The Sprite Forum

I am in need of 2 Inner Fulcrum Pin Bolts/Wishbone Mounting Bolts, and Moss has them currently on Back Order for more than 30 days. I rebuilt Bugsy's Front Suspension about 18 months ago, assembled and properly lubed bolts. PS everything unbolted without a hitch. DS, both bolts frozen up and rusted in place. Had to use the SawZall to cut apart.

Bugsy is in final wet sanding and painting is scheduled to start in the next few days. Still hoping to make the Tampa All British Show on 10/26.

Anyone got a spare set of these wishbone mounting bolts in their spare parts kit. Please PM me if you have available. Thanks.


Part # QTY Description Order Date
264-145 2 BOLT, W/WASHER, INNER FULCRUM 8/6/19

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Jim Gruber - Apollo Beach, FL
Bugsy IV - '60 Bugeye - 1,275+.040 and a 5-Speed - CA Car - 2nd Owner from new - Driving It Like I Stole It!
A truly rust free, garaged in Los Angeles for 57 years Bugeye
Mr. MAX - '04 Miata MAZDASPEED w Factory Turbo - Zoom Zoom Fun and Fast!

FL is rust belt "2" ...or haven't you heard... any old ones will work too.,,, easy to pound out and replace on the fly.. other dealers or VB ?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2019-09-11 06:27 PM by earthur44.

I think I have some, I’ll take a look after work.
In the meantime it looks like BPN has them..

https://www.bpnorthwest.com/austin-healey/sprite/suspension/bolt-and-washer-inner-fulcrum-pin-sprite-midget.html

When you live 3 miles from the Gulf yes Rust is a concern.

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Jim Gruber - Apollo Beach, FL
Bugsy IV - '60 Bugeye - 1,275+.040 and a 5-Speed - CA Car - 2nd Owner from new - Driving It Like I Stole It!
A truly rust free, garaged in Los Angeles for 57 years Bugeye
Mr. MAX - '04 Miata MAZDASPEED w Factory Turbo - Zoom Zoom Fun and Fast!

Bummer Jim, I have a place two blocks from the Pacific Ocean.. EVERY metal rust...alum oxidizes... Chromium nails only,,, roof, siding... you name it..... humidity adds a triple threat..... Mine is only a summer house,, My BE is in the high plains on the other side of the mountains... wish you well...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-09-11 07:28 PM by earthur44.

Looks like LBCC also has them along with BPNW. So i’ll Call off the search for everyone’s spare parts. Thanks all.

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Jim Gruber - Apollo Beach, FL
Bugsy IV - '60 Bugeye - 1,275+.040 and a 5-Speed - CA Car - 2nd Owner from new - Driving It Like I Stole It!
A truly rust free, garaged in Los Angeles for 57 years Bugeye
Mr. MAX - '04 Miata MAZDASPEED w Factory Turbo - Zoom Zoom Fun and Fast!

I was able to source this AM from BPNW. I got the last 2 they had in stock. Here on 9/19. Thanks Team.

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Jim Gruber - Apollo Beach, FL
Bugsy IV - '60 Bugeye - 1,275+.040 and a 5-Speed - CA Car - 2nd Owner from new - Driving It Like I Stole It!
A truly rust free, garaged in Los Angeles for 57 years Bugeye
Mr. MAX - '04 Miata MAZDASPEED w Factory Turbo - Zoom Zoom Fun and Fast!

In UK AH Spares have them. I would fit a polybush kit Polyurethane kit 3XC Front Upper Trunnion Bush. With the £ going downhill v the $ due to Brexit UK prices are all in your favour!

Eric,

Going in with Purple Poly Bushings. Got them on sale a few weeks ago for ~ $70.00. Kit is for a later Spridget but all of the front Bushings are the same and I can use. With I could find Rear in Purple Poly. Radius Arm Bushings after 18 months are already looking worn. I will be adding 1 leaf from a 10 Stack Spring Set into the middle of the spring stack and removing the same sized spring out of the 15 leaf set. Trying to stiffen up the rear a little. I already cut bump stops down be about 3/4". With two in the car I was hitting the bump stops too often. Shocks are new. Straps being replaced with set from Strapping Lad. Old Rebound Straps still looked good when I rebuilt the rear end 1 1/2 years ago. Now after some spirited thrashing they are totally trashed and cracking ready to break. All in time as I get it back together,

My B-I-L needs his garage space back by beginning of October. Bugsy reassembly will need to move to my garage. Fortunately I now have a 3 car garage.All parts go in the 3rd Bay and Bugsy will be in the 2nd Bay. Kate will not be happy with that as we just got garage emptied so that 2 cars can fit in there. But for a short while. Driving season in FL for LBC's is about to start in October as weather finally cools down.

