Subject: [Spridgets] Sprite – projects update – long

From: Weslake1330 via Spridgets <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2025 14:20:03 +0000

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Hi list,
Since the list is so quiet I thought I would write and post something of a
saga rather than just an update.

I=E2=80=99m at the age where I realise one day someone else will be the =E2=
=80=98owner=E2=80=99 of
my Sprite so I don=E2=80=99t want to spend lots of money on it that will ma=
ke no
difference to the eventual sale price.  However, since that change of
ownership may be a while away the Sprite recently went to the body shop for
the bonnet to be re-painted along with the front wings and spoiler.  The
bonnet was a new heritage item in the early 1990s and had been louvred from
new (but not by heritage).  Taking it to get it louvred back in the 90s,
was an experience in itself and if you want to replicate my experience
carefully fasten a bonnet to the rear and roof of your Sprite/Midget, being
sure to have no door or wing mirrors, being completely blind as to what is
behind you and then overtake a slow moving ice-cream van on dual
carriageway (indicate for a long time before pulling out).  The bonnet was
only slightly rusty on one of the front corners but some paint had cracked
around the louvres and there was a little light rust in the cracks.  The
wings were also mostly good but had some cracks on the and bubbling on the
flaring.  With that work now done I don=E2=80=99t think my Sprite has looke=
d this
good since it was brand new in 1969 and it=E2=80=99s the best it=E2=80=99s =
ever looked in
my ownership since 1984.

However, the saga begins before the Sprite went to the body shop when at a
local race meeting a concours condition Sprite parked near mine.  While not
wholly original (not sure the bumper irons were chromed from the factory!)
it looked nice enough.  Even before the paintwork my Sprite still looked
pretty good alongside it and more purposeful.  Except that is on the
inside.  The problem was that when I originally had aluminium door =E2=80=
=98cards=E2=80=99
made the contractor that made them precisely followed my brown paper
pattern down to every wiggle of my scissor cuts.  Also, I=E2=80=99d made th=
e
pattern before removing the buffer door capping which thus revealed a row
of fixing holes that I=E2=80=99ve been looking at for more than two decades=
 with
the aluminium =E2=80=98card=E2=80=99 fitted. The chrome on the quarterlight=
 wasn=E2=80=99t great
either nor the earlier style hook catches which I=E2=80=99d fitted in prefe=
rence to
the flat ones it was made with.

So, I bought a sheet of aluminium from ebay and carefully made a new door
=E2=80=98card=E2=80=99 that looks better than the old one and which I paint=
ed matt black to
match the rest of the interior.

I also completely stripped down my spare quarter light frame assembly and
despatched all the parts to the chromers.  The quote was more than I
expected and I can see why everyone fits second-hand quarter light frames.
It will be a while before I get it back and I=E2=80=99m undecided as to whe=
ther or
when I will have the driver=E2=80=99s side done (funds are non-existent!).
While I was into all of this work and with no door =E2=80=98cards=E2=80=99 =
on the doors I
decided to replace the polycarbonate door =E2=80=98glass=E2=80=99 which is =
also more than
two decades old.  It was tinted grey and in good condition except for the
driver side where I had splashed some sort of solvent on it that actually
stained the polycarbonate itself.  The other thing was that while the
window winder mechanism went up and down, the polycarbonate didn=E2=80=99t =
and I=E2=80=99d
got used to it not doing so (for at least a decade).  That polycarbonate
was made by a contractor but I decided to make replacements myself and
earlier today I successfully made and fitted the driver=E2=80=99 side =E2=
=80=98glass=E2=80=99.
Also, something I=E2=80=99d planned on for years was also undertaken, in th=
at I
fixed the polycarbonate in the winder mechanism slot by drilling through
the slot and polycarbonate and fitting a long pop rivet.  This worked well,
though my original idea was to use a nut and bolt.  I used a lot of
silicone grease in the sliders and oiled the mechanism with ACF50 and it
goes up and down very nicely indeed.

So, I still have to get the passenger side quarterlight back, assemble and
fit it to the car along with new polycarbonate door =E2=80=98glass=E2=80=99=
 and the
quarterlight window itself because I made a switch to Bronze (light brown)
from Grey.  I also have to swap the quarterlight window to bronze from Grey
on the driver=E2=80=99s side but will hold off doing that until I=E2=80=99v=
e made a final
decision whether or not to have the whole assembly re-chromed.  I also have
some other tidying up to do so this is really an unfinished project update
for now.

Not least =E2=80=93 no news on Samco hoses =E2=80=93 I will go and see them=
 some time
before the end of the year.

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Hi list,<br>Since the list is so quiet I thought I would w=
rite and post something of a saga rather than just an update.<div><br>I=E2=
=80=99m at the age where I realise one day someone else will be the =E2=80=
=98owner=E2=80=99 of my Sprite so I don=E2=80=99t want to spend lots of mon=
ey on it that will make no difference to the eventual sale price.=C2=A0 How=
ever, since that change of ownership may be a while away the Sprite recentl=
y went to the body shop for the bonnet to be re-painted along with the fron=
t wings and spoiler.=C2=A0 The bonnet was a new heritage item in the early =
1990s and had been louvred from new (but not by heritage).=C2=A0 Taking it =
to get it louvred back in the 90s, was an experience in itself and if you w=
ant to replicate my experience carefully fasten a bonnet to the rear and ro=
of of your Sprite/Midget, being sure to have no door or wing mirrors, being=
 completely blind as to what is behind you and then overtake a slow moving =
ice-cream van on dual carriageway (indicate for a long time before pulling =
out).=C2=A0 The bonnet was only slightly rusty on one of the front corners =
but some paint had cracked around the louvres and there was a little light =
rust in the cracks.=C2=A0 The wings were also mostly good but had some crac=
ks on the and bubbling on the flaring.=C2=A0 With that work now done I don=
=E2=80=99t think my Sprite has looked this good since it was brand new in 1=
969 and it=E2=80=99s the best it=E2=80=99s ever looked in my ownership sinc=
e 1984.</div><div><br>However, the saga begins before the Sprite went to th=
e body shop when at a local race meeting a concours condition Sprite parked=
 near mine.=C2=A0 While not wholly original (not sure the bumper irons were=
 chromed from the factory!) it looked nice enough.=C2=A0 Even before the pa=
intwork my Sprite still looked pretty good alongside it and more purposeful=
.=C2=A0 Except that is on the inside.=C2=A0 The problem was that when I ori=
ginally had aluminium door =E2=80=98cards=E2=80=99 made the contractor that=
 made them precisely followed my brown paper pattern down to every wiggle o=
f my scissor cuts.=C2=A0 Also, I=E2=80=99d made the pattern before removing=
 the buffer door capping which thus revealed a row of fixing holes that I=
=E2=80=99ve been looking at for more than two decades with the aluminium =
=E2=80=98card=E2=80=99 fitted. The chrome on the quarterlight wasn=E2=80=99=
t great either nor the earlier style hook catches which I=E2=80=99d fitted =
in preference to the flat ones it was made with.</div><div><br>So, I bought=
 a sheet of aluminium from ebay and carefully made a new door =E2=80=98card=
=E2=80=99 that looks better than the old one and which I painted matt black=
 to match the rest of the interior.</div><div><br>I also completely strippe=
d down my spare quarter light frame assembly and despatched all the parts t=
o the chromers.=C2=A0 The quote was more than I expected and I can see why =
everyone fits second-hand quarter light frames.=C2=A0 It will be a while be=
fore I get it back and I=E2=80=99m undecided as to whether or when I will h=
ave the driver=E2=80=99s side done (funds are non-existent!).<br>While I wa=
s into all of this work and with no door =E2=80=98cards=E2=80=99 on the doo=
rs I decided to replace the polycarbonate door =E2=80=98glass=E2=80=99 whic=
h is also more than two decades old.=C2=A0 It was tinted grey and in good c=
ondition except for the driver side where I had splashed some sort of solve=
nt on it that actually stained the polycarbonate itself.=C2=A0 The other th=
ing was that while the window winder mechanism went up and down, the polyca=
rbonate didn=E2=80=99t and I=E2=80=99d got used to it not doing so (for at =
least a decade).=C2=A0 That polycarbonate was made by a contractor but I de=
cided to make replacements myself and earlier today I successfully made and=
 fitted the driver=E2=80=99 side =E2=80=98glass=E2=80=99.=C2=A0 Also, somet=
hing I=E2=80=99d planned on for years was also undertaken, in that I fixed =
the polycarbonate in the winder mechanism slot by drilling through the slot=
 and polycarbonate and fitting a long pop rivet.=C2=A0 This worked well, th=
ough my original idea was to use a nut and bolt.=C2=A0 I used a lot of sili=
cone grease in the sliders and oiled the mechanism with ACF50 and it goes u=
p and down very nicely indeed.</div><div><br>So, I still have to get the pa=
ssenger side quarterlight back, assemble and fit it to the car along with n=
ew polycarbonate door =E2=80=98glass=E2=80=99 and the quarterlight window i=
tself because I made a switch to Bronze (light brown) from Grey.=C2=A0 I al=
so have to swap the quarterlight window to bronze from Grey on the driver=
=E2=80=99s side but will hold off doing that until I=E2=80=99ve made a fina=
l decision whether or not to have the whole assembly re-chromed.=C2=A0 I al=
so have some other tidying up to do so this is really an unfinished project=
 update for now.<div><br>Not least =E2=80=93 no news on Samco hoses =E2=80=
=93 I will go and see them some time before the end of the year.<br><br></d=
iv></div></div>

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