Rebuilt Speedwell Rev Counter with analogue movement for sale on ebay at “Buy It Now” price of £235 ENDED
Alistair McHardy in WJB 707 at Goodwood in July 1966
The photo (left) was taken at the final race meeting before Goodwood closed its gates to motor racing for many years.
GRAHAM ROBSON, who now owns the WSM 793 XPP tells me that in addition to its entry for the 73rd Members Meeting at Goodwood the car is entered for the Healey Drivers International’s Invitation race at MG Live 21st June on the Silverstone GP circuit in a class they are running for Sprite Special bodied cars. Also, the pre 63 GT race at the Silverstone Classic and the pre 63 GT support race at the Spa 6 hrs. It is possible there will also be a class for special bodied Sprites at the HDI race at Castle Combe in October. The car’s motor has now been rebuilt as 1293cc and the car can now be identified from other red WSMs by its having a Cambridge blue stripe. Graham has sent me another link to the 73rd Members Meeting including in-car footage from the test day.
I’ve not see one of these before – a Williams & Pritchard hardtop/bonnet brochure on ebay – exp 5 Mar, SOLD £107!
Add another couple of 0s and you probably still couldn’t buy it today !!
[Maarten Krikken]
2 MORE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO WJB 707
have come my way from Tom Coulthard. On left is a request for information published in Classic & Sportscar back in 1993 and right another racing photo of the car.
A set of NOS (New Old Stock) BMC 948cc/1098cc Con rods.
New unused in original boxes with grease paper. Very rare these days, perfect for Lightening/Polishing or fit as they are. ARP bolts could follow if needed ? £250 for the set !
Contact: Nikolaj Mortensen
Brett Pruitt,
in addition to needing a Frogeye dashboard, is also trying to find a RHD horn/steering wheel cowling (above) for his ex-Sprinzel car.
GOODWOOD 73rd MEMBERS MEETING 21-22 MARCH
Mike Wylie has sent me a copy of the Entry List which includes a number of Sprites in the Les Leston Cup. David Wylie (Speedwell GT); Rae Davis (WSM); Graham Robson (WSM); and Ian Burford (Lumbertubs). Should be a great race.
A REALLY LOVELY SEBRING COUPE RELUCTANTLY FOR SALE
Mike Prangnell has reluctantly decided to part with his much-loved Sebring as he and his wife now need something a little more comfortable for their weekend transport. Built on a California shell back in 2000 and converted to a Sebring in 2008. It has a whole list of new parts (see spec sheet) and has been valued at £26,500. It has done just 6,000 miles since 2000.
Mike is looking for offers, and can be contacted by phone: 01243 783353 or by email [WITHDRAWN FROM SALE 1st May 2015]
WANTED – FROGEYE DASH
Brett Pruitt is restoring the Sprite he bought recently from John Sprinzel and is in need of a RHD dashboard.
If you can help, please email him.
BOB KEMP, AHC Registrar has sent me a whole bundle of interesting documents among which were Jim Dougherty’s article on Targa Florio Sprites (left) and another by Ian Polley on the Le Mans cars.
John Poulter suggests that my PG inlet manifold could be from PADDY GASTON. Seems likely which is rather exciting.
NOW SOLD
SHORROCK SUPERCHARGER KIT ON EBAY SOLD AT £1550
1st March
[Mike Wood]
TREVOR LAID UP AFTER ACCIDENT:
“Martin, Unfortunately I had a fairly bad accident in Soll, Austria at the beginning of January & will be in a wheelchair for the next six months. I’ve sent you a picture of XXC818 at the last sprint of the season at Kirkistown race circuit on November 14. Being out of action I will not be tinkering with the car over the winter period. However I do intend to get back in to the Sebring (one way or the other) to compete in the TSCC Cultra Hill Climb on the 13 June 2015. Have a look at the TSCC web site, it may be of interest. I have also sent some images of my latest purchase, a 1958 sprite. The little car was built in September 58, dispatched to the dealer, Jones Bros (Bangor)Ltd, Main St, Bangor, Wales in October 58, and sold to an Ian Haig Keppie at RAF Angelesy in April 59. Its an original matching numbers car which was restored in 1993 & has only covered 1362 miles since. It’s in very sound condition but the paintwork has faded badly. I did strip the interior from the car, but it’s now in storage until later in the year. Hope everything is well with you. Keep up the good work with the web site. Trevor McIlroy.”
SPRING IN CALIFORNIA
“Just thought I would send all of you suffering in winter some hopeful pictures, that spring arrives soon. I was able to take the car out for a drive today after the fog burned off. I still have some things I have to finish, but it was fun taking her out on the road. Hoping Spring comes to your part of the world soon. Regards Paul Boss”
WJB 707
Auction guide price is
£80 – £100,000
[John Poulter kindly sent in the letter (right) from Ian Walker, Sept 1990.]
Original Sebring Brochure on ebay – expired 1st March
SOLD at £69
ITEMS FOR SALE
Angelo van der Rijt is having a clearout and wants to find new homes for this rare Midget Mk1 hardtop (SOLD) and his unfinished Lenham GT, 95% complete with lots of new parts, for which he is looking for 5,500 Euros. More photos on “For Sale” page.
I bet there aren’t many people who can say they have a Sebring Sprite tucked away under their bench!
PG Manifold
It turns out this is probably one of Paddy Gaston’s.
NOW SOLD
WJB 707 – the Ian Walker Sebring is to be included in the H & H auction at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford on April 15th. More details to follow.
For Sale through Car & Classic is this one-off “Sebring” from Portugal. Offered many times now at £48,000 !!
ENX 415C – photos from Joe Armour. The car in the UK probably soon after its restoration some years ago.
ARSON ATTACK ON ARCHERS GARAGE
Andrew Forster tells me that there was a break-in at his workshop earlier this week and a fire was started. Fortunately it was extinguished before too much damage resulted but some vehicles were affected and there is considerable smoke damage. Andrew hopes to have the business running normally again very shortly.
CAR S.O.S on SKY TV
I understand the Sprite Restoration programme is expected to be shown during March. Perhaps someone can record it on to disc so that those of us without SKY can see it – or better still upload it on to YouTube.
GOODWOOD MEMBERS MEETING & RARE ALLOY SPEEDWELL BONNET
Mike Wylie also tells me: “David is doing his best to get the alloy bonnet fitted to the Speedwell, which should have been done years ago, but as I was previously using the car for rallying this had not been an imperative, especially as we have been occupied with having fun with too many cars. I think you are aware that he has been invited to race in the Les Leston Cup at the Goodwood Members Meeting 21-22 March. According to the invitation this race is for “British production sports cars that raced between 1960 and 1966” and will include TVRs, Morgans, MGBs, Turners, and Triumphs. The invitation contains warnings on quality of driving, and has considerable stress on the involvement of eligibility experts. Cheers, Mike.”
Mike Wylie kindly sent in these pages :
” I wonder if these two pages, the entry list for the RAC Rally in November 1961, are of any interest to you. You will note the considerable number of Sprites competing, driven by many familiar names, plus a smaller number of Midgets. Adrian (Boyd) and Maurice are included, of course, but there are so many other friends in the list, in a variety of other cars, who were well known to me; all part of the motoring world that I had the privilege to grow up within”.
Dan Paul pointed me to a YouTube clip in which Pierre Lequex ‘ car 2080 PO is taking part in an autotest at Bognor Regis back in the 60’s. Pierre says it was being driven by its then owned, a Miss Taylor.
SEBRING SPRITE TO APPEAR ON SKY TV
I gather that CAR S.O.S is soon to feature the restoration of an original Sebring Sprite. Perhaps someone with SKY will keep the rest of us informed as to when it is likely to come on air. I believe it may later also be on More 4.
Very rare WILLIAMS & PRITCHARD hardtop for sale on ebay, currently at £449.99
expired 5 March – NO BIDS
and a nice ASHLEY one, also on ebay, Sold at £360, expired 13 Feb [BUT CHECK WHICH MODEL IT IS FOR!]
KEITH LUCK made a lovely job of my Shorrock C75b Supercharger and has now restored this Judson, below.
Rod Robinson’s Judson supercharger kit, left before restoration, and right after Keith Luck had rebuilt it.
IVO CAPPON ON RILEY/WOLSELEY BRAKES “Here is an update on my project car. I have found 2 sets of back plates for my car: one Riley/Girling and one Wolseley?Lockheed. Like you state on your blog, to uprate the rear brakes on the Sebring, BMC competition department (actually it was DHMC) used the 8 inch Riley 1.5. backplates. They gave superior performance over the standard item. Nowadays these backplates are getting harder to find, and people are getting confused with the ‘AP Lockheed’ ones, of the ‘Wolseley 1500’ . I know how it felt, since I have made the same mistake. I want to build (my car), as close as possible a reproduction (of the original) so all the details count! So here is an overview which you should look at, when in search of Girling backplates”.
A FASTBACK DOWN UNDER
Alan Mead hales from Kyneton, Victoria a little way north of Melbourne where he runs an auto and mower repair business. He has an Archers Fastback kit he is going to put on this Sprite Mk2 (left) and plans to paint it blue as S 221 was (right).
WILL Mk1 HARDTOP FIT A MARK 2?
Mark Drelicharz in the USA purchased this BMC factory hardtop a couple of years ago. It had been used as a duckpond in Wisconsin!! He plans to fit it to his Mk2 but thinks it will need modification over the rear apron. Is this necessary – I would have thought it should fit.
