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Exactomundo, Don... My "1961" (registered) BE actually came off the factory assemblyline around 7-8/'60. So my "'61" BE is actually a "'60". Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 28423... MORE
And we are going to paint it blaze orange EH? Steve Quandt "Steve Quandt" 28425... 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
Hi guys As I mentioned in my last post about the Sebring Sprite Conversion, I'd upload some photo's of the car a guy restored, putting a fibreglass rear end on a 1973 Midget whilst retaining the Midget front end. This story was related in the June 1992 issue of Popular Classics Magazine. I've also uploaded a picture of the 'factory' prototype Mk II Sprite as shown on page 64 of Geoffrey Healeys book - 'More Healeys, Frogeye Sprites and Midgets', that the guy above used as inspiration. These photo's are viewable on the yahoo website, under photo's and in... MORE
Guy Yes I did know of it, but couldn't remember the name of it, all I could remember is that its got a red cover with a couple of yucky pics on it! I've seen a couple go through ebay.co.uk, but they've always gone for more than I was willing to pay (which wasn't a lot!) and from what I can tell it is one mans story of his Midget restoration. Thankfully David was able to tell us the name of the book. As I've mentioned on here many time before, by far the best book I think I've... 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
Alan Well, you reply to my original reply, you make no mention of me in your rep =3D=0D ly, and you ask virtually the same question in your reply as I answered in my reply - I will therefore refrain from making any comment on your eyesight. It's not that difficult to replace the rear end of a Spridget with the rear =3D=0D end of a Frogeye if you do it with a one piece fibreglass rear, although as there' =3D=0D s no boot opening - it means having to crawl into the tiny opening from the cock =3D=0D... MORE
Alan Hi and welcome to the list. You've got a couple of problems here, and as I don't know how much you know about Sprites and Midgets I'll try and explain as best I can. Now I may be wrong here, and I'm sure someone will correct me if I am, but =3D=0D the Red Sprite in the Sebring pictures look like its had a front Sebring Bo =3D=0D nnet fitted and a rear fibreglass Coup=E9 fitted. The Silver Sprite in the other p=3D=0D ictures, the one you prefer is in fact a Standard Frogeye Sprite with a Sebring... MORE
Alan, That appears to be a bugeye rear. As far as I know, and others will undobtedly chime in here, the only way to achieve that on your 73 is to convert to a bugeye tub, or use a rear clip from one. The top in those pics look a lot like an original bugeye hard top. These are sometimes available on ebay, or sometimes a lister runs across one. The nose is available in the US. Frank Clarici of the spridgets@... ,net list has one, although his does not have the grill that shows on your picture. Good... MORE
John G. .... Is your X1/9 stock or is it "tuned". I owned a '74 and later a '77. Fun machines! :) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 28330... 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
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
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
Mark I got that impression to be honest, because if you'd ever driven a Spridget with reasonable condition shocks, you wouldn't have asked the question :) I hear you on the 'do it once, do it properly' philosophy. I'm coming to the end of the restoration of my 71 Midget, and I've taken the same view that sometimes it's just better to do it right first time. However, as I've said in a previous post - save your money on the 'gas' shocks and get your existing lever-arms properly rebuilt. For some reason lever-arms have got a bad reputation... MORE
questionable "quality of rebuilds" Exactly, Nigel...this and the cost of new ones. And even the new ones of today are not done with the modern materials used by Peter C., which make his rebuilt levers even better than new! The ONLY thing against even Peter's levers is the inherently designed-in single rate response characteristic, a variable rate being preferred on normal roads (except limited access surfaces) as opposed to the relatively smooth surfaces of the track considering the speeds these cars produce under racing circumstances which most racers would proably agree, makes the seemingly "smooth" track surface rough enough... 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
Nigel, - I have never driven a Spridget - ever! - The car I'm working at was well past driving by the time I got to it... I'm doing a major rebuild of it, and I would like to do it as well as I can the first time round so that I'm pretty much done with it rather than spending the rest of my life continually replacing leaky shocks etc... If I do it right now then I can move on to another project afterwards without continually spending time & money rectifying my mistakes with this one. I'd... MORE
Ok, thanks everyone for your input, - all taken on board. - The general consensus seems to be mixed, but slightly favouring the lever-arms if they are rebuilt to a better-than-original spec. And nobody seems to have used Moss's telescopic kit, just the Frontline one which is also worth knowing. My initial concern had been based on two things: 1. From word of mouth from other car folk that had bought 'uprated' lever arms in the 70's that had then leaked after a year or so, and even recently someone told me about a recently refurbished one leaking after... MORE
Ok, thanks everyone for your input, - all taken on board. - The general consensus seems to be mixed, but slightly favouring the lever-arms if they are rebuilt to a better-than-original spec. And nobody seems to have used the Moss telescopic kit, just the Frontline one which is also worth knowing. My initial concern had been based on two things: 1. From word of mouth from other car folk that had bought 'uprated' lever arms in the 70's that then leaked after a year or so, and even recently someone told me about a recently refurbished one leaking after... MORE
Mark, I fitted the Frontline kit a year ago. It came with AVO adjustable rate (10 clicks) dampers. I am pleased with the end result, but the kit was not easy to fit. The upper end is fine, but on the bottom end, there were several iterations of grinding/filing/fitting to get the lower shock mountings to properly nest into the underside of the A-arms. It was a lot of detail work, with the risk of "screwing up" the A- arm, thus requiring a new one, or a repair to fix what wasn't broke in the first place. (I hate... MORE
M. The telescopic conversions, and I am speaking from what I've read on this list and others, don't really seem to be worth the money in my opinion. If it's already been done, some say it's great, but most seem to think it's only great in comparison to a worn out stock system. If the stock is refurbished to original (or better) condition, it will perform as well or better than any telescopic conversion. Peter Caldwell, of the spridgets autox list, sells a great remanufactured shock at a reasonable price. He is in the US, and shipping may be... MORE
even if it was, for example, one of those MGAs in a special order metallic paint colour that was NOT a catalogued colour, but nonetheless, came from the factory that way and was documented as such? David "David Jacobs" 28105... MORE
Cap'n I still don't agree with you. The car isn't being judged on 'how it might have looked as it left the factory' it's being judged on what it looks like 'right now'. And the addition of a 'period accessory' that may well have been added weeks after the car left the factory, that was a 'factory' option should not be considered a 'non-original' addition to the car, but an 'optional period accessory' that the owner has added to the car for whatever his reason. Nigel "amukdigiphoto" 28101... MORE
G'day guys A recent posting from Alex on the MidgetSprite list mentions that: "Most BEs don't have a front bumper, and I personally think it makes the car." Well, front bumper bars were optional extras on the Bugeye. So I guess if you take a restored Bugeye to a Concourse, and you have no front bumper bar, then we can't deduct points for "item missing". About 10 years ago, I was a Concourse judge at our National meeting, and there was a magnificently restored Bugeye, complete with front bumper bar, and a proudly framed Certificate from the British Motor... MORE
