Rallye Monte Carlo Classique 2018
Douglas Anderson sent me details of next winter's event.
Click on Monte News Flash

MIKE THOMPSON (FORMERLY OF SPEEDWELLS) ~ WHERE ARE YOU ?

Alistair Ross says "I am trying to retrace Mike Thompson who worked for Speedwells and went with the Streamliner to Belgium. Mike has moved from his house in Norwood and the new owners don't have forwarding address"
IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE REPORT BACK TO ME VIA FEEDBACK .

"Picture from Silverstone MG Live - Oliver started from the back row of the grid (28th) and finished 6th overall, track temps exceeding 47 degrees !! Results sheet from race two on Sunday. Saturday's race was a disaster as he was shunted off whilst lying in 3rd place dropping down to 20th and then on the 7th lap ran out of fuel , - my fault, didn't allow enough for the hot track temperatures, Roger".

EARLY MARK 2 SPRITE FOR SALE
Shaun Rainford has known this car since 1974 and remembers it being restored the first time in the 70’s by fellow Austin-Healey Club member, Ian Gowenlock who used it frequently in the 80’s. In 2005 Shaun noticed the car while clearing some others in Faversham and bought it as he didn't want to see it broken for spares. He had intended to restore the car for one of his sons but they went the route of building Lenhams. Shaun would therefore like to offer it to someone who will restore it. The body is rusty but the car is complete. CCK are happy for people to book an appointment to view the car. The asking price is £2500. (Cobwebs are extra) Call Shaun or Daniel on 01825 733060

DAVID LOVEGROVE HAS FOR SALE:
Complete external bodywork of 1969 Mk IV Sprite painted white including front wings, rear end (in one piece), bonnet, boot lid, boot lining, luggage rack, dashboard, doors including glass and quarterlights, windscreen including glass, front grille and surround, frame for soft top, rear lights and bumbers. Surplus to requirements as re-bodying as Sebring Coupe. Would rather sell as one lot; buyer collects, near Stroud, Gloucestershire. All bits fit within my small van, Citroen Berlingo, (which is also for sale!) Email David if interested

Hi Martin, A question from Oz if I may thanks? Just wondering if it is possible to determine what the paint colour is that Mike Haigh used on his wonderful restoration of his Lenham LM Rego HYL 838C. The paint colour  just looks so striking on the Lenham body shape and my AH enthusiast friend here in OZ and I were debating if it was a Aston Martin colour.I look forward to your response. Kind regards, Bruce Small.

I have sent a photo of one of my Spridgets in action at Morgan Park Raceway in Queensland a couple of weeks ago. I also drove the same car on a 5300Km trip to Victoria & back to join a Sprite tour of the eastern Victorian highlands in company with another 24 cars. (20 of them were Spridgets.) Cheers from Alex Robertson. (Sprite Car Club of Queensland.) Email him if you can help, please.

"I have just sent you the pictures I took of JJO and Stephen Bowen's blue Sebring during the Tuliprally (1994 I believe). It was the first time I saw a Sebring Sprite. I was following the rally as a 17 year old photographer aboard an Alfa Romeo 164 which was organised by the Dutch Austin Healey club as a quick support vehicle with Mark Schmidt of LB Racing driving the car.  For me it not only sparked my interested in special Sprites, but it also delivered my first publication of my pictures in a classic car magazine as I was introduced to Peter Ecury (yes, he of RTL 304) who used my pictures in his report on the rally (in Auto Motor Klassiek). As I was still learning a lot about photography at the time, these are not the greatest action shots, but nevertheless I hope you enjoy them. I have got no idea in what position both of you finished the rally..."

Well, sadly my rally, with Andy Gibson navigating, ended in quite a nasty accident when we were rammed from behind by a Jeep at a junction. The car was badly damaged and Andy spent a night in hospital. Brian Archer rebuilt the rear half of the car and it was soon as good as ever. Stephen's car was newly built at the time and had been meticulously prepared by friends. He got a special mention at the end of the event as he and his co-driver dropped down the ranks after stopping to assist another Healey competitor and fitting a new fuel pump for him.

