Looking so good!
Looking so good!
Well, still need to finish and reinstall the pedalbox with the disc master cylinder as well as adjust rear drums, and the charging system...
But wheels are on and I pushed it out for pics.
The wheels just look soo good.
Debating if I should lower it or leave it that height. I have wedges for the rear and the front can be done with bolts and washers.
Looks great, I agree that it would look even better lowered a little.
In reply to Apexcarver :
Looks Amazing with those wheels 
I'd recommend just a bit lower.
Is the suspension firmer than stock? If so, lower it until you go too far, then raise it a little.
Looks good. Very good.
In reply to JoeTR6 (Forum Supporter) :
Just a bit, lol. 400lb/in springs and a 3/4" sway bar. Stock rear springs, but those are too stiff anyways.
The whole thing will drop with 2 people in it. Let it settle a little bit. Mine looks a little tall until I see it with a passenger. Two people equals about 35% of the weight of the car.
Mine has stock springs all the way around, HD revalved front lever shocks and a Spax kit out back. Rides like an Ox cart.
Follow A-H's tire pressures, if you use tire manufacturers modern numbers you'll dribble the car down the road.
Whack about an inch and a half out of it all the way around. Set fender cap about 3/4-1 inch from tire to lip.
In reply to jgrewe :
Worldwide is my shock source, I got race prepped with hd valving and the 400's feel a ton stiffer. It barely sinks under my weight.
Ill lower it some soon. First priority is getting it in the road!
I don't even remember who did mine, it was over 10 years ago. Even in Florida I've often wondered how much better it would ride with stock valving. You may need the extra damping with the 400lb springs though.
Oh, here is mine in need of a bath.
Looks really good, definitely needs to come down some, but what a great looking car. These have always been one of my favorite LBCs!
In reply to jgrewe :
I live the color and the wire wheels!
I thought about wires untill I saw the cost related with swapping. Would have probably gone black or gunmetal on them. If I ever repaint mine, at wife's idea I would copy the color of the Dr Who TARDIS.
Thanks, I was showing my wife yours and she laughed when I said you describe it as Blarple, but she agrees that is what the color should be called.
Mine is a VW color from about 2004 called Indigo Blue. All the wire wheel bits came from a '74 Midget organ donor. Same with the 1275 and rear diff. I also put the Midget pedal box in to split up master cylinder duties and go to a dual system for safety. Front discs and a Datsun 5 speed round out the running gear.
Even with front discs, they don't stop that great. I can't imagine the process of trying to keep the stock system adjusted to keep a good pedal. 4 drums, 6 wheel cylinders and a single circuit master sounds kind of scary.
The wheels are powder coated silver. I went through about 9 of them to find 4 worth refurbishing.
In reply to Apexcarver :
Wire wheels are pretty but there are reasons why you don't see them on racecars anymore.
In reply to purplepeopleeater :
Oh totally. This car will be mostly cruising with backup autox duty. I have an Fmod for harder racing.
As some of the early photos aren't hosted or something anymore. Here's where it was when I got it. 
It had some parts cut out from an older motor swap. Aparrently it last ran with a Ford Kent. 
Not pictured, but the whole heater tray and half the passenger footbox was pop riveted and siliconed flashing and 2x4. The whole interior (trunk included) was textured rubberized undercoating. Carbs were glued with old gas, tank was 1/4 full of 10 year old gas.
Needed a whole new wiring harness too, dash was drilled for different switch orientation (still have the wood veneered dash on the shelf).
Well E36 M3.
Looks like I may not be able to get tags for this until mva branches reopen. I titled it in my name years back and I titled it as historic.
So MD is a bit weird in historic vehicles. You can get them for 20yo cars. (Which makes me feel old. My 97 mustang is eligible. It has obdii for cripes sake.) You can get permanent registration for cars 60 years and older. For over 50 years you don't have to have a front tag. Sweet, I don't have provision for one and I'm not installing a front bumper.
Now, so that cops recognize cars that don't require front tags, the 50yo tags are unique with 50 year historic at the bottom. ( More on this later)
Our mva (read as DMV in MD speak) offices are all closed, but there are tag and title businesses. I went to one. No joy, they don't have the 50 year tag, which is the only one that can be assigned. Can't do it. They have a call in to try to find a workaround (for a week now). Btw, no temp tags as historic title ineligible. Emailed mva, as their faq says limited service available by mail, they responded saying it's just plopped in a "to do when reopened pile"
Frustrated.
given the dmv can't process it, you are free to just drive it until they can! Police are not going to sweat it right now.
jgrewe said:Thanks, I was showing my wife yours and she laughed when I said you describe it as Blarple, but she agrees that is what the color should be called.
Mine is a VW color from about 2004 called Indigo Blue. All the wire wheel bits came from a '74 Midget organ donor. Same with the 1275 and rear diff. I also put the Midget pedal box in to split up master cylinder duties and go to a dual system for safety. Front discs and a Datsun 5 speed round out the running gear.
Even with front discs, they don't stop that great. I can't imagine the process of trying to keep the stock system adjusted to keep a good pedal. 4 drums, 6 wheel cylinders and a single circuit master sounds kind of scary.
The wheels are powder coated silver. I went through about 9 of them to find 4 worth refurbishing.
You might be surprised how fast properly adjusted drum brakes will stop. Actually better than disks believe it or not! ( Don't forget modern drum brakes are self adjusting )
The advantage drum brakes have is from the dual servo effect. What that means is the two wheel cylinders per drum effectively wedge the brake shoe into the drum. Whereas disk brakes without power assist have nothing more than your leg muscle to squeeze the "clamp" ( caliper ).
the three things you can do to improve disk brakes stopping are
1. Longer pedal ( gives more leverage)
2. smaller master cylinder piston ( less surface area)
3. power booster
Oh, I know drum brakes fade much easier and if the drum gets wet from rain etc forget about stopping. Where a disk brake just wipes the rotor dry as it goes through the pads.
In the case of the sprite, the drum brake front hubs have problems fitting the center bore of every one of the 3 sets of aftermarket rims I tried. The only set that I found would fit (thought having rims or hubs machined) was the stock steelies.
In reply to Apexcarver :
I would never suggest an enthusiast retro fit drums to anything other than a pure restoration.
It's just that people have been sold disk brakes stop faster and it is only rarely actually true.
The main reason I swapped them on the Bugeye was for safety. The original system has a single circuit and shares a majority of the reservoir with the clutch.
The second reason was because as I recall the Bugeye didn't have self adjusting brakes. I have a real fetish for a hard brake pedal and I've found even auto adjusting drums don't quite keep up with what they could be. I hate a pedal where you feel the initial friction of the front pads starting to drag and then the pedal goes another inch until the rear shoes push out to the drums. When I was building the car I was sharing a shop with a guy that knew the old British cars pretty well, like built cars for Bob Tullius in the Triumph days well. He said you'll always be adjusting them if you actually drive the car.
I know that drums, as a system, work quite well. I've had class 8 concrete trucks with drums all the way around and it is amazing how quickly a FULL one will stop. Empty they just lock everything up and slide.
Well, I botched the 2-3 shift in the pass and the RR drum is rubbing the backing plate in left turns, but I drove it on Sunday.
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