WANTED – FROGEYE FRONT BUMPER WITH IRONS
Bob Heppell, who owns the ex-Mike Sutton Sebring rep, also has a Frogeye and is looking for a front bumper and brackets.
[AUGUST- He has now bought a new one]
Pete Taylor sent in this super shot of Carroll Shelby with Frog (sorry Bugeye!)
(Ctsy the Healey Museum)
DONINGTON HISTORIC FESTIVAL, DONINGTON PARK – SATURDAY 3rd MAY
CHARLIE CLEGG and his sister, India, will be racing 184 FGJ in the Pre-63 race this coming weekend (on the Saturday).
“We will be up against some great, albeit slightly more powerful cars, such as Ferrari 250 SWBs, Aston DB4GTs, Elites and even an AC Cobra, and as ever would be delighted to see any of the Sebring Sprite contingent! S221 is having an engine rebuild so will not be racing sadly”.
THOMAS WILLIG reports: “I visited the Stiles/Sutherland car when it was up for sale in California in 2012. I looked intensively at the rev counter and its drive. On this car the rev counter was not driven from the camshaft as stated by Tom Coulthard, but from the back of the dynamo. The dynamo on that car was not the type usually used on production cars, but a unit with the drive gearbox build into the rear cover of the dynamo. Please check also the picture on your Butch Gilbert page. I am attaching a picture of the rev counter (below right) in the restored car, that shows also a tell tale on it. The picture you have just published does not show a tell tale on the rev counter. I wonder if the rev counter on the restored Sutherland car might not be the original”. JOHN SPRINZEL adds: “Geoff also fitted another rev counter under the bonnet, one with a telltale to show who used what revs…..”
Gordon Higgs met up with Sprinzel’s former rally Mini, 977 ARX on the Milton Keynes Classic Tour. John says: “Was white in my day, and Willy has navigated for the owner for some years – they even won an Alpine in it…The owner writes for the Mini magazine – nice guy.”
A couple of weeks ago Ken Grasing asked me whether the Sprites at Sebring would have carried a 6″ dia Rev Counter, so I passed the query on to Tom Coulthard, who replies:
“Soz not to have got back to you before on this – attached is a pic of one of the 1959 Sebring cars showing the chronometric rev counter the Healeys used, said to be a nominal 5 inches. Surely anything bigger would be difficult to accommodate (ooh, Matron)? I don’t know what the Smiths model number for these tachos were – pleased to hear if any of your correspondents may know. Smiths maybe didn’t publish a catalogue for the expensive (car) chronometric rev counters as opposed to the scores of (usu. smaller and often calibrated to 10K) bike ones they produced. Interestingly, as you may know, these rev counters were not driven from the dynamo – and therefore subject to the vagaries of the fan belt – but directly from the extra skew drive that XSP camshafts had instead of the fuel pump eccentric. This was serious motorsport!“
Le Mans 1968 – a 3rd visit for HAN9-R-237.
I’m not sure what Geoff Healey is up to in the lefthand shot but he seems to have his eye on the “Lady in Red”
Gabriel Konig
checking her tyres
John Britten (on left) with SS1800, towed by his Midget pick-up
DHMC HARDTOP
Sven Eckhardt has acquired a DHMC hardtop on ebay, a 25th for our register but it’s another with no number.
While at the Goodwood Sprint Pierre took his 82 yr old Dad for 4 demo laps around the track. A great day out for both of them.
I have had an email from Neil Blaney in Australia telling me that his Sebring Coupe is
“all but finished, engine running, a few fiddly things to finish, as you can see from the attached photos. Speedwell Weston Tacho and a 120 MPH speedometer from a 100/6 Healey to go in. Carpets??? “
The colour scheme replicates that of the ex-Andrew Hedges 410 EAO
John Sprinzel’s books
We should be kicking ourselves. No-one bid for those Midget parts (below) and now the shocks are being haggled over at around £600. Someone could have picked up the lot for £50!! Sorry I had the expiry date wrong – but Ithink no-one wanted to drive to Lincolnshire to collect.
Pierre Lequeux has been sprinting at Goodwood in PO for the first time. His best was 130.83 secs for the standing lap.
