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I'm Back! My Mojo failure has been banished. I'm Car Struck again! This will be a tale of the return of my "Frog". I am enthused again as I have been invited to show my Sprite on the Midget and Sprite Club stand at the Classic Car Show in November at the NEC. Now all I have to do is get it ready..... So a bit of history, I bought this 1958 "Frogeye" Mark 1 Sprite in 1970 and it was Red.  As the bodywork/paint was tired I did a quick respray with metalflake fuscia - straight over the existing paint. I also bought the new Mk1 Cosmic alloys.  I did a couple of "12 car" rallies with the University motor club in Yorkshire and an Austin Healey Club "Sprint Meeting" at Gaydon  Then I did a bare metal respray into "Metal Flake turquoise"...and started drag racing in 1973!  |
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The car was then relegated to odd outings over the years and subjected to a fairly extensive rebuild of the rear floor area in the 1990's. Another respray saw it become British Racing Green in 2006.   |
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May 28, 2019 15:39:31 GMT
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That's some history there! Although you are now obviously mature and respectable, the car is looking a touch maiden auntish and seemed happier "Metal Flake turquoise"...
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May 28, 2019 16:57:06 GMT
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Thanks Dadstaxi, although I still like metalflake, it is so much work to build up the lacquer layers..... Anyway, the immediate problem is "Find the Sprite" in my long "single" garage.....  Lets take the SLK out....  Or try and find it from the other end....  |
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May 28, 2019 18:06:32 GMT
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It looks happy to see you 😃
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May 28, 2019 22:14:54 GMT
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After clearing quite a bit of "stuff" I have now found my Sprite!  |
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vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 7,287
Club RR Member Number: 146
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Happiest car in the world, whatever colour it's painted.
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Is that a frog eye bunk bed? Who sleeps on the top bunk?
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Is that a frog eye bunk bed? Who sleeps on the top bunk? Ahhh g'day rblote... that is my "other" Sprite.....which has a thread of its own on here.  |
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Always nice to have a deadline - I tend to manage most of my self imposed ones - especially for shows buts normally only by the skin of my teeth that I make it  |
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Last Edit: May 29, 2019 6:36:23 GMT by Deleted
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Jun 10, 2019 11:57:50 GMT
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Ahhggg! Having cleared all the accumulated "stuff" from around the Sprite I have tried to get it out from under my "See-Saw" storage. There is a slight clearance problem......When I designed and built the see-saw I had to make a second, lower pivot point, as the garage had low roof joists, but the lower car didn't need to go too far under. In my present garage I had put the lower car in first and assembled the see-saw around it. There is a couple of inches interference which I thought I could work around by lowering tyre pressure and jacking the whole see-saw up slightly. Except I had screwed the other "A" frame to the garage wall.
So I will have to take the top Sprite down and dismantle the See-saw.....grrrr
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63v8
Part of things
Posts: 232
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Jun 10, 2019 16:20:15 GMT
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If you need to lower the car more for clearance just to pull it out, could you remove the front wheels and pull it out on a low trolley jack or a wheel dolly on the lowest part.. Or just fit some wheels on without tyres to roll it out.
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luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
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Jun 10, 2019 17:43:20 GMT
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Glad to see you and your mojo back! Your ridiculous excellent V8 Sprite is one of the all-time great RR institutions. I look forward to seeing what you do with a "saner" Frogeye |
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Jun 10, 2019 17:49:12 GMT
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If you need to lower the car more for clearance just to pull it out, could you remove the front wheels and pull it out on a low trolley jack or a wheel dolly on the lowest part.. Or just fit some wheels on without tyres to roll it out. Good ideas - but I cannot get to the other side, still, it is not too much extra work to get the top Sprite down and I could do with getting that running as well. Thanks Luckyseven. |
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Last Edit: Jun 10, 2019 17:49:56 GMT by flyingphil
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Bookmarked! My dad has recently started on his 1960 Frogeye restoration, which he started in 1989 and sort of forgot about in 1995. He's had his since '68 or '70 as well!  |
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1968 Cal Look Beetle - 2007cc motor - 14.45@93mph in full street trim
1970-ish Karmann Beetle cabriolet - project soon to be re-started.
1986 Scirocco - big plans, one day!
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Hi Neil - your dad is doing a proper restoration there! I have just been keeping mine going over the years so it will be "interesting" to see it properly for this re-awakening!
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Jun 11, 2019 10:20:28 GMT
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While not knowing the details of the construction of your shelf, could you not use a couple of Acro props, a post and a hydraulic jack to lift the front of your shelf to make enough room?
I have just read and really liked yor thread on the v8 Sprite.
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Last Edit: Jun 11, 2019 10:21:23 GMT by dadstaxi
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Jun 11, 2019 16:43:53 GMT
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I knew it would be a "Saga"......What should have been a 2 hour job has taken 5! I cleared the garage to tilt the see saw. I tilted the see saw....very carefully with props and my trolley jack. I attached the extension ramps and went to my lock up to get the two floor ramps and attached them. I slowly winched the V8 Sprite down to ground level....1 hour gone, good progress. I couldn't push the Sprite out, jacked up front wheels, free to turn. I jacked up the drivers side rear wheel...Very stiff. Took the wheel off, undid the slotted screw to release the brake drum, got the drum off....lots of dusty rust. Cleaned out the drum, emery rubbed the inside face of the drum, cleaned the brake shoes. Reassembled and it rotates freely. Jack up the other side....which is tight against the garage wall, Cannot turn the wheel.... Remove road wheel, posi-drive screw on the drum will not turn. Go to lock-up for more posi screwdrivers and bits. Screw still will not turn....and I round off the corners. Go to lock-up for angle grinder and goggles. Grind off head and finally get the drum off with careful levering and hammering. Clean out the rusty dust etc and re-assemble ...free to turn. Get Sprite out of garage ......... 2 hours gone Using props and trolley jack I get one side of the see saw on the higher pivot point on the A frame. Remove the winch bar from the A frame to give extra clearance...just about enough...3 hours gone. Start to get Lower Sprite out at an angle to get the extra clearance on one side. With a fair bit of "persuasion" the Sprite comes clear of the see saw but harder and harder to push. Jack up front wheels and one wont turn...off with wheel and drum, clean up and remove brake adjuster "Snail carriers" to give extra brake shoe clearance. Push Sprite out......4 hours gone....and it is raining Clear up garage Using props and muscles I dismantle the see saw and lay the bed flat on the floor. Push the V8 Sprite back into the garage and onto see saw bed. Push orig Sprite back into garage. put bikes away. Put Spare V8 bonnet back in garage........5 hours......I knew it would be a Saga!      |
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Jun 12, 2019 17:39:42 GMT
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I have been cleaning the car and looking at the paintwork...it is distinctly "Used" and so I will have to decide whether to get a patch tidy up or go for a smooth all over and respray......It is a Rover Metallic BRG at present.  |
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Jun 12, 2019 18:10:10 GMT
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Bookmarking this. It's great that you have had the car for so long. There isn't many cars look as happy as an old sprite. Read your V8 thread aswell, what a machine I love it.
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