Subject: Re: [Spridgets] anyone ever hear of a factory Mk I Sprite, w/boot/trunk lid?

From: Jay Fishbein <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 21:52:13 -0400

Ah yes. Round 17 of "The factory built a Bugeye with a trunk lid" discussion.

Before we embark on those details, can we talk about that lake in Scotland?

Jay Fishbein
61 Innocenti Spider w/factory trunk lid
63 Pink Sprite Mk II with Pink trunk lid

On Jun 24, 2013, at 9:44 PM, "Bud Osbourne" <[email-masked]> wrote:

> At a local trolley museum anniversary celebration (50 years), yesterday.
> The museum had a classic car display and asked our local Triumph club to
get
> some cars out.  Yeah, mine was the only MG there, but that's fine, too.
>
> Anyway, there was a guy there with a Mk I Sprite, which was fitted with a
> boot/trunk lid.  He says he's the second owner and the original owner was a
> good friend of his.  He claims the he was told (he really didn't know much
> about Brit cars and didn't claim to, either) that his car is one of six
> Sprites built with boot/trunk lids.
>
>
>
> Anyone ever hear of the factory doing anything like this?  I thought it
> could possibly have been some sort of prototype/design study done late in
> the Mk I production run, when BMC was looking for ways to "freshen" the
> design, to compete against the soon to be introduced Spitfire.  Thoughts?
>
> And, no, unfortunately, I didn't have my camera along with me.
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From: Kevin Valentine <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 21:55:28 -0400

Bud and Jay,

Take a look here;

Take a look at these links;

http://www.ahexp.com/phorum/read.php?6,1716,page=1

http://www.empowercoach.com/bio3.htm

On the last on - scroll halfway down and you will see an advert for a
bugeye trunk conversion....  (copied below)

Just passing this along ;)

Kev

On Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 9:44 PM, Bud Osbourne <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Thanks, guys.
> Bud
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From: "Bud Osbourne" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 22:23:35 -0400

Hmmmm.  Interesting reply, Jay.  So, I take it that "somebody" built some Mk
I Sprites w/boot lids, but the debate has been about whether or not the
factory built them?
Well, I don't recall ever reading anything in Geoff Healey's books stating
that the factory did them.  But, that's the extent of my knowledge on the
subject.

Bud

-----Original Message-----
From: Jay Fishbein [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 9:52 PM
To: Bud Osbourne
Cc: Spridgets
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] anyone ever hear of a factory Mk I Sprite,
w/boot/trunk lid?

Ah yes. Round 17 of "The factory built a Bugeye with a trunk lid"
discussion.

Jay Fishbein

On Jun 24, 2013, at 9:44 PM, "Bud Osbourne" <[email-masked]> wrote:

> The museum had a classic car display and asked our local Triumph club 
> to get some cars out.  Yeah, mine was the only MG there, but that's fine,
too.
> 
> Anyway, there was a guy there with a Mk I Sprite, which was fitted 
> with a boot/trunk lid.  He says he's the second owner and the original 
> owner was a good friend of his.  He claims the he was told (he really 
> didn't know much about Brit cars and didn't claim to, either) that his 
> car is one of six Sprites built with boot/trunk lids.
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone ever hear of the factory doing anything like this?  I thought 
> it could possibly have been some sort of prototype/design study done 
> late in the Mk I production run, when BMC was looking for ways to 
> "freshen" the design, to compete against the soon to be introduced
Spitfire.  Thoughts?
------------------------

[email-masked]

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From: "Bud Osbourne" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 22:46:34 -0400

Thanks, Kevin and Gerard.  That's some good information.  If and when I see
the fellow, again, I can tell him it was an aftermarket offering.  We also
told the guy about writing BMH Trust, for build data for his car.

The car, BTW, was black with wire wheels.  The boot lid had external hinges,
which were chromed.  I seem to remember him saying he got it from a buddy of
his, in the Navy (?), who had purchased the car new, in England.

Bud

From: Kevin Valentine [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 9:55 PM
To: Bud Osbourne; Jay Fishbein
Cc: Spridgets
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] anyone ever hear of a factory Mk I Sprite,
w/boot/trunk lid?

Bud and Jay,

Take a look here;

 <http://www.ahexp.com/phorum/read.php?6,1716,page=1>
http://www.ahexp.com/phorum/read.php?6,1716,page=1

 <http://www.empowercoach.com/bio3.htm> http://www.empowercoach.com/bio3.htm

On the last on - scroll halfway down and you will see an advert for a bugeye
trunk conversion....  (copied below)

Kev

  <http://www.empowercoach.com/norcal.jpg> 

At a local trolley museum anniversary celebration (50 years), yesterday.
The museum had a classic car display and asked our local Triumph club to get
some cars out.  Yeah, mine was the only MG there, but that's fine, too.

Thanks, guys.