[photo: John Baggott]
ALAN ANSTEAD
on 5-speed boxes
and
PETE TAYLOR
HAN8-R-202
More from
Rick Neville
SPEEDWELL CATALOGUE
on ebay, SOLD at £158
on 28 April
[Pete Taylor]
Dave Pratt spotted there are a pair of adjustable Armstrongs among this job lot on ebay. Currently at £50 expired 22 April. UNSOLD
Sven Eckhardt comments on 5-speed gearbox options.
See Your Comments
Rick Neville
on his experience of driving
HAN8-R-202
Lew McAllan (USA) has not had time to progress his Sebring Fastback replica in recent months as he has been buying up 6 x LHD Bugeyes to ship from California to Sydney, Australia. We could do with a few of those back in their country of origin!
GRAHAM MAGGS’ FASTBACK (above) is now virtually ready for the road and will soon be up for sale. Price and details shortly.
I am pleased to say that Bill Prout is recovering well from his stem cell surgery and is preparing his Speedwell Sprite for an event. He has, surplus to requirements, a rare Speedwell electric Rev-Counter (8000 rpm) and also a dial for 12000rpm, as used by a BRM vintage Formula 1 car. He has $750 tied up in it. Contact him by email if you are interested.
WANTED by Jeffrey Daigle
an original Sprite Tachometer blanking plate (see photo left). These must be extremely rare. If you can help please email him.
LENHAM ROADHOUSE CAFE
This looks interesting and it’s not far away from my home so I must investigate
– seen in the current issue
of “Classic & Sportscar”
TOYOTA 5-SPEED Conversion
I am currently installing one of these in JJO and already have 2 so think I’d better let someone else have a go at this one. It’s a complete kit, probably worth around £1k and SOLD on ebay at £727 – expireds on Tues 22 Apr
I am preparing a web page about the installation – but lots more to do yet
MIKE COCKAYNE’S FASTBACK
is now on its wheels and partially painted so it won’t be long now before it’s mobile.
VISIT TO THE HEALEY MUSEUM – SEPTEMBER 26 to 29th, 2014 [Click left for latest briefing] We now have some 14 cars registered from the UK for the trip tothe Healey Museum visit in Holland but more would be very welcome. BOOK BEFORE MAY 1ST to be included in the 20 mins. free driving session at the Zandvoort circuit on the Sunday.
If you would like to come, run off a registration form from: http://www.healeymuseum.nl/en/nieuws/evenementen/ complete the form, email it to the organisers, and transfer 175 euros to them for 2 people to take part. Hotel accommodation is available at a special rate at the Van der Valk Hotel or you have the option of camping at a nearby recreation centre. You can email Albert Voogd or Claudia Hendriks for more information or contact Alan Anstead of Midget & Sprite Club who is co-ordinating the tour. We will all be meeting at Dover for the DFDS ferry to Dunkirk at 11 a.m on 26 Sept so book your crossing too.
347 RAL
New web page for this special Lenham GT
[N.B Having mentioned this car to John Baggott he tells me that when researching his book “Mighty Midgets” in the early 90’s he saw Tony Pay’s car, still in its blue/green paint – this suggesting that the red car of Peter Ecury is not in fact the same one.]
WANTED URGENTLY
Engine back-plate for 10CC (big mains) 1098cc engine, part no. 12G 453.
Many thanks – I’ve now been offered 3 !!
PORTUGUESE SPRITE
It’s rebuild and track outing can be seen
on
YOUTUBE
[Maarten Krikken]
Anyone looking for a W & P Sebring hardtop? If so, there is one for sale on leboncoin (France) at 1200 Euros
[Laurent Derancourt]
David Bruzas tell me that diecastlegends are planning to produce models of the 2 ‘works’ Le Mans Sprites which will be numbered SPK 4126 & SPK 4127. David is also looking for a 1961 Sprite donor vehicle or identity. Please let him know if you can help.
347 RAL ~ Lenham GT
This is the 3rd (or perhaps 4th) reference to this special version of the Lenham GT, now owned by Peter Ecury in Holland. It currently awaits restoration – see News 2012 (Dec). [This clip courtesy of Ray English]
David Morys spotted Ian Watts’ Sebring Rep at the Malvern classic car show. He says: “Tucked away in one of the halls was this lovely apparently age-worn Sebring Sprite complete with a boot to boot! Faded carpet inside gave one the impression it was done some while ago. The simplicity of this understated car rather typifies how diverse these conversions can be”.
