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December 2015 £2 No. 381
www.midgetandspriteclub.co.uk
MascotThe Magazine of the Midget & Sprite Club
* Subject to our standing underwriting criteria. Please refer to the policy documentation on our website, or call, for further information.
RH Specialist Insurance is a trading name of Hiscox Underwriting Limited. Hiscox Underwriting Limited has granted a licence to ERS Syndicate Services Limited to use the brand name, RH Specialist Insurance, subject to the terms of the licence. The insurer on all RH Specialist Insurance policies is Syndicate 218 at Lloyd’s, which is managed by ERS Syndicate Management Limited. ERS Syndicate Services Limited is an Appointed Representative of ERS Syndicate Management Limited, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority. Hiscox Underwriting Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
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THE WHO, THE WHAT & THE WHERE of THE MIDGET & SPRITE CLUB
COMMITTEECHAIRMAN Mark Hall, Tel: 01296 660103 email: [email protected] SECRETARY Jim Willis, Tel: 01527 402804 email: [email protected] David King, Tel: 01453 544202 email: [email protected] Gary Lazarus, 40B Hungerford Road, London, N7 9LP. Tel: 0207700 5696 email: [email protected] REP’S DELEGATE Mark Hall, Tel: 01296 660103 email: [email protected] Stuart Watson, “Staddlestones”, Thicknall Lane, Clent, Stourbridge, West Midlands.
DY9 0HX Tel: 01562 883076 email: [email protected] GENERAL MEMBER Kate Andrews, email: [email protected] Glyn Polly, Tel: 07544 302 575 email: [email protected] Alan Pritchett, Tel: 07720 238810 [email protected]
OFFICERSCLUB ARCHIVIST & Terry Horler, 63 Littledean, Yate, Bristol, BS37 8UQ. Tel: 01454 881770TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION [email protected] ADVERTISING Alan Lo, Tel: 0117 9572617 Mob: 07474 343643 email: [email protected] REGISTERSSPRITES & MIDGETS Stuart Watson, [email protected] 01562 883 076(ExCEPT MK1 SPRITES)SPRITES MK1 Gary Lazarus, [email protected] 020 7700 5696REGALIA OFFICER Mike Grout, 55 Park Road, Spixworth, Norwich, NR10 3PJ. Tel: 01603 890211
email: [email protected] ADVISOR Mark Boldry, email: [email protected] Mike Bennett, [email protected] Tel 01925 727479TRADE ADVERTISING Gary Lazarus, [email protected] 020 7700 5696
AREA REPRESENTATIVESBRISTOL Terry Horler, Tel: 01454 881770 email: [email protected] Dave Warren, Tel: 07831 101850 email: [email protected] Michael Ellis, Tel: 07527 598091 email: [email protected] DORSET John Gully, Tel: 07876 334949 email [email protected] ANGLIA David Dixon, Tel: 01733 222810 email: [email protected] Gary Knight, Tel: 01376 562172 Mob: 07932 077305 email: [email protected] Terry Langridge, Tel: 01252 626063 email: [email protected] OF ENGLAND Dave Puzey, Tel: 024 7671 2384 email: [email protected] COUNTIES Mark Hall, Tel: 01296 660103 email: [email protected] WEST KENT Alan Anstead, Tel: 01322 384050 email: [email protected] Currently vacantLONDON Gary Lazarus, Tel: 020 7700 5696 email: [email protected] WEST Neil McLeod, Tel: 01772 323770 Mob: 07921 089 680 email: [email protected] NORTHERN IRELAND Position currently vacantNOTTS/DERBY Ian Cooke, Tel: 0115 938 3838 email: [email protected] Grahame Gibbins, Tel: 01235 530456 email: [email protected] Graham Smith, Tel: 0141 954 8276 email: [email protected] Valerie Young, Tel: 01460 391431 email: [email protected] WEST WALES David Hill, Tel: 01239 811307 email: [email protected] Mike Gorman, Tel: 01737-552256 email: [email protected] David Southcott, email: [email protected] Andy Cross, Tel: 01225 743554 email: [email protected] Rob Armstrong, Tel: 07889 090411 email: [email protected]
Also see the Club Nights section for new areas and contacts.
Compiled by Gary Lazarus ([email protected]). Please advise me of any changes, errors etc.MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL: IF YOU ExPERIENCE ‘MASCOT ’ PROBLEMS UPON RENEWAL,
PLEASE CONTACT THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY OR THE TREASURER STRAIGHT AWAY. The Committee
© Midget & Sprite Club
* Subject to our standing underwriting criteria. Please refer to the policy documentation on our website, or call, for further information.
RH Specialist Insurance is a trading name of Hiscox Underwriting Limited. Hiscox Underwriting Limited has granted a licence to ERS Syndicate Services Limited to use the brand name, RH Specialist Insurance, subject to the terms of the licence. The insurer on all RH Specialist Insurance policies is Syndicate 218 at Lloyd’s, which is managed by ERS Syndicate Management Limited. ERS Syndicate Services Limited is an Appointed Representative of ERS Syndicate Management Limited, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority. Hiscox Underwriting Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Over 35 years’ experience
No broker administration fees
Choose a vehicle repairer you trust
UK & European accident & breakdown recovery including home service
Free and automatic salvage retention*
Cover for drivers from 18 years of age and no upper age limit*
Agreed value*
S P E C I A L I S T V E H I C L E I N S U R A N C E
Cherished by youInsured by us
Call our friendly UK team for a quotation
01277 206 911 www.rhclassicinsurance.co.uk
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As I sit to write this on the 24th of November 2015, with today’s incident in the skies above the Turkish-Syrian
border and the dreadful events in Paris recently fresh in my mind, it feels strange to be looking exactly one month ahead, to think that it will be Christmas Eve, which for many people marks the beginning of the season of peace and goodwill to all men. I won’t dwell on the recent terrible events but it seems that this year is ending as it started. My thoughts go back to my editorial of January of this year.
I said then, that we shouldn’t take for granted the freedoms and the relatively safe and secure environments which we enjoy. I still regard myself as very fortunate to be living, where I do, when I do and to be able to indulge in my hobbies and pastimes with very few restrictions.
Once again it may sound flippant to be talking of enjoying our little cars and the success that the club has had over the last 12 months (just look at the list of this month’s new
members). However, I feel we have a duty to make the most of what we have and not take any of it for granted. So come rain, sleet, snow or shine (hopefully shine), I’ll be out again in my little car just a couple of days after the New Year has started.
Why not beat me to it, take your car out and have a bit of a drive over the coming month. Finish the year in style, because however bad things can get, a quick drive around in our little cars is a sure way to bring a smile to your face.
Have a fantastic Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year
Gary & “Gaps”
The statements and opinions expressed in each and every issue of Mascot are not necessarily the considered views of the Midget and Sprite Club. The views expressed by the editorial contributors, letter writers and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Club. The Midget and Sprite Club accepts no responsibility for the results of following contributor’s advice, nor does it necessarily endorse the services or products offered by advertisers.
Cover image: Tim & Anne Whellock, with Anne driving their Midget on the MGCC’s Kimber Trial near Bruton, Somerset. Image (C) Peter Young
Due to the Christmas break, the deadline for articles and reports for inclusion in the January edition of Mascot is Monday 14th of December
December Editorial
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1st Tuesday Essex Area – Now meet at The Green Man, Green Man Lane, Kelvedon Road, Little Braxted, Essex CM8 3LB. For further details contact Gary Knight, Tel: 01376 562172 Mob: 07932 077305 email: [email protected]
1st Wednesday Central Area – Now meet at the Swan Inn, Whitacre Heath, Near Coleshill, B46 2JA, 8.30 pm onwards Contact: Dave Warren, Tel: 07831 101850. email: [email protected]
1st Wednesday Oxford Area – Meet at the Blackhorse Pub, Gozzards Ford, Nr Abingdon. 7pm for those eating or 8pm for those not. Contact Grahame Gibbins at grahame _ [email protected]
2nd Tuesday London Area (Congestion Zone) – Meet at The Ace Cafe at 7:30pm together with the Classic Cars Magazine night. Details: Gary Lazarus on 020 7700 5696 garyfrogeye@gmail
2nd Wednesday Devon Area – Meet at Court farm, Abbotskerswell, TQ125 NY Devon. Michael Ellis Michael _ [email protected] and telephone: 07527 598091
2nd Wednesday Heart of England, covers Worcs, Warks, West Midlands and surrounding areas – Meet at The Green Dragon, The Green, Sambourne, Redditch, B96 6NU, at 8.30pm as usual.
