[Spridgets] Holy Sprite in Fr Jack's hands

[Frank Clarici]

I washed and detailed the Holy Sprite yesterday, gave it a coat of wax 
and touched up a paint chip or 2 under the bonnet.
Even though the 1098 still smokes after a complete head job, but every 
1098 I ever owned smokes even after I rebuild them.
I will try to come up with a 1275 in my swap meet travels.
I still had problems with the adjustment on the master cylinder brake rod.
I have locked up brakes and 1/4 turn from lock up puts the pedal almost 
at the floor. I gave up but it stops even with the pedal real close to 
the floor. At least the brakes are not stuck on.
Any ideas on this? I played with the master rod length and the pedal 
stop bolt, there is no happy medium.
The tranny seal leaks like a sieve and it's new, more Vic Shit useless 
rubber I guess.
I'll get a real one soon and since we did put a hole in the floor for 
the drive shaft access, I can replace the seal from underneath.
Pedal pads are now off the car since they just fall off. Oh they stay on 
as long as no one steps on the brake or clutch.
Again I guess the rubber is "polluted" as it is a month old now.
I have to find a set of VW beetle pads, they fit and stay on.
It has a top and it's on but the frame I scrounged up is not from a 
Sprite, I cut, fiddled and bent something that might have been from an 
MGA that I found out at the storage coop. It was too tall but the width 
was right. I had to install some straps on it to keep the center bow 
from going too far forward but it sort of works.
There are no side curtains, I do not have any, does anybody have a set 
of rebuildable side curtains for a Bugeye?
I do NOT want to deal with anymore cheapo repro rubber, semi decent 
rubber edges would be nice, I can do the channel felt and replace the 
plexi, I just will not buy any more of this reproduction crap they call 
rubber. every piece of rubber on  the Holy Sprite was junk or it's in a 
box marked useless because it wasn't close new out of the package.
If anybody wants a Bugeye bonnet seal that is only 3/16" too thick, let 
me know, 6 guys could not stretch it to fit even after we heated it to 
200* in an oven. I think I have all the fire wall grommets that don't 
fit too, all new. I glass beaded and used all originals because the new 
ones were junk. Be warned, they may have "gone away" by now as they are 
30 days old too.
Fr Jack is happy, I think he is going to post something to the Holy 
Sprite page soon, or have his nephew show him how to post a message to 
the computer. Today he is tooling around the beach towns in his Holy 
Sprite with no side curtains smiling from ear to ear and he thanks and 
blessed all those involved and says "You guys are all CRAZY!" Those who 
met him know exactly how he says this ;)
He is taking the Sprite to the his family's Thanksgiving dinner to show 
it off to the family for the first time.
What's next guys?
My daughter wants her "Lady Bug eye" and I do have a real "floorless" tub ;)

-- 
Frank Clarici
Toms River, NJ