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The Vision

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drooartz

drooartz

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Quite a few folks here are in the process of restoring/modifying/refurbishing/going wild with their Spridgets, and it got me thinking of the overall vision that I have for the Tunebug. I've had it solidified in my mind for a while, and took the time tonight to write it down.

https://www.drooartz.com/index.php?page=49

So what are your visions for your little cars? I find it fascinating to hear both the what and the why of our activities with our cars. Never a wrong answer here, just different perspectives.

Really, I should be making my list of parts for the next order, but it's freezing in the garage right now and I need to look through what I have first. My kingdom for some sun!
 
Nicely Put /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif

mark
 
Wow, That's a tall order. I would have to write up a list (which I probably should have done already). I just have a dynamic vision in my head.

I have
1100 engine
MD266 cam
ported 295 head
MGB carbs
Jack Knight gearbox
3.72, 3.9, 4.22
disk brakes
factory hardtop
epoxy primer, yellow paint and a garage to do the work in.

I need
Finish bodywork
everything rebuilt
(engine, gearbox, brakes, springs, electric, dash, interior, sidecurtins windshield and whatever else you can think of.)
electronic ignition
In the future EFI
Aluminium wheels
Yokohama tires

With gasoline prices continually rising (about $2.06 per liter = $7.83 per gallon here now) and no indication of prices dropping, even the Sprite is an expensive daily transport. It will be a summer fun car for shows, parades, meetings, occasional autocross or hillclimb. With the low yearly miles, the gas mileage isn't so important. 35 - 40 mpg will be fine. EFI will help. Gosh, even the "old" VW Lupo 3L is getting 78 mpg.

I would like to one day get a later Sprite, Mini or Morris Minor and do an EV conversion
 
So FWIW my vision has nothing to do with performance. Ms Triss is going to be bone stock as far as that goes. What motivates me is closing my eyes and imagining a car with my beloved sitting in the passenger seat wearing her Hermes scarf looking remarkably like Audrey Hepburn (which to these happy eyes isn't too far from the truth anyway) feeling like the car could have been in the background of the movie Roman Holiday (which I know was 1953 that's OK) pulling up to a cafe as the sun is setting and sitting outside in the warmth of the evening air. It is winding my way through a beutiful road with nothing but the sound of the engine and the smell of the trees and feel of the sun and the knowledge that all is right with the world. I'm not building a speed machine, I'm building a time machine
 
If my wife reads the last post, she will force me to scrap the race car and I'll have to start spending more time/money on the exact thoughts described by JPSmit instead of the non-street legal beast that absorbs all of my extra cash/love at this moment!
 
Well, you said "little cars" so here goes:

For my Midget: It's to have a little fun car to drive on the warmer days when we can go topless - (Ok - just the car, I'll spare the neighborhood the horor...)

I want to do a bit of body work, fix the dings, replace the bonnet, do something about the pieces that should fit under the tail lights and then paint it dark BRG.

But mainly, drive it in the warm months.
When the clutch finally goes I'd like to replace the transmission with the Datsun 5 speed.

For my 70 BGT: Drive it in the winter & cold days when it's not as fun to drive the Midget.

Put the newly rebuilt distributor I got from Jeff, get it all timed & tuned up & drive it.

Do the body work & replace the carpeting.

For my 69 CGT: Short term, continue accumulating parts until I have just about everything I need, then rip out the interior, (should see if the engine still turns over) and start the major work of the resto.
Eventually - Drive it.

Hopefully I'll pass on the love for these cars to some of the kids. Maybe they will want to join in. That would be nice.
Body work
 
My vision for my 74 Midget is simple. To make it look really pretty so my wife and I or my son can toodle around to diner or church or whatever. Second is to make it mechanically sound. Maybe a little high performance stuff but it runs great now. I refuse to work on something that is working to try and make it work a little better. If something fails I will repair it with a "No holds Barred" tactic. If the brakes show wear, replace the whole show. Eventually I will have repaired or replaced the entire car right? BTW, I am having a blast with mine. It is having a rust-ectomy now and I should have it back Sunday then to the body shop. I will post pics as I proceed.
 
While I envy Drew's ability to wax eloquently, I too have a desire for my long maligned '69.

The little car, primrose of fair in it's life original,tainted red-ish pink by uncaring fool(s) in a mid-life crisis, now a masculine BRG, as it enters it's senior-years prime.

The little car, engine stout in it's life original, weakened through the ages, renewed through the caring soul of one who wishes more, but settles for what is there.

The little car, clean and pretty, pristine and bright, soiled and dirty by uncaring ogres, found by a caretaker touch by it's potential. Renewed to a point, appropriate with it's stately manner.

OK... enough of trying to be like Drew....

My goal (really to get off my duff and finish the project I started), but to have a reasonably nice, non-show car of interest, that I can say I am proud of owning...and the work I have done...

1969 MKIV
1275 original, just refurbished
Rivergate 5-speed for highway comfort
nice, original in most aspects, but not perfect.