2nd Wednesday North West Area meet at The Kilton, turn off M6 at Jct 20 onto A50 towards Macclesfield. Pub 4 miles on left. Please note new venue. Neil McLeod email neil _ [email protected] Tel 01772 323770 Mobile 07921 089 68
2nd Wednesday Bristol Area will meet at The Rose and Crown, Pucklechurch at 8pm. All Bristol, Bath and surrounding areas members welcome. Contact Terry Horler on 01454 881770 rebelwithasprite@hotmail
2nd Thursday Notts/Derby border Area at the Sitwell Arms at 30 Wood Lane, Horsley Woodhouse, Derby, DE7 6BN from approx. 8.30. Just a mile north-west of the A608/A609 crossroads. Ian Cooke 0115 938 3838 [email protected]
2nd Thursday East Anglian Area. Previously the Cambridgeshire Area meet at The Ferry Boat, at Holywell, 8pm
2nd Saturday Yorkshire Area – meet each month at lunchtime from 12:30pm at The Nags Head, Pickhill, near Thirsk, YO7 4JG – more information at http;//yorkshiremasc.blogspot.com/
3rd Tuesday Scotland – Meet at The Windmill Tavern, 4 Thorniewood Road, Uddingston G71 5QQ at 8pm. Graham Smith 0141 954 8276 email: [email protected]
3rd Tuesday Surrey – Meet at The Chequers, Chequers Lane, Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey KT20 7SF. 7.00pm onwards. Contact Mike Gorman, [email protected] Tel: 01737-552256
4th Monday Dorset – Meet at St. Peter’s Finger, Lytchett Minster, Poole, BH16 6JE – 7.30pm Contact John Gully, Tel: 07876 334949 email [email protected]
4th Thursday Sussex – Meet at Bolney Stage, Bolney, RH17 5RL from 19:00. Contact David Southcott at [email protected]
4th Thursday Hampshire – Please ring Terry or Harriet Langridge on 01252 626063 for details.
4th Sunday Kent Area – Meet at The Angel, Addington Green, West Malling, Kent, ME19 5BB at 12:00 for lunch. Contact Alan Anstead, Tel: 01322 384050 [email protected]
Last Monday Wiltshire – Meet at The Barge Inn, Seend, Nr. Devizes, about 7pm. Contact Andy Cross on 01225 743554 or e-mail [email protected]
Last Wednesday Home Counties North West for members in Herts, Beds, Bucks, Berks, N. London or anyone interested! Meet at the Chequers Inn, Redbourn, AL3 7AD from 6:30pm. Please contact Mike or Sue Gahan on email [email protected] or on 07850 488636.
Last Thursday. Somerset Area – Meet at Windy Miller’s Pie & Bar House @ Haselbury Mill, nr. Crewkerne. TA18 7NY 7pm if eating, 8 to 8.30pm if not. Please contact Valerie Young on 01460 391431 for further information. We may not always be there, especially in the Summer!
Northern Ireland [email protected]. If enough interest, will arrange a meeting.
South West Wales Non-regular and occasional meetings and runs arranged throughout the summer months. Please contact David Hill on 01239 811307 or email: [email protected]
Club Nights
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20156th Dec Wiltshire Area Christmas lunch is booked for Sunday at the Barge
12.00 for 12.30. Contact Dave Hansford [email protected] 10th Dec Kent Area Christmas Meal at Kits Coty Restaurant. Contact Alan
Anstead [email protected] We are now awaiting your event listings for 2016
Send your events details to [email protected]
Other dates of interest in 201624th April Drive it Day (Various websites)
30th May Classics in the Park at Poole Park, Parkstone Road, Poole Town, BH15 2SE, Dorset. Organised by Dorset Area MASC. For more information or to book an Area stand contact Ian Beaver at:[email protected]
30th Apr-2nd May Donington Historic Festival at at Donington Park visit www.doningtonhistoric.com
13th – 15th May Spa Classic 2016 www.spa-classic.com
18th – 19th June Le Mans 24 Hours www.24h-lemans.com
8th – 10th July Le Mans Classic www.lemansclassic.com
9th – 11th Sep Goodwood Revival www.grrc.goodwood.com
16th – 18th Sep Circuit des Remparts d’Angoulême www.circuit-des-remparts.com
Club Websitewww.midgetandspriteclub.co.uk
Members Only Pages: Password: Manifold (which is case sensitive)
Also follow the Midget and Sprite Club on
Send your events details to [email protected]
Area reps please make Gary Lazarus aware of any events already in your diaries for 2015 and 2016, so that they can be added to this “Events” section of the magazine and the website.
For the magazine Gary can be contacted at [email protected] the website Mike Bennett can be contacted at [email protected]
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During the refurbishment of my steering equipment I noted the splined end of the column had been originally manufactured with a simple slot to enable the pinch bolt to compress the coupling to enable it to grip the rack pinion splines.
It is not ideal for simple slots to be used and although intended to operate in primarily a compressive stress situation, the effect of resistance to rotation caused by the friction forces acting on the front tyres, there is an additional torsional loading condition.
There is a preference under the majority of operating conditions for such stress raisers caused by a simple slot to be reduced in their effect by the provision of a relief feature and which can be readily provided by the suitable positioning of a hole of between 1/8” and 3/16” diameter.
In drilling such a hole in the end of my column it was specifically noted that the material could be readily machined thereby showing that it was not particularly tough and had not been subject to any significant heat treatment if any.
In the event that the pinch bolted connection between the column and pinion should be other than fully secure, there would be a high likelihood of a small level of relative movement to occur and resulting in the potential for fretting wear of the splines in the column socket. This could be further exacerbated in the event that the steering rack is not totally aligned such as to provide an additional lateral loading.
It is therefore strongly recommended that the following sequence of operations be applied during installation of the steering system :
� provide the stress relief hole in the inner column as shown in the photograph
� test end of column to confirm freedom from cracking
� ensure column bushes are in good condition and replace if any doubt, lubricating as required
� check condition of steering rack (gaiters and clips, track rod ends, lubrication) and address as necessary
� assemble inner and outer parts of column and install in position
� slacken the steering rack clamping bolts sufficiently to permit the rack to be able to align itself with the column
� locate the top end of the column in its bracket
� install the coupling pinch bolt ensuring it is correctly located in the groove in the column
� lightly tighten the pinch bolt to enable the rack to align itself with the column and therefore enable the splined connection to be best secured (it should be noted this bolt is of a higher strength grade than those generally used on the vehicle)
� torque tighten the pinch bolt
� tighten the upper column bracket
� tighten the steering rack clamp bolts
� check steering for correct operation
Task complete. © Steve Keil NW Area
Steering Column Connection
Drilled hole
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New Members October-November 2015We extend a warm welcome to the following new and rejoined members
5139 John & C I Willmott Wiltshire Sprite Mk 15140 Brian & Nigel Partridge Kent Sprite Mk 15141 John & Marilyn Olding Surrey Sprite Mk 15142 Steve Gant Warwickshire Sprite Required5143 Martin Waterman Kent5144 Kevin Wales Kent5146 James Warren Monmouthshire5147 David McClure Northamptonshire5149 Michael Smith Worcestershire Midget 15005150 Rod Graham Oxfordshire Sprite Mk 15151 Mike Edworthy Oxfordshire Sprite Mk 15152 Andy Whitworth Lancashire Midget Mk 3 RWA5153 Peter Fisher Lancashire Midget Mk 15154 John Hampton West Midlands Midget Mk 35155 Christopher & Jill Green Berkshire Sprite Mk 15156 Richard & Debbie Morrey Staffordshire Midget Mk 35157 Julia & John Baden Staffordshire Midget 15005158 John Rhodes East Sussex5159 Neil Chadwick Staffordshire5160 Steve Herbert Jersey5161 Gary & Lee Reeves Norfolk Midget 15005164 Robert Day Norfolk Midget 15005165 Alan & Alison Meaker Northamptonshire Midget Mk 35166 Andy Chandler Kent Midget Mk 35167 Mark Hancocks West Midlands Midget Mk 35168 Neil Swann Surrey Midget Mk 25169 Mark Paterson London Midget5170 David Smith & Christine McClean West Yorkshire5171 John Smith Surrey Sprite Mk 15172 James Robson & Jennifer Lee London Sprite Mk 15173 David Sinclair Fife Sprite Mk 15174 Stephen & Kathryn Everest West Sussex Sprite Mk 35175 Alison Linsell Essex Midget Mk 35176 Kevin & Adam Wellings Worcestershire Midget Mk 35177 Ian Sutherland Staffordshire Sprite Mk 15178 Heinz & Margit Schattner Germany Midget 15005179 Joel & Joseph Spiteri Malta Midget Mk 3
5180 Kimberley Widdicombe & Scott Fairfax West Midlands Midget 1500
5182 Phil Cox Scotland Midget Mk 25183 Mike Botting Norfolk Midget 15005184 Mark & Caroline Jackson Surrey Midget Mk15185 Peter Hough Shropshire Sprite Mk 15186 Kevin White Somerset Midget Mk 3 RWA
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New Members October-November 2015
Steve & Kathryn Everest with Kathryn’s 1966 MkIII Sprite and Steve’s 1960 Mk1 BN7 3000 taken at their wedding earlier this year. Steve adds that Kathryn’s Sprite has recently completed a small filming job for a new show that will be hosted by Alan Tichmarsh. The new show is called ‘Masterpiece’. Several classic cars are featured in a special round where the contestants have to try and guess the first year of production for model mark featured. We’re not sure when the shows will be due for transmission but assume it will be sometime in the New Year.
1. Albert Pisani from Malta competing in his Mk3 Sprite (note the registration number)2 Joe Sach with his RWA Mk3 Midget3. David Stroud’s newly acquired Mk1 Sprite4. Brian & Nigel Partridge’s Frogeye5. Mike Edworthy’s supercharged Mk1 Sprite6. James Robson with his Mk1 Sprite on the day they left for Australia (they’re both now back in London)
1 2
3 4
5 6
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Mk1 Sprite 530 UMLHi Gary,
A friend of mine is trying to trace his Frogeye registration 530 UML which he owned in the late 50’s. The only image available is attached and is taken from a ‘This is Your Life’ type presentation which he participated in. Apart from the UML which immediately sounded familiar being on a rather famous race car I know little else about it.
