THIS WONDERFUL PHOTO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN 1960 AT BRANDS HATCH WITH PAUL HAWKINS AT THE WHEEL OF S221
(Courtesy of the Healey Museum)

RELUCTANTLY FOR SALE - SEBRING FASTBACK

 

HALLS GARAGE TO MAKE PEEL FASTBACK BODYWORK

HALLS GARAGE are pleased to announced that they are now going to be producing the Peel (Sebring) Fastback.
"We are building this for a customer on one of the last Brian Wheeler, Wheeler and Davis, shells .
If anyone is interested in one please get in touch".
HALLS GARAGE Folkingham Road, Morton, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 0NS
Tel. 01778 570286 Email: steve@hallsgarage.co.uk Website: http://www.hallsgarage.co.uk

MONTE NEWSFLASH & ADO COUPE DEVELOPMENT

MIKE WOOD ON AVAILABILITY OF BRAKE/CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER SEALS

"The Girling 3/4 inch master cylinder repair kit (SP1967) as well as the 5/8inch repair kit (SP1963) and 7/8 inch repair kit (SP2029) are widely available from motorsport suppliers, such as Merlin Motorsport as seen via the above links,
or through Raceparts or Burton Power . It's also worth trying Powertrack Brakes Ltd too as they stock original AP Caparo (Lockheed)".

SEBRING MASTER CYLINDER SEAL KITS

Professor Malcolm McCrae recently acquired the green standard-bodied Sebring, XSC 500, and found it had a fluid leak beneath the brake/clutch master cylinders. He needed both master cylinder seal kits SP1963 and SP 1967 and was able to source them from the Moss Group. He tells me: "Interestingly SP1963 (Moss part number GRK 1029) is described as  a Repair Kit, clutch master cylinder and priced at £7.50 and SP1967 (Moss part number GRK1027) is described as Repair Kit, brake master cylinder and priced at £7.00. Interestingly the Sprite is not  listed as a car to which either part is applicable, it being the 100-6 and 3000 listed as the Austin Healeys they are suitable for. SP1963 is described as 5/8” but there is no size mentioned in the much sparser description for SP1967". Thanks Malcolm for this useful current info.

DAVE MARRIOTT'S
Sebring was collected this week by Jason and Michael from Halls Garage for the body/chassis to be completed and painted. Seems like a good time to make some progress on a new project.

MIKE AUTHERS
has obtained another photo of his very early Sprite (812 UYS) soon after its arrival in South Africa. Unusually it has a separate pair of front sidelights, and what are those brackets beneath the front valance?

PETE SCHUMANN TAKES DELIVERY

of the ex-Bill Prout standard-bodied Sebring complete with its W & P/Speedwell hardtop. Very nice!

ASHLEY FASTBACK HARDTOP FOR SALE

[TO FIT ONLY AUSTIN-HEALEY SPRITE MK.2 or MIDGET MK.1]
"It has all the plastic windows in it which are in good condition. The headlining needs replacing and it requires painting. Looking for offers around £450". Contact:
ALDON AUTOMOTIVE on 01384 572553 or email

FROM JOHN BAGGOTT:

"Following recent posts regarding Speedwell badges, does anyone have similar information regarding Sebring badges? Having established that my Speedwell example is indeed genuine, I wonder about the provenance of this Sebring badge bought at an autojumble last year. Photos of front and reverse (without any markings) are shown here".
Please send Feedback if you can assist him.

Alistair Ross spotted this Spridget with what looks like a Sebring style bonnet,
on an old black and white film called "Cuckoo Patrol" filmed in 1967
The location is Well End, Borehamwood. Registration looks to be YPX ???
Anyone know if it's still around? Feedback please.

NEW SPEEDWELL GT FROM MOTO-BUILD

Interesting to see that Moto-Build Racing have assembled a race car using one of the late Keith Hopwood's roof panels (created for RAM 35).
Now on ebay at £32,000.

776 KNX

ANOTHER PHOTO OF THE '67 'WORKS' LE MANS SPRITE EMERGES

Although I have a few pictures showing the accident damage caused by an accident in the Esses at Le Mans in 1967 this is one I hadn't seen. Clive Baker and Andrew Hedges still managed to come in 15th overall despite a delay for temporary repairs. See more

PETE SCHUMANN'S CARS

"Attached are some pic's of my 1960 AH Bugeye, Frogeye to you!  It's got a newly rebuilt 1275, stainless steel headers & exhaust a Bugeye guy twin-tip muffler, a spare spark plug holder, a Ford T-9, 5 speed, a 3.9 diff, new Timken bearings all round, new Armstrong Lever shocks all round, new Frontline disc brakes both front and rear, a front sway bar and rear Panhard rod, a front forward tilt bonnet, leather hold down straps, drilled aluminum pedals, a new Lucas alt /gen to neg ground, all LED's including fog-lamps and hardtop 3rd brake light, lower signal lights converted to running and signals, new Kumho 175/70/13 tires on new black powder-coated MiniLite wheels, a flip top gas cap, new Raydot side mirrors with SS mounts, a 14" wood trim steering wheel, a rally stop watch, a Russian WWII vintage 5 day wind tank clock, drilled wiper blades etc, etc. Most of the modifications done in 2018 were done by Jack Merryman of Merryman Modifications in Hanover Pennsylvania about 90 miles from me in VA. Recently it won the local annual Hunt Country British Car show in Middleburg, Virginia for it's class and took 2nd in a MD British car show in 2018. It's a real hoot to drive and folks love it wherever I go. 
I also have a Beck reproduction 57 Porsche Speedster and 55 Porsche 550 Spyder. My friend Mark Gagnon has Peter White's Sebring Sprite here in Virginia - it's a very cool car".

