XOH 276
Robert Visser is making great progress with the rear.
ADO 34/50 DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS
DOUGLAS ANDERSON reports:
“We are trying out a different engine. I hope this doesn’t upset the purists!!! My MG 1500 is now the test mule for the ADO34/50. I am using it to test some engineering alternatives to the standard car. 
Clark Dawson and I had been thinking for a while about a modern alternative power unit for the new car – a modern equivalent of the Coventry Climax which was light and advanced for its time. As most ‘A’ series engine enthusiasts will know, the ‘K’ series BMW motorbike twin-cam 16v head has been successfully joined to the ‘A’ series engine. However, the conversion is not straightforward and can be expensive. Unfortunately you are still left with an antiquated bottom end. So we have used the complete BMW ‘K’ series engine and it makes a fantastic conversion. An added advantage is that it can be done relatively cheaply. The engine itself is a light-weight masterpiece. It lies low and flat in the MG and this improves the car in all sorts of ways. It revs safely to 8000rpm and provides a reliable 100+bhp in standard form. At present it is joined to the MG 1500 gearbox to make the installation of the engine easy and cost effective. We are now at the road test stage and it seems to work very well. More updates later”.
[This engine is not the (Honda) K-Series we know, as used in Rover/MG cars of 90s but the one made by BMW for their K100 motorcycle. It is a 987cc fuel-injected motor and details can be seen on Wikipedia. MEI]
FIA APPENDIX K TRACK WIDTH
KEN GRASING raised the following question with JOHN HOPWOOD, MSA-appointed Registrar:
“With the supercharged 1959 Sprite (Period F, GTS10) on the lift I begin to measure the rear track width and quickly determined that I didn’t know the appropriate methodology for measuring center-to-center rear track width. I attempted to eyeball center of tire patch at point of pavement contact, but suspect this method might not be correct, certainly not very accurate. One method, used in racing in the USA, is to measure inside rim to outside rim, at hub height center line both in front of and to the rear of the axle, and divide by two. Could you advise reference to appropriate FIA Appendix K paragraph?”
to which JOHN replied: “Track is measured at ground level, centre of tyre tread to centre of tyre tread. One method is to dust some talcum powder on the floor and push the car over it, leaves good marks. The method I use is with a bar and movable plates that butt against the outside of one tyre wall and the inside of the other, then remove and measure the gap. You could use a small set square and chalk marks on the floor. Hope this helps”.
“MOUNTAIN LEGEND” – DAVID SCOTHORN points out that:
The ex-Jacobs Midget 770 BJB and ‘works’ Sprite EAC 90C appear at 60 sconds in and possibly? 2.25mins on the
YouTube trailer.
JOE ARMOUR RECOMMENDS THE DVD: “MOUNTAIN LEGEND” – 1965 TARGA FLORIO
“Works Sprite at the Targa Florio. For those interested the Castrol film available on DVD ‘Mountain Legend’ has some good images of ‘works’ cars at the 1965 event. Shows Geoff Healey and several of the drivers ( always close to some Castrol promo items). Geoff’s book states that when Healeys heard Castrol was to do a promo film then Healeyswould enter and join in as they were sponsored by the oil company”.
You can buy a copy for £14.99 from Duke Video
A PROMPT REPLY FROM BOB HINCHLIFFE
” In Menorca at present so it took a while to search out the Ashley bonnet car in your photo as I had to do it on my phone. The car is UMW 685 which was the subject of my original enquiry to you. In March 2015 you published a photo of it competing in the NSCC Silverstone meeting. I bought that photo and the other one of it when painted white, they are framed and hanging in my garage. Regards Bob”.
CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP
US based Lew McAllan has sold his Sebring Fastback body (No. 80 on the Archers Replica List) and bonnet to Jim Fletcher in Elgin, Illinois who plans to mount them on a Mk2 Sprite bodyshell. Lew has retained his own chassis and plans to build it up as a Barchetta with Sebring bonnet and aero screens, perhaps later with a removable Sebring top like Andy Hide’s car. Lew asks where he can buy a Sebring top these days to which the answer is CCK Historic or Midland Classic Restorations or Halls Garage.
2 FREE TICKETS FOR THE BEAULIEU AUTOJUMBLE ON 3RD SEPTEMBER
Russ Baldwin is unable to use these tickets and has kindly offered them to anyone who would like to go. Contact me via Feedback and I will send them on.