He would be delighted if it is still around but suspects that it has gone to the big scrapyard in the sky! Best wishes,
John Gully
Mk1 Sprite xxY 162Hi, I happened to checkout an old car I used own on the DVLA website and discovered it’s still around! It may be off road as it hasn’t been SORN and it’s exempt from MOT but I wondered if any of your members now own this car.
It’s a Frogeye with Reg no. xxY 162 and is now shown as maroon in colour. Although year of manufacture is shown as 1959, the date of first reg. is shown 10 July 2002. Maybe it had a new chassis? Although it was a very long time ago I spent quite a lot of time and money on this car but sold it to a girl around 1970. I then bought a 1969 Mini Cooper S which is currently taxed and MOT !
Back in the early 70’s when I owned the car digital images were just pie-in-the-sky – totally unheard of. I only paid £100 for it (with a current MOT) and it came with a hard-top attached to it but no hood. It also had a Mk II fibreglass bonnet (ugh!) but this was reflected in the price. I have some early wet-film shots when hooning around in it but I think it still had the Mk II bonnet fitted. I remember the first thing I did was to get a hood from The London Hood Company who also provided the steel rails front and back (I had the frame already).
Here is a scanned picture of its replacement (the Mini Cooper S) with the Sprite behind when up for sale. I also have an image of the under-bonnet showing the 45 DCOE. At the time of rebuild I hadn’t yet sourced the twin 1½” SU carbs and a friend loaned me the Weber. It was not set up for the engine but it ran OK-ish for a few weeks. Twin HS4’s ran much better. It ran an Oselli 1125cc block with duplex timing gear and a mild cam. Home ported and polished head and whatever tuning was de rigueur for the A-series at the time.
Brakes were upgraded but I don’t remember going to discs. I still have a Derrington Anti-Roll bar c/w drop links etc hanging up in my garage as I found all this did was make the tyres squeal! Ha! Do you think any of your members would want it? I found I had to make a small-ish ‘bubble’ in the bonnet to clear the rear S.U. damper pot. On completion the car was re-sprayed BMC Trafalgar Blue.
I was living in Woodford Green, Essex at the time of sale and I believe the girl I sold it to was from Enfield/North London. It would be very interesting to find its current owner.
Regards, Roger Walker
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I don’t know whether John Egan’s photograph of his broken clutch pivot bolt (Mascot October 2015 page 9) astonished
anyone else but it certainly did astonish me. It’s hard to imagine how this bolt can shear like that unless it has been seriously over-tightened – and if this bolt is over-tightened, it’s not usually the bolt that fails.
What is less astonishing and easier to understand is that this bolt is often installed incorrectly because a small but vital component is either lost or forgotten when a new release bearing is installed. This crucial part is a curiously shaped lock washer (part number 2K_5813) designed to fit under the head of the pivot bolt1. When installed correctly, this lock washer ensures (a) that the bolt will never fall out even if the nut and its spring washer are omitted and (b) that the bolt does not have to be over-tightened, something that risks breaking the two rather fragile aluminium support brackets (part of the gearbox front cover) which hold the whole release bearing assembly in place.
Over the years, many gearbox front covers have been destroyed by people who failed to realise the importance of this beautifully designed little washer and who believed (wrongly) that the bolt should be tightened extremely in order to prevent clutch failure. In fact, this bolt is merely a pivot; it acts more like a clevis pin than a bolt; it does not have to be a tight length-ways fit; it just needs to be installed in a way that prevents it from ever falling out.
1 All these comments apply only to the A-series engined cars. The 1500 Midget has a quite different engine and gearbox.
The little lock washer (part 25, Bottom left) is no longer available from suppliers. The photo (Below) should allow new ones to be fabricated, if necessary.
The flat edge of this special lock washer is designed to mate with a flat ridge on the gearbox front cover. Only one of the aluminium support brackets has a threaded hole and, once the bolt is screwed home2, the ridge on the gearbox cover prevents the washer from turning.
Then, once the tab washer is punched up against one of the hexagonal flats of the bolt’s head, nothing can move, the bolt cannot possibly fall out! Finally, the nut and spring washer are added for the same reason that some of us wear belts with our braces.
The left photo shows (a) the two aluminium brackets which hold the release bearing and (b) the ridge (arrowed) which mates with the flat of the special lock washer. For clarity, in the right photo the clutch lever arm has been omitted, the special lock washer is coloured red and the bolt is only partially screwed home.
Installed correctly – with special lock washer, nut and spring washer – it’s hard to see how this bolt can ever fail unless it is faulty or seriously damaged (perhaps by over tightening). Anyone who is unsure of the history of their clutch release mechanism should consider replacing all the bits next time they install a new release bearing. The
2 Finger-tight will suffice: this is the moment when one must not overtighten the bolt.
On Securing the Clutch Release Bearing
12
On Securing the Clutch Release Bearingparts are cheap and this is not an area in which one should attempt to economise.
One final observation: the workshop manual makes no special mention of the lock washer but it does warn against trying to ‘knock the bolt out, as it is threaded into the support brackets’. As someone who believed that he had committed every possible mechanical
outrage (including dropping an outboard motor off the back of a boat in 50 fathoms), I am pleased to report that I am not guilty of this one. If anyone has ever tried to knock the bolt out, please can you write in and so cheer up the rest of us? Thank you.
John E. Davies (Member 3443) [email protected]
More on Vapour Locks
An interesting and useful article on the subject of vapour locks in the fuel system was discussed by Alan Anstead
in the October edition of Mascot. I have one or two further comments on the subject.
The fuel we buy today is not quite the same stuff that our Spridgley things used to drink. The lead content has gone and now an increasing content of Ethanol is being included. Ethanol is hydroscopic, which means it can absorb water, and can also increase combustion temperatures. Some owners are now finding that vapour locks have become a new problem.
The use of fuel additives may help overcome the effects of modern fuels on older engines. In addition, the re-setting mixture strength and ignition timing may also be required to help things running smoothly. Certainly, an electric fuel pump will help keep the fuel moving when a mechanical pump will do nothing when an engine stalls.
The original type SU electric pump can he heard ticking when fuel pressure is not maintained either by way of a leak or vapour locks. If your Spridgley thing stalls when hot and the pump ticks constantly, expect a vapour lock – or an expensive puddle under the car!
Some of our cars have later fuel injected engines fitted, especially the Rover K – Series. Fuel injection systems constantly re-circulate fuel which helps keep the fuel cooler.
Any vapour is pumped through the system and returned to the fuel tank rather than being trapped between pump and float chamber valve. Hence, modern fuel injected engines are not so bothered by vapour locks.
Tubular exhaust manifolds can dissipate a lot of heat compared to the original cast iron fitment. Furthermore, to fit some tubular manifolds, require modifications or even deletion of the heat shield under the carbs.
Wrapping a tubular manifold in heat tape would be advisable to reduce heat transfer to the carbs and fuel pipes. It is not wise to delete the heat shield between the carbs and exhaust manifold, not just to protect from heat transfer, but if there is a fuel leak from the carbs, well, I don’t need to explain the direction of gravity.
Fitting a lower temperature thermostat to the cooling system may also be beneficial in extreme cases.
Finally, always fit good quality shielded petrol hoses and secure with the proper clips. Never use plastic piping.
Terry Horler
13
For those of you unfamiliar with the design of the back plates and wondering what I’m talking about well, with the introduction of the MKII Sprite and MK I Midget new sidelights were designed to fit within the new front wings. The layout of these units consists of a rectangular housing with fittings for the indicator bulb positioned towards the outside of the front wing and the sidelight bulb on the inside, closest to the grille. Original back plates incorporated a metal divider plate to isolate the light beam from one bulb flooding across the unit and influencing the light pattern of its neighbouring bulb.
Now you may think this would not make a significant difference to the display when the lights are in use; take a look at the first two images of my right and left sidelights respectively, one with a divider and one without. This shows you how marked the difference is in light dispersal between divided and non-divided back plates, the left hand unit almost looks as though the indicator bulb might be on.
Whilst this may not make a significant difference in day light when using the indicators, at night it’s perhaps more apparent that the sidelight bulb will noticeably dilute the effect of its partnered indicator bulb, possibly making it difficult for other road users to determine if you’re indicating and intend to turn – or not. I use the term “original” back plates because there is at least one other layout of back plate that is available.
For non-UK use there’s the same dimension back plate with just a single bulb holder (for a double filament bulb), the original back plate with divider fitted around the sidelight bulb holder, and a back plate that is identical to the original except it’s supplied without a divider plate fitted.
These three are available through at least one national supplier but why, you might ask, would you choose the lesser specification to the original? Well, it seems the original design back plate may only be available when you purchase the back plate with wiring and fittings already installed – around £23 whereas the version without the divider costs approximately £9.50.
The difference in cost is enough for a previous owner (or any owner come to that?) to be swayed in to purchasing the inferior item to save money.
After Glyn had mentioned this I tried to recall what my own sidelights were like when I restored the car some years ago, and thought I’d better check to make sure everything was in order. I found I had one of each; an original divider back plate on the right and the other, cheaper item on the left. The different back plates can be seen in images 3 and 4. Glyn’s solution is simple and straightforward and involves biscuits, well a biscuit tin or similar that you no longer need, and I’ve reported here how you can restore the correct light pattern.
