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MG Midget and Sprite General - Is this supposed to be a fastback conversion?

Found this for sale here in Sweden never seen that type of hardtop before, just what is it? looks neat.

the add's here http://www.blocket.se/trelleborg/Austin_Healey_FrogEye_1959_36176581.htm?ca=21&w=3



Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

Vary cool

I dont think ive seen one like that before..

Get in touch with monty here on the bbs, he would have some insight im sure

Prop
Prop

Didnt Gary had one like that at some time?
I have seen it before somewhere.
This top in combination with a Monza front would be awesome.
Arie de Best

this top just by itself looks awesome, i want one! A tad bit impractical though having to remove and refit the windscreen every time putting it on or off :)
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

Alex is that really less than 5000 GBP? Looks a good buy if it is...
David Smith

That's an interesting top conversion for sure. Great lines in the rear, although the windscreen looks a bit odd shaped on the car.
B Young

Nice speedwell doorhandles and original race steeringwheel?
Arie de Best

David, yeah that's about 4800 GBP

Oh totally missed the speedwell handles, I guess I'll have to sell my Barchetta, pull some money out of my saving account and buy this instead =D (girlfriend would kill me though)
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

It looks a bit like my Watford Top but this one is very different and I've never seen anything like it before it also looks like it would have special side screens.

Here is my top from the front. Completely different. the next shot wioll show the back.

Gary & Gaps

and here's the back

Gary & Gaps

Alexander,

I'm intrigued by what appears to be the remnants of a period-looking Alexander (tuning company) type side stripe?

Does this car have Alexander (tuning company) connections?

The top looks 'homemade' though!

Jonathan
J Whitehouse-Bird


Hi, In the set of pictures for the Sebring 1961
season there is a sprite with a long hard top
very much like that. regards Pete K
P C Knightley

Hi Pete, Where can I find those pictures?
Gary & Gaps


Hi Gary,
I have been trying to find them again
there were a whole load of black and white photo's
from 1960 and 1961 seasons. I thought they
were on Archers garage site, but I will hunt them
down again . they were fantastic period shots.
regards Pete
P C Knightley

Try sebringsprite.com are they the ones?
Gary & Gaps

I was about to shout "Alexander" too as I scrolled down, but Jonathon got there first! This does look like a *very* interesting car that needs some further investigation. The hardtop is a bespoke job, as the windscreen is raked and looks integral.
Mothy - '65 GAN3 and '65 HAN8


Hi Gary, try Jonathan whitehousebirds photo album
on john sprizel and spritely years
but im sure I found another site 1960 season
and 1961 season regards Pete
P C Knightley

I would like to know what type of front end was mounted when they did that paint job.. judging from some of the other specs I assume it was not an original front.
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

I have a 1964 Speedwell/EMPI catalogue, with three pics of the Speedwell Sprites. None of them gives a good view from the back/back quarter, but the top is near a dead ringer, though not moulded in as they were.
The three pics show two different cars, white Team Speedwell #10. and a dark coloured #118. The tops on these appear to be slightly different, with #118 being a bit more bulbous. The car pictured here has a slightly different rear window to #118, but it may be the same as #10; this window is wider and has the double angled side, whereas #118 is a rounded straight side. Possible that this window was a modification or later version.
Sidscreens are not shown, but the shape is the same as this car.
The door handles appear to be slightly further forward than on the Speedwell cars.
Has anyone else wondered about the wheel shown on the LR of this thing? Might just be strange hubcaps.
The bonnet of the Speedwells is what Gary just bought, and I think he should be off to Sweden to fetch the balance!
Please somebody buy it and trash that horrid Americanish shift knob!

FRM
FR Millmore

Here's a rough translation of the ad. Looks like he might trade a pre 50's motocycle for it.
------------------------------------------------------

Austin Healey "FrogEye" Sprite Mk1 -59

Orenoverad, mostly original.

Very unusual o leaking hardtop.

Hood (+ another front window + other windows) is included

It even has a "fin"; driver headrest which continues rearward, some type Jaguar D-Type.

Certainly there are to do, but I myself have thought it a pity that it completely renovated.

All the charm disappears and freshly painted Healey, there are too many ...

Hardly anything rust. A little around the rear wheel arches. Underneath, nothing at all.

Filler in the nose is not rust. Welded new guy to flip the front, and the plate sat a bit.

Inspected until next summer. Had flatly minutes later.

50000: -

Any change to someone Bike Type
HD 750, Suecia, older Husqvarna
English or something with lots of exciting controls, such as Raleigh, Blackburn, Ixion, Panther 600
or some old BSA, for example Sloop.

Preferably max 1950 and preferably at least 500 cc.
Jon Saylor

That's an awful translation, really awful. Google translate doesn't have a database sufficient enough for Swedish yet. :)
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

And FRM who every buys it will hopefully trash that hood scoop as well
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

I think FRM is right, it looks very much like the "Speedwell GT" conversion roof, designed by Frank Costin, made for Speedwell by Classic car Crafts, here is a link to the flier for it:

http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/images/spd_sprite_2.jpg

And it has Speedwell door handles! I wonder if the engine has a Speedwell Clubman conversion?

