheduled passenger Bus to whatever location you are sending it . Don "Don May" 28269... MORE
Frank Clarici Toms River, NJ Back up to too many sprites again. http://www.exit109.com/~spritenut/ Frank Clarici 28255... MORE
On my 74 the hard top mounts with the soft top still attached. There are two clamps on the top of the windshield (same the soft top uses) and a bracket on each side of the hard top bolts to a bracket behind the rear seat mounted at the same location as the soft top frame mounting bracket bolts. Don "Don May" 28244... MORE
Don, Well, I guess you noticed it also. The TR-4s just seemed to go away. I actually see more TR-3s than 4s. I had mine new from '63 till '65 when I had my second child and had to get a larger car. I liked it a lot, but not nearly as much fun as a Bugeye. Cheers, Bob in San Diego Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death. "Robert D. Gardner" 28238... MORE
you'd see them in the UK - with the advent of different weight allowances a few years back, a lot of articulated tractor units were converted by adding an additional non-powered load bearing axle with just two wheels either in front of, or behind the (single) driven axle, so two on the front, four driven wheels, two non driven wheels and eight on the trailer makes Don's 16! How far did you say you drove the Midget, Don? ;-) Regards David "David Jacobs" 28210... MORE
G'day Mark Just thought I would tip in my tuppence worth. I sell, and fit, telescopic front and rear suspension kits - when the customer really wants them. And I own a (semi-retired) Mk II Sprite that after 10 years still has the class lap record at three circuits, and it has lever arm shocks all round. My road car has lever arm shocks at each corner, and it handles just fine. I support Nigel - there is nothing wrong with them if they are in good condition. And just like telescopic shocks, the car can be near to... MORE
Just my two pence worth on the hard top thing. I agree with all the above comments. In addition, I like the way they look on a Bugeye, rather cute, and it does keep the rain out of the car when parked much better than a toneua cover or soft top. When chilly, you can drive with the heater on and almost keep warm, better than the soft top and I think it is quieter than my soft top. Mine has a thin foam "headliner" in it that helps with sound. But as soon as the weather starts to... MORE
Don, good for you driving around Anza-Borrego area. Thats where I go with the kids and our buggys. Never saw a Sprite back there. I had a new TR-4 and loved it as a good road car but never even half as much fun as my Bugeye!!!!! Funny you mention the TR-4, I see many more Bugeyes than TR-4s. Did they all rust out or something? Just never see one....... Cheers, Bob in San Diego "Robert D. Gardner" 28212... MORE
Another trick I've found good for cleaning corroded wires has been to use the instant copper cleaner liquid, can't remember the name right now but comes in a black bottle. Dip the end of the wire in some in a small cup and let it sit for a minute or two and rinse and wipe clean. This will get rid of 99% of the corrosion and gives you a good solderable surface. Biff Jones '59 Bugeye, 'Kermit' '62 Sprite, 'Ole Gray' '71 Midget, 'Freebie' http://sprites2.homestead.com/ "Biff" 28206... MORE
All, Before I bite the bullet and order a pair of new bugeye front hardtop latches from AH Spares, would anyone happen to have a pair of latches that are old and abused. If I can locate a pair that are cosmetically impaired but functional I could use them. Thanks, Biff Jones '59 Bugeye, 'Kermit' '62 Sprite, 'Ole Gray' '71 Midget, 'Freebie' http://sprites2.homestead.com/ "Biff" 28201... MORE
when you turn on the ignition. tach, fuel pump, wipers, brake stop light, reversing lights, heater fan..... The fault must be on the "downstream" side of the fuse for it to blow, so it is likely to be one of those, or the wiring to them. Some of these are switchable: lights, wipers, fan etc so if they are switched off when the fuse blows then it may be one of the non- switched items although it could still be a damaged wire between fuse block and switch. Guy "Guy Weller" 28195... MORE
G'day Paul I'm not certain why you would want to fit tapered roller bearings. This has been raised quite a number of times in the past (perhaps before you were on the list) and see below for one of the more recent comments. avagoodday Colin We have had many discussions on the differences between the use of angular contact ball bearings, as used originally in Spridgets, and the use of any type of tapered roller bearing. Without launching into a complex and boring diatribe on the rights and wrongs of either type of bearing, the simple answer is that... MORE
You are right, David. I must have had a senior moment in my memory as I just looked at the price list and see that I paid 481 pounds or $1355 for my export model Sprite. I'll be paying almost that much to replace the four speed original tranny with a five speed. Nelson "Nelson Wittstock" 28181... MORE
I have resisted several "opportunities" to buy a hard top for my Sprite. Why? Because it is "soft" to drive with the soft top up, and even "softer" to co nvert to a top on a semi-permanant basis for the whole winter!! And, Because on the occasions when I am enough of a "wimp" to put the soft top u p, the increased mechanical noise drives me nuts. The car just sounds so m uch better with the top down and they must sound awful with a fixed hard to p holding all that noise in! Guy "Guy Weller"... MORE
Thanks Colin. I must be doing something wrong. I ALWAYS search the archieve before submitting a question. I did a search for "bearings" and got nothing. I was almost certain I was not the first person to have this question, but somehow I am not properly doing a search. What am I doing wrong???? Thanks again.....Paul "dfwip" 28175... MORE
Frank Clarici Toms River, NJ Back up to too many sprites again. http://www.exit109.com/~spritenut/ Frank Clarici 28192... MORE
Bloke at work has put one of frontline ones his rubber bumper midget. Very well made. You get a substantial welded plate bracket that goes where the old lever arm goes. Uses the three holes plus one other you have to drill. Telescopic goes on to top of new bracket and bottom goes to new bit held on by the anti roll bar fixings using longer bolts. He says wonderfull, positive steering and suspension. But then his lever arms were totally shot. He would have got an immediate improvement with good lever arms. Terry "terry.isherwood" 28162... MORE
I haven't done this Paul, but it comes up for discussion on the spridget list occasionally. Some list member maintian that the spacer is superfulous and leave it out when going to tapered bearings, while others argue it is needed for addtional strength and go through the process of shimming it until it is "perfect". Again, I don't know the answer, but maybe my attempt will spur some of the more knoledgable....Crash, are you on midgetsprite? Crash in Reno is a proponent of no spacer if I remember right. Robert B. Houston '73 Midget...and others You know what's interesting... MORE
