Mike Curtis took over this Sebring project after the previous
owner was made redundant last Christmas. His aim is to build the
car to Historic Touring /Alpine Rally spec with a full bolt-in
roll cage, and a 1098cc engine fitted with a Shorrock
supercharger. If anyone has experience of this set-up he would
be grateful to learn more. Contact me on
Feedback
and I will pass on his email address. He is hoping to
complete the shell by the spring of next year, 2010. The donor
car is a December 1963 Mark 2A Sprite. The H frame/box sections
were found to be in remarkably good order, as were the front
suspension mounts, but pretty much everything else is having to
be replaced. The shell had been plated with repairs too numerous
to list over the years, and the passenger floor pan was three
layers thick! Before commencing the repairs, Mike constructed a
lattice-work of tubing welded to the shell to prevent any
movement out of square. He sought Brian Wheeler's assistance to
weld together the rear bulkhead and says he was very helpful in
discussing the project with him. The floor pan will be welded in
next and has been trial-fitted. Mike has made a heavy duty
bespoke jig out of box section steel which bolts to the floor
pan and rear suspension points to ensure zero twisting when
these are finally cut out - and it also forms a reference point
for various other parts such as the new door pillars, the
scuttle/A-posts, and the boot floor which was full of pinholes.
He says: "Frankly, unless you have some fascination with
improving your welding skills 'on the job' (as you must have) a
rebuild like this is not for the faint-hearted!!"
(You
can say that again, Mike!)
