Described as a Sebring Sprite Tribute this Frog in Southern California was recently on ebay at $12,600. It has a forward-opening bonnet, 1275 power unit and Healey-style grille being a ‘tribute’ to the Healey 100S.
CHARLIE CLEGG’S ALLOY FASTBACK 184 FGJ
appears to have a new paint job with a brighter yellow nose.
If you are a member of Facebook you may like to join the Facebook Sebring Sprite Group – but please keeping visiting and contributing to this website too.
DTA 949C
seems to struggle to find a permanent home. Up for sale at £19,995 on
car and classic
Now finished and for sale is MotoBuild’s “1958 Austin Healey Sebring Sprite with Monza front. Very fast race car with Neil Slark race engine and sccr gearbox, LSD plus full safety equipment and race suspension to correct historic spec. Available after the Goodwood Members Meeting for £35k. Visit the Ashley website for more info.
THAT ADO 34/50 PROJECT:
Douglas Anderson explains: “We have now finished the 1/5 scale model of the project and are very happy with the final result. This model will be scanned up to full size and a buck prepared for the production of moulds. It has been designed to fit a standard Midget tub. There is still a lot of work to do but we are very pleased with the way it is going. Our aim is to have a finished car by the end of the year. I would be very interested to hear comments from the Sebring community”. Feedback please
“In the midst of sorting my garage before moving house, have found a MkII Midget radiator, complete with shroud and drain tap. From memory I think the top tank has a small weep, so although usable in an emergency, could do with some attention”. NOW SOLD
JOHN SPRINZEL points out that “Ian’s car is not really as original as all that. Ian and I delivered it to the new owner, and he crashed it badly at a Brands Hatch open day – on the first go around Paddock I believe. Rob Walker’s garage did the rebuild. I think S221 is the nearest to original of the first Sebrings”. [See WJB 707 below]
Roger Friend offers this pair of uprated front shocks for sale 800 miles only ideal for fast road use £100 the pair.
Email him NOW SOLD
“This photo was taken at a recent Brands Hatch test day when Ian Burford was testing in readiness for Goodwood with CCK in attendance. No.46 is his new Cheetah fitted with an enormous V8. The very tricky conditions with sleet and rain meant they only had time to do some shake downs on the Cheetah, and the Lumbertubs – No. 31 – did not get out. John Baggott, (who took the picture) had an enjoyable morning watching, but it was very, very cold”
John Egan has posted on Facebook these 2 great photos of the ex-Ian Walker Sebring WJB 707, which he took at the NEC in 2014 – which reminds me that Octane magazine were due to do an article on the car which is still for sale at CCK Historic. I’m surprised someone hasn’t snapped it up, being the most original of the 4 remaining Sprinzel cars.
GOODWOOD MEMBERS MEETING – WESLAKE CUP, SUNDAY 19TH MARCH
I gather the Sprites will practice on Saturday 18th and the race will be the opener on Sunday at 9 o’clock so it will be an early start for spectators too. Graham Robson tells me his son Asher now has an entry for his pale blue Sebring replica so that will be 3 father/son duos competing: Chris and Charles Clegg, Shaun and Charlie Rainford, and Graham and Asher Robson. I thought the Woolmers might have made a 4th ? Looks like a great grid. Unfortunately I think all tickets are sold out.
There are now 65 Members of the Sebring Sprite Family
ARCHER’S SIDE-SCREENS
I am pleased to report that the new batch of side-screens are now ready for despatch and Andrew is collecting payments before delivery. A couple more pairs will be supplied later to complete the current list. These 14 pairs have worked out at £435 a pair which is about 20% up on the 1990’s price which had never been increased. The future price is expected to be about £500 per pair which is still only the same as was charged for DHMC side-screens several years ago. Our thanks to our friend (who shall be nameless) who has put in a lot of effort to make these for us, and to Andrew as well, of course..
PHIL ZAMLYNSKI’S STORY
“Yes please add me to the Sebring Sprite Family. Address is Allegan, Michigan, USA.
Martin, Here are some words about my interests and a brief history of some of my car related activities. Use any or as much of this as you feel appropriate and/or reasonable. My interest started in or about 1960 with the purchase of a 1957 MGA Coupe for $750 that I drove the wheels off of until 1964. I drove this MGA 1500 at speed many times on all kinds US roads. What fun. I was hooked!!! Then while in the US Army came a 1964 Porsche Coupe purchased in Germany. It was driven across Europe. On my first trip to England in 1965 I saw Jim Clark at Silverstone in a Lotus Cortina and Lotus Formula car. Many years later I educated myself on Jim Clark and Colin Chapman.. Years passed in a flash without a sports car but in 1985 my wife Marian financed a 1962 Lotus Super 7. We restored the 7 and fitted it with a upgraded non-cross flow engine in phase 3 tune. The 7 has a Silverstone Club Placard on its right hand driver side panel. Jim Clark became my favorite driver and in 1985 I also joined the Lotus Corps car club in Chicago Illinois. The 7 was sold in 2005. While at a locale Fun Fair, visions of sugar plums overcame me and a 1960 Sprite was purchased, I freely admit an impulse buy. The Sprite came home in boxes and boxes of parts with several boxes of 948 engine bits. But then there was a series of articles in the Austin Healey Magazine on the Sebring Sprite. For the second time in my life, I was hooked. The parts were purchased from Archer’s Garage, shipped to the US and the Sprite conversion project started. As usual many life experiences got in the way of getting things done including other diversions: restoring and racing a Formula VW in vintage events and races for several years, building ¼ mile drag front engine rail car and some auto-crossing too.
While the Sebring is being assembled, a 1960 MGA 1600 Coupe was purchased in 2013 as a daily driver. So I’m starting over with the same English car I got hooked with. What fun. Recently, while re-evaluating what I really like to do, it’s clear looking around my work shop that I like to build all kinds of things including many car related items. I’ve built many exhaust headers, mostly for British race cars and loads of other specialty car related parts. Our 1960 Sebring will be on the road this year and my 1960 MGA Coupe, it was discovered recently has a very sick engine. The MGA will be getting a new phase 2 upgrade engine soon. Lastly, there is a home built H-Mod race car, circa late 1950s, in my garage. The H-Mod car was brought home in boxes, bags and handfuls of parts. The H-Mod is Morris Minor based on 1948/51 parts including a side-valve/flat-head engine with an ALTA overhead conversion kit. In parallel many parts are being fabricated for the H-Mod phase 3 engine, disk brakes, … and chassis safety updated. Regards, Phil.”
MikeCurtis’s car 1367 VU is coming along nicely.
WIPER ARMS & BLADES FOR THE SPRINZEL SEBRING SPRITE (COUPE & FASTBACK)
Mike Curtis has sourced suitable arms and blades for his replica and believes MGB Hive are the cheapest. He says “In case other builders are interested details are as follows:
Arm – MGB ROADSTER & GT TEX S/S WIPER ARM ADJUSTABLE 5.2MM
Tex Part No. U70300 (10 deg crank) Adjusts form 235 – 300 mm
[mine are set at approx. 260 mm / 10 ¼ inch ~ MEI] Blade – MGB ROADSTER 10″ S/S WIPER BLADE 5.2MM Tex Part No. B05110
Fitment to suit original 9/16th boss via Tex branded “wedge lock” (14.8 mm clamps down to 9/16th boss, allowing for fitment if splines are worn) Regards Mike Curtis.”
EAO – JONATHAN WHITEHOUSE-BIRD RELATES THE RESTORATION STORY ON FACEBOOK
Many of you will be members of the Sebring Sprite group on Facebook where Jonathan is currently telling the story of his discovery and restoration of 410 EAO. If you use Facebook and want to join the group go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/SebringSprite/
The photo, by John Egan, shows EAO in the company of 46 BXN, and 2 Speedwells.
The 4 pictures below were sent to me (with no message) by Jan Mussche. They depict his “Zagato-Sprite” which is under construction. I recall his brother Lubbert telling me they had bought the fibreglass body created by Mike Youles for a customer whose name escapes me (I will find it later) from which this alloy body has now been made.
From IVO CAPPON
” Firstly I would like to thank you for the post you did, in the “Latest News” area on your website. Naoki Suganu most certainly did a very nice job with the drawing of my RTL304 Replica project. As it (is) still is a ongoing project, I am collecting the bits needed for the FIA approved Fastback Ton Blankespoor is making me. Progress is slow but hopeful. The aluminium fastback body will be finished this spring. Allthough the body of the car nbeds a lot of work done still. I will keep you updated on any news.
I also found this ad of an Ashley bonnet offered for sale here in Holland. Maybe someone is interested”. Asking price is 500 Euros.
http://www.speurders.nl/166952710
A QUESTION FROM BRYAN WELLS who is building a Sebring Replica in Australia:
“I intend to spray my coupe in Speedwell Blue colour and have seen several photos of cars where they have a dark blue across the nose. Do you know the name of that blue or can you point me in the right direction?” Email him if you can help please.
GRAHAM BISH has just joined the “Family” and his story is worth recording here:
“Martin, I thought I would send you my application to the Sebring family from my other email address! [austin-healey-sprite@……….. ] John Sprinzel commented on it when I bought his book “Lucky John”. As you probably can tell, I am very interested in all things “Spridget”. A little about me: I bought my 1966 Mk3 Sprite in 1993 and it was my first classic car. The following year I bought an accident damaged Mk2 with a Lenham bonnet intending to make a replica of the Sebring 1961 cars with their fiberglass fronts and rears. I had become aware of Archers Garage through the Austin Healey Club and approached them for one of their fiberglass rears. When I collected it from the garage, Brian spent the whole morning showing me around. S221 was in the workshop at the time and he was only too happy to discuss all things Spritely. Great memories. Unfortunately the body on the MK2 was just too badly damaged and the project was put on hold. The salvageable parts, the rear and panels I’d ordered from Wheeler and Davies came out of storage in 1998 when I decided to restore the MK3. By this point the bodywork was very tired and my desire for the replica had not gone away. With the help of my friend I restored the shell and slowly it morphed into my standard-bodied Sebring homarge. I got married in June 1999 and the finished shell was put in my mother’s garage. A new house, family and then another move to Harrogate took priority until 2011 when I finally had time to go back to Liverpool from time to time and build it back up. It’s now MOT’d but there is still work to do! My other classic is a 1967 Austin A40 Farina Mk2. My desire for this car came from the fact that Pat Moss rallied one and John Sprinzel used a supercharged one for his company van. My friend calls it the Sprite with the roof! You can see some pictures of the two using this link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/37212640@N03/albums So after all that, I would be very happy if you could include me within the ‘family’. Austin Healey Sprite Mk3 standard-bodied Sebring replica. GRZ1264 (formerly GFL232D) – Harrogate, N.Yorks, UK.
ANYONE GOT A TICKET FOR GOODWOOD ? I seem to have left it too late, so if anyone has a spare & will sell it me I should be pleased to hear. Martin
NOT TO BE OUTDONE BY THE ‘OPPOSITION’ (at Woolmer Engineering):
CCK Historic tell me they also have 5 cars entered in the Weslake Cup at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in March: boss, Shaun Rainford will be out in his Lenham GT SS1800, son, Charles will be in his Lenham LM; Mike Haigh, Lenham LM, Ian Burford, Lumbertubs; and the Ashley GT of Larry Tucker. Nothing like a bit of friendly rivalry to make for a good race! I make that 14 Sprites on the grid that we know about, perhaps there are more?
2 nice period photos of Donald Healey Motor Co’s 5983 AC,
as displayed on Facebook
by Jonathan Whitehouse-Bird and Karsten Stelk
Graham Robson’s WSM Midget race car, 793 XPP, is up for sale. Priced at £74,950 see it in detail on this .
And Geoff Hill’s luxuriously appointed road/hillclimb WSM 405 is also available (at around £50k) due to Geoff’s neck injury. Make him an offer by email.
GRAHAM BISH enjoys collecting Sprite and Midget models and has a bit of a collection. He has kindly shared these pictures of the new “Spark” model of 1413WD which he has just received in the post. He says “It’s a great model and captures the details of this historic Le Mans entry”. Priced (according to Classic & Sportscar) mag at ££51.99
FROM KARSTEN STELK, on FACEBOOK
(Caption on the reverse of the photo reads:)
BRITISH MOTOR CORPORATION RECORD ATTEMPTS UTAH 1959
Attempts on existing Class E, F and G records will be made by the British Motor Corporation at Utah in September in special experimental cars using a team of international drivers headed by Stirling Moss, Great Britain, and Phil Hill, USA. The cars were recently shown to members of the press at the BMC sports car works at Abingdon-on-Thames, before being crated to go to Utah.
O.P.S. The cockpit and instruments of EX 219 (Austin-Healey Sprite).
David Morys tracked down this photo (not one I’ve seen before) of the two ex-Dick Jacobs Midgets before the 1965 Sebring 12 Hours race. No.68 was piloted by Andrew Hedges and Roger Mac to a class win. The sister car No.82 was driven by Chuck (Charles) Tannlund and John Wagstaff who retired after a con rod failure.