E700
WISCOMBE PARK HILL CLIMB ~ 15/16 May 1965
I recently purchased these 2 not very good quality prints on ebay. On the left E700 (Stan Annis’s Sebring) being driven by J. Kennard. David Pratley (right) in a Sprite with Ashley bonnet with various cut-outs and raked screen. It looks vaguely familiar but I can’t read the registration. Feedback ?
UMW 685
TARGA FLORIO 1964
& 693 LAC ‘works’ Healey Sprite in the thick of it before the start. What a great photo supplied by Karsten Stelk.
RTL 304
This top photo makes the car look very like a WSM but it is fitted with” a Lenham Superfast bonnet – cribbed directly from Doug Wilson-Spratt’s one for the WSM” The lower shot shows the car in its new colours copied from WJB 707.
The Story of WER 354 which competed in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1961 and ’62 and raced at the Nurburgring in the 500Ks – Part 1
by Tom Coulthard
SEBRING IDENTIFIED – BY TOM COULTHARD – EYE 206
” Geoff Courtenay Broome was said to be a successful Harley Street ophthalmologist – hence the registration on his car ‘EYE 206’ (this was the original Douglas Wilson-Spratt 1961 Monte-Carlo Rally Sebring Sprite – not the standard Frogeye (XNB 712) onto which the alloy fastback was later transferred). I have found no entry for Geoff Courtenay Broome on the RAC Rally up to 1965 – so either the rally pictured was after that or another event – the Scottish, perhaps?”
Corry Motor sport are offering for sale Sebring Sprite 765BXN serious enquiries ONLY £32,500 07974-224191
“Ex-Mike Youles car; Extensively reworked in our ownership; Fully rebuilt prior to Goodwood 75th Members Meeting; 1380cc on single 45 Weber; New adjustable Armstrong dampers all round; Gearbox fully rebuilt by Peter May Engineering; New Clutch; New 3J LSD; New adjustable pedal box w/AP Cylinders; Fully re-plumbed; Available on wire or steel wheels; Far too much spec to list, please contact for further information. Car is on the button and ready to race. Can be used in a huge variety of HRDC/HRCA/Equipe GTS as well as being highly competitive on Hillclimb and Sprint events”.
MORE ON THOSE EUROPA/INTATRIM SEATS – FROM STEVE NASH
“Just saw Rob’s information on the manufacturer of my seats. Thought I’d upset myself by seeing how much cheaper they were!! But actually, the Intatrim shipping is huge and makes it more expensive to buy from them than Europa who only charge £9.95 to mainland UK. Just to clarify, I paid the following: £213 + VAT each for the seats with coloured piping and £9.95 shipping. The difference is only about £4 extra from Intatrim, so nothing in it really. Having driven the car a little, I don’t actually notice the tightness across the width. Might notice it more on a long trip though. They seem quite comfortable so far”.
IAN WATTS on fitting Sebring Sidescreens:
“Mine have quite large gaps at the bottom rail where it meets the door and dispite being a little drafty has never let in rain , even when used in really bad weather , I think the gutter deflects the water away . Also when I once said to Brian Archer that I was thinking of removing the gutter he said it would let loads of rain in.Hope this is of help. IAN”
ON XSP ENGINES: Neil Blaney reports: “HAN8.R.202 (is fitted with) XSP2604. Spare motor with Fuel Injection – XSP 306236, sitting on floor beside 5 speed gearbox. You already have XSP 1736-3 on the 1961 Sebring Sprite. The spare motor I told Joe Armour about and he contacted Jeff Brenner about it but couldn’t do a deal with him. I visited Jeff Brenner in May 2003 and obtained the info off the cars myself so it is reliable info. (being cheeky)” . [N.B. The engine Owen Tyson asks about is fitted to a 1964 Mini Super Deluxe converted for racing in 1969 so is a transverse unit while my list is of mostly in-line motors.] Owen says:”We’d like to know a bit more about where these engines were built and who would have been likely to have worked on the engine? The owner was based in Birmingham, athough there is is a receipt for parts from Downton Engineering and a Jack Knight gearbox”.
COMMENTS ON THE PHOTO OF EAO [which came from the BMC Comps Dept Facebook Group]
DAVID MORYS: “Could the background be the exit of Druids going down into Graham Hill corner at Brands Hatch?”
DENNIS WHARF: “It appears to be Brands Hatch, probably pre-full GP circuit days. If I recall correctly, didn’t the original paddock run along where the tunnel road was constructed later, enabling cars access to the circuit from the new paddock, roughly where the Kentagon now stands?”
