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Just watched the latest episode of Car SOS where the 1962 Austin Healey Sebring Sprite was restored. Tim Shaw went over to Ireland to track down the supposed last remaining engine from the '62' AH Team. When he got to the workshop to talk to the owner, there sat
XLL 27 mid way through restoration and next to it was OBL 45F!! Fantastic stuff and for once a worthy subject of restoration.

Tim

There seemed an odd mentality there, I have the engine. Nothing apparently to fit it too. But I need to keep it.. Might just be a careful edit though to add a little drama.

Dr S wrote:There seemed an odd mentality there, I have the engine. Nothing apparently to fit it too. But I need to keep it.. Might just be a careful edit though to add a little drama.

Yes I would agree with that . I can never see the sense in people hoarding rare parts to do nothing with . I've just sold some items on this site that I've had for a few years . I think when you've come to the point that your not going to use them , then why not put them back in the system . It's got to be like some sort of comfort blanket for them . They will hold on to them until there dying day .... Ken

Interesting that the sprite was a 62 and the engine which was fitted for the next season was a 1071? It was an XSP engine so could it have been a Formula Junior unit or experimental forerunner to the first 'S' engines?

Tim

In the current new series Tim and Fuzz are doing a Coop S on Thursday eve.
Although it's advertised on the tv as a '62 cooper S !?

This is my first post on this site so I hope I have done it correctly!

The owner of the XSP Sprite engine shown in the programme ( Ronnie White ) is a well known collector and authority on BMC cars. Amongst his collection is a Sebring Sprite which has been in his ownership since the very early 1960's. I would imagine that is what the engine was/is intended for as he campaigned the Sebring Sprite extensively in period.

The SOS Sprite is coming over here to N Ireland in a couple of weeks time to be put on display at Cultra hillclimb along with Ronnie's Sebring Sprite and another Sprite recently repatriated from the USA that may well have a "works" connection.

Here is some more history of the 1962 Sebring Sprite 9253 WD, from Sebring Sprite website.

http://www.sebringsprite.com/9253wd.html

Welcome to the forum Blue1300GT.

Many of the members on here are well aware of Ronnie's involvement of all things BMC.

When I watched the program in question, I thought it was really quite disrespectful how he was portrayed as this awkward old curmudgeon. But I guess that is the joy of TV.

Everyone can be made to look weird through a TV camera lens.

Hi Mark & thank you for the welcome. I really enjoy looking in on this site & am amazed at the knowledge that the members have.
Like you I thought the programme a little unfair.
Many years ago I urgently needed a pair of sills for my 1300GT and was reduced to calling at local Rover dealers & asking if I could search through their old stock. I had drawn a complete blank until I called at Ronnie's family dealership. Ronnie asked the storeman to have a look and sure enough two NOS sills were produced after a bit of searching.
Years later I was tidying up an autotest Midget that had originally been supplied by Joshua White's and asked Ronnie if he had any of the old style dealer stickers that were stuck to the dashboard. He asked me to give write down my address & if he came across any he would send me some. Sure enough a couple of months later some arrived in the post.
A real gentleman.

Chewie Baker wrote:In the current new series Tim and Fuzz are doing a Coop S on Thursday eve.
Although it's advertised on the tv as a '62 cooper S !?

what channel?

National Geographic Channel

Blue1300gt wrote:Hi Mark & thank you for the welcome. I really enjoy looking in on this site & am amazed at the knowledge that the members have.
Like you I thought the programme a little unfair.
Many years ago I urgently needed a pair of sills for my 1300GT and was reduced to calling at local Rover dealers & asking if I could search through their old stock. I had drawn a complete blank until I called at Ronnie's family dealership. Ronnie asked the storeman to have a look and sure enough two NOS sills were produced after a bit of searching.
Years later I was tidying up an autotest Midget that had originally been supplied by Joshua White's and asked Ronnie if he had any of the old style dealer stickers that were stuck to the dashboard. He asked me to give write down my address & if he came across any he would send me some. Sure enough a couple of months later some arrived in the post.
A real gentleman.

Welcome to the Mk1 Forum Robert, I agree with you, Ronnie White is a real gentleman without question. I remember years ago at the rallycross he loaned me a drive shaft for my Mini which got me up and running in the final which Ronnie had also made, what a sports man. I have said this before and I'm not alone in thinking that Ronnie White is a real Mini legend unlike others who are only interested in making money out of their past.

Alan

As others have said, and I can't agree more. Ronnie is an absolute gentleman and a living legend. A more modest and humble man does not exist. I've met him a few times and he has some amazing stories to tell. Would love to have the privilege of seeing his collection one day.

minitravellerman wrote:As others have said, and I can't agree more. Ronnie is an absolute gentleman and a living legend. A more modest and humble man does not exist. I've met him a few times and he has some amazing stories to tell. Would love to have the privilege of seeing his collection one day.

Thank you Ian, you summed this issue up 100%. Ronnie White is without question a living legend and a Mini star for sure. I hope to see Ronnie this weekend at Gracehill House which should be some event

Alan

Tim & Fuzz used my cooper s police car in the episode about the cooper s, which is actually a 1962 cooper, in a mk2 cooper s with cooper s running gear. We tried to tell them it was not an S, but they were having non of it .
Hope they show the part about the badges for the boot, see if you can spot the delibrate mistake.

which is actually a 1962 cooper, in a mk2 cooper s with cooper s running gear. We tried to tell them it was not an S, but they were having non of it .

Ha, ha. Sounds about right

Bloody awful what they did to that mans car ! , in my view !, awful seats and trim ,awful and so wrong headling, really awful spot lamps and decals ,even looked the wrong red (not tartan) with my old eyes ! , he had obviously had the car for a long time, it had a shell change and he obviously cherished it, why not just restore it to how he last used it , it bare no resemblance to what he had , My wife says it was like me watching a football match with all the shouting ..... It was always gonna happen !, disappointing , I've enjoyed most of the other shows, I'm not normally as Vocal as this, but if that was one of my old comp cars and they had done that to it, so different from what I had cherished built and used , I'd have gone back in that pub and drowned my sorrows big style !!!!

Then don't have your car restored by someone else for free on the basis of some tear jerking story

I'm sure the BMW 2002 turbo lifelong community have much to fault at the originality of the recent SOS resto. However, I found it a really interesting episode on a really cool car, just what the TV show is for imo. Metalwork and painting easily 20K, mechanical overhaul 10K, interior 3K?

What makes me cringe is Wayne Carini pulling 400K classic Ferrari's out of a shed after standing idle for over 20 years....pour some fresh fuel from a bottle and into the carbs to start the engine without first refreshing oil, rotating the engine by hand or even attempting to establish oil pressure in advance.

That's the trouble with watching TV when you have some knowledge if the subject being featured, I'm sure all the other owners clubs have a similar conversation about the other cars they do

That's the trouble with watching TV when you have some knowledge if the subject being featured.

Couldn't agree more. This is what I ALWAYS say about stuff on TV.

If you know anything about a subject covered on a TV program you think it was rubbish, if you don't it's a fine informative 1/2 hour. Its all to do with where you are viewing from.

TV programs are made to entertain the masses, watching most things on TV, that is what we are most of the time "The Masses".