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Jim Gruber - Apollo Beach, FL
Bugsy IV - '60 Bugeye - 1,275+.040 and a 5-Speed - CA Car - 2nd Owner from new - Driving It Like I Stole It!
A truly rust free, garaged in Los Angeles for 57 years Bugeye
Mr. MAX - '04 Miata MAZDASPEED w Factory Turbo - Zoom Zoom Fun and Fast!

the issues go on and on... would investigate the springs for sure.. the fifteen are a stiff lot no doubt...but... they can, as with all springs loose their properties and sag.. that of course will allow them to hit the rebound rubber on a simple bump.. replacing an interspring or two will bring the sprung height back but not sure of the rest..I have always said a respringing outfit would be able to measure against specs in the manual... you will want to cover the bases on the old list.. like,,, do the shocks have the right primary and secondary arm lengths?... assume nothing... Were they filled up with fluid before mounting? No leaks even if new.... is the spring box solid?... is the attachment plate above the spring solid and in the proper position? no stripped threads? FYI, new correctly threaded bolts are not common... I had to go to a specialty screw supplier for the two long bolts screwing to the plate on top! Are all four bolts tightened down and then retightened after use? did you only tighten down those bolts when the car was laden on the ground? And my last tidbit that is hidden in the manuals is the drivers side has a different rated spring than the passenger side... in the manuals written for the domestic market say they are mounted the opposite to the US market.. therefore, if you read the R and the L on OEM springs the R is for our Lett or drivers side and L to our passenger side...Now you might mutter to yourself how silly is that... But keep in mind this is a 1450 lb. two seater sports car.... so adding all the steering, braking and a 200 lb driver to one side is a bigger deal than on any other car produced..maybe ever



Edited 16 time(s). Last edit at 2019-09-12 04:57 PM by earthur44.

Wow, I have two of these $10 shipped sitting in my garage. Just posted in the FS section today, one day too late! https://www.ahexp.com/forum/buy-sell-and-trade-forum.7/cleaning-out-our-garage-of-sprite-parts.215540/

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Inherited my father's 1958 AH Sprite, currently restored (not painted) from bare metal and rusty parts out of cardboard boxes after 40+ years in storage.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-09-12 02:21 PM by lewisracing.

Eric,

No rust back there. This car spent 57 years living garaged in Los Angeles before I acquired from the original owner. Totally solid. Shocks rebuilt by Peter Caldwell. And no I’m not about to tell Kate she needs to go on a diet before she rides in Bugsy with me. I’m not suicidal.

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Jim Gruber - Apollo Beach, FL
Bugsy IV - '60 Bugeye - 1,275+.040 and a 5-Speed - CA Car - 2nd Owner from new - Driving It Like I Stole It!
A truly rust free, garaged in Los Angeles for 57 years Bugeye
Mr. MAX - '04 Miata MAZDASPEED w Factory Turbo - Zoom Zoom Fun and Fast!

Ha Ha Ok, I know your on top of it. Frustrating when you've gone through all the hoops and results aren't as you wished.. I never would infer anyone would weigh as much as 200 lb except myself at 6' 1" and out of shape these days..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-09-13 08:12 AM by earthur44.

An original 1/4 elliptic -15 leaf- beside the old spring I took out. Had to drill the two long bolts out that going into the spring plate on top of the spring. The 10 leaf heavy duty spring listed by BMC as an extra have different long bolts from the normal 15 leaf spring bolts. Is there a torque loading on these long bolts? Note how the tension on them has compressed the spring..

Eric, not sure what or where your going with this.. If your thinking of refurbishing the 15 then there are different ways to go.. some disassemble and figure it out... surface rust is one thing … heavy pitting is another or even cracked leaves.. you don't really know until you get into it.. If you trash that idea and get the 10 then your up against making other adjustments to bring the height down to spec...