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MG Midget and Sprite General - IOW Frogeye , Ebay USA

Unusual to find a IOW frogeye in USA, didnt even know he fitted X flow ford engines ..Roy
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1960-AUSTIN-HEALEY-BUGEYE-SPRITE-FROGEYE-CAR-COMPANY-/220758604480?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item33663cfac0
R Mcknight

If only it was over here.
Gary & Gaps

Got to agree Gary it is nice although it needs 2 x 40 webers .. Dealer would help with import ..Roy
R Mcknight

But Bank Manager won't help with payment!
Gary & Gaps

Starting bid £7404.12
Neil K

Gary try asking the wife if she can do more hours at work to pay for a new toy for you . I always found it worked for me.. Roy
R Mcknight

I'd love to but I doubt she'll be going back to work in Libya in the near future!
Gary & Gaps

WOW, this is my first time to see an IOW Frogeye.

hmmmm, let's see. The front wheels stick out awfully far from the front fenders, and the center console is HUGE! Couldn't they package things better than that?

I am confused by something else: why, if they went to the trouble of developing a "tubular chassis", and used a modern, cross flow engine, did they bother to retain the antique A35 front suspension?

Norm "everyone's a critic" Kerr
Norm Kerr

I think the original cars varied in their components and as with many classics over the years some have become customised/modified/personalised

see - http://healey-frogeye.co.uk/index.html

same as my mate wanted to know why when the Westfeild XI was relaunched after 20 years why they didn't use a better engine than the A-series - costs and regulatiobs to get the cars back dated to the donor for tax and build regs and payments

http://www.westfield-sportscars.co.uk/XI.html

our club sec has both IOW and WXI with Spridget running gear and A-series

The IOW went over to Circuit Historique de Laon one year when it had a very heavy rain storm, we were behind it laughing as during this tremedous storm whiltst driving the circuit roofless the IOW passenger dressed like a trawler fisherman wiped the inside of the windscreen with a chamois and then wringed it out

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x248fy_circuit-historique-27-05-2007-laon_auto
Nigel Atkins

nice coolant header tank...
master cyl a bit close to the exhaust for me...
d cusworth

Having the x-flow and being LHD that is rather different from a 'normal' IOW under the bonnet. Although mine has a similar coolant header tank (from a Metro I believe). Obviously on a RHD car there are no issues with master cylinders near exhausts.
Jordan Gibson

Did they make them with that front Spax teleconversion or is that a later alteration?
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

What year is this chassis ? or chassis number ( rear coil springs, not the rubber torsion link) why use a 4 speed box ?
K Harris

Not sure Daniel. Mine has a Frontline kit on the front now. I think it was a standard Midget lever arm setup before.
Jordan Gibson

Saw this car when it came up - perhaps we should contact Keith Brading, who is still living on the Isle of Wight and is happy to talk about his wonderful Healey Frogeyes, and ask him about this particular car. He has details of everything that left the factory. I spoke to him a few weeks ago and he was very friendly and extremely helpful. I suspect the engine was a later addition. He did tell me that the factory never fitted Type 9s - I wanted to know because my Type 9 should be in by the end of next week, and we wanted to know where to cut the frame. He also spoke at length to Alan Anstead, who has devised a logical and sturdy tubular gearbox mount section to weld in.
I'll give Mr Brading a call and report back.
By the way, does anyone know how to contact Mike Bennett and his Elmo Healey Frogeye website? Seems to have faded away, which is a great shame - we need some sort of Healey Frogeye register and all the work has been done there already by Mike.

C Whiting

Saw this car when it came up - perhaps we should contact Keith Bradding, who is still living on the Isle of Wight and is happy to talk about his wonderful Healey Frogeyes, and ask him about this particular car. He has details of everything that left the factory. I spoke to him a few weeks ago and he was very friendly and extremely helpful. I suspect the engine was a later addition. He did tell me that the factory never fitted Type 9s - I wanted to know because my Type 9 should be in by the end of next week, and we wanted to know where to cut the frame. He also spoke at length to Alan Anstead, who has devised a logical and sturdy tubular gearbox mount section to weld in.
I'll give Mr Bradding a call and report back.
By the way, does anyone know how to contact Mike Bennett and his Elmo Healey Frogeye website? Seems to have faded away, which is a great shame - we need some sort of Healey Frogeye register and all the work has been done there already by Mike.