What are the wheels on it? They don't look standard either...
Mothy - '65 GAN3 and '65 HAN8

Every time you watch these photo's again something different can be seen.
There is some strange plumbing from inbetween the carbs towards the top-footwel near the fuelpump and then on into the bulkhead?
And it has a brakeservo, normaly not used in combination with frontdrumbrakes so must have a different brake equipment too.

Like Tim already noticed, some nice different type wheels!

Can it be original lhd or a rhd hence the "wooden" dash as a lhd conversion?
Arie de Best

Come on, Alexander, Google translate is brilliant! Far better than my Swedish anyway. It is possible to work out what he wants to say and I now have a good idea of what this Sprite is like. Though I do like the bit about welding a new guy to flip the front!

I also now have another source of pie-in-the-sky projects and left hand drive too.
Mike

Yes I think FRM is correct as Mothy points out this is very similar to the Speedwell advert. although when I first saw it I had almost convinced myself that it was 2 hardtops stitched together and the front screen was actually the rear of some other hardtop!!

As Arie points out some modifications are in evidence. Fuel pump, servo etc.

I would love to buy it.
Bob Turbo Midget England

The windscreen doen't look as if it was the original for the coupe top as it seems to project a fair bit and has what appears to be a very shiny surround. At first glance it looks like a late Beetle wraparound windscreen. It certainly seems to stick out more than the one on Mothy's ad so perhaps this was a later replacement for the orginal hartop screen using whatever could be found to fit.
The wheels look a bit like trims but look great.
If I had a spare £5k I'd be on a flight to Sweden. It just looks so interesting! Someone, with a more accommodating financial controller than me go and bring it back to its land of origin so we can learn more!
Matt1275Bucks

just got word from the seller that when he bought it 1974 it had a fibreglass speedwell front, which he later sold. to bad..
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

oh and he also sent me a picture of the "Headrest fin" thingy and asked if anybody might be able to identify the make of it.

Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

All very interesting!
The original Speedwell cars were in alloy, as in Mothy's link. We know that later bonnets were in fibreglas, so it could be that later versions of the roof were as well. I've been hearing for years that this top was available separate from the cars, but I've never seen a picture or heard anybody say they actually saw such a top. My book shows two bonnets and numerous hardtops, all in FG, but not the fastback top, either as a stand-alone or to be moulded in.
I found some articles which indicated that Speedwell were amenable to making mods, as in an early car which had rear quarterlights added, and additional air holes in the bonnet. And, the first ones had perspex screens, which were a disaster; this was corrected per Mothy's linked ad.
This top looks to me like it was designed to be moulded in, but it would take a good look at any reinforcing/attachments to be certain.
Q1 - is it alloy or FG?

I agree that the fit of the windscreen is "different", but I don't think it is the VW one,as they are proportionally much taller.
Q2 - any ID or numbers on the glass?

Speedwell were supplying hard brake linings and servos for both drum and disc braked cars.
Q3 - which has it?

They also had lots of different engine mod packages, including alloy heads.
Q4 - what is the rocker cover?

Speedwell also supplied steering wheels similar to what is on this car.

We need more & better pics. I have not yet succeeded in getting the ones in the ad to download completely.

Alexander, how far is this from you?

FRM
FR Millmore

Stumbled across this thread and since I'm Swedish
( albeit living in Tokyo ) I thought I could do a slightly better job on that 'google' translation
just so people know what's being said...:

Austin Healey "FrogEye" Sprite Mk1 -59
Unrestored, mostly original.
Very unusual and cool hard top.
Hood (+different wind screen +different side screens) included.
It even has a "fin"; driver headrest which continues rearward, a bit like a Jaguar D-Type.
Sure there are things need doing, but I think it would be a pity to do a total restoration.
All charm would be lost and there are too many newly painted Healeys...
Hardly any rust. A little around the rear wheel arches.
Underneath nothing at all.
The filler on the nose is not rust. Welded new brackets for the flip front and the metal warped a bit.
MOT until next summer. Clean sheet last time.

50.000 SEK

Possible swap for some bike, like
HD 750, Suecia, older Husqvarna
English lots of exciting controls, such as Raleigh, Blackburn, Ixion, Panther 600
or some old BSA, for example Slooper.

Preferably no later than 1950 and at least 500cc.
Carl Naesenius

Here's a photo of the car with the speedwell front in place

B J Lindquist

And another photo, hopefully I will receive more photos, sorry for the bad quality.

B J Lindquist

Oh that is very interesting indeed. I'd love Tom, Jonathan or Martin Ingall to have a look at these
Gary & Gaps

Are those mirrors Speedwell ones as well?
Mothy - '65 GAN3 and '65 HAN8

In the last photo in the ad, looks like there's some type of ID plate on the top of the sill?

Also the first of BJ's photos has a registration number of GCA 416.

Hope the car goes to someone who knows what they're getting and gives it the special treatment is deserves.
MarkH1

Can't believe no-one's bought it yet!
You're all obviously as broke as me!
Anyone fancy forming a consortium?
Matt1275Bucks

This thread was discussed between 21/09/2011 and 06/10/2011

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