Bud
------------------------

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From: "Mark" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 22:28:23 -0500 a=Bs9SyY0ljuoA:10 a=zZKT3jqqOw0A:10 a=8nJEP1OIZ-IA:10 a=V6f-GIhDAAAA:8 a=jts8Mp-cCPAA:10 a=TjdLFENn0ss3brF0_RsA:9 a=wPNLvfGTeEIA:10 a=V6RE5z5OoxD22U2SZb2tBg==:117 reip=0.000, cl=1, cld=1, fgs=0

Those were the cars that came with the chrome flash on the boot lid!  Very 
rare!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jay Fishbein"

Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 8:52 PM
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] anyone ever hear of a factory Mk I Sprite, 
w/boot/trunk lid?

Jay Fishbein

[email-masked]

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From: "Greg Higgins" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 08:38:45 -0400

Do you remember the rusted out red bugeye that shows up on e-bay ever few 
years, it has the trunk conversion. The owner wanted  $10.000 at one time, 
because of this rare/find option! The news editor of the Austin Healey Club 
of America, sent the photo of this rare find world wide. I contacted the 
editor of the A.H.C. and asked if anyone had any info on the prototype trunk 
lid, he said no information can foreword.

Greg Higgins

-----Original Message----- 
From: Bud Osbourne
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 9:44 PM
To: Spridgets
Subject: [Spridgets] anyone ever hear of a factory Mk I Sprite,w/boot/trunk 
lid?

Thanks, guys.

Bud
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From: Jay <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 05:59:36 -0700 (PDT)

Every so often someone produces a "rare" find of which none of the recognized
authoritative sources have any knowledge. 

Is it possible that Donald or
Geoffrey Healey cut a hole in a Sprite rear deck and fit a boot lid?
Certainly, but at this late date it is unlikely since it was never mentioned
in any of Geoff's books and since nothing ever surfaced from even the rarest
of photo archives.

PS I for one vividly remember the eBay Bugeye with the
"factory" trunk lid. Like other "factory" boot lids, the ones that have seen
on the internet are all be in the United States and not in England.

jay
fishbein
wallingford, ct
61 Innocenti Spider 

63 Pink Sprite Mk II
>________________________________
> From: Greg Higgins <[email-masked]>
>To:
Bud Osbourne <[email-masked]>; Spridgets <[email-masked]> 
>Sent:
Tuesday, June 25, 2013 8:38 AM
>Subject: Re: [Spridgets] anyone ever hear of a
factory Mk I  Sprite, w/boot/trunk lid?
> 
>
>Do you remember the rusted out
red bugeye that shows up on e-bay ever few years,
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From: "GUY DAY" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:45:20 +0100

There probably were/are some in the UK and in my younger days even recall 
seeing an advertisement about them with a boast of a 'U' shaped lip and seal 
for the lid.  If I remember the fittings/hinges were from am A30 or A35.  I 
always wondered (not so much nowadays) where the water went when the lip was 
full as there was no drain hole and the opening didn't seem to fold round 
far enough back to let it drain over the outside of the bodywork.  I can 
also recall debate about the opening being large enough to get the spare 
wheel and tyre through.

I don't really know why, after someone has come up with a bright idea and 
had their Spridget altered or even done it themselves (any adequately 
skilled body chap could do it), it is always attributed to the 'unique and 
rare factory modified' unrecorded design done by Donald and Geoffrey Healey 
in secret in the barn at the side of their house....

BTW, have you seen the recent pictures of the thoroughly rusted one for sale 
at Bury in the UK that Donald and Geoffrey Healey modified with a Ford Pinto 
engine, rear fins and a plate with a 3 legged frog design on the hood? 
<Just one more minor modification that hasn't been recorded in the factory 
archives.... LOL>

Guy R Day

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jay" <>
To: "Spridgets" <[email-masked]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 1:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] anyone ever hear of a factory Mk I Sprite, 
w/boot/trunk lid?

>> From: Greg Higgins <>
> Bud Osbourne <>; Spridgets <[email-masked]>
>>Sent:

-----
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Version: 2013.0.3345 / Virus Database: 3199/6437 - Release Date: 06/24/13
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From: "Dean Hedin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 18:56:13 -0400

There was this one at the 50th..  Father and his son did the conversion.  
Real clean job, you would swear it was factory.

http://s295.photobucket.com/user/brokencase_photos/media/jubilee/IMGP0773-01
.jpg.html

BTW, they converted to wire wheels the "hard way" on this car, by cutting
all the half spring 
fittings from a later wire wheel axle housing and then welding quarter
spring fittings to make it
go into the Bugeye. 

Can't remember their names, but the son's first name was Calan I believe.  
They also did a nice safety upgrade presentation at the event.
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From: Ron Soave <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:34:06 -0500

Nice car they Generated, but I still Alternate on whether I like it.

Sent from my iPhone

> They also did a nice safety upgrade presentation at the event.
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From: Rick Fisk <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 21:54:31 -0400

Ron,

Did you hear the collective groan?  (And Dean gnashing his teeth?).   :-)

Sent from my keyboard

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