back to:                Peel, and other special bodied, Sebring Sprites

THE "LUMBERTUBS" SPRITE

(The following is reproduced by courtesy of the car's present owner, David Owen)

Built from a bare Sprite Mk 1 shell in 1963 by Brian Myers and his brother Ken, a Berlinetta fastback alloy roof was made by a former Aston Martin employee, and a fibreglass Sebring bonnet fitted. Called 'Lumbertubs Sprite' after the lane in which the Myers brothers lived, in Northampton, it was built to take advantage of the regulations permitting homologated Sprite variants. Fitted with a 997cc engine it was raced by Brian Myers and Peter Webster as a Sprite GT, with Ken Myers looking after the mechanicals.  In 1965 ownership was passed to Peter Webster, who fitted a 1650cc Ford and used it with some success in sprints/hillclimbs. In 1967 the engine was changed for a 1498cc Cosworth, developing around 130 - 140 bhp, with a Cortina GT gearbox. It is known to have won the 1600cc class at the St. John Horsfall meeting at Silverstone on 24th June 1967 with Peter driving. Other modifications at this time included wide steel wheels, rear telescopic dampers, bonnet bulge, and dark green metallic paint. Nothing is known of 'Lumbertubs' after 1971, other than that it was owned by Anthony Smart, and probably used as a road car until 1974.  The car is currently being used for occasional sprints but David is hoping to take part in some historic rallies or tours.                                                                                                                                                                                                      Peter Webster

Its Current specification is:  Brakes – Discs front, larger (Riley 1.5) rear drums as fitted originally.  Original uprated front dampers, with new Spax telescopics on the back. Original (Frogeye) axle and new toughened half shafts with Quaife3.7 LSD. New wire wheels, the fronts on splined hubs, and the rears on conversion hubs. Close ratio straight-cut gearbox. Engine is 1380cc (Swiftune) with Weber 45, 1.5 roller rockers, Aldon dissy with Luminition and Maniflow exhaust.

                            Ken Myers                               Lumbertubs Lane, 1963                      Silverstone (year?)                            Silverstone (? 1963)                         The car as it is today

See Classics Monthly out 19th December, 2007 for an article on the car's rebuild

If anyone can help David with more information relating to the car's history please send me a message.