MIKE CURTIS’S COUPE MAKES PROGRESS
Now virtually ready for the paint shop so should be finished in the summer! Mike is going through final fitting of the doors which continue to be a frustration – changing shape daily! He wishes he had gone for all alloy versions, but they came with the abandoned package he bought. Note the modified front – he wanted to get a better bonnet fit with less wobble!. He has also decided to make the rear window open with a frame as his FIA seats don’t make access to rear easy. Nearly there ..
WHO KISSED THE INJURED FROG & TURNED IT INTO A HANDSOME PRINCE (above) ? The answer seems to be Graham Robson aided by Daryl Davis of Motobuild. See the new web page for 5506 AR The car is destined for this year’s Healeysport Championship.
Dave Dickinson’s current Frogeye (rt) with wire wheels
(see lower down the page)
He wants to find a DHMC top
Use Feedback if U can help
Paddy signs Trevor McIlroy’s Sebring roof
XXC 818 and 2222 AZ
Swamped by Minis
Trevor McIlroy attended the Paddy Hopkirk Gala on 22nd February to celebrate the 50th Golden Anniversary of the Rally Monte-Carlo Victory 1964, in Belfast. He tells me: “There was a cavalcade from Stormont to the Belfast City Hall, then on to the Titanic Centre with a displayed of 180 minis, old & new, an array of cars Paddy had driven over the years, VW Beetle, Sunbeams, MG’s & Sebring Sprite. As Paddy drove a Sebring Sprite in the early sixty’s I was asked to bring along XXC818. You can see in one of the pictures the rear of 2222AZ, Paddy’s own Sebring Sprite as recorded in Spritely Years, now owned by Con Williamson a keen classic car collector, Insurance Broker in N.Ireland who specializes in Classic Car insurance. Paddy kindly signed the roof of XXC818 on the steps of Stormont. A very special day in the history of Motor Sport in N.Ireland. Chris Meek with his 3rd place Citroen from this years Monte-Carlo Rally, Jimmy McRea with his VX Chevette & Ari Vatanen in an ex works Ford Fiesta was in attendance & joined the cavalcade. A number of famous drivers from N. Ireland, from F1 John Watson, Ladies rally champion from the 60 -70 period Rosemary Smith, Ari Vatanen’s works Peugeot navigator Terry Harryman & Robert Woodside also attended.“
At Silverstone on 22 Feb
WJJ 998 was bid up to £13,800 plus 15% commission but failed to reach reserve. It is now back on the market with Bill Postins at £19,995.
DAVID DICKINSON tells me that back around 1963 he bought a very smart replica hardtop from a small company in Birmingham called Perks and Dolman for his Frog, YWN 373. They came in black and had the usual over centre clips on the windscreen. His current car 523 CLF was featured in CSC August 2000, now in great condition with Classic Revival power unit and some Speedwell bits.
IDENTIFYING HARDTOPS – PAUL WEBB
The unidentified hardtop (left) is not a Clifford Engineering one as I first thought. I have one the same but it has no maker’s markings. The photos of the red hardtop show the Clifford Engineering one as it has the outline of the maker’s badge on the rear and I have the badge for it at home. Sorry for the confusion. Paul Webb. [Many thanks, Paul]
Dominic Mooney of Midland Classic Restorations’s Sebring Rep and, far right, his extensively modified Lenham Le Mans
SEBRING 1960
Roger Sieling has sent me these photos and is interested to identify the bearded guy and the tall man in white brimmed hat (left) with Moss and Roger Menadue (in bobble hat). Feedback Roger’s full message is on Your Comments
I AM SURE FELLOW ENTHUSIASTS WILL JOIN ME IN WISHING BILL PROUT LUCK WITH HIS STEM CELL SURGERY THIS MARCH
Bill is a 68 year old flying instructor and life-long horseman and professional race car driver in Connecticut USA. He approached me last October as he wanted to get several Sprite books having fallen for a little SCCA Sprite which he has re-built with many Speedwell parts. At Christmas he put in a request for a rare Speedwell hardtop and, amazingly, through the website, one turned up in Holland. Having nearly completed his project Bill now has to go into hospital for a stem cell transplant and will be out of action for several months. We send him and his wife Mandy our very best wishes.