C Whiting

Have you tried the email address on Mike's website Crispin? elmo at healey-frogeye.co.uk

Jordan Gibson

Yes, I sent details of my car a couple of months ago to that address but nothing as yet. I really hope Mike is still running it as it is a really useful register. I'd be very interested to know how many IoW Frogs are still around and running. Can't think that anyone would scrap one. There were more than 200 built. Keith told me that not all the 50 Japanese orders were sent, but there must be 150 or so in the UK still, yet seemingly fewer than 20 as MASC members or listed on Elmo. Where are they all? It took me two years to find one and I'm really pleased to have waited - well worth it. Hope to fit the Type 9 on Friday, with Alan Ansteads's help.
I see yours is the same Brooklands Green as mine - but I don't have the lovely leather seats option (mine does have the wire wheels, however).
Mine is number 156, which Keith says means it was number 56 out of the factory in December 1990.
C Whiting

Does anyone know what the bonnet latches are from I would like to use them on my Bugeye (Frogeye)

Bob
Bob Fisher

Not sure Bob but I have a detailed drawing of them at work - will post tomorrow. They may be bespoke, but perhaps someone will recognise them.
Jordan Gibson

Bob, they are off a Renault 5 IIRC
K Harris

Hi Folks,

WRT the IOW Frogeyes and the Elmo site, I too have sent off details of my car to Mike Bennett, way back in August 2008 (yes, nearly 3 years ago!), and sent a reminder in March 2009. I've heard nothing, and my car hasn't appeared on his site.

I agree with C Whiting in an earlier post, we do need some sort of Healey Frogeye register. We also need a technical resource, and we need a central point for questions, references, history and so forth.

I'm prepared to set up a new site, and to host and maintain it as long as I can, and if that changes, I will hand it over to the Healey Frogeye community. I will also need help from other technically-minded enthusiasts to manage the site.

Any takers? Shall I go ahead?

L Brown

Hey Crispin,

Btw...this is the second time that this car's been listed on eBay. When it was first listed, I emailed www.wirewheel.com to ask them if it had the Geoffrey Healey plate with the commission #, in the engine compartment (I think all the IOW Healey Frogeyes had them), and they said it didn't. Their response to my questions was very short and not very responsive or informative.

Did you ever get in touch with Keith Harring? I would love to know if this is a real IOW Frogeye, or just some sort of hodgepodge kit car.

Steve
SB Lunt

Also...you guys should def check out www.bugeyeguy.com and/or search "bugeyeguy" in YouTube and see all his videos etc. The guy knows every detail about the original Austin Healey Sprites Mk1 (just known as Bugeyes in the US). Very interesting.

Steve
SB Lunt

There's a VIN plate on the drivers door jamb on this car, I'm guessing the original Austin Healey plate from the Sprite donor?. The Geoffrey Healey signature is normally on a plate on the passenger side of the dash - absent here. I can't see the FCC engine bay plate with the commission number anywhere. Saying that the chassis, under-bonnet bodywork, bonnet and catches, etc show this is indeed an IOW. The shape of the transmission tunnel is a dead giveaway to the casual observer.

I'd like to have seen pics of the rear coil springs, just to see how they did them.

L Brown - it's a pity the Elmo site seems to have lapsed into sleep. I agree a replacement would be welcome and useful, but sadly I don't have any web-authoring expertise to offer. I do have various bits of documentation - brochures, a few drawings, original invoice from the FCC for my car - which might be of interest if I can get them scanned.