Sidelight Illumination and Back Plate Design
Have you ever looked at your sidelight back plates? You probably never thought you needed to but then you may be surprised to discover they may not be quite as they should be. It was our very knowledgeable and experienced committee member Glyn
Polly who, during one of our monthly meetings, mentioned he had made a correction to his cars sidelights that aroused my interest and this article outlines the steps needed to make those alterations if needed.
1 – Right side 2 – Left side
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Sidelight Illumination and Back Plate Design
First the back plate needs to be removed; unscrew and remove the surround and lens, disconnect the wiring and extract the glass orange cover for the indicator bulb from its tangs, then remove the bulbs. Lastly, remove the retaining nuts holding the back plate to the front wing and lift away. This back plate had some corrosion as seen in image 5, this needed some attention prior to the fitting of a divider plate. The rust was treated and the area lightly spray painted in silver.
The illustration in image 6 shows you the outline form and dimensions for the divider plate; this was drawn using the original back plate divider as a template so should be a faithful reproduction of the correct profile. The length and size of the tapered extension is up to you, this is just the shape I used. For those of you viewing Mascot online, you may be able to grab a screen shot of this image
and save to your computer to use as you wish. Please note: the leading edge closest to the lens appears to have a very slight radius to it, not that this appears to be of any significance.
Now for the biscuit tin; trace the outline form on to the tin and cut out, prepare the edges to provide a smooth and tidy profile, image 7 shows you the tin cut out divider ready for fitting. Bend and shape the tapered piece to fit within the back plate. The precise position of the divider can be identified by viewing the two concentric diffuser rings on the lens.
The divider is placed to coincide with the junction between these two rings as this denotes the light pattern for each bulb. You may think the divider is too short when you offer it up in position as it does not touch the glass lens but this is how the original is designed.
3 – Right side back plate 4 – Left side back plate
5 – Corrosion
6 – Divider Template
7 – Divider cut out
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The options you have to fit the divider are: bolt and screw; rivet or; resin. I opted for the epoxy resin route, coupled with wedging the taper under one of the six tangs used to retain the orange indicator cover as you can see in image 8. Once fitted the unit can be re-assembled, remember to include
the rubber washers between the glass and chrome surround and if you’re working on both units make sure you position the lens on the correct side. Image 9 shows you the result which is as good as the original unit, a simple, quick and cheap fix to ensure you’re properly illuminated.
Philip Sellen, Bristol Area
Although this problem occurred with my non-Sprigety vehicle, it was found that on entering the car following previous
use, that none of the electrical equipment was working. Closer investigation revealed that the +ve connector had completely ‘jumped’ clear of the battery terminal post.
After previous work which had included ensuring the cleanliness of the battery posts and mating connectors, and that these were securely tightened after the application of generous amount of Vaseline to prevent oxidation/corrosion.
Perhaps it was the effect of over lubrication and clamping force on the taper that resulted
in the ejection, however my remedy was to leave these aspects alone but to provide an additional vertical restraint, by the use of stainless steel washers and self tapping screws.
Similar problems may be less likely with alternative terminal details, although for confidence the use of screw retention is strongly advised for those batteries having taper post type terminals.
Photographs also show battery charger connections.
© Steve Keil NW Region
9 – Final lighting
8 – Divider fitted
Battery Post – Terminal Security
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Seeking a New Home
I recently visited the North York Moors for a few days holiday, and while travelling around spotted what appeared to be a Frogeye sitting on a drive. On closer inspection I saw it was made of fibre-glass and had a boot. I got chatting to the owner who was tending his garden,
and he informed me that it is a Banham Sprint. Since he no longer has the enthusiasm to do the build, it is available to a good home.
As mentioned in Dave Chalks article on Trojan Healeys (Sept 2015 Mascot p18) this bodyshell is designed to be fitted to a Mini floorpan with a transverse A-series engine. This shell has at some point been fitted up, as evidence of holes for pop-rivets shows, but seems to be in generally good order. It consists of a single bodyshell, a separate boot lid and doors and a dashboard. It is made with a British racing green gel coat which has been overpainted also in British Racing Green. A genuine Frogeye grille is included, but no other parts.
Any interest in this project please call on me 0115 938 3838 and I can pass on the details.
Ian Cooke (Notts + Derby area rep)
Ed ads: The Midget & Sprite Club already has a few Banham Sprint owning members and we would be delighted to welcome another Banham into the club
Banham Sprint
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LettersDVLA Problem
Adam Bevan of `The Healey Sprite Motor Co.Ltd.’ Maidenhead acquired a rolling chassis (complete car minus engine and a few other parts) with an Isle of Wight Frogeye chassis plate number HN55**** from the Frogeye company. Adam completed the car with all new parts and a new 1275cc engine (I have all the receipts for these parts) to the same spec as the Isle of Wight cars. The car was registered with an SVA certificate 12.10.2000 and allocated with an X registration. There is a contradiction because I have a DVLA certificate V627/1 for my car which reads “Total New Build no Donor Parts Used”. But my Registration Certificate V5C section 3 Special Notes reads: “Kit Built/Converted – Assembled From Parts All of Which May Not Be New!
After 14 months writing back and forwards to the DVLA concerning my V5C documents section 3 special notes; I have just received their final letter saying on investigation it has been found that the literals were changed and it was later decided to change it back to the original wording as on my old V5C. This is a computer vehicle system issue which needs to be changed and updated.
Unfortunately this is not due to be changed in the foreseeable future due to Government Red Tape and the D V L A is not in a position to make changes to the vehicle system.
I would like to thank Terry Horler, Paul Hodgkinson, Dave Chalk, Alan Anstead and other members of the club for their help and advice. Tom Tulip 3806 a/b
LightsGary
I am new to Midgets, and currently 75% through a total restoration of my 1972 RWA – due for completion by Easter 2016.
I too have found the quality of some “new” replacement components to be poor; my solution for the replacement of the brake light switch – fit a mechanical one.
If one is going to get full use out of any classic car, it is imperative in my opinion, that the vehicle is fitted with up to date brake, hazard, and rear fog lights, and for further safety, DRL (Daytime Running Lights) at the front. Using the old style headlamp bowl which had the sidelight incorporated into it, I’m using that sidelight aperture to mount the DRL LED.
Our classic sportscars tend to be small in size, and low on the road when compared with modern cars, and I believe we have the responsibility to do what we can to make ourselves easier to be seen. DRLs are now mandated standard equipment on new cars, and have been required in Sweden for several decades.
Greatly looking forward to getting the car on the road, and joining in with some of the Club’s activities. Paul Morris
If you would like to contact the editor or the magazine, please email Gary at [email protected] Or write to Mascot Editor, 40B Hungerford Road, London. N7 9LP
Tom’s Trojan Frogeye
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I Bought an Arkley!
Chris apologises to his fellow Englanders for the blue skies. After all, he says, it’s winter in OZ”
Well a Jeep might have been more useful but it would not have made such a good story and nowhere near
as much fun.
I was born and raised in Arkley near Barnet just north of London, and while still a teenager
at school I had a Saturday job at the garage in the village that was owned by John Britten, a well known sports car racer in the ‘sixties.
Britten dominated his class in the ModSports category in initially a yellow Lenham bodied Austin-Healey Sprite, and later a much modified orange MG Midget. The team also ran a second orange Midget for an Irish lady named Gabriel Konig and even had a pair of custom built MG Midget pickups as tow cars for the racers – painted orange, of course. He sold sports cars at the garage; Sprites, MGs, Morgans, TVRs and others, and I got to clean cars all day except when I was chosen for other dirty jobs. In late ‘69 he designed a special conversion based on Austin-Healey Sprites and MG Midgets and called it the Arkley SS.
I had a hand in mixing fibreglass and resin to mould the first few made, and then after a couple were made it was decided they would probably sell ok so the moulds were sent out to Lenham a sub-contractor already known for various glass fibre mouldings and racing MGs and Healeys.
John Britten’s pair of unique Midget Utes?Pick-ups, which were built to tow his racing MGs. The writer is the left of the two youngsters standing at the back; aged 14
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CeNTRE ● SPREaD
I Bought an Arkley!From those messy beginnings did my stellar race car building career begin! Through the years I later worked on all types of race cars including Formula Fords, F3, F3000 and IndyCars and twelve years in Formula One until I relocated to Australia in 2003.
Britten sold complete cars, or kits of parts for customers to make their own. It is thought they sold about 1,000 before he sold the business in the mid 1980s. John went on to build up the very successful Tecno chain of camera shops and then even owned the Brands Hatch circuit in partnership with Jonathan Palmer before he died five years ago. The original moulds are now owned by Peter May who used to work for Britten and I believe the parts are still available from him.
I always promised myself one day I should try to find an Arkley, but when I put the word about here all I could find out was that there was only one known in the country.
I contacted the owner in Sydney and the car is in parts in his shed awaiting restoration, but he told me he does not plan to sell. I also heard of some damaged parts for sale in Melbourne but it would have been a big job to repair them and then build up a car around a suitable donor Midget. Then suddenly a few weeks ago, Paul Unicomb, who is a local member of the Sprite club, told me there was another one was for sale in the club magazine. I called the number and spoke to John Wyatt another member of the club. Based on a 1971 MG Midget with a 1275cc engine and everything rebuilt it seemed to be ok.
It was 600 miles north of here at Tweed Heads on the Queensland border but after asking a lot of questions during a couple of phone calls it appeared as if we could do a deal so I booked a flight from Sydney to Gold Coast, bought it, and drove it home.
Not as easy as it sounds, I got caught in a heavy downpour just north of Grafton with the top down! I stopped overnight in Coffs Harbour and made an early start the next day, which luckily was sunny again. Then
A line of Arkleys – not Frogeyes/Bugeyes – for sale facing John Britten’s racing version with a group of MGs and Morgans behind
John Britten pushing hard in his racing Arkley
Cover of the Arkley brochure”
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CeNTRE ● SPREaD
there were the racing bucket seats the previous owner had fitted; they look good and suit the car, but not too comfortable for driving such a distance. Result; bruised bum!
Less fun was the evening rush hour through Sydney which slowed me down for a couple of hours; it started overheating and I also discovered a faulty earth in the headlight wiring which caused a few problems, but I eventually made it down to Shellharbour.
Job done!
Since then, I joined the Sprite Club (Australia), and even made it along to one of the local runs at Ruby’s Café in Bulli for an hour and met a few other members. I have had the radiator re-cored as it did run hot in traffic.
A modern core is apparently a lot more efficient and now even thrashing up around the Southern Highlands on a hot day could not get the gauge above the ‘N’. I also tidied
up a few minor details, replaced a busted door check strap and fixed the intermittent earthing that was causing the headlights and direction indicators to do their own thing. I have no intention of preparing it to show standards, so I am happy with the appearance just as it is.
After getting it home with only a few weeks registration left on it (here In Australia the ‘rego’ plate is renewed annually) I checked the online registration computer and found the registration ARKLEY was available, so I coughed up a few hundred dollars for that finishing touch, although even with its name boldly shown front and back many folks still ask “what is it?” anyway.
I may treat it to a new set of carpets and Paul gave me a cover for the soft-top (thanks) for which I needed to replace the screwed down chrome strip at the back of the hood with a row of Tenax fasteners, but there would be no point in fitting a stereo!
Mechanically it seems to have been well restored and maintained and it has been on a few local runs so far with no problems but generating many questions from the curious. Kids point and usually laugh when I drive by, and I have had a few calls like “nice car mate” from passing drivers.
I did have the radiator recored by a local specialist who did a great job, and now, even thrashing up the mountains on a hot day the needle stays in the safe half of the gauge. A couple of slim ‘pancake’ air filters stopped the rattling of the original two green saucepan types hitting the tight curves of the lower bonnet, a cartridge type oil filter mod’ and a new choke cable have all been cheap and easy additions for convenience.
One of those fishtail type exhaust pipe extensions was also added to prevent
This solves a problem common to Arkleys
Still crazy after all these (44) years. Chris enjoys the Arkley again. It is bright red, but surprisingly nobody has yet mistaken it for a Ferrari; I wonder why?
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sucking the fumes in the back of the car and making us feel a bit odd after ten minutes driving.
Well there was one hiccup. When I got stuck in slow moving traffic entering the ‘All British Day’ at the King’s School near Parramatta it stalled a few times. I put it down to running hot in the traffic, but to be safe I left early to avoid the jams getting out.
All ok for the next hour driving until I started the descent down the Mount Ousley road to the south coast when the little 1275 started to accelerate even with my foot off the pedal. Ok, a quick dive into the left ‘Slow Trucks Lane’ and cut the ignition to pull off to the side and I found one of the two throttle return springs had broken off the locating hooks on the exhaust manifold.
So could this have been the cause of the earlier stalling allowing the SUs to be opening to rich under vacuum but not showing as a real problem until the first real downhill run?
Anyway, I happened to have a pair of pliers under the seat (prepared to fight with those Tenax fasteners in the event of rain) and managed to form a new hook on the end of what remained of the broken spring after which I drove home running smoother than ever, albeit with a burnt thumb.
Funny thing was, I got a call the next day from Paul saying I had done the right thing leaving early, “the traffic was worse getting out, but I have a trophy for you”; eh? A trophy? Yes, apparently I was voted Best Modified or Rebodied Sprite/ Midget. Ok,
big deal you may say, but the Sprite Club had really excelled in displaying over 100 cars on the day, and many were ‘modified’.
Chuffed, I was!
Over 10,000 miles from home, and forty-four years since the original launch, this little red rarity is still having fun.
BUT! There is another link……………..read on………….
The address on my birth certificate is ‘Caravan, Arkley Garage, Arkley, Barnet’. The garage back then was just the normal two petrol pumps and one mechanic general service place until John Britten bought it in the mid-sixties. Yep, the same place that this car was built.
I tell people I am officially a Gypsy under British law (which is probably true anyway) but the real reason for living in a caravan was that my parents were having a new house built nearby. There was still a shortage of housing in Britain after WWII and as they knew the Morris family who owned the garage and the paddock behind they bought a caravan and paid a weekly rent. They even had running water connected. Luckily it was summer and the weather not too cold.
How is that for coincidence?
Story by Chris Martin Shellharbour, New South Wales. Australia
Colour photos by Karen Martin. Additional images (C) John Baggott’s”Mighty Midgets & Special Sprites, with thanksAt the Show
Barnet Road, not as this photographer named it; Arkley High Road, in the 1930s, the entrance to the village garage would be to the right of where the car is parked. This writer spent the first few months of his life there, and John Britten took it over in the 1960s
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On display at Angouleme on Day 11
Part.2 Day Seven to Day Fourteen
4th Migl ia Tour September 2015
Day Seven and Dave Chalk writes: After farewells and 0930hrs start we heading across flat agricultural lands
surrounding Turin into light showers with JC bravely keeping his hood down. A photo stop near Cuneo gave views to an amazing stone & tier viaduct over the river Sturo Di Demonte. Flat lands changed to river gorges and we climbed via hairpin bends to join a long queue for the Tende tunnel that took us back into France. The dramatic winding downhill run through vast river gorges past several EDF Hydro Electric stations. We climbed again via numerous hairpins and travelled a little of the Monte Carlo Rally route past the Col de Turini before descending wildly to beautiful Sospel.
A last desperate push through Nice rush hour to our hotel in Antibes. My impression of Nice? If Nice is nice then Margate is magnificent!!Day Eight and Dave Chalk with John Clark together wrote: Three musketeers left 0730hrs on a mission to Monaco. M&S resting in the car park, we used local bus and SNCF. An adventure: first step out of Monaco Station William Grover Williams & his Bugatti visited. Alan Anstead too big for the cockpit, damaged himself whilst being extracted. It later transpired that he’d torn a calf muscle rather badly, resulting in two visits to A&E
Monaco Harbour
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and his leg in plaster and hobbling around on crutches.
Walked around & breakfasted overlooking harbour. Monte Carlo boat show being prepared for following weekend. Resisted temptation of new yacht! Retraced steps to hotel to start run to Montelimar via Napoleon’s Highway. More hairpins than a Victorian lady! Arrival at Hotel at 2200hrs, too late for a meal but the bar is still open. Notes written under influence of red wine at midnight. 218 miles 1400+ total to date. John Gibbons adds: Meanwhile John Gibbons had a leisurely breakfast with his son and four college friends on the front at Antibes. After a sandwich back at the hotel had a pleasant drive to Montelimar interrupted only by half an hour in a lay-by sitting out a thunderstorm.
Day Nine and John Gibbons continues: On the road soon after nine for a four hour drive to St Flour to meet Thierry for lunch at noon. Lovely scenery with twisty roads and hills. Arrived at Sat Nav destination just after 2pm but at St Flour L’Etaing not St Flour – some 50 miles away. No lunch today! Cutting back to Issoire where we had to refuel we took the A75 motorway south to pick up the N122 which led to Aurillac our overnight stop. Today our luck was not in. The Hotel had had a kitchen fire and so the restaurant
was closed. McDonalds to the rescue. With no facilities at the hotel we were back in our rooms just after 9pm for an early night.
Day Ten and Thierry Dupont (President of Spridget Club of France) ( Porsche 944 substituted due to Force Majeure) wrote: After a long resting night breakfast at 8.00 even not a Continental one, just a standard French one, sorry for English fellows, nothing else than bread and croissant. We have left Hotel at 9.00, first stop to refuel cars at a supermarket fuel station close to hotel. 10.15. Arrival in Argentat for morning coffee break. Weather was not exactly with us, a lot of rain. We have to remember Aurillac is famous for its umbrellas. Then resuming to Turenne with its big and beautiful castle watching for us top of hill. Arrival at 1215 for a very pleasant lunch. Climbing up to the castle, then down to the cars. Departure at 1430 direction Brive and Perigueux; at 1520 short stop at Le Lardin Saint Lazaire to remove the hood, two cars after in open air (At least the drivers). 1610. Boulazac before arriving in Perigueux. Tea time, cars parked including three Frogs in front of “Animal Doctors” house.
Due to traffic in Perigueux the group splitted in two. Everybody arriving safely in Campanile hotel in Angouleme at 1815. Tonight dinner with Spridget Club de France.
