Description The car was purchased from Charterhouse Auctions on 15th April 2015. The car was in reasonable condition but needed a full restoration costing £26K including, all receipts held. The car was dry stored by the original owner between 1995-2015. The car was stripped and every component checked prior to careful assembly. The engine and running gear were completely stripped and where possible restored to as new. The specification of the engine and work carried out are as below: - The Inspiration for decision to increase capacity from 948 to 998 SPECIAL TUNING FOR THE MIDGET AND SPRITE- British Leyland- in car file Keith Calver 998 tuning, further options- in car file. 948 makes 43HP, Modified 68-72 HP (60%+) Aim: To produce an reliable engine that looks completely original but has been carefully modified to provide increased power and much better drivability. List of improvