Ignition Timing Pointer

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Trying to use a timing light to set ignition timing is extremely difficult on the Bugeye given that the pointer on the timing cover used for alignment with the notch on the crank pulley is at the bottom of the engine.

Tom Colby at Speedwell Engineering makes a stainless steel pointer that can be used to move the timing process to the top of the pulley. More information about the kit and its installation can be found in this post under the Personalizations posts: https://valvechatter.com/?p=13529

Datsun 210 Quick Throw Gear Shift

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Frustration set in with the engine issues so a diversion was in order. The quick throw shifter kit designed and fabricated by Gerard Chateauvieux (Gerard’s Garage) was installed. The shifter and the installation process are described in this post https://valvechatter.com/?p=13520 which is located in the Personalizations category of the Bugeye site.

Speedwell Ignition Timing Pointer

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Trying to use a timing light to set ignition timing is extremely difficult given that the pointer on the timing cover used for alignment with the notch on the crank pulley is at the bottom of the engine.

Tom Colby at Speedwell Engineering https://www.speedwellengineering.com/ignition-timing-pointer-kit/ makes a stainless steel pointer that can be used to move the timing process to the top of the pulley. This is from the Speedwell website:

A duplicate of the 1968 Works BMC Le Mans timing pointer makes for timing the ignition system much easier by moving it to the top side of the engine. The Polished Stainless Steel Pointer (with a flanged nut installed, eliminating need for washers!) is easily installed by removing a timing cover bolt and installing it in place of the bolt. Once top dead center is achieved, just apply the adhesive backed laser-etched stainless steel timing tape to the crankshaft pulley and you’re ready for precision timing with a timing light. Complete with instruction sheet. 100% Made in the USA

This is a short video showing the installation of the ignition pointer. Installation required draining the coolant and removing the radiator.

https://vimeo.com/744799541/45b0311e75

 

Quick Throw Short-shifter for the Bugeye

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We always wanted to use the original cover for the gearbox shifter because it just seems so uniquely Sprite/Midget. However, we installed a Datsun 210 gearbox so we had to use a leather boot since the gear shift fouled against the cover. 

We were able to purchase what we believe to be the last quick throw gear shift assembly that Gerard Chateauvieux (Gerard’s Garage) fabricated. This will give us the benefit of the short throw or shifting and we should be able to use the original cover. Gerard’s kit is very nicely machined.

The Episode Four video shows the shifter conversion

https://vimeo.com/744791938/346e976572

Leather Boot used with 210 gearbox shifter

Original Cover with Gerard’s Gear Shift

Condition Assessment 8/22

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A “walk around” video was made for the record. The soft top and it’s mounting fasteners are highlighted at about 6:34 into the video. The soft top frame is also shown and discussed. The “stiffener” rails for the front and rear of the top are shown. 

The side curtains are also shown in some detail. Episode One is primarily the exterior of the car:

https://vimeo.com/738075416/9d2f97de20

Episode Two focuses on the Interior of the car and at about 4:30 into the video shows the failure of the engine to start.

https://vimeo.com/744768194/d735f8b765

 

 

LeMans Sprite

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The little Donald Healey Motor Company produced some outstanding cars for motor racing with little money and support. While the Big Healey rally cars tend to get the most press, the modified Sprites were quite successful on major race circuits like LeMans and Sebring.

This is a short video with the current owner of one of those racing Sprites. Joe Armour, and Australian, is well known in the Healey community.

The Bugeye – 1959 AN5

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My name is John Rose and I am the current owner of AN5L11257, engine number 9CUH10910, a 1959 Austin Healey Sprite, popularly known as a “Bugeye” in the States or “Frogeye” if you are from across the pond.

This web site is dedicated to documenting the history of my car, the modifications that have been made to it, and the fun I have had with it.

My Dad, Linwood Rose, my younger brother, Scott, and I attended the 1998 Sprite Bash in Carlisle, PA with the idea of finding a Bugeye to purchase as my first car. Of course, I wasn’t old enough to drive yet, but this was to be a “project” car that would require some work prior to putting it on the road. We looked at a few cars that were for sale, but didn’t make any offers in Carlisle.

Previous Ownership

Later that summer, we were attending the British Car Days Show held in July at Bowie, Maryland on June 28, 1998. Tom Delaney from College Park, MD attended the Show and was walking around the show grounds with a sign taped to the back of his T shirt he was wearing that stated, “1959 Bugeye for sale, enquire within.” I struck up a conversation with Mr. Delaney and we agreed to stop and see his car when we returned from vacation at the end of the week.

Negotiating with Tom Delaney, British Car Day, Bowie, MD June 28, 1998

On July 2, 1998, after a test drive and some negotiating, I was the proud owner and we were driving MY Bugeye home from Maryland to Harrisonburg, VA.

Mr. Delaney did have some records that he passed along to me with the car. These records provided some insight into previous ownership of my Bugeye. I am not sure when Mr.Delaney purchased AN5L11257, but I do have a receipt for parts indicating he was the owner in February 1983.

Curiously, before Mr. Delaney was the custodian of my Bugeye, it was apparently owned by Captain Charles A. Rose of Gaithersburg, MD. I say “curiously,” because my uncle’s name is Charles Rose, and he lives in Maryland, but they are not one and the same.

Captain  Rose purchased my Bugeye in Tennessee according to Tennessee DMV records in September, 1979 from Dean Trathen from Nashville, TN. Mr. Trathen apparently owned the car for only a brief period having purchased it himself in March of 1979 from William L. Easterling from Brentwood, TN. Records show that Mr.Easterling bought the car in September of 1978.

Unfortunately, I don’t have records or any knowledge of ownership of my Bugeye from 1959 to 1978.

Bugeye Blog, 1998 – 2021

My Bugeye Blog chronicles the life and times of AN5L11257 while in my care. I didn’t keep good records at first, so details are a little sketchy until 2000. As the reader of my Bugeye Blog will observe, we have made many “personalizations” to my Bugeye. I have concentrated on making my car fun to drive by increasing performance and handling. The Bugeye Blog runs through 2021.

The Total Restoration of AN511257 Beginning in August 2022

As with most things that age, my Bugeye is now a little “tired” and needs some major attention. The body and interior in particular need to be completely reworked. So, in early August 2022 I took the Bugeye to my father’s home where he plans to undertake a complete restoration of the car. 

The plan will be to totally restore/replace all of the major systems of the car such as the rear suspension and axle, the front suspension and steering, the drivetrain, brakes, heating and cooling, the interior, and the body. As each system is attended to it will be reinstalled in the car to ensure fit and proper function. After all of the systems have been restored/replaced/upgraded the car will be dismantled for bodywork and paint. This process may take a little longer than otherwise, but it will ensure that everything fits and operates perfectly before the car is in fresh paint.

Each step along the way will be documented on this website and will include narrative, photographs, and videos. The posts, or entries, will be separated into two sections. The first will be the Restoration Phase and the the second will be the Assembly Phase. We will also create a category with posts for modifications/personalizations organized by topics such as “fuel” or “steering.”

I hope you enjoy the ride!

John Rose

 

Navigating The Jaguar MK2 Project Site

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Site Organization and Navigation

The site for the Jaguar MK2 restoration was initially divided into three parts:

  1. Disassembly,
  2. Restoration and Fitting, and
  3. Reassembly.

However, I have removed all of the posts related to the “disassembly” phase of the project. The “restoration and fitting” or trial assembly of the renewed and new components is detailed. Major sections of work, generally following the Jaguar MK2 Models Service Manual, are journaled. I have assumed that the reader will find this approach more useful than a sequenced chronology.

I have sold this car before completion. My wife and I have downsized and relocated to Florida. Garage space is now more limited and so something had to go! Mike Gassman of Gassman Automotive in Waynesboro, VA now has the car to complete for a future owner.

To be redirected to project entries, or posts, for the Jaguar MK2 Project, just click on the burgundy rectangular navigation box in the upper right corner of this site. 

Please click photos once for larger images or twice for even larger detailed images. Images will open in a new window.

I am interested in your comments about the content and presentation, so please email me or comment on any individual entry. I will be happy to respond.

Lin

The Big Healey Ten-Year Renewal Blog – last update 12/10/2020

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If you scroll down to the October 2018 entry to this Blog you can read about the motivation for what I then called the Ten-Year Renewal Project for my 1960 Austin-Healey BT7. True to my history with this car, everything takes longer than expected! While the care and maintenance of a classic car never ends, now in October 2020 I am going to proclaim that the Renewal Project has come to its conclusion.

The good news is that I have accomplished quite a lot and I am pleased to say that the Bloody Beast is running better than it has ever run while in my ownership, and that covers forty-nine years!

This website has a separate entry for all of the major renewal efforts, so one does not have to read through everything in order to obtain more information about a particular project. However, in no particular order, the following is a summary of all that has been accomplished in the past two years:

  • Greased all suspension, steering and handbrake grease zerks.
  • Installed a fresh smear of white lithium grease on door locks, bonnet catch and boot lock.
  • Checked the ground strap in the boot for tightness.
  • Checked tightness of engine mount and shock damper bolts.
  • Checked rubber boots on on suspension ball joints.
  • Checked king pin wear.
  • Replaced fluids in gearbox, engine, hydraulic system, cooling system, rear differential. Replaced the Penrite oil in the steering box and idler with John Deere Corn Head grease to help prevent leaks.
  • Checked all dash lights for functionality.
  • Checked tightness of prop shaft bolts/nuts at both ends of the shaft.
  • Replaced the oil sump gasket with a neoprene gasket from Tom’s Imports and ceramic coated the aluminum sump.
  • Removed the PCV system components and installed an oil catch can system.
  • Replaced my intake manifold, which had two broken mounting ears due to improper installation, with another good, but used unit, sourced from Michael Salter. Jet-Hot coated the manifold before installation.
  • Cleaned and repainted the carburetor heat shield and refreshed the insulation.
  • Replaced the chromed “Austin-Healey” front shroud badge with a new component as the paint had chipped away on mine.
  • Replaced a leaking RH front Armstrong damper with a newly rebuilt unit from World Wide Auto Imports.
  • Replaced ill-fitting rear rally bumper irons with proper irons sourced from AH Spares. The first set had the bumperettes sitting too far from the rear shroud.
  • Had the HD8 SU carburetors rebuilt with delrin bushings installed by Thomas Bryant. Replaced both fuel bowl floats with nitrophyl floats. Added fuel bowl “Kouzies” from Joe Curto to insulate fuel bowls from exhaust heat and prevent vapor lock.
  • Sealed a persistent oil leak at the rear differential drain plug.
  • Adjusted valve clearances to spec. and sealed the cylinder head stud holes to prevent oil leaks.
  • Replaced the plastic (nylon?) breather fitting on the rear axle with a brass unit sold by Land Rover.
  • Replaced the clutch and brake master cylinders. Inspected the clutch slave cylinder and left it in place. Replace fluid and bled the system.
  • Installed a remote clutch slave cylinder bleeder hose from Ol Phartz Parts.
  • Replaced the original fuse panel with a seven fuse/fourteen terminal unit sourced from Charlie Hart.
  • Fabricated and installed a rear main drip tray below the engine backplate/gearbox to catch oil leaks.
  • Replaced the front cylinder block cover gasket to eliminate an oil leak.
  • Replaced the alternator with a “new” rebuilt unit.
  • Replace the Halogen sealed beam headlights with aftermarket Lucas PL 700 headlights.
  • Replaced the original fuel hose delivery system from the hard fuel line to the carbs with a new design and fittings.
  • Added carburetor ram pipes and ITG air filtration socks.
  • Added an electric pusher fan in front of the radiator.
  • Modified the design of the throttle cable routing to the carburetors from the accelerator pedal.
  • New vinyl for the RH door shut face finisher panel side. Will replace the LH side at a later date.
  • Installed new ignition wires, rotor, and distributor cap and checked the ignition timing.
  • Added a bell housing drain hole for oil leaks from the rear main bearing.
  • Replaced the water pump, mounting studs and gasket, fan belt, and upper and lower radiator hoses. Replaced the stainless steel flex fan with an asymmetric yellow plastic (nylon) fan sourced from AH Spares to reduce noise.
  • Replaced the 195 degree thermostat (for Virginia) with a 160 degree sleeved thermostat (for Florida) sourced from British Car Specialists.
  • Washed, clayed, compounded, polished and waxed the car.

A few things yet to do:

  • Replace rubber in wiper arms.
  • Replace bristle flex draught excluders (door seal) – will complete when hardtop is off the car.

October 2018

It has been approximately ten years since I wrapped up (if you ever really complete a restoration of a Healey) the restoration of the Bloody Beast. He has weathered the ten years quite well – better than me, that is for sure! I have taken good care of the Beast and completed periodic maintenance as one should. There have been a few things along the way that have required attention, such as the failure of the brake master cylinder that led to the replacement of both masters and the clutch slave cylinder while I was at it. However, for the most part, it has simply been fluid changes, tire replacements and etc.

I am sad to report that I have not driven the Healey as much as I should have during the time since I finished the restoration. About a month after I completed the restoration work I drove the Bloody Beast 8,000 miles in a cross-country trip from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to California, up the coast to Victoria, BC and then back to Harrisonburg, VA. Between helping my son with his Bugeye, restoring a 1964 Jaguar MK2, and maintaining the 1987 Alfa, a 1969 MB 280SL and the Porsche in addition to the daily drivers there just wasn’t much time to drive! I am ashamed to say that I only put an additional 2,878 miles on the Healey in the ensuing nine-plus years. Driving, however, is the whole point of having a sports car and that is certainly true for an Austin Healey roadster. My son has now taken the Bugeye to his home. I have sold the Jaguar and the Mercedes. I now intend to spend more time driving the Bloody Beast!

After almost ten years I thought it might be healthy to go over the car carefully and examine the condition of components, check tolerances, and replace items that typically wear – even though they might be in operable condition at the moment. I will be making myself a list of items, that will probably not be in any particular order, and I will undertake some of the work as the list is added too over time. I will gradually need to accumulate parts for the work to be done.

For those who read this post, I hope you will contribute through your comments and make suggestions about anything, but particularly about items that should be added to my ten year renewal list. To be clear, an item on the list, an oil change for example, doesn’t mean that it is only to be done every ten years. I will make entries on this post chronologically as items are accomplished. I will keep a ten year renewal checklist as a separate post and add to it as I think about items to address. I will organize this list based on the categories of the Workshop Manual.

So, lets start this project! The most recent actions are listed first: Ten Year Renewal Blog