Day Eleven. Thanks to Graham & Teresa Blunt we have Classic Car parking in Angouleme as we attend the Circuit des Remparts motor race. (See top image – opposite page)
Day Twelve and John Gibbons wrote: After an early night and the usual 9am start we left Angouleme heading up the N10 towards Poitiers stopping at Mansle some 25m north of Angouleme. Refuelling in a Super U we then met Graham & Terry for coffee & croissants
Frogs at the vets
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at the adjacent café. Graham produced a heap of posters which were entrusted to Alan for the journey. It was almost 11am before we left but we continued to Richelieu where we stopped for lunch. We made time for a walk round the town and poked our noses in the park. There was no time for a visit to the castle at Langais so we continued to La Chartre sur Loir where we took tea/coffee at the Hotel de France where the Aston Martin team used to be based for their assault on the Le Mans 24hrs.
More photos before last leg to La Ferte Bernard and the Kyriad Hotel. A very enjoyable top down day although it was noticeably cooler than it had been on previous days with increasingly threatening cloud as we reached our destination.
Day Thirteen and John Clark wrote: Woke 0430. Car park dry – wise not to put up hood. 0730. Pouring with rain. Oh well! Breakfasted well, before a walk into town. Fine church, but too early for any other attractions.
Decided a straight drive to next overnight stop, best in these weather conditions. Nice countryside if we could see it. A little slippery beneath tyre & foot. Caution around the bends. 99 miles as we arrived at Hotel Kyriad, St Marcel. Sun shining. Need rest and lunch. And what a lunch. We asked for a “Surprise Sandwich” A plateful of goodies with French bread was certainly more than adequate. Then to sleep. We are of that age. But then in a fit of energy Dave & myself braved the elements and walked the 3km along the Seine to Vernon where we eventually sheltered in a café for coffee & pain au raisin.
Day Fourteen and Dave Chalk wrote: 9am sunny start to Intermarche wine stop. On to Les Andelys the magnificent hilltop fortress castle ‘Chateau Gaillard’ home of Richard the Lion heart, Duke of Normandy and King of England. Off to Buchy for lunch stop. Drove on through several pretty villages and finally made Dieppe Ferry terminal at 2.50pm. 2315 miles on foreign roads. Great fun, very good company, and fantastic little cars. Encore!!
The participants were: Alan Anstead, Dave Chalk John Clark, Vic Barker, Ron Edwards and John Gibbons Joined en route by Oliver and Peter Wilkinson from Switzerland, in addition to Thierry Dupont (President of Spridget Club of France) and with thanks to Graham & Teresa Blunt in Angouleme.
Hotel de France at Le Chartre sur Loir Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show
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After a very hectic few days, the Classic Car Show at the NEC has now closed, but what a show it has been. I thought last year’s show was something of a pinnacle that was unlikely to be beaten, but we have done it ! We exceeded last year’s total of 34 new
members, with 40 this year. A truly outstanding result which will take some beating.A warm welcome to all the new members. I hope we will get to meet again in the coming months and years at various events, and maybe at next year’s car show? The success of the show is all down to the help and back – up I receive from everyone who agrees to take part, whether it is preparing the cars and transporting them to the NEC and back, or helping with the loading and unloading of the stand equipment and manning the stand during the course of the show. All this support is essential for the show to be such a success, so a huge thank you to everyone for your help. We could not achieve this level of success without you.With a special thank you to Mike Grout who dug me out of a late hole that I managed to dig for myself, and to Sybil and Janet for the delicious cakes and not forgetting Steve Keil for the Midget/Sprite shaped biscuits. The next show on the horizon is the Practical Classic, Classic Car Show on the 5th and 6th of March next year at the NEC. This is only a two day show with set-up on the Friday, so if you have some work to do on your Sprite or Midget and fancy doing it at the show, please get in touch. As always we will be needing help to man the stand as well.A Happy Christmas and a great New Year to you all.
Alan Pritchett [email protected] 07720 238810. Images thanks to Les Jeans
Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show
Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show
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Manning the Club’s Stand at the NECOne Member’s View
I thought recently that I would volunteer to help out on the club exhibition stand at a show. After all, I am one of those lucky people who have time to spare and an interest in old and classic cars, so what could be better than a day at a show
On Saturday I went to the NEC. This time, not as a punter but as a person helping on the club stand. It is the first time I’ve done this, although I’ve met people I know who were working on stands at other shows and have wondered what their day must be like. So this year I nervously volunteered for the club stand.
So what was it like? Initially emails with Alan Pritchett followed by a letter with wrist band pass and information about car parking, arrival etc. Then up early on the Saturday, the day I had opted for “duty”. I live only an hour away, in normal traffic, but have turned back home after spending three hours queuing for access to the NEC in other years.
I must state that I’ve never been to the NEC so early. I arrived at the car park just before 8. The roads were clear and I was in car park 1 which was slowly filling with vehicles. As I walked from my car I realised that most of the other people were also arriving to staff stands and stalls. After all, it is another hour before the doors would open for the public.
My entry to the exhibition halls was via a back door/fire escape staffed by security who checked my wrist band, then after consulting the plan sent to me by Alan and a large scale plan of Hall 4, I found my way to the Midget & Sprite stand. Once I had worked out which direction to look, the club sails helped me to find it.
People around us were unwrapping stands and cars. On ours I gave John a hand to unwrap his Frogeye, other cars were uncovered and gradually our stand and those around, the MG Owners club, the MG Car Club and others, came to life. More and more people arrived to help or say hello. Alan communicated an important message, “Hot water, coffee and milk is located here, help yourself”. Then we were in business.
Alan drew up a schedule for the day allocating us all two hour slots on the stand and the curious began to arrive.
Questions were fielded on technical points. If I didn’t know, then there was always someone on the stand who did, on membership fees and can I have a form or a copy of Mascot? Always there was a person saying “I had one of these” and frequently someone saying “I’ve just bought one and was thinking of doing……….. Can you advise me?”
I think that at times probably everyone went wandering around the exhibition halls and came back with tales of “Have you seen…..?”. One item mentioned frequently was the Frogeye which apparently was for sale on Friday for £27,500 and on Saturday had a ticket advertising it for £35,000. I don’t know what happened on Sunday!
Was it a good experience you ask, and would I do it again? Yes and Yes! Most definitely if I am available on the right dates. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the people working on the stand, I enjoyed having the time to stand and talk with colleagues about the technical aspects of their cars and hearing how they used them. I enjoyed having a base when I went off exploring the show.
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting those people who had travelled to visit the show and who came along to view our stand, the cars, and talk about their experiences, as well as asking their specific technical and membership questions. I enjoyed the cake one member brought and shared out, and I liked the biscuits made by another member in the shapes of a Frogeye and a Midget.
This show is world renowned for quality and variety and I feel privileged to have been given an opportunity to be a part of the club’s presentation. I now would say to all members that if you have the chance to assist with a stand at a show and feel like volunteering, then have a go. I know that I will do it again given the chance.
Thank you to Alan’s organising skills and to all those on the stand who made me feel a part of it all.
David Whittaker, Member 4745
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The October run was brought forward a week to make the most of the lighter afternoons before the clocks reverted
to GMT. Commencing the day with a hearty breakfast at the Barleymows Farm Shop, Chard, six cars set off meandering around the country roads of West Somerset before heading into East Devon. Jerry and Lesley Shepperd had devised a varied route in and around their ‘back yard’ and it was not too long before we landed up at the Blue Ball inn, Sidford for a short(ish) lunch break. With the weather remaining dry and hoods off, it was only a short hop to Sidmouth with a ‘cruise’ along the sea front, before climbing up and over the cliffs and on to Budleigh Salterton. Turning towards home we crossed Woodbury Common, through Ottery St. Mary and more meanderings through hamlets and villages. At one point we passed a 1500 Midget that had to pull in to allow us to pass. Being the last car we stopped for a chat (no other vehicles around). The occupants, who lived in the nearby village, were keen to get involved with like-minded enthusiasts, having only recently acquired their vermillion example and a MASC membership form was duly passed over with Valerie’s contact details attached. Hopefully we will see them at one
of our future events. We then had to catch up with the rest of our group, ending up at the Blackbury Honey Farm for tea and cake before heading home.The restoration show at Shepton Mallett is a must for classic car owners but with the appalling weather during the previous week, there were fewer visitors than usual on Saturday. Pity really, as by late morning the sun had appeared and it was quite warm wandering around the classic car park, chatting to friends and enjoying a pasty from one of the many vendors on site. Didn’t buy anything this year as I am still giving the MG its shakedown following a front end accident-damaged rebuild; so far so good, even though some of the new chrome is already showing signs of rust! We viewed the cars and bikes entered in the auction on Sunday, tempted, but not able to justify, to bid for a beautiful yellow Lotus Elan at a target price of £32-35k. Nevertheless, a good day out.With Christmas rapidly approaching plans are already being made for next year’s holiday and Valerie is once again compiling her list of events. Looks like it’s going to be another active year – bring it on.