BRIAN (BIC) HEALEY’s FUNERAL
will take place this Wednesday 16th April at 3 p.m. at the Parish Church in St Piran, Perranzabuloe, Penhallow, CORNWALL. The Church is situated on the A3075 between Goonhavern and Chiverton roundabout, and abt 2 miles outside the village of Perranporth. For those using Satnav, the postcode is TR49LQ. The family looks forward to seeing Bic’s many friends on 16th April, and to celebrate Bic’s life. No black ties are required, please.
SPEEDWELL TACHO
(not orig Weston type)
for sale at £150
Contact seller by email
[Alan Anstead]
Graham Robson has been out with his new Sebring – 1stly at the gates of Goodwood for the Members Meeting & on 5 Apr in the HRDC All Stars at Silverstone – 3rd in class.
Neil Anderson has kindly sent me this article from “Classic Cars” which includes a great photo of the ’63 Le Mans Sprite, 58 FAC.
PAIR REPRO SPEEDWELL DOOR HANDLES ON EBAY
SOLD at £201.75
on 20th April
[Mark Matthews]
ANYONE GOT ONE OF THESE?
Ray English has been after one for 50 years for his “Sprite Room” in Australia. Feedback
BADGE FOUND
Within a few hours of publishing the photo (left) of the Scottish Sprite Club badge I had a message from Bill Thomson, one of that Club’s former members, offering me a badge and more. Such is the value of our little “grapevine”. Many thanks Bill.
INDEPENDENT REAR SUSPENSION FOR YOUR FROGEYE?
John Reidy (South Africa) has just acquired this amazing set-up supposedly built in the 60’s or 70’s. It uses a purpose built tubular frame with a Spitfire diff and front wishbones, Mini Cooper uprights and drive shafts and bolts on in place of the quarter elliptic springs and to the check strap brackets. Just hope it doesn’t make the car handle like a Spitfire!!
SAD NEWS
I was sorry to hear yesterday that Brian (Bic) Healey has passed away following a fall. The last of Donald Healey’s sons he had often represented the Healey family at events in recent years.
EARLY ASHLEY HARDTOP FOR SALE
Laurent Derancourt tells me there is one of these
for sale on lebancoin at 1250 Euros
Amazing what these things fetch nowadays.
We can rely on TOM COULTHARD to give us the answer: “The French Monte photos are all of Douglas – someone must have been quite a fan. The 1959 pic is of his original very early Sprite, VBM 7, now works-assisted and fitted with the ‘works’ high-sidescreen hardtop – see attached pic (right) of the car going onto the Channel Air Bridge service at Lydd (DWS usually started from Paris – not for him the British Railways food aboard the Lord Warden). The 1960 photo is of 90 HBH – which I believe duly became the first DWS 97. This was the only Sprite on the 1960 Monte – for my initial research on WER in the 1980s I had to identify all the Monte Sprites … which was rather more difficult in the days before t’internet”. [Many thanks Tom.] [In ’59 & ’60 Douglas’s co-driver was John Bayliss – Tony Wilson-Spratt]
Douglas Wilson-Spratt on the 1961 Monte
Douglas again in 1962
These 7 photos come from a French blog courtesy of “yellowcitron” and were kindly mentioned to me by Mike Wood
and another, in 1960
NEW PHOTOS OF 1961 SPEEDWELL/ASHLEY SPRITE MK2
still offered for sale by Angelo van der Rijt in Belgium.
An original 60’s conversion restored to a high standard.
Offers sought in the region of 15,000 Euros (about £12,400 UK)
Tom Coulthard has acquired another DHMC hardtop – No.17 and also a neat little model of his rally car WER 354
XNB 712 at Oulton Park, 1987
[Ray English]
It wasn’t only Lotus Elites that became marooned on the sandbanks at Sebring – here is Cyril Simson trying to dig out S221 in 1961. [Ray English]
Peter Ecury’s one-off Mk 1 Sprite Fastback 347 RAL which I believe he still has (un-restored)
[Ray English]
LNX 629E at International Healey Weekend in 1986 in the hands of John Baglow.
[Dave Matthews]