THE FALCON SPRITE
more of the story from Roger Sieling – see “Your Comments”
Mike Wood tells of this BMC hardtop for a Mark 1. In good condition & complete with new rear window. Located in Belgium – 250€ Contact
CORRECTION
Paul Webb tells me the hardtop (left below) is by Clifford Engineering of West Drayton in Middlesex
Dan Paul comments on these hardtops and Thomas Willig on Wolseley brakes – see “Your Comments”
HARDTOP FOR SALE on ebay
Currently at £114
SOLD £310
[Thanks to Tim Halket]
and right, another one, this belonging to Ron Edwards – can anyone identify its maker please – Feedback
ASHLEY FASTBACK HARDTOP FOR MARK 1 SPRITE
Lew McAllan has now acquired the Ashley hardtop shown lower down this page. He is coming over from the USA shortly and will crate it up for dispatch home, but if anyone wants to take a mould from it in the meantime he would be willing to arrange it. Email him if you are keen.
Tom Coulthard on 4444 DA and E 700
“at the time of Spritely Years John (Sprinzel) was equally certain the Cat’s Eyes car was Jack Clarfelt’s Sprite that was undergoing transformation at the Mews at the time (p. 210). These two Sprites could conceivably have been one and the same, though the red coupe subsequently being offered in one of his display ads in Autosport (issue 9 Mar 62) is described as being the Clarfelt car”.
[See “Your Comments” for Tom’s full message.]
DHMC tall side-screens
Pete Farmer has 2 remaining newly-made pairs for sale at £500 plus £40 for bag + VAT
Email him if interested
DHMC HARDTOP
Butch Gilbert has now sold his car but has a spare tall side-screen hardtop he wants to sell. Email him.
Sprite Identity For Sale
would suit Replica builder ~ 1965 Sprite 3 ~ “C” reg documents & chassis plate
£200 from Pat Hobbs
Wolseley (Lockheed) 8″ rear brakes Sold £245 on ebay
[Dave Pratt]
HEALEY WHEELS
Simon Bilbie tells how the Healey wheels were designed by his father, Barry.
(See “Your Comments”)
Former owner of JAX 12 (791 NAR) Paul Rogers has found his receipt from 1971 and a label showing the car was originally Old English White and LHD
Meredith Hutchins’ one-off Rep is For Sale with RR rear lights, boot opening and rare bonnet. £12,000 on Car & Classic [Maarten Krikken]
Roger Valler is also offering a pair of adjustable rear shocks which have Ford Anglia arms so would need swapping over. Offers over £500 to Roger
New web pages now completed for
E 700
and
4444 DA
Lubert Mussche from the Netherlands is currently building an ultra-lightweight Sprite with the help of Ton
Blankespoor using one of his aluminium bodies and bonnets. The engine is a Cooper S Formule Junior 1071 with H4 SU carbs. The 8″ rear brakes are from a Riley 1.5.
“Lucky John” – 3 copies currently in stock. £53 each incl UK p + p. Order via Feedback
The Healey Museum have just announced that they have acquired, from Ian Grainger, his ex-John Baker Sebring Sprite 2341 UE.
ALAN ANSTEAD OF MIDGET & SPRITE CLUB
is kindly organising a tour to the Netherlands for the visit to the Healey Museum over the weekend 26 – 29 Sept.