ANDREW LOWIS NEEDS A DOOR SKIN
" Where can I obtain an aluminium door skin from? I have managed to damage the driver's side door on my car and would prefer not to have the expense of buying a new complete aluminium door (are these still available)? Photos are of my completed Sebring following initial successful shakedown at Blyton Park a few weeks ago".
PLEASE CONTACT ANDREW IF YOU CAN HELP

STAN ANNIS GUIDES SVEN ECKHARDT ON THE REBUILD OF HIS FORMER RALLY CAR, 4444 DA

"The Halda Speed Pilot looks like the Speedpilot Neuere Ausfuhrung in Black nothing to reflect light for the navigator, he also had a Magnified map reader with a plastic bottom with a miles & inches scale on it which he used on the 1 inch to a mile map. The speed pilot was used mostly on long sections so that we did not exceed the 40mph average over 20 miles on public roads. We did not use it on special stages.  Most of the rallies in the UK  were on Ordnance survey maps that were 1 inch to the mile; the navigator was given the map references of the controls & the direction to approach - he then had to plot his route, he was also given the times allowed. You were allowed 29 minutes lateness before you had a failed section so you could make up time between controls but 30min late at a control was a failed control The navigator also had a black curtain to stop reflected light on the screen so has not to effect the driver. Today it seems that it is one special stage after the other; this is because we could not average more than 30mph on the roads by law which soon became very easy. My navigator Richard Binns was the first to set a rally on Forestry roads where the 30mph did not apply  & the special stage was born; it was The Express & Star Rally. Hope this of interest  for you it has been a nostalgic trip for me."

SVEN ON THAT ANTI-ROLL BAR: "Well whatever it is I´m pretty sure it ain´t Speedwell. TRV/UYU had an ARB fitted which looked like the one on Tommy Gold´s car 642GEH and the one in the big Speedwell catalogue and it looks different to that one. I shall send a picture. You can however make it out on the first picture of TRV202´s subpage. The other 2 are AH100 and ain´t looking like that one either though".

Mark also has A COMPLETE FROGEYE WINDSCREEN with glass to give away to a good home. It's in rough shape and one of the tips of the alloy frame sides has broken off but it might be useful to someone. He is in Horley, Surrey. Email him if interested.

SVEN'S LATEST NEWS
"I´ve moved my first Sprite out of the shed at long last and put it next to the big Healey in another place. These are the next 2 projects after completion of DA. Work on the shell of DA has been interupted the last three months because of my various engine issues. All cars are up and running at the moment. I have put together a 10CG engine out of a block and crank I had from Juergen Schaefer a while back which was on a +60 bore already. I had it bored to +80 and used the last set of +80 RE pistons Keith Calver had.
Head, front cover, and front plate from the 10CC, engine back plate from a 948, as well as the flywheel which has been modified to take a 1275 clutch and lightened. MG Metro cam and a pair of H4´s. All in all a very lively engine probably around 70 brake This one has gone into the Speedwell and I am in the process of getting it road legal over here. I shall put together another big 10CC engine using the block I had from Ian Hulett for the Sebring later in the year so I can use the Warwick 998 for DA. Sven (Eckhardt)"

GRAHAM BISH was at the Tatton Park (Cheshire) Classic Car Show on Sunday (4 June)......

He Says: "Spent a good day at the Tatton Classic car show yesterday on the Austin Healey Club stand. My car sat next to Emryn & Pauline's Sebring. There was a suggestion that it was the first time that Sprites had out numbered their big brothers on the stand!"

STEPHEN BOWEN ON STEERING RACKS:
" Re: the steering racks for Sprite and Midget, a left hand drive Sprite rack is the same as a right hand drive for Morris Minor and ditto right hand drive Sprite rack is the same as left hand drive Morris Minor. This was intersting for me in the 70's (as a dealer in parts for Belgium and the Netherlands) when people were reconditioning British Minors and Sprites and were swapping to LHD, and I always had exchange units".

ROB CLUBBE'S LENHAM GT BUILD

Will Corry and Pete Moorland-Moore is building this Lenham GT for Rob Clubbe in Northern Ireland based on a Mk 2 Sprite and is to be completed to HRDC spec with an engine used in Will's Weslake Trophy entry at Goodwood earlier this year.  It would appear that the bonnet is an Ashley Mk 2 type. The good Mk 2 rear bodywork is up for sale.