Apexcarver's Sprite Project

Great to see it driving. Now the fun part of finding and fixing all the little things. Did you get classic tags? I need to get some as well for two cars and was not sure if they are available as our DMV is also closed here in Frederick. Was going to try our local title and tag company to see if they can get me squared away.

Nope, no tags.  Looks like I wait until the MVA reopens. 

All driving was within my neighborhood and it is fully insured now. My Tag and title place basically said that the issue is the 50yo tags that my title dictates that I need.  I cant even get a temp tag.

Tag and title place worked something out and I got a tag!

Got to take the Bugeye out on the road for the first time yesterday. I am chasing an issue with the brake drums rubbing the backing plates, so that needs a bit more work. 

It isnt fast...  in fact, driving over about an indicated 60mph feels a bit abusive. The chassis is great though. All the suspension work has paid off. The steering on it is pretty quick, sneeze and be in the next lane quick, but not as quick as the F500 (not that I have ever driven down the road at 60mph in that).  I need to center the steering wheel, I think its one little spline off. 

I made it about 2 miles down the road when I started having a problem.  I started sputtering and acting like it wasnt running on all cylinders with an occasional backfire, but not a continuous one. I let off the gas and went for the side of the road and it cleared up. Get moving again and with a little delay it started again. Take out of gear and coast and it clears up...   Yeah, I think that first fuel filter needs to be changed already...  Managed to limp it home, which was interesting as my neighborhood is right off a pretty busy 4 lane divided road. 

I posted on an MG midget site about the brake rub, apparently a lot of guys are seeing that and most of them are taking a grinder to the inside lip of the drums, so I have that to do. 

At some point I should probably drop the tank for the fuel level sender and theres a part of me considering just replacing the tank instead of all the cleaning and changing filters ahead of me. 

I think I am going to start hunting for a Datsun 5 speed to swap into this. Need to take a look at ways and means for that deal. It really would make the car much more usable. 

$115.20 EnglishParts.com.

I recently installed a replacement tank in a customer frogeye. It was well made and manufactured in Canada by a major OE supplier!

A new tank sounds like the way to go.  The existing one is probably a bad day waiting to happen.  I've had the alcohol in E10 turn into jelly in the tank and block a fuel filter, and that only took about 6 months without Sta-Bil.

Any drive that you finish without pushing the car is a good one.

In reply to Apexcarver :

The other much cheaper option is replace the pumpkin in the rear end. Get one out of the last sprites. If you want to go the other way get one from the Morris Minor Traveler or vans real sporty acceleration. 
One other improvement you'll like is a supercharger.  They make kits for them or you can grab one off an early Mini Cooper S ( the bigger BMW made one )   And it will really improve performance.   They aren't that hard to make if you have fabrication skills. 

In reply to TurnerX19 :

Made by spectrum. Made in Canada. NOT for sale in Canada; must order from USA vendor with exchange  and shipping cost involved doubling the price!

Pete

The car has 4:11's or 4:10's in it right now (cant remember which it would be right now), I have a later rear axle on the shelf with 3:90's.  Its just a question on swapping them out (and whatever the speedo would need?).

Thing is that it probably wouldnt gain me too much.  The rivergate/datsun seems to be the way to go.  It just needs an overdrive to keep up with modern traffic.

As far as more power, I am not digging in there for awhile, probably a few years.

When I do... theres two directions of thought.  One complex, one more simple...   

The kinda simpler one is a DIY intercooled supercharger kit, seen here https://www.creativespridgets.com/  Pro, simpler, parts easier to get, can do most all the work in my shop, can stay carbed OR go EFI. 

The more complex...  BMW K series motorcycle head on the stock bottom end https://www.specialist-components.co.uk/   Higher revving, really attractive, but it would need a machine shop and be a bit more pioneering to me. Tuning would be rougher, I need to do more research on this. EFI looks better I think. 

Thats YEARS off though, lots else to do before thinking about more power.  I want to enjoy the car for awhile either way. Might do the 3:90s kinda soon as I have the parts and keep my eyes open for the Datsun trans.

I believe that there is also a 3.7 rear diff that might be worth trying before going to the expense of the 5 speed swap.

That would put you at 73 mph at 4000 rpm or 82 mph at 4500 rpm. That is with a stock 22.7" tall tire.

I am guessing you have no cross-country aspirations for this car? Driving my MG Midget  to MN from London Ontario for a summer and then back got rid of that itch for me. We both survived (me and the car)  but nope, not enough legs for touring.

