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MG Midget and Sprite General - Homologation no 84

Now, this might seen a bid odd to some of you, but I'll try to explain.

I have a bit of problem with the FIA organisation. The thing is, that I'm running a Midget 62 in historic racing.

The car is build according to homologation no 84.

Sometime during the years an addition has been made to restrict the rim-width from 5" to 4,5" - now I'm wondering if this addition has been made later on, and thus there could be an original no 84 without this addition.

So my question is - is there anyone out there who has a copy of homologation no 84made as close to 1962 as possible?

My problem is, that in changing my race papers from national to international HTP, I might be forced to race on the original 3,5" wheels, as there are no lightweight 4,5" rims - typical for the time that is.

Ole Aaen
Denmark

Ole Aaen

Ole
I have a pdf of nr84
It states wheel width of 101.6 or 114.3 and explicity says NOT 132.08

Wil e-mail a coppy
Onno Könemann

that is 4" 4.5" and not 5.2"
Onno Könemann

I didn't think that alloys were used on other than GP cars that early. Most of the early Spridgets either ran on wires or widened steel wheels as I remember.
B Young

I *think* there's a dispensation in App K these days allowing use of alloy wheels on safety grounds as wires with modern much grippier rubber is an unsafe combination
David Smith

David
The homologated FIA app K tyre's are not sticky ;)
Onno Könemann

agreed not as sticky as Yokos or Toyos etc but modern compounds are definitely stickier than what they made them of 'in period' - according to people who have raced the same old cars for decades.
David Smith

Did not know that.
Always thought it was comparable to period rubber.
We live and learn ;)
Onno Könemann

Onno could I ask you for copies of any homologation forms you have for Spridgets,
midget1380 AT btinternet DOT com
thanks
David Smith

You have mail
Onno Könemann

arrived, thanks :-)
David Smith

Onno - could you also wing me over a copy of No. 84, please? I haven't seen it and probably should have.

Ole - that certainly is an odd thing for Abingdon to have put on a homologation form (why would they?). Dunlop made a 5.5" steel frogeye wheel - with the brake adjustment holes (I have a set), and they were used in racing, but not provably in Internationals.

I have to agree with Bill that Minilites don't look right to my eye (first sold to the public from 01.01.1966 - and those were the hugely expensive mag/alloy originals, which nobody fitted to a Sprite). But I do accept the realities of racing, though Andy Actman used wires for a long time, didn't he?

The early Rostyles are 4.5" and have more offset than the later Rostyles - painted in an all-over dark silver or body colour they can look quite period. And steel wheels are very little heavier than LM25 alloys ...

Tom
Tom Coulthard

You have mail as well

The Milne (Jacobs body) midget still races wire's
Onno Könemann

Many thanks Onno, that’s fascinating – it looke like the correction was the result of a protest by someone after the RAC had sent it to the FIA.

I deeply love the look of the John Milne Midget ...

Tom
Tom Coulthard

Having reread the total nr84 and 162 in both occasions 132.08mm (5,2") is stated in the original text.
And only in the addition of 84 it is stated that it should be smaler.

All very strange?!
Onno Könemann

Yes, Onno and Tom it looks strange, and it has great impact on racing to day.

I also like the look of wirewheels - but dare not race the Taiwan wires you can buy today.

I've finally heard from FIA, that they accept the Minilite...if they apply to the rimwidth in homologation no. 84 - 4.5".

What I'm probably going to do is following.

For National racing I run 5" rims, as the danish FIA rep. is sensible enough to have given us a national approval to do so.

For International races I'll have a machine shop I know to cut open one of my sets of Minilites, machine the 0,5" of and ewld them back together...é voila... I have a set of 4,5" Minilites.

This guy I know also do the reverse on rims for racing Porsches, he makes them 1" wider.
Ole Aaen

This thread was discussed between 27/02/2011 and 03/03/2011

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