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PAUL LATHAN
Joined: 12 Feb 2009 Posts: 4
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:16 am Post subject: FROGEYE SPRITE |
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Hi there everybody. I have just joined the forum, so i thought i would say hello, and pick peoples brains at the same time.I have a 1960 Frogeye (basket case) and am just about to retire, so i am on the hunt.I have been looking for some time for a pair of seats, or as i have access to a workshop in the training centre that i was working at, any templates that anyone had, that i could fabricate some from.also a decent grill and a 948cc engine, as i have the 803cc from the A30. I am located in the NE,at Stockton on tees,and would be very grateful for any information. Looking forward to using the forum in my spare time.cheers[/b] |
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Keith D
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Posts: 1129 Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:25 am Post subject: |
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Welcome to the forum Paul. What a great car to restore. Love the frogeye; they should never have stopped making it!!
Keith |
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK
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pigtin
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome Paul, nice to see another Sprite owner on the forum although mine's only a humble mk4.
Don. _________________ Due to the onset of my mid eighties I'm no longer sprightly and rarely seen in my Austin special. I have written a book though. https://amzn.eu/d/7rwRRqL |
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PAUL LATHAN
Joined: 12 Feb 2009 Posts: 4
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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Hello again, thanks for the welcome. Well pigtin, at least you can drive yours around.cheers |
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Brian M
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 783 Location: Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:29 am Post subject: |
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Welcome Paul
I ran a Frog Eye from 1968 - 1972 all through my Uni days, and in spite of the 40 or so cars I have owned since, it is still my favourite.
I paid £180 for mine and sold it after four years for £220 and thought I had done very well! The only car I wish I had never sold.
Good luck with your restoration _________________ Brian
1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
Classic Safari Forum: www.classicsafaris.co.uk |
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richardlw
Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 138
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Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:05 am Post subject: |
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I know what you mean about wishing I hadn't sold mine. I bought it for $275 and sold it 18 months later when I moved from the US to Bolivia in 1968. Got $700 for it. Really a fun car that I wish I could find again. I still have the repair manual. I loved how it got 54 miles to a US gallon of gas. Used to cost me $1.05 in gas to drive from Washington DC to New York.
Took the mountains of upstate NY at full speed zooming around the curves. What fun.
_________________ Richard's Cars - NEW **
Motor oil for Flat Tappet Engines
Transmission oil |
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buzzy bee
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 3382 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:52 am Post subject: |
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Hi
Welcome from me too, any pics of your project?
Cheers
Dave |
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Brian M
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 783 Location: Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
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Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:03 am Post subject: |
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As a postscript to the message about my Frogeye.
About a year ago, I realised I had never checked to see if it was still registered - and it was, although it is now white.
So I fired off an email to the Austin Healey Owners Club and received a reply that the car belonged to one of their members in Norfolk and that my details would be forwarded to them.
But I have never heard from them. I don't know about you, but if a previous owner of my car made contact with me, I would be so interested that I would be in touch immediately.
So if anyone sees a white Frogeye registration number TWS 423 - tell the owner to contact me, I have several more pictures and of course four years of great memories that I would be delighted to share with them. _________________ Brian
1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
Classic Safari Forum: www.classicsafaris.co.uk |
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richardlw
Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 138
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:36 pm Post subject: |
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I found the almost original owner of my Corvair. The original owner (a well known doctor) had died (no children) and left it with his sister. A guy who had studied electricity bought it from her and "fixed it up" with terrible patches (details on my site), then traded it for an empty lot to build a repair shop on (without signing over the papers) to a guy to use as a taxi. after 3 years he sold (without transferring the papers) it to a lawyer who tried to get it running with her nephew/mechanic. Finally he gave up.
19 years later I bought it, and had to find the electrician to sign over the original documents to me.
I hired him to do all the electrical wiring. So it returned to the land that was traded for it. _________________ Richard's Cars - NEW **
Motor oil for Flat Tappet Engines
Transmission oil |
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Brian M
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 783 Location: Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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Brian M wrote: | As a postscript to the message about my Frogeye.
So if anyone sees a white Frogeye registration number TWS 423 - tell the owner to contact me. |
I posted this on another forum and today was presented with this photo, taken just last week at a Steam Fair in Oxfordshire.
It has been 38 years since I saw the car so I was delighted.
_________________ Brian
1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
Classic Safari Forum: www.classicsafaris.co.uk |
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Richard H
Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 2148 Location: Lincolnshire, UK
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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Brian
As the member the Austin-Healey club contacted lives in Norfolk, and the car is now in Oxfordshire, the reason the member didn't contact you was probably because they no longer had the car! It is great to see it is still alive and well though
It does look in fantastic condition. Are you going to try and buy it back? I reckon it would fit nicely behind the Amazon in your garage _________________ Richard Hughes |
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Brian M
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 783 Location: Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:56 am Post subject: |
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640TMP wrote: | Brian
It does look in fantastic condition. Are you going to try and buy it back? I reckon it would fit nicely behind the Amazon in your garage |
Probably not for three reasons:
1. Its value today
2. I doubt I could get in it owing to my size and old bones!
3. As it looks to have been totally rebuilt, it would not have the same character as when I owned it.
I would still like to see it. _________________ Brian
1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
Classic Safari Forum: www.classicsafaris.co.uk |
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richardlw
Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 138
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Roger-hatchy
Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 2135 Location: Tiptree, Essex
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 11:59 am Post subject: |
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I can remember when in Germany with the army, one lad drove back after leave in blighty with a frogeye.
Was a treat to see him coil out of the car, all 6' 11" of him. |
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