Jordan
Jordan Gibson

"The guy knows every detail about the original Austin Healey Sprites Mk1 " ... He tries hard, but makes several mistakes and omissions. I would not suggest he is an "expert".
Trevor Jessie

Hi Trevor...thanx for the feedback. I'm certainly no master engineer, so I'd be really grateful if you could point out a couple of the instances of mistakes and omissions you say he made. I'm due to meet him this Monday to check out a 1960 MGA Coupe that looks kinda interesting. Thanx!
Steve
SB Lunt

@Jordan Gibson, 15 April 2011 at 12:21

Hi Jordan,

Don't worry about the web skills, I have all that, and I run an ISP/Consultancy company, so I can host the site as well. Will get things sorted (a bit!) and will report back here ASAP.

Help would be handy in moderating the BB, maintaining the register and so on. All done on-line, of course.

Any data you have would be handy. I too have brochures, original invoice etc., and I also have quite a few photos from 1990 as well, including some of cars in the process of being built.

Lastly, I too would like to see pics of the rear coil springs, just to see how they did them, mainly because I still have the old Indespension units, and they are "tired"... Would like to convert to coil-over as well.

I remember discussing the rear suspension set-up with Keith Brading in oh, 1989/90 or so, but at that time, he was of the opinion that the handling from the Indespension was better. 20 years later, I'm inclined to disagree!

Cheers, Laurie.
Laurie Brown

Laurie - one option is to renew the indespension (or rather Flexiride) units. I had new ones fitted last year. I've asked a couple of engineers to look at a coilover conversion (our own Mr Boldry for one) but it's not a trivial undertaking and the cost would be high if not doing it yourself.
Jordan Gibson

@Jordan Gibson, 19 April 2011 at 16:26

Hi Jordan,

I hear what you say about coil-over, and although I would do the work myself, cost is an issue. In any event, it's probably more important to sort the front-end out first, which has always been too soft.

Where does one acquire the Flexiride units (part number?), and what sort of cost are we looking at? I do have Spax adjustables on the back, but they are struggling, especially with all these damned speed-bumps...

As for the HF site, I have just registered healey-frogeye.com and healeyfrogeye.com, and have set up an email address of info@healeyfrogeye.com

Please spread the word, and ask interested parties to email in so I can keep them updated with events. I'm going to struggle to do much over the next 2 weeks, but should have a site up inside the month. Email is working right now.

Would appreciate any input as to site design (in functional terms, not looks) but that should be done via email, I think.

Note that it may take a few hours for the DNS to propagate fully...

Cheers, Laurie.
Laurie Brown

The Flexirides are available from Peak Trailers (google will find them straight away). I'm not sure of the part number but a bit of measuring should pin it down using the datasheet on their website. The bill for all the work on mine included £190 for the units, but check with Peak. I also had fitted KYB Gas-a-just shocks (they're BMC Mini fitment - damned if I can remember whether front or back though).

Amongst my paperwork I've just found an email and some pics from Mike North to a previous owner stating how he converted his to rear coilovers - I'll send this to you later but in summary he used Koni Lotus Esprit Turbo dampers(!) with custom springs (I have the spec) and widened the existing shock towers to take them. No detail on axle links though.

Cheers

Jordan
Jordan Gibson

@Jordan Gibson, 19 April 2011 at 18:48

Thanks for the info Jordan, much appreciated. Have found Peak Trailers, and am researching right now!

I contacted Mike last year, but he'd sold the car, and presumably the data with it. This kind of info is precisely why we need a dedicated site for the HF. Please, send it along...

Cheers, Laurie.
Laurie Brown

Hello

I stumbled across this thread when looking for something else on the BBS.

Appologies to all who sent emails to the Elmo address there is a problem with the email service and the mails are not getting through - I will investigate and fix.

The site is not dead and any news of IOW Frogeyes will be greatfully received.

Cheers

mike Bennett
M G Bennett

Hi Mike - glad you're still around. I've emailed you and Laurie with a link to a few scans of brochures and such to put on your websites if you wish.

Cheers

Jordan
Jordan Gibson

Thanks Jordan

Dropbox is not playing ball with the download from the web site - I will try using their program when I get home at the weekend.
Cheers

Mike
M G Bennett

Let me know Mike if you continue to have problems and I'll put them somewhere else.

Cheers

Jordan
Jordan Gibson

This thread was discussed between 24/03/2011 and 14/06/2011

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