Larry
 
I do not want to write down my vision...I do not like to commit. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

I am having fun working on my bugeye beater. I plan on driving it an tweaking it until I'm happy with all the components. Then I'll disassemble and do the body work and put it all back together. I'm looking at about years until it is complete ... or maybe twenty years. I do not how long it will take to get it tweaked.
 
Here's what I sent to a couple local LBC buddies of mine back in March of last year as I started the "Spridget Project":
---
Goal – a stock appearing Spridget that has been cosmetically “cleaned”. Performance will be enhanced. Comfort will give way to function. Components will be upgraded to more modern specs where possible. As much work as possible to be done “in-house”.

---

Ray
 
Trevor Jessie said:
I do not want to write down my vision...I do not like to commit.
Click to expand...
I found that I needed to commit in order to move forwards. Too many options (go 5-speed? supercharge? RHD?) that I had to pick a direction and see it through. I want to be driving the Tunebug come warm weather. I've not had a real season of driving a LBC ever (even after 2-ish years of owning a couple), so it's time to get out there and really enjoy the driving.

69sprite said:
While I envy Drew's ability to wax eloquently [...]
Click to expand...
Mostly, it's just cold and snowy here. Makes one introspective, I think. Besides, gives you something to think about while running the snow blower. Again. And again. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
someone mentioned a sort of retro 60's racer restomod and I guess thats the direction Im going with my sprite as well.

'65 Austin Healey Sprite
Bugeye Bonnet - front tilt(still up in the air, I may go back to the original sheet metal)with heat evac vents
separate clutch and brake master cylinder set up with front rear bias valve
Mazda Rotary Engine (bridgeport 12a or streetport 13b)
Racing beat intake with sidedraft carb
Aluminum Radiator and Elec fan
Custom Exhaust
Mazda 5spd
Mazda Rear end with LSD (rear disc brakes?)
Rear Traction Bars
KYB Gas adjust rear tube shocks
13" Vintage Rader wheels with sumitomo tires - street
14" Minilites with sticky tires - occasional autocross or track day
trunk mounted 12 gal fuel cell with foam
shaved bumpers
chrome roll bar
Chromed dashboard
bullet side mirrors
smiths white face gauges
battery relocated to trunk
Corbeau Classic III seats in black vinyl
4 pt harnesses
halogen headlamps
Pearlized white exterior with black interior

all with the goal of having everything bolt in so the car could at some point be restored back to BMC A- series power etc.

Of course all of this is subject to some value engineering (i.e. bugeye bonnet, gauges, traction bars etc...)

Now, do I have a chance in heck of getting it finished and insured in time to make the trek to Mizzouri? I suppose I could always trailer it there.
 
Drew, Good stuff! That's kinda what I did with my MGB. I wanted it to look stock, but improved it mechanically. It's a beautiful, fun car to drive.

And your receipe is also what I want for my BE. Good for you!
 
drooartz said:
...I found that I needed to commit in order to move forwards. Too many options (go 5-speed? supercharge? RHD?) that I had to pick a direction and see it through...
Click to expand...

Drew,
I took a slightly different approach. In my prior (working) life I had four Project Directors and their project teams reporting to me; we lived and died by project documents. The first was generally the "mission statement" which provided a purpose, constraints, and certain guiding principles. Attached would be a proposed project plan that listed tasks, resources, time requirements, and budget. The ojective was, obviously, to come as close as possible to completing the project "mission" by executing the plan.

That's basically what I'm doing with the "Spridget Project". I've even posted a version of my project "plan" on my web site which in that view looks more like just a list of parts required since I've hidden the "Cost" and "Notes" columns. Costs are hidden because certain vendors provided price breaks for volume purchases and did not want the information disclosed; the notes were just some of my thinking out loud about prerequisites, skill set acquisition, task specifics, etc. that were quite important to me, but probably not to anyone else. And time...well, it's left...undefined. Remember now, I'm retired...and I've walked away from STRESS...and anyone who's spent much of their career balancing "good, fast, cheap" know that if you can eliminate one, the other two are easy...I eliminated "fast" and with it, the stress.

Ray
 
I'm just listening to the car. He's telling me what he wants. And he changes his mind from time to time, but I think I see the direction he is heading. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Trevor Jessie said:
I'm just listening to the car. He's telling me what he wants. And he changes his mind from time to time, but I think I see the direction he is heading. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
Click to expand...

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif Careful...may just be indigestion!

Ray
 
It's not indigestion. The car has a history and has the marks to prove it. I'm interpreting those "marks" and letting that guide my choices (along with all the spare parts have lying around).
 
My current project is a 67 Sprite, my first car was a 67 Sprite. So this car will be exactly like my very first car.
Bone stock BRG 67 Sprite with an 8 track tape player /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
I have a go fast Sprite, I had modified Sprites, and I have an extremely nice looking 58 Sprite. I even have a race Midget sitting waiting for some TLC.
 
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