JONATHAN WHITEHOUSE-BIRD: “I believe the photo was taken at Brands. It’s an early (damp) morning shot – so some time later in the 1961 season. 410 EAO is still owned by Andrew Hedges at this point; both the Mini and FJ single seater belonged to John Whitmore. Incidentally, the Mini was the car with which John won the ’61 Championship. All three cars were equipped with A-series engines, tuned and built, by Don Moore.
DAVID NUTLAND: “The Mini was lent to Steve McQueen for this race as the title was his before the final round”.
410 EAO in a paddock (where?) close to an early ‘works’ Mini, TMO.
[Pablo Raybould]
TREVOR McILROY BUYS LENHAM LE MANS
Trevor has just made a 48 hour round trip (from Northern Ireland) to pick up this Lenham Le Mans body shell which has been stored for around six years – a stalled project. He says: “It appears there was a problem with the paintwork, the rear of the shell, stripped back to the fibreglass, and never progressed any further. Trevor will be keeping me informed with its future progress.
MORE ON THOSE SEATS
“Further to your piece on seats on the website I believe that these are the same as those featured. However they are direct from the manufacturer and are cheaper. You are also able to choose the colour of both the vinyl and the piping. If you send off a cutting from underneath your existing seat they will match it. I have plans to buy some for my car this Winter. http://www.intatrim.co.uk/apollo.html Regards Bob (Hinchliffe)
CHARLES CLEGG in his alloy fastback, 184 FGJ
SVEN ECKHARDT ON DHMC HARDTOPS
“I would like to share the trouble I have had fitting the tall sidescreens to DA.
Both the pair which came with DA and the Pete Farmer set I have are too tall and the radiuses on the top front and back aren´t right. Like Jochen Schmitt I resorted to cutting and rewelding the brackets and the fit is still far from a good one. I have been on to Pete to tell him about the problem and have arranged to call in on him with the car on the trailer next time I`m over (probably next week) so a proper pattern can be made.”
Anyone else had these problems: Feedback please.
XSP ENGINE ORIGINS?
I have been contacted by Owen Tyson who has recently purchased a car with an XSP engine numbered XSP-3139/16. It is a 1293 engine, with a thin bottom flange and no tappet chest. Can anyone assist him in discovering its origins, etc? Our list so far does not include any close to this one. Any thoughts please via Feedback
DOUGLAS ANDERSON has sent me this image of the official poster for the UK Start of the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique and Classique 2018. The main picture is of him and his wife in their Mark 2 going off to Monte Carlo as the course car in 2015.
STEVE NASH’S SEATS
Douglas Anderson inquired about Steve’s seats and he has replied with ” You wouldn’t believe how many people have asked about the seats! If you feel it’s appropriate, please feel free to share the link on your web site. I chose them because they have a thin base to give more headroom. Only 1.25″ base foam as standard, but can be supplied to your specification. Just one word of warning…. they are *very* narrow!!
http://www.europaspares.com/interior-parts/seats/custom-classic-kitcar-seats/apollo-black-vinyl-including-coloured-piping.html
RON SCOMA WROTE TO NICK CONKLIN ABOUT 8427UE/1413 WD
“I had sold it to Dick Skipworth in the late 90’s, a factory team car. Don’t remember the chassis number off hand but the Registration number was 8427 UE when racing at Sebring; Walt Hansgen – 4 hour and Joe Buzetta / Glenn Carlsson – Prototype Class . After returning to the works it was re-registered to 1413 WD, the number used when it ran at Le Mans. One of the few cars, of any make, to run at both Sebring and LeMans using the same original engine. At LM it ran under the Ecurie Ecosse flag. I want to say Ninian Sanderson and Bill McKay were the drivers – they crashed early on. I haven’t thought about the car in 15 years but somewhere I have a file. My friend, Graham Gauld, wrote the book on EE, helped arrange the sale to Skipworth. Because of the car (as opposed to my charming personality…) I was invited to the 1994 (I think it was ’94) EE Christmas banquet in E’burgh, David Coulthard was the guest speaker that evening. David also arranged for me to drive the new (at the time) Mclaren F1 road car which was one heck of an experience in London traffic. Also met Allen McNish and David Leslie……..”