I would love to do some trips in it with the wife, but having two kids will limit the ability to do that. For right now, its local cruising and light errands. 

I want it to be able to go a few hours somewhere though. 

In reply to Apexcarver :

Those cars were never designed to be long distance cruisers and high revs are a part of its character.   Rarely did they get to 50,000 miles before a rebuild was needed. 

You can change it to about a 3.70 ratio and maybe squeeze some 14's  into the wheel wells but it still won't be cruising at 1800 RPM on the freeways like modern cars. 
 

 I drove my MGTD from San Diego  to Minneapolis  but I was young and fit. Today I think the same journey would cripple me.  

NOHOME said:

In reply to TurnerX19 :

Made by spectrum. Made in Canada. NOT for sale in Canada; must order from USA vendor with exchange  and shipping cost involved doubling the price!

 

Pete

Made in Canada,  hmmm I wonder if they have seconds available.  If I were to visit do you suppose castings could "fall off the truck"? 

Yup, that's your problem right there...

I'll look tonight but I think I have a basically brand new tank that was on the MG.  If I do it's yours for shipping costs assuming I can ship it...

In reply to nocones :

Frogeye tanks and Mk2/Midget tanks have a slight difference at the filler neck, It is a possible swap, but not perfect.

In reply to TurnerX19 :

Main difference is that the filler neck in the Bug is steel and built into the tank. The Midget uses a rubber coupler frm tank to filler.

Might have to search for the right hose size but I am sure the Bugeye neck can be cut from the original and a piece of hose used to couple the Midget tank to the filler neck.

Already ordered a new tank before I saw the offer.  Thanks though!

Gas tank out. Scraped some more petrified grease off the axle. Honestly, that's the worst part of the British car experience so far to me. The electrical hasn't been too hateful, but then, I got a brand new harness for it. The generator didn't work, so I punted to a alternator, so maybe I just bought my way out of Lucas curses?  Most of the electrical stuff has been easily rebuildable, so not too bad to me. Just use dielectric grease to stop connection corrosion.

Gotta love how huge the tires look in this pic! 185's on 13x6 rims. The cars just that small

I just want to reinforce your desire for a 5 speed.  My car has the Rivergate conversion and a 3.9 diff out of a later Midget.  Synchronized 1st gear that is taller than the stock 1st makes for a nice take off with the 1275 and the overdrive paired with the 3.90 is awesome on the highway.  My 1275 is probably making about 80hp at the wheels at the most.  I have a 40mm Weber DCOE, mild cam(270/276? I forget), bored 20 over, compression bumped up to about 9:1, LCB header, head cleaned up a little.  I'm very happy with how it comes out of the hole for what it is.  I've found the car smooths right out on the highway at about 70-75mph.  The stock spring rates with HD shocks make the car porpoise a little below that speed as you hit each seam in the road.

My stupid goal for the car is to drive it to Sebring from my place in St Pete.  Maybe for the 12hr or even just an SCCA or Chin event, I don't care.  I think it would be cool to get a picture of it on track during the lunch break at a Chin event.

jgrewe said:

 

I have a spare fresh Datsun 5sp laying around the shop...

So, you posted this back in 2015...  gotta ask, is it still laying around?  Which flavor of datsun 5speed would it be?  (been looking at http://032516d.netsolhost.com/desc_of_trans.html for data)

I might be interested in clearing some storage space for you. 

Sorry, long gone.  I've found them various places over the years. I think I found that one in a you pull it yard just wandering around and stumbled on an old 210. I keep an eye out for them in general.  I've rebuilt and sold two of them on fleabay.  The one in my car came in pieces from a racer and came with a bunch of NOS rebuild parts.  I paid $500 for it.  I've gotten $1300 for a rebuilt one.

Yeah, they are getting harder to find and I have been seeing the prices go up lately. Let me know if you scare another one up, especially if its near DC.

So I figured out why it's likely running like crap, the ignition timing slipped. Without a pointer I listened to some old timer advice and set it via vacuum.  Runs much better, but haven't gotten a longer test drive.

I also have an issue with the brake drums rubbing the backing plates, so evidently I need to turn them down. 

I'm off work on leave until late January, but I doubt I'll get much done because it's parental leave! We had another baby boy, so hands are a bit full while we learn to juggle two kids home and weather terrible twos coupled with new baby jealousy.

My oldest does like the Bugeye though.

New baby will get there...

In reply to Apexcarver :

Congrats on the arrival of the new member of the "ApexCarver" clan .