[Spridgets] Robbins/Amco/EZ ON

Kitterer Bob bkitterer at me.com
Fri Jun 4 00:11:01 MDT 2010


The only differences that I have ever seen was rather minor differences in
where some of the lift-a-dots were mounted.  Now some cars did not have
lift-a-dots along the back of the compartment but used the rear top bar mount
- - long or short tonneaus.  As I recall when replacing a top or tonneau from
MG Mitten I did have to install the lift-a-dots.  I have never used NOS tops
or tonneaus but would have expected the material to have shrunk to the point
of being useless.  That was the case with the top that was new when my car
went up on blocks but it was way to small some ten years later even after a
day out in the sun.

The problem that I had with Robbins was that the tops (and tonneau) were just
the wrong size despite their great quality and having patterns that went back
for years.  The first top was the right shape but two inches short of reaching
the windshield even with the top bows collapsed to the max.  Doug said that
letting it lay out in the sun for a bit would stretch it enough to go on and
if I could not do it his installer could.  This may have been true, assuming
that they did not break the windshield in the process, and it would have
looked great in a car show.  But we needed a top that two old f**ts could
install on a cold rainy day to keep us dry.  The next top they delivered was
for a Mk III and top number three was some combination of a BE and a Mk
something and hung over the windshield by about three inches.  Most of
annoying was that Doug measured my car, lift-a-dot locations, noted and marked
up an old tonneau then delivered a cover with corners radiuses that totally
missed the lift-a-dot locations making it worthless.  This was a
non-refundable tonneau because it was in white which they were no longer
listing.

Very sad for a very old company which other wise has a great product.

Bob Kitterer

1960 Austin Healey Sprite (Mk IV in disguise) - in storage
1966 Austin Healey Sprite Mk III (Trevor) - still in boxes - in storage
2000 Miata Special Edition - in storage

On Jun 3, 2010, at 8:31 AM, Jim Johnson wrote:

> Interesting observation, Bob.  I wonder if there is variance in the bodies
> of our Spridgets??  That is other than model to model...    I wonder how
> exacting the construction standards were and how accurate the jigs were?
>
> Cheers!!
> Jim


More information about the Spridgets mailing list