[I presume Ron was the guy in the States who sold the ‘remains’ of the original car to Dick Skipworth enabling him to build effectively a new car as a re-creation of the Le Mans Sprite 1413 WD]
2 GREAT PHOTOS OF “THE ROADSTER” ON FACEBOOK
The one on the right was taken “at the SOVREN Spring Sprints
Pacific Raceways, 28th April 2013.
PAUL SLANGEN: [See photos below right] “For sealing the sidescreens at the doorskin, I used special black foam rubber. It is perfect to have a piece which can be folded and put under the aluminium frame. Due to foam can be pressed almost to 1/2 of original thickness, it will fit without any problem and always presses itself making a tight fit sealing. ( open ends of folding should be inside the frame. outside looks as nice round rubber seal. They call it neoprene rubber. They sell in several thickness, on the roll or as a plate, here at a specialized rubber shop ( seriously, No joke !!) Also used for race motor bikes when saddle is too much weight. It can stand water etc, not absorbing. Hope it is clear. Best regards, Paul”
A NICE SHOT OF THE COCKPIT OF PETE TAYLOR’S LE MANS REPLICA
And from PAUL SLANGEN: “for sealing the sidescreens at the doorskin, I used special black foam rubber. It is perfect to have a piece which can be folded and put under the aluminium frame. Due to foam can be pressed almost to 1/2 of original thickness, it will fit without any problem and always presses itself making a tight fit sealing. (open ends of folding should be inside the frame. outside looks as nice round rubber seal. They call it neoprene rubber. They sell in several thickness, on the roll or as a plate, here at a specialized rubber shop (seriously, No joke !!) Also used for race motor bikes when saddle is too much weight. It can stand water etc, not absorbing. Hope it is clear. Best regards, Paul”
In reply to Mike Curtis, from Lew McAllan: “A few pics to show the I channel and rubber seal (trial fit). I am going to use a big Healey seal to seal better in the corner”.
[N.B. I think Lew’s screens are of his own design and may be slightly different to those supplied with the Archers’ kits]
PAUL STAVENDEN asks: “I have been looking at the photos on your ‘Sebring Sprite Latest News’ page of the 8-port head and Lucas fuel injection. I note that the one illustrated is cast iron with downdraft ports, as used on the last Healey-made aerodynamic Sprites. Is this the Works head which was abandoned in favour of the Arden / ST head? I am interested to know how these two heads compare with each other in performance terms. Thanks for any comments, Paul Standeven.
Above: 4444 DA back on its wheels (Sven Eckhardt).
Can anyone help Sven exkhardt with his Lockheed thin disc brakes ?
“Hello everybody, Hello Martin, I have put 4444 DA back on its wheels in order to take her across to the UK.
I want to build a cage for her in Birmingham. An issue came up when assembling the front brake set-up: The two beautifully refurbished calipers supplied with the car by Paul Webb are identical i.e. there is no handedness to them. When I bolt them on the bleed nipple will point downwards on the driver’s side. My initial thought was I had been supplied with two left hand calipers erroneously. I have looked at the article on the “thin disc” set-up in the technical subsection of this website and I have noticed 2 things. Firstly one of the illustrations shows the bleed nipple pointing downwards.
Secondly the parts list does not specify a handedness for the caliper. Would anybody out there in the know or running this exceedingly rare set-up confirm there is no caliper handedness with the Lockheed PLC? Have you experienced any trouble bleeding the caliper with the downward pointing nipple? Sven”
PETER BOWER owns this ’59 racing Sprite, which spent 40 years or so as a race car on the West Coast in the USA. He plans to convert it to FIA spec with an alloy body and maybe in Sprinzel or Peel fastback guise. He says:
“It is a very sound shell with a modified Kellison bonnet I believe. It’s not to my taste but is a nice period piece I guess. I am just having a straight cut box repaired and will fit that and try it out in a race meeting and see how it goes….”.
FITTING SEBRING SIDE-SCREENS
Mike Curtis would like helpful advice:
“A question for you…what do most people use to seal the gap between the sebring sidescreens and the door skin. Needs to be fairly flexible I guess, but without it I anticipate getting very wet!” Feedback please.
CAN ANYONE HELP ME IDENTIFY THIS (?)PEEL-BODIED SEBRING? Colin Barnett posted it with the caption”Broome – 1963 RAC Rally).Could it be 52 LPH or 2214 UE or E 700 ?
Metering pump with toothed belt – note drive cog on cam extension, forward, through timing cover, and drive belt crossing behind generator and water pump drive.