Visit www.masckent.org shortly for full details
Lew McAllan from USA is interested in buying the hardtop shown right. Is there anyone who could collect it from the York area and crate it up/dispatch it for him should he make a successful bid? Please contact via Feedback
Mike Wood has drawn my attention to a Frogeye Ashley hardtop currently available on ebay. SOLD £281
Graeme Maggs’ Fastback Sebring Replica
Based on a ’63 Sprite exported to Hong Kong and with a military background previously owned by several serving RAF personnel. Graeme started building the car in 2012 and it is now being prepared for painting. It will be a road car with a Weber carb chrome-plated wire wheels, and Monza bonnet.
ANNOUNCING A SPRITE VISIT TO THE HEALEY MUSEUM IN HOLLAND
which will take place over the weekend 27/28 September by kind invitation. More details are to follow and the weekend
may include taking in a race meeting in the Netherlands.
It promises to be “a real cracker” of a weekend so let me know if you are interested in joining the Sprite convoy.
PMO 200 with a boot lid. I recently asked John Sprinzel how it was that in this photo (left) PMO 200 had a boot lid. His reply: “I am pretty sure – but not certain, that this was the 62 Monte version. I was at a traffic light in the main road near the Mews – next to Bill Cotton in his Jag XK120 I think, when some idiot ran in the back of me. As it was Monte week, there was some urgency for the repair, and I think they took the opportunity to put in a boot lid. It might well have been earlier, but that is when I think it was done. Same car though. In spite of the odd short use of another car for PMO (Race Car Show, Cat’s Eyes, and the LH Drive car for the Alpine). There really was only one Sebring PMO – the ex beige, then black Bugeye, which Bob Domey crashed on the Acropolis and which was rebuilt into the RAC and then full Sebring car. There was also really only one Speedwell PMO from the Abingdon loaner speedwell blue which morphed into the GT. Cheers. J “
ASHLEY FASTBACK HARDTOPS FOR FROGEYES
John Reidy has commenced re-manufacturing the very pretty fastback Ashley hardtop for the Frogeye now rarely found in the UK or in Europe. He is based in South Africa so there will be a hefty freight cost but this may be the only opportunity to buy one now. Windows will be in laminated glass. Prices and other details to follow.
These 2 great “new” photos of S221 were sent in by Joe Armour to whom they were given by Paul Hawkins’ brother. Left one shows Cyril Simson and Paul Hawkins in May 1960 at the Nurburgring 1000kms and the right one is in Sept that year, again at Nurburgring, for the 500kms.
A page from Autosport in March 1963 shows the ‘works’ Le Mans car, 58 FAC, in the process of being sprayed, as well as the Sebring Mark 2s and one of the Big Healeys.
[Supplied by Joe Armour whose ’65 Healey looks near identical]
Some confusion has arisen from John Sprinzel’s message to me about his drive in the Cat’s Eyes Rally (Your Comments). The car he drove then was Eric Davis’s new un-finished coupe which became E 700. His old car, also E 700, became 4444 DA in Stan Annis’s ownership.
Eric Davis’s Peel-bodied car at Prescott in 1965. Gabriel Konig later destroyed this car in an accident at Castle Combe [Paul Webb]
New messages from John Sprinzel about 4444 DA and from Stephen Bowen who may sell WJB 707 this year
in “Your Comments”
Stephen once put WJB up for sale in the past
I continue to be asked for Fly-off Handbrake kits despite my supply being exhausted. The drawing (right) will enable those who require them to make their own.
Sven Eckhardt’s rebuild of his Sebring Coupe replica following his accident in Nov 2012 now includes the fitting of an alloy top and an application for FIA Htpapers
Sven’s car is now at Archers Garage for various works prior to its final re-assembly. See Sven’s message including his views on Paul Tarry’s use of a Midget 1500 shell and Craig Chapman alloy bodywork in his re-build of 4646 UE: Your Comments
FRONT HUBS
These are originals for Sprite 2 or Midget Mk1 having a fine thread for the spinner. On ebay – unsold (1 Feb)
Girling Caliper Seal Kit
(SP2507) for Type 10 calipers.
I purchased this kit on ebay in case anyone needed one. Use Feedback if you can use it.