Peter Young
Remembering the sunshine
Somerset Happenings
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Sunshine and Spridgets at Sywell
Still in a spirit of catching up on event reporting, and because I didn’t see much about it in other area reports last
month (apologies in advance if everyone else has saved it for this month and Mascot is full of it) I thought I would give a brief report on the Sywell Pistons and props event.The East Anglian mob had chosen to attend on Saturday (this being a two day event). I had only been able to book MASC a 10 car stand but managed to accommodate almost 20 cars by having mainly different cars attending each day. The weather was, as always, kind to us. So, after a brilliant top down run, I was greeted by a good number of gleaming Midgets and Sprites that had already laid claim to a prime piece of MASC turf. I just took my place in the line and put up our brilliant club sail (I saw someone call this a feather in one of last month’s area reports, I think, and this seems to me to be an excellent descriptive name). The event was good and had attracted some very interesting exhibits, especially on the props side, including the last flying, (I am told)
Seafire, this is the high powered Spitfire designed to take off from an aircraft carrier and sports a hook underneath to catch a cable laid across the deck (those guys were very brave indeed). Feedback from some of my local members was that they weren’t as impressed as they had been last year. I don’t know if this is just familiarity having been before, or the fact that the most spectacular displays were spread over two days (I presume to encourage attendance on both days) and so watered down things a bit, I must admit I was a bit disappointed that the Seafire only flew on the Sunday and so I missed it.I think that it is good to have some churn in the events we attend and to try new ones each year, as however good they are, they can become a bit stale, I won’t be attending (or organising) either Sywell or Silverstone next year having attended both for a few years now. If anyone would like to pick up the mantel and organise these as national events, then please feel free to contact me and I will pass on my contacts and explain how I have set them up in the past, as I think it would be a shame if a club of our stature didn’t at least have a presence at Silverstone. Not much more to say other than to mention that Mick has some good ides for next years events (but could still do with yours) and is starting to collate them so please get involved, and to wish you all a fabulously brilliant Christmas. See you all at the oldest Inn in England and far beyond.
Dave Dixon (AKA Red Leader) [email protected]
East Anglian Area Report
31
Just returned from the annual pilgrimage to Birmingham and the National Classic Car show.
As predicted bought a load of stuff I probably shouldn’t have, but I did get one or two items that I did need. Not the grill and boot badges for the Austin Sprite, though. Our stand was great as usual and I made good use of the club members manning the display to seek advice. Special thanks must go to John Gibbons whose Frogeye was superb. I think he may have come up with the solution of the vaporisation problem on the Good Frog.
It was also good to speak to Stuart Watson to get some tips for some things I needed for the work on the Austin Sprite or Non Frog. He is also going to put me in touch with some other owners in an effort to glean more knowledge on this particular model. The Mk1 Midget and the 1500 Midget were of a standard I can only aspire to in my own rebuild, the bar gets higher all the time. The last car on the stand was the Sebring Sprite which was featured on Car S.O.S. and it was good to see it in the flesh.
On the Friday of the show my wife Liz and I went to visit Coventry Motor Museum and although no Austin Healeys or MG’s were on display it was good to see that the museum concentrated on cars built in Coventry or the surrounding environs. A special display are the cars that broke the land speed record, Thrust and Thrust SCC which got me thinking of the Healey record breaking cars of the mid to late fifties. Although the record attempts were mainly for publicity, they did achieve D M Healey’s dream of 200 mph plus (with the
big Healeys). It is a great pity the cars were cut up and scrapped as it would have been good to see them, but I guess that was the way of things back then.
Back in the garage the Non Frog has the wings unbolted and the inner wing and sills are receiving attention ready for the welding of new parts. The Rusty One is languishing in the corner of the garage feeling lonely and neglected but cheered up a bit when I produced the new length of British Racing Green leathercloth to renew the dash. However I really do need to start work as I have no excuses and it will be all too easy to sit by the fire with a single malt reading old issues of Mascot.Both Alan and I are trying to arrange a date to visit Peter who lives in Fife and see how he is progressing with his Frogeye restoration and maybe we will pick up a few tips!.Finally I would like to wish all club members a Happy Christmas and Good New Year
Graham Smith 0141 954 8276 [email protected]
Scottish Area Report
Thrust SCC (Super Sonic Car)
The EX 219 Record Breaker” [photo kindly supplied by Karsten Stelk]
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North West Area ReportHalloween Run
Sunday 1st November 2015
Scary!
This is always a very popular annual event with our club members and so on Sunday 1st November at High
Legh garden centre car park, 12 cars duly arrived with a total of 20 members. Now some members were certainly dressed in some well thought out Halloween costumes, Pauline even brought her own broomstick (Just in case they broke down in their car, there would be no worries on how she and Steve would get back home! Although I have to say I think said Broomstick was a tad small for two, so next year I suggest a “Tandem Broomstick” might be more suitable!!!!)
Anyway I digress! We all set off on our chosen route, but it soon became evident that the Google Maps are not that good! When Neil and I arrived finally at Arley Hall, most of the members were there waiting for us, and had torn up their maps and just
headed for our destination through fair means or fowl, with the odd sat nav being plugged in disgust! Being a resilient and forgiving “bunch” we all saw the funny side and decided without more ado we would now get on with the serious business of having a drink, snack or going to look around Arley Hall craft fair.
What a great sight all our “Beauties” were, displayed together on the cobbled entrance of the Restaurant, and whether it was the costumes, the cars, or both, we had a lot of attention and interest in our club car display from the general public, also a big thank you was given to us from the Arley Hall staff, for coming along and giving another “interest to their Craft Fair” especially for the men, who might have been getting pretty desperate after seeing too many cupcakes, bracelets and home sewn peg bags, this was then their “Eureka moment“.
We might possibly do a return visit next year. The last short part of our route was to The Blue Cap pub for dinner, which we thoroughly enjoyed, both the food and staff service were great. So as usual a wonderful time was had by all, and then Neil came in at the end of our meal with a beautiful birthday cake, why you may ask? It was my birthday!!!
And nothing is nicer for me than to spend it with all our car club friends, so THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, for the cards, gifts and lots of lovely birthday wishes, and also thank you all members that had made it dressing up or down !! We hope to see other members if possible next Halloween!!
Happy motoring everyone!
Shelley & Neil North West Area Reps.MASC at High Legh
Scottish Area Report
33
Unfortunately the planned run for September was cancelled due to the forecasted bad weather. With the
October offering arranged by ex Chef Tony & Pat, a gastronomic tour was expected and we weren’t disappointed.
From the rendezvous point at Stanway near Colchester, the route took us north via Fordham and Mount Bures before dropping into the Stour valley where the trees looked stunning in their autumnal colours. Onlookers at the county border at Bures waved in admiration as we crossed into Sunny Suffolk at Bures but the weather didn’t oblige.
A further four miles of minor roads led us to the Assington Barn for the coffee and cake stop. The venue also included a retail section and plant centre. Several members also visited the ‘pets area’ which included a pony, sheep and a flock of ostriches with their ungainly chicks.
After passing the Newton Green Golf Club, we turned to towards Lavenham later taking the B1115 / A1141 / B1115 through Monks Eleigh and Chelsworth. This area is rich in numerous lovely old thatched houses. Although I am familiar with much of Suffolk, the route through Offton and Somersham was a very interesting unknown new area. With heavy threatening skies to the south, we then turned – yes you guessed it – south to follow the signs to Ipswich passing the appropriately named Suffolk Water Park where we met the rain.
The route into our lunch stop was busy as it passed several retail areas and the railway station, to get to the redeveloped old docks and wharves. After parking up, we admired the grand looking boats moored in the old docks as we walked to choose a venue for lunch. We settled on Issacs on the Quay, which is an old grain and coal merchants, and had a private room for our group who enjoyed lunch “serenaded” by the Rugby World Cup on the big screen. Even the non fans in the group tried to grasp the finer points of the scoring system as the Irish lost to the Argies.
With our two hour parking about to expire, we ventured back into the rain. Instead of the planned finish at Beth Chatto’s garden, Tony & Pat very kindly offered their hospitality of coffee and cake. After leaving Ipswich behind us, we followed a familiar route back into Essex at Manningtree, before turning to finish at Thorrington. Luckily, Tony has a long driveway that allowed the three Frogs and three Spridgets [and a guest MG1300] to park.
Once inside, Tony showed he hadn’t lost any of his culinary touch as he prepared a batch of scones, which together with home made jam, were scrumptious. Although I was already aware of his exploits on the ‘69 Targa Florio race, Tony proudly showed a photo taken of the race together with an advert for an Airfix model of his car. Everyone thanked Tony & Pat for their kind invitation which made a perfect end to an excellent day.
Doug Plumb
Essex Area Report
34
Researching vintage and classic vehiclesDo you own a historic vehicle and are curious about its past? The Essex Record Office holds the first registration details for over 750,000 cars, motorbikes, tractors, trucks and other vehicles registered in Essex between 1904 and 1974 and Southend between 1914 and 1961 (so ok for Mk1 Sprites and the earliest Mk1 Midgets and MkII Sprites).If you think that your historic vehicle might be included in their records, their Search Service can investigate for you and produce a certified abstract recording the vehicle details from the original register. There are several combinations of letters that indicate a vehicle was registered in Essex. This might be the only two letters on the registration, or the last two of a group of three letters:EV, HK, NO, OO, PU, TW, VW, Vx and WCSimilarly the two letter combinations and dates for Southend are: HJ and JNGet in touchIf you would like to speak to them about using the Search Service to find details of an historic vehicle registration, please get in touch on 033301 32500 or [email protected] can find out more on the websitewww.essexrecordofficeblog.co.uk/researching-vintage-and-classic-vehicles/
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21st October 2015What a dismal day! The rendezvous point was Farthing Corner Services on the M2. Would the rain deter people? Not likely! On turning into the services car park it was immediately apparent that there were more cars already than expected with more to arrive.
