"Frogeye Sprite" Show Saga NEC Nov 2019

[Flying Phil]

This will be a tale of the return of my "Frog". I am enthused again as I have been invited to show my Sprite on the Midget and Sprite Club stand at the Classic Car Show in November at the NEC.
Now all I have to do is get it ready.....
So a bit of history, I bought this 1958 "Frogeye" Mark 1 Sprite in 1970 and it was Red.

As the bodywork/paint was tired I did a quick respray with metalflake fuscia - straight over the existing paint. I also bought the new Mk1 Cosmic alloys.



I did a couple of "12 car" rallies with the University motor club in Yorkshire and an Austin Healey Club "Sprint Meeting" at Gaydon



Then I did a bare metal respray into "Metal Flake turquoise"...and started drag racing in 1973!

[Flying Phil]

The car was then relegated to odd outings over the years and subjected to a fairly extensive rebuild of the rear floor area in the 1990's. Another respray saw it become British Racing Green in 2006.

[Dixy]

Great story, if I make it to the show will make a point of looking for Frogy.

[neutral 3]

Lovely story and fantastic that you have kept it all these years!

[Flying Phil]

Thanks Dixy and Neutral
Anyway, the immediate problem is "Find the Sprite" in my long "single" garage.....

Lets take the SLK out....



Or try and find it from the other end....

[medieval]

I see it is doing what all frogs do - still, at current prices, their tadpoles could provide a good return in years to come.

I do miss mine though I must confess

[Skyedriver]

When metallic purple, did it live in the North East/Tyneside?

[The Ors]

You nutter!

[Flying Phil]

Thanks for comments, the furthest North the Fuscia colour went was around Bradford 1971 - 73.
After clearing quite a bit of "stuff" I have now found my Sprite!

[Flying Phil]

Ahhggg! Having cleared all the accumulated "stuff" from around the Sprite I have tried to get it out from under my "See-Saw" storage. There is a slight clearance problem......When I designed and built the see-saw I had to make a second, lower pivot point, as the garage had low roof joists, but the lower car didn't need to go too far under. In my present garage I had put the lower car in first and assembled the see-saw around it. There is a couple of inches interference which I thought I could work around by lowering tyre pressure and jacking the whole see-saw up slightly. Except I had screwed the other "A" frame to the garage wall.
So I will have to take the top Sprite down and dismantle the See-saw.....grrrr

[skeeterm5]

Look on the bright side, the show isn’t until November, 😊

[9xxNick]

Would removing the front wheels while a jack is supporting the car under the front (subframe? engine?) be enough, with the jack lowered a bit, to get the car out? Or even drop it onto wheeled dollies with the road wheels removed at the front?

[Flying Phil]

9xxNick said:

Would removing the front wheels while a jack is supporting the car under the front (subframe? engine?) be enough, with the jack lowered a bit, to get the car out? Or even drop it onto wheeled dollies with the road wheels removed at the front?

There is a roll bar behind the seats, which also fouls the see-saw pivot bar ....and I cannot get to the other side of the Sprite to remove the wheels, but thanks for the suggestions.

[Flying Phil]

I knew it would be a "Saga"......What should have been a 2 hour job has taken 5!
I cleared the garage to tilt the see saw.
I tilted the see saw....very carefully with props and my trolley jack.
I attached the extension ramps and went to my lock up to get the two floor ramps and attached them.
I slowly winched the V8 Sprite down to ground level....1 hour gone, good progress.
I couldn't push the Sprite out, jacked up front wheels, free to turn. I jacked up the drivers side rear wheel...Very stiff.
Took the wheel off, undid the slotted screw to release the brake drum, got the drum off....lots of dusty rust.
Cleaned out the drum, emery rubbed the inside face of the drum, cleaned the brake shoes.
Reassembled and it rotates freely.
Jack up the other side....which is tight against the garage wall, Cannot turn the wheel....
Remove road wheel, posi-drive screw on the drum will not turn.
Go to lock-up for more posi screwdrivers and bits. Screw still will not turn....and I round off the corners.
Go to lock-up for angle grinder and goggles.
Grind off head and finally get the drum off with careful levering and hammering.
Clean out the rusty dust etc and re-assemble ...free to turn.
Get Sprite out of garage ......... 2 hours gone
Using props and trolley jack I get one side of the see saw on the higher pivot point on the A frame.
Remove the winch bar from the A frame to give extra clearance...just about enough...3 hours gone.
Start to get Lower Sprite out at an angle to get the extra clearance on one side.
With a fair bit of "persuasion" the Sprite comes clear of the see saw but harder and harder to push.
Jack up front wheels and one wont turn...off with wheel and drum, clean up and remove brake adjuster "Snail carriers" to give extra brake shoe clearance.
Push Sprite out......4 hours gone....and it is raining
Clear up garage
Using props and muscles I dismantle the see saw and lay the bed flat on the floor.
Push the V8 Sprite back into the garage and onto see saw bed.
Push orig Sprite back into garage.
put bikes away.
Put Spare V8 bonnet back in garage........5 hours......I knew it would be a Saga!

[Yertis]

Flying Phil said:

"Saga"

[Bobo W]

I like how you casually mentioned a V8 Sprite, what's the story there?

[hilly10]

If there is a V8 in that Frog we need to see pictures NOW

[Flying Phil]

The V8 Sprite also has a long history and is a real "Triggers Broom" having started as a 970cc drag racing Junior Modified Sprite, which became a straight six Alfa Romeo powered "Competion Altered", then a Rover V8 Comp Altered and back again to a Rover V8 powered "Street Rover" drag racer.......now purely a street car......well apart from the odd RWYB drag race!

[Flying Phil]

I have been cleaning the car and looking at the paintwork...it is distinctly "Used" and so I will have to decide whether to get a patch tidy up or go for a smooth all over and respray......It is a Rover Metallic BRG at present.

[classicaholic]

I like the see saw idea, did you make that yourself?