WANTED: A PAIR OF GIRLING TYPE 10 BRAKE CALIPERS

"You will be please to hear that I finally finished rebuilding the Ecurie Ecosse Sprite after its little bump at the Goodwood members meeting. Although the aluminium bonnet was folded up like a crisp packet we were able to save it. I was invited to show the car at this year’s Salon Prive. Unfortunately I was away but my son Robert & his sister Rebecca did take the car along to hang out with some very fancy machinery. It didn’t win a prize but the kids did drink a lot of champagne and eat a few lobsters. I am of a mind to try and get the car some FIA papers so I can run it in some historic events. With that in mind I am trying to track down a set of Girling 10 brake callipers. Do you or any of the readers know where I can find a set. Nick Skipworth".

We all know these things are now like hen's teeth but if you can help please contact Nick by email.

SPEEDWELL REPLY TO CHUCK'S QUESTION BELOW:

JONAS LINDQUIST reports: "Saw your question regarding Speedwell badges on “sebringsprite.com”,
there is a very good site showing the difference between an original and a reproduction badge:
http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/spot_a_fake.htm
and how the rocker cover badge looks like in original:
  http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/speedwell-tuning-products.html
There are quite a lot of fake products on E-bay and elsewhere so one have to be careful.
Some more reading:
http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/pdf/spd-cat-71.pdf
http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/speedwell_cat_64.htm
and my own homepage with a few Speedwell related pictures etc:  www.speedwell.se
I have a small collection of Speedwell parts myself for my BMC Mini Cooper Mk2 and my Austin Healey Sprite Mk1,
and if you have any questions regarding speedwell, I just might help you".
Many thanks Jonas

SPEEDWELL MONZA BONNET FACTS FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH

Message received from John Sprinzel:

"Hi there - Didn't make the Speedwell Monza front until 1959 so he (Tommy Rougeux, see lower down the page) wouldn't have had one fitted immediately after he bought his Bug Eye in 1958. I seem to remember that Stuart Turner and I took the prototype bonnet on the Liege in September of 1959 and the prototype complete Speedwell GT was on show on the Speedwell Stand at the BRSCC Race Car Show in 1960 at the Royal Agricultural Hall. Cheers. J

Curborough ~ April 2019

PAT COOPER'S RACING FROGEYE FOR SALE

606NEV or ‘Tango’ is bright orange with a massive spec (134bhp). Pat says: "I ran her at St Gueno last season and Joe Mackrell and I have campaigned her on the hills, Joe looks after her for me. Although currently set up for hill climbs she is a race car – though road legal".
If interested contact Pat by email.

ST. Gueno, Brittany
June 2019

SPEEDWELL HELP WANTED

"My late friend and I collected Speedwell bits for our Sprites. I have 3 Speedwell badges.   One I'm pretty certain is either a horribly rechromed original or a counterfeit.  The other 2 (1 with a black background & 1 with a yellow background) look to be originals.  
When Speedwell attached a badge , where were they attached on a sprite bodywork? Also I'm seeking any fellow Speedwell enthusiasts , I would like to locate a second Speedwell SU carb velocity stack (rampipe we usually call them in the UK) to complete a set for my own car" If you can assist Chuck please contact him via email.
I am not sure there is any particular place on a Sprite where a Speedwell badge would have been located - I have seen them on bonnets, boots, hardtops,etc. The lowest of these badges is, I believe, one which would have replaced the AUSTIN badge on the rocker cover. My old Speedwell catalogue does not illustrate any rampipes, merely the small bell-shaped items so maybe this was a later addition by a firm using the Speedwell name. If you can assist further please get in touch. Feedback.

THESE 5 PHOTOS COME COURTESY OF BONHAMS.
The car was sold at their recent auction at Scottsdale (Arizona, USA) and I was interested to see a Facebook post on 23rd Jan from Bob Fisher who worked for Royston Distributors from 1972 until they closed in 1980. He says::

"This Le Mans Sprite just sold at Scottsdale. It was (once) owned by Royston Distributors. I worked for Royston until they were bought out in 1980. I would often eat my lunch on the 3rd floor where Mr Royston kept his car collection.... I've had lunch in this car....." He probably imagined what it would be like to drive the car down the Mulsanne Straight at 150 mph - while eating his sandwiches!

FOR SALE
Well known Hill Climb and Sprint Austin Healey Sprite with rare Williams and Pritchard 'Sebring GT' body. Ready to compete for the new season, complete with trailer.
Contact Ian Grainger by email

STILL AVAILABLE 2 FEB 2020

ALLOY WHEEL WANTED

Glenn Clarke is looking for a 13inch Twin Fin Minilite alloy wheel (quite rare) 5 inches wide as in the photos, for a Sprite - 4 inch PCD. [they did make them in magnesium also]   On the photos you can make out the fins. On the inside of the wheel they also have small ribs. On Glenn's 2 have this and 2 don’t.   He is not bothered which. Contact him by email if you can help please.

ENGINE FOR SALE
1380 A+
Ported and polished 11 stud Longman big valve head
Payan head gasket 
73.5mm forged Omega pistons
Stock rods 
Stick crank
Duplex timing chain
276 Kent cam
Aldon distributor
Rear Oil seal conversion 
45DCOE Webber carb that was rebuilt before I bought it and was used for one event, fitted with:
Choke 40; Emulation tube F9; Main jet 190; Main air 170
and Idle 50F9
Tinavo intake manifold; K&N air filter,used for one event 
2x small trumpets; 2x large trumpets 
Motor plate for a Morris gearbox or Ford type 9 gearbox
Bell housing for a type 9 box for the motor plate 
Flywheel for a Ford or Morris clutch
Ford 7.5inch Sierra clutch
LCB 3 into One manifold 

OFFERS TO JACK GROVES
who can be contacted by email