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MG Midget and Sprite General - Just bought a Sprite

I found myself a really solid 1959 Bugeye Sprite. Have wanted one well before I could drive. The project came with a factory hardtop as well as double and in some instances triple spares. I have five sets of doors!

Ok, to the crux of my query. In the jumble of part is this fantastic custom grill with integral lights and spots for turn signals. It is very well made and looks to be an aftermarket piece. Anyone know anything about it?
http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq266/whitebuffaloracing/1959%20Bugey%20Sprite/DSC02593.jpg
M Hammonds

Fraid I have not seen one before thank goodness.
It looks crap IMO.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

M Hammonds, the link doesnt work for me, I cant see the picture.

Sounds like you did a good buy with so many spares.
Have you checked out Gary's frog(bug)eye site yet, its full of al kinda information on frogs.
Perhaps there is something about your grill there.
Arie de Best

Arie

You need to copy and paste the URL.

I quite like it. A nice period item.
Dave O'Neill 2

Arie
Try copying and pasting it into your browser, that should make it work.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

aww i like it. makes it look even happier :)
Rob Armstrong

M - (sorry you didn't mention your first name),

It has echoes of the early 50s Nash-Healey combined with the grille slats of the Healey 100-4. It looks to be a proprietary make and as you say, well made.

Are the lamps standard 7" units? Not really sure about the 'four lamp look' -slightly over-the-top. Again, I've not seen one before. Worth saving as a rare period piece at least!


Jonathan

J Whitehouse-Bird

Arie de Best,

I am new to all things Sprite so I don't know of Gary's site. What is the URL?
I have been into Minis since 1999 and currently own and am almost finished restoring a '67 Riley Elf.
M Hammonds

J Whitehouse-Bird

They are 5 inch lights. I will utilize them as the spot lamps so as not to clutter up the front with external spotlamps.
Mike Hammonds

Hi Mike,

my website can be found here
www.frogeye.smugmug.net
However I've never seen a front like that. But with the number of custom shops in california in the 1960's and 1970's it doesn't suprise me that there are very good quality alternatives to the standard Frogeye/Bugeye grill. There is one slghtly similar to that in the UK on Mike Youle's Sprite.
It also gives you some idea what the car might have looked like without the headlight pods.
For those of you in the UK who wondered how a car like this could pass a n MOT with those headlights, the answer is that it hasn't although Mike has considered getting a "Daytime " MOT for the car, which I never knew existed.

Image copyright to Mike Youles so please, no one paste in on their own website with getting prior permission from Mike.

Gary & Gaps

Gary,

Saw your website and viewed just about every picture.

This car had been a custom car. I don't have any pictures of what it looked like before, however, the headlight buckets had been modified and a chrome detail was made to finish that modification off. The doors were modified with a style kind of reminiscent to a TR3.

The dash had a layer of real wood veneer laid on it. The car was painted white with a light tan Naugahyde interior, so very 70's.

The grill unit itself looks to be a very well made production part, nothing lends itself to being a home made deal, unlike the air scoop chrome finishers. Grill is bloody heavy, will weigh it to see how much it is.


Initially I had planned on painting the car Porsche Blood Orange, but after seeing your website, have now broadened my color scheme to include a Sky or Iris blue with a white hard top.

Mike Hammonds

I see you're having difficulty fitting the seat


I'll get me coat....
David Cox

Aha ... the Frobus special!
Trevor Jessie

I like the cut-down headlights and the way that they extend further back. It makes the car look ,ore evil (which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned). Also nice vents on the side. We are quite partial to side vents here. But I really don't like the the look of those TR3 type door cut outs.
Now that I think about it I seem to remember us discussing a car with similar doors a while back.
Gary & Gaps

"Trevor Jessie, Kentucky, USA

Aha ... the Frobus special! "

What is that???
Mike Hammonds

When Cliff bought the car, it had an emblem of badge with the name Frobus on it. I do not think he ever found out what was the significance (if any) of the name.
Trevor Jessie

Cute, a frogeye that has just woken up is and still rather drowsy.
David Billington

Looks to me more like a Frogeye looking down saying "I'm gonna eat you". But then again I have had half a bottle of wine with dinner!
Gary & Gaps

I was thinking the squint look gave it an even happier look, like it was grinning even bigger.
Mike Hammonds

This thread was discussed between 23/05/2011 and 24/05/2011

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