John Gibbons had travelled from Sussex to join us. On this occasion he was in his Midget as his Frogeye was being tidied for its appearance at Classic Car Show NEC.
Good to see Bryan Williams in good health and joining us. Clive Talbot was making his maiden run with the regulars, driving his 1300 engined 1500 Midget, he being a newish member.
Dave Chalk had arranged this event and led away with a total of nine assorted Sprites & Midgets in line astern.
First stop was the Criterion Music Hall, Cinema, & Heritage Centre at Blue Town, Sheerness. This interesting location performs various roles on different days. Daily the location is a Heritage Centre telling the story of Sheerness as a dockyard, a
bastion of defence against the Germans in two world wars, and of its importance in the infancy of the development of the aeroplane. On various days the venue is a cinema or a music hall. So impressed were we that the premise has been chosen for the Kent Area 10th Anniversary Celebration in February 2016.
The owner of the Criterion then led us to Eastchurch to view a memorial to the pioneers of flight. A local seeing the cars parked at the side of the road by the memorial, and realising our interest, ushered us across the road to the Church wherein to see a stained glass window dedicated to the memory of Sir Henry Rolls of Rolls Royce.
Again, with the owner of the Criterion at the helm, we drove to where originally stood the Royal Flying Corps air station and where now there is a small museum. A building nearby, which was once the store for the dope that was applied to the fabric of aeroplane wings, still bore evidence of an enemy aircraft strafing attack upon its brickwork.
Monthly Meet at the Angel, Addington Green
Graeme Williams MGA broke the line to stand mastodonic among the eight Sprites & Midgets that occupied the car park. Richard
Kent Area mid-week ‘Old Boys’ run
Firist arrivals at Farthing Corner
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Kent Area mid-week ‘Old Boys’ run
Bowles, who had come to get a route to the Stelvio Pass as he plans his 2016 holiday, had to depart early as he was attending the unveiling of a memorial to a fallen WWII airman.
Prospective new member Kevin Wales attended our meeting. A Triumph owner (TR6 & GT6) will we be able to convert him to Spridgets? A lovely day for top down motoring! Why were so many missing?
Another Old Boys run? Two in the course of one month!
28th November 2015
John Clark planned this Old Boys mid-week run. Undeterred by the heavy morning rain ten Sprites & Midgets assembled at the Roadhouse Café to be led away by John Clark. Surrey rep Mike Gorman accompanied John Gibbons.
We welcome all from surrounding areas to our local runs and from areas further afield to our foreign Tours. Martin Waterman joined our run to meet us and see what we are about as a prelude to becoming a full member. Our destination this day was Dover Museum of Transport where we met two members Roy Morrish and Kevin Stevens, who are volunteers at this venue, once an army barracks.
The Museum holds a fascinating collection of over fifty vintage motor vehicles together with other forms of transport and a large collection of models.
With Dave Chalk now able to place a bulk order for Kent Area’s own regalia, in the form of T-shirts & sweatshirts, members were encouraged to place orders with money extracted by all means free and foul. Over lunch we were able to discuss next years Tours, events, and Old Boys runs.
A good day out ended with Mel’s 1500 engine dropping a valve on the way home – his journey completed by an AA recovery.
Alan Anstead. Kent Rep. www.masckent.org
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It’s always nice when you pull up for the monthly meeting and there’s already a Midget in the car park. Geoff Mears had
braved the dark night and spitting rain to come in his car, which was parked bang slap in the middle of various huge 4x4 monsters. Once inside I found Geoff telling John Wragg all about his proposed trip to the Spa Classic next May. Geoff seems convinced it will rain which was supported on evidence from previous classics. I think we’ll all have to keep our fingers crossed for him and hope he makes it top down when the time comes.
The other main topic of conversation on the night was Gary Hendon’s five speed gearbox find. Gary has a very striking 1500 Midget which he has totally rebuilt and painted green with yellow stripes as in “lotus” colours. I’m sure a lot of fellow MASC members will have seen or read about the stunning rebuild in previous issues of Mascot. Gary had seen a message on a Facebook site regarding a Sunday morning meet at a coffee shop just South of Doncaster and decided to go as it was about 80 miles away.
The forecast was chilly but dry. A pleasant morning was had with some, new to him, MASC members. The journey there was all dual carriageway or motorway and by the time he got back home he decided that he really must do something about another gear in his gearbox. As 75 mph equates to 4500 rpm he’s feeling very sorry for his 1500 rebuilt and up-rated engine revving away!
Gary had already been thinking about an overdrive gearbox as this appeared to be the
most straight forward and economical way of doing it. Checking on a well known internet site, he found a Dolomite 1850 unit with overdrive and decided to risk an offer as it looked a bit sorry for itself in the photo.
He won it with a low offer which included delivery but up to now has only had time to take the covers off. He has been pleased to find it wasn’t full of water and rust. The internals were still oily and shiny underneath when wiped clean, so hopefully it will be ok after rebuilding.
According to his research, it is a close ratio gearbox with a longer first gear which will be much better and the overdrive should reduce the engine speed in fourth by 1000 rpm, so geared for 135 mph at 6000 rpm instead of 100 mph, a big difference.
Gary has promised to keep us posted as to how he gets on.
Dave Warren Central MASC
Email to [email protected]
Central Area Report
Gary’s 1500 Midget
Gary’s Dolomite 1850 gearbox
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Events organiser Ian Beaver (2nd left) with club members and Dr. John Hoyle (right) and Stephen Frost (2nd right)
John’s Jottings Our October club night was heart-warming on what was a cool evening. Traditionally around that time of year we hand over monies raised by activities organised by the club members to our chosen charities.
This year we supported St. John Ambulance and the Somerset & Dorset Air Ambulance. On the night we were able to hand over cheques for £600 each to Dr. John Hoyle, a volunteer who works with the air ambulance and to Stephen Frost from Poole St.John Ambulance.
The handover of these monies mean that the Dorset Area of MASC has raised a total of nearly £16,000 for charities since 1999. The main fund raising event is our annual Classics in the Park which has run for more than 10 years now together with raffle monies from our monthly swindle.
We are deep into planning our 2016 park event which will see a change in venue and we also hope to involve adjacent MASC Areas and encourage them to join us. Hopefully the date and contact details will appear in this edition of Mascot under 2016 events (also
below) and I will also be contacting direct Area Representatives with details of how they can support our event.
This year we have decided to defer our Annual Dinner to January and there will also be no December Club night. The dinner is scheduled for January and we all felt that there is more than enough eating and drinking in December – how else will we remain slim enough to get into our little cars!
Our October Club night will have seen the stores of club member Peter Vallins raided for car parts and then Spridget parts concealed in bags together with difficult questions regarding Spridgets will exercise the brain power of our members in our annual quiz.
With the recent weather Spridgets have been tucked up for the Winter but hopefully some better days will come along when we can enjoy our cars ahead of a splendid summer next year.
Clear roads …
John Gully, Chairman Dorset Midget and Sprite club
30th May – Classics in the Park at Poole Park, Parkstone Road, Poole Town, BH15 2SE, Dorset. Organised by Dorset Area MASC. For more information or to book an Area stand contact Ian Beaver at:[email protected]
Dorset Area Report
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For Sale: Midget works hardtops for 1275 and 1500 from £250. New old stock OE Midget Hood made by the Coventry Hood Company as supplied by the MG Factory in the 1970’s. Extremely rare to find. Has all the correct markings to windows and is brand new in box £360. Windstop, mesh style £75. New old stock carpet set in Navy Blue £75 Tel Mike Authers Classics on 07703 465224For Restoration: Frogeye Sprite with steel bonnet and a 1967 Sprite Mk1V. Both cars located in Cumbria. For full details, please contact – Michelle Wilbie H: 01768341715 M: 07767366248.For Sale: Sprite Mk1. Original H1 Carbs, inlet manifold and air filters. Double bearing rear hubs and 8 inch rear brake conversion. Offers – Terry Horler h 01454 881770 email – [email protected] Sale: Frogeye Spares Two doors; four wire wheels; four side-screens; two door locks; one windscreen pillar; one 1275 gearbox; one wire-wheel rear axle with two race hardened half-shafts; one bonnet safety catch; one Parts List also one Service Manual. Also a mint Raid 12” steering wheel. Andrew – Tel: 01243 555673For Sale: 2 complete rear bumpers with overriders & one front bumper all in need of a re chrome for MG/Sprite Mk 2/3. £30.00. A box of twin SU Carbs spares with 2 orginal SU Elec fuel pumps , in need of a refurb, £25.00. A voltage control box & Dynamo in need of a front bearing but working, £35.00 MG/Sprite MK2/3. Buyer to collect or mutual place to meet contact, [email protected] (West Midlands).For Sale: Midget 1500 full engine for sale .currently in car, can be seen/heard running good oil pressure, no rattles £275. Ring for details Tony – 01273 833144 BrightonWanted: Frogeye inner steering column, Bonnet lock rods, Bonnet handle, Dynamo pulley 3 5/8” diameter, Tacho drive, Wiper rack tubes and wheel boxes. Also for 1098 10CC engine, 12G453 backplate and flywheel. Tel. Geoff 01785 613189, or [email protected]
Have a Very Happy Christmas from Mascot
Market PlaceAdverts to Alan Lo, 23 Charnell Road, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 5NE
email: [email protected] 07474 343 643
Nick Bowker’s IOW Frogeye
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