[Spridgets] Frogeye Rubber Carpets

Ron Soave soavero at yahoo.com
Tue Nov 27 07:31:00 MST 2018


Yeah, but they look correct. To my admittedly quirky eye, carpets look like a toupee no matter what. 

Ron Soave

> On Nov 26, 2018, at 6:13 PM, HealeyRick via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:
> 
> Bob's right.  The originals were pretty terrible.  They were thin, especially around the frame cross pieces and tore easily, which is why so few still exist.  These new ones don't quite cut it in the originality department.  Whether they are an improvement over carpeting, even for someone seeking a concours car, I don't know.  At least the AMCO mats with the aluminum frame covers were a more-or-less period accessory.
> 
> Rick Neville
> 
>> On Mon, Nov 26, 2018 at 5:21 PM Bob Kitterer via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:
>> Unless you are going for a Gold Concours car why would you want them?  The originals were terrible.
>> 
>> 
>> Bob  Kitterer
>> 
>> 1960 Austin Healey Sprite (Mk IV in disguise)
>> 1966 Austin Healey Sprite Mk III (Trevor) - still in boxes
>> 2013 Miata
>> 2017 Mazda CX9
>> 
>> Pay it forward.
>> Thanks Frank
>> 
>>> On Nov 26, 2018, at 11:40 AM, Michael MacLean via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Here is the lengthy response I got from AH Spares with pictures of the prototypes of the ribbed rubber carpets.  I guess they are still tweaking them for more originality at the moment.
>>> Mike MacLean
>>> 
>>> ----- Forwarded Message -----
>>> From: Keith Bates <keith at ah4h.co.uk>
>>> To: rrengineer.mike at att.net <rrengineer.mike at att.net>
>>> Cc: sales at ah4h.co.uk <sales at ah4h.co.uk>
>>> Sent: Monday, November 26, 2018, 6:51:17 AM PST
>>> Subject: Frogeye Rubber Carpets
>>> 
>>> Dear Mr Maclean,
>>> 
>>>  
>>> Many thanks for your email and for contacting our company. It’s great news that word is getting around about our plans to reproduce these rubber mats for the early Sprites. It’s been a personal mission for more than 25 years now and as I’m at the final stages of a 3 year Mk1 restoration I was determined that this car wouldn’t have carpets fitted at any cost. Things evolved further when I managed to find a UK source for ribbed red rubber. The ribs are slightly finer than the original and the red is more terracotta but in many ways it does look like the colour of a 60 year old slightly faded original mat rather than shiny new ones . It’s still in very early stages of development but I’d like to think that we will have something to offer within the next 6 weeks. I have attached pictures of the mats fitted to my own car on which we developed them, plus some of the display that we had on our stand at a Sprite 60th show in England this year. As you can see the plain rubber areas are made of a matching vinyl and stitched to the rubber which works well. The floor mats have been cut in 2 sections and again with the plain area made of matching vinyl but not stitched together. We tried this but the fit was poor so it was decided that trimming the cross member and chassis section in loose vinyl would give a better result and then to lay the cut ribbed rubber pieces over the top. In time we want to look at removing sections of the ribbing to detail the heel mat, the borders and possibly even the circular inscription on the left side of the tunnel with the words ‘Lift Mat To Fill’.  Also another area that we need to investigate into further is the direction of the ribbing on the tunnel sides. I have now seen this in both vertical and horizontal on so called original sets. It maybe that we will need to offer both unless we can determine which is most accurate but both ways is possible.
>>> 
>>>  
>>> With the help of a recognised English Sprite expert and the loan of the patterns he had made many years ago for his own hand made mats, we were able to accurately recreate a good fitting tunnel cover. I must be clear that these mats are not pre-moulded as the originals but are more an acceptable attempt at something close to the appearance and that can be produced and sold for a reasonable price. At the moment it’s too early to give you an accurate price as we don’t yet have all costs  but are hoping to keep the price around the £300 mark for the set including the door liners. Also we would only be able to supply in red and black but are hopeful of blue and green in the future. This may depend on sales as the supplier of the red require a minimum 100 meter order to produce in other colours. We are prepared to invest in this if sales look remotely possible.  We will certainly be making some notable publicity when the kits are ready to sell and I will of course contact you directly to advise.   
>>> 
>>>  
>>> If you need to know more, then please feel free to contact me or call to discuss.
>>> 
>>>  
>>> Best regards,
>>> 
>>> Keith.
>>> 
>>>  
>>>  
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Keith Bates / Sales
>>> keith at ah4h.co.uk
>>> 
>>> A-Head 4 Healeys Ltd.
>>> Office: +44 (0)1788 565 000 / Fax: +44 (0)1788 565 001
>>> 81 Somers Road, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV22 7DG
>>> www.ah4h.co.uk
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>  
>>> On your web site you mention ribbed rubber carpets for the Frogeye.  I could not find them listed in the catalog.  Any information on when they will be available and what price?
>>> 
>>> Mike MacLean
>>> 
>>> San Bernardino, California
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
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