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Cap'n To clarify this, the 'bible' states that 'all exported Sprites were fitted with the Front bumper bar, overriders and number plate mounting as standard and was an option on all others.' Huh? Why wasn't it? Just because it left the factory without one, doesn't mean it couldn't be retro-fitted. The reason the Sprite's came with so little 'base' equipment and had so many optional accessories was to keep the price down. There was a whole host of optional extras that could be specified either from the 'factory', 'franchise dealership' or even BL Special Tuning or the Healey's own... MORE
Hmmm... I was under the impression that front bumper bars were stock on cars for the "home" market but otherwise an "option". Anyway, that particular car wasn't supposed to have a front bumper on it, option or not and unfortunately it's documented, unlike probably some other OEM parts on that car which, while "original", didn't come with that car as it came off the factory line. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 28095... MORE
David, Thanks. It's the windshield/windscreen that I'm addressing, and not the side windows which are okay. I have the complete assembly off the car, and as you noted, I removed the two securing bolts located on each side up under the dash. What a pain they were to get at. The top moulding retaining screws were removed, providing access to the glass encased in the bottom and sides. The seal around the glass was pulled out, and the glass removed. The frame to body seal seems crimped in place on the bottom (in the groove), and is a real... MORE
Cap'n Thanks for your input. Well these guys are meant to be 'specialists' in this, and in classic car parts so if it's not up to 'scratch' they can do it again until they get it right! It's amazing when you consider I'm having to pay almost 1/1/2 times as much for re-chroming as a new bumper blade costs on its own! But as I said, I would rather have my original one done, than buy an inferior 'new' part. I was fortunate enough to 'buy' a pair of rear bumpers which were meant to be NOS, and they... MORE
Hi guys To continue the topic of front bumpers, albeit at a tangent, I recently too =3D=0D k my front bumper and both over-riders to a small (reasonably local) company that specialises in triple-chroming of car parts. Now whilst my front bumper I think is in 'reasonable' condition, it has sma =3D=0D ll amounts of pitting all over the chrome areas, and has some surface rust underneath, it is straight and has no dents or dings, aside from some small =3D=0D depressions where the over-riders fit. Likewise for the over-riders - prett =3D=0D y much in the same condition.... MORE
Sure, Nigel... Most especially in your case wherein you are doing an "original" car, I personally feel it pays to once bite the bullet because in the end, you will pay just as much if not more renewin "new" chrome parts until you get lucky enough to find a good one. Out of two pairs of "new" chrome BE bumperettes, I've gotten one good one that's lasted!! All others have gotten rust spots within one year, sometimes less! As in paint shops, EPA laws over here are driving rechroming prices out of sight. I'll probably go for one more... MORE
Thanks to everyone for their advice. As soon as it warms up above cold (I'm in MN and it's single digits this week) I will give the clean-and-rebuild a try. What can I do that I can't replace?! "tzappa" 28041... MORE
Ginger: (1st of all, Happy New Year!) Not that you need to hear this but..... it's "tune-up" time for your baby in addition to the M/C work. Seriously.... with appropriate choke, your stock Spridget should fire right up right down to less than 20 degrees with no problem at all....and run smoothly with appropriate choke from dead cold as well. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 28018... MORE
I would think that a rebuild would be in order. I soaked mine in degreaser and rinsed with water. Then I bead blasted them and proceeded with the rebuild. Just be careful not to scratch up the piston and walls. They now have the familiar aluminum oxidation coat covering them again, but I am contemplating buffing them and clear coating. I know that they will still turn grey, but I think it might help prevent grease stains. "Trevor Jessie" 27990... MORE
Many thanks for the replies. Yes, I realise that the system is the sum of its many parts. And I should have thought it through a little more as I am planning to fit an MGMetro head and camshaft. Now I'm thinking I need to fit the water heated inlet manifold also. So the question changes a little. How much hassle is it to fit an LCB in a midget. (In a mini we had to attack the bulkhead (firewall) with an 'ammer to create space) Is it possible to retain the metro inlet manifold , do I need... MORE
Mr Zappa, You should have a Zenith cd150 carb installed on your car if it is stll as originally equipped. These carbs have been trouble since the day they were installed new and only get worse as time goes on. As for the fuel leak. Look real close at the rubber hose where it attatchs to the carb body. Small hairline cracks frequently are found causing fuel to weep. Have someone crank it over and you watch right here for where the leak appears. Another possibilty is the auto choke (if installed) can be a pain in the a$$.... MORE
Just started up my '77 Midget to let it run for a while (35 degrees F and started like normal) when I noticed a heavy gas smell. I looked for a leak and found gas coming from under the carborator in a small, steady stream (running onto the heat shield and dripping on the exhaust system). The gas line looked fine coming into the carborator. I'm pretty new to engine repair, so I would appreciate any suggestions on what to do. Do I need a new carborator, or can they be rebuilt (by someone new to it)? Thanks. "tzappa"... MORE
oh right, I get you. As you said yourself in another post, it's down to a combination of the total package and depends how keen Alan is to get that last few horsepower. The standard manifold will work, but the higher the potential HP output of the engine, the greater will be the proportional loss. David "David Jacobs" 27947... MORE
Next question: OK....:) Is the flow capability of the stock valved alum. head equal to the flow capability of a stock A+ Metro head? gotcha, gotcha gotcha gotcha........ GOTCHA!! 'cause nobody (as far as I know) knows the answer to this one. :) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 27956... MORE
Without having the benefit of Vizards book along side of me. Cap'n Bob. Are tubular LCB manifolds worth the presumed hassle of fitting. I know they were a real B*st*rd to fit into a mini , apart from the noise I didn't really notice humungous amounts of increased performance. Given exhaust gas velocity exiting from a ported head (now that desription could apply to some listers LOL) is a LCB worth fitting along with a stainless straight through pipe with a single silencer? (Mufflers are what women use to keep their dannies and neck warm !) Or is the... MORE
Hi, Alan... With respect to correctly sized LCB.... for the stock and/or short cammed engine (with largest Mickey D's in one hand and Vizard's book in the other) in a word NO, not in and of itself with respect to the stock engine, or even as part of a free flow system, unless you are cruising the highways at 70+ most of the time. For a trifle more power... The short 3-1 is better for fuel economy below the rpms associated with tooling around town and driving applications wherein rpm's associated with the above paragraph aren't likely to be... MORE
David If its any help the the 1098 10CC engines used the same part number manifold as the early 12CE, 12DA1275 engines (12G420) up to GAN5 139772 from GAN5 139773 the part number changed to 12G1581, athough the manifolds look identical, the only main difference is the introduction of a flange on the manifold to the downpipe. So the answer to your question is yes it will fit on a 1098 with no change in performance. My 1971 1275, also had a tubular manifold fitted, and whilst it was a pretty tight fit, nothing was altered to make it... MORE
By now it should be obvious that I have a few days off and am spending them in the workshop, hence another quick question. Are 1098 and 1275 exhaust manifolds identical or is the 1275 version a little larger internally, and if the 1275 is a little larger internally would it fit on a 1098 and what effect would it have on performance? The reason I ask is that my project (65 Sprite ) has one of those performance enhancing three branch manifolds unfortunately the previous owner has hacked a lump out of one of the front chassis legs... MORE
We had a Fiat X1/9 for some years. It was great to drive, I did over 100mph in it. But it was a rust bucket, which is a shame, as mechanically it was sound. There are only two types of people in this world: Those who are Irish, and those who wish they were. Margaret South Lincolnshire (UK) "May you be in Heaven half an hour before the Devil knows you're dead" mmbrock88@... 27923... MORE
Hah!! Fiat X1/9's are a blast to drive. So were their preceeding 850 Spiders. I owned a '75 and '77. Sweet rides. The '75 I had to return to the dealer for a refund. The guy's service was so bad he couldn't possibly fulfill the warranty/ guarantee that came as part of purchase price. A salesman's screw-up on the invoice covering the sale of the vehicle made the car illegal for use on public roads, thus voiding the sale of the vehicle as promised/equipped and paid for. The '77 I chose to sell when rust made it's initial appearance... MORE
I am in the process of rebuilding a 65 Sprite and one of the small jobs I have just completed is replacing the rusted out riser brackets which extend the chassis to provide the anchorage points for the front bumper. Rather than buy the brackets I fabricated new ones using the old parts as a pattern. Before I removed the old brackets from the car I noticed that they poked through the front valance panel a bit too low and the two holes in the valance had been modified to accommodate this ( I put this down to the... MORE
You are the first person I know to say something positive about the Fiat X1/9. Well, Toy... I would be the second except rust began showing up at the corners of each door after one year....and....it was coming from the inside/out! :( Polished it up and sold the car ASAP. Which, is too bad. I had desmogged it and had great plans for it when the warranty ended. This thing was a dreamboat in terms of handling and a real fun driver. The detachable hardtop was a dream. The seats could have been better made for sure. As I... MORE
BECKERS states (in part).. "....it lowers fuel octane anyway" Yeah, this is true and a tough one to call (except in a high compression motor or when higher octanes are available at reasonable cost) against crankcase evacuation of vapors/pressures with respect to oil being forced passed seals or out the rear scroll "seal". But it's basically why I run "vented" instead of "evacuated", the thought of introducing oil (in any amount) into the combustion process "going against the grain" personally, though there are cases (Judson and to a lesser extent, Shorrocks applications) where this comes with the territory so... MORE
Paul.... Assuming you are using the normal intake manifold mounted stock PCV valve, most likely the rubber diaphragm is "weak"....we all know what happens to rubber exposed to ozone (air) either sitting on a shelf in a parts wharehouse or mounted on an engine which has sat for a long period of time. The high idle along with intermitten excessive "smoking" is almost a dead giveaway. Check that hose between the flame arrester and the PCV valve as well. Rubber develops "hairline" cracks with age. Like most rubber, it lasts longer when used (not abused) while exposed to whatever... MORE
Stewart You need to rebuild the 'inner arches' first, then the 'boot luggage extensions' (the bit between the boot floor and outer wing) then finally the outer wing. You'll find that the 'inner arches' butt up to the 'boot luggage extensions'. Incidentaly, are you fitting 'half' outer wings? If not you'll need to because you'll have to take off 'half' the outer wing to be able to get to the 'inner wings'. Regarding the springs - that depends on whether you're re-fitting the RB's, not much point fitting 1275 springs if you're re-fitting RB bumbers. Nigel "amukdigiphoto" 27840... MORE