With one exception the above photos are of HAN9-R-238, the 2nd 1968 ‘works’ Le Mans car (the one that didn’t race but went on to race at Sebring and at other international circuits in private hands). Now owned by Steve Coleman in Texas.
D20 AT THE BOXING DAY BRANDS HATCH MEETING IN 1961 [From Facebook] Jonathan Whitehouse-Bird: ” A rare shot of the W&P, alloy bodied coupe, Sebring Sprite D 20 in action – 
owned by David Seigle-Morris – seen here at the Brands Hatch, Boxing Day event in 1961, chasing down a Speedwell bonneted Mk.I Sprite registered 130 UML”. John Sprinzel: “I do clearly remember having to nudge John Miles Sprite coming around Clearways on the penultimate lap, as he had been very hard to pass. We had a laugh about it afterwards. It was also VERY icy when we got to Brands, and I helped Nick Syrett, the BRSCC secretary by doing dozens of slow laps early on to clear the ice patches”. Tom Coulthard: “Yes, it is John Sprinzel driving, though “Spritely Years” specifies the wrong car. (Oddly enough this isn’t a mistake. As stated in the rubric, we made the logical assumption competitors were driving their own cars in the absence of evidence to the contrary – and we hadn’t seen this photo!) D 20 had been offered for sale at The Mews since early November and John was no doubt giving prospective purchasers the opportunity to see it in action at this festive ‘end of term bash’ widely attended by the motorsport community”. No, Tom doesn’t make mistakes!
Graham Bish was at the Harewood speed hill climb last weekend:
“Spent a good Saturday with the family at the Harewood Hillclimb. I introduced myself to David Abram. My good friend Peter Green used to race with David in the 80’s and we discussed the two racing at the old Longridge circuit. Colin Gale was equally chatty and we enjoyed watching the final ascents of the day together”.
WINTON FESTIVAL OF SPEED 2017, Victoria, Australia.
Simon (Sprite) & Damien Meyer (Midget), left, prepare for their race which included 4 other Spridgets. According to Wikipaedia the circuit, Winton Motor Raceway “has a combination of long fast straights and twisty and tight bends. It is also known as “Australia’s Action Track”. Bob Blayden tells me: “The Austin Healey Sprites cleaned up! The class results show how well they performed against much more powerful cars under wet and cold conditions”.
PETER BOWER has “acquired a ’59 racing Sprite, which has spent 40 years or so as a race car on the West Coast of the USA. He plans to convert it to FIA spec with an alloy body of either Sprinzel or Peel fastback guise”.
STUART JAMES has “this year completed an Archers replica on a late model Midget shell YBX886V. Its taken about 5 years but of course is always undergoing tweaks. I imagine it was around the 100th supplied. The car is unusual in that it is a barchetta style with a small full width racing deflector, inspired by images of 678XUM which I believe is a French or Belgian vehicle”.
Richard Pugh enjoying his FJ Stanguellini in the Monaco Historique. He also owns a Sebring.
TREVOR MCILROY’S NEWS:
“I’ve enclosed a few images of our cars in 1/42 models, commissioned locally.
We’ve been campaigning XXC818 in France, Scotland, England & of course Ireland over this season. New engine, gearbox & diff fitted. Just back from Shelsley Walsh a few weeks ago & off to Bo’ness Scotland 1st September. A couple of home hills & sprints to finish the busy season”.
Just a selected few from Dennis Wharf’s excellent photos
MG live Silverstone:
Ollie Friend’s antics
James Willis
Brands superprix:
Charles Rainford
Tony Davis
Great photo of Steve Casson at Lower Esses, Shelsley Walsh last weekend, 29/30 July.
[Photo by Ian Mellor]
Ton Blankespoor’s
Lenham GT
[Photo recently posted on Facebook]
TZA (pictured below), the Alec Poole/James Thacker racing Frogeye is featured in this week’s ‘MotorSport News’
under ‘Historics’ on Page 11 so rush out and buy a copy. [2 Aug 2017]
A MOMENT OF PANIC! when TZA failed to start at Chateau Impney – it turned out to be a loose wire under the dash! (Photos: Gary Lazarus – many thanks)
OUR HERO JOHN SPRINZEL
is included in the list of 2017 inductions to the US Hall of Fame
“Won the British Rally Championship and his class at the 12 Hours of Sebring behind the wheel of an Austin-Healey Sprite, one of the best known racing and rally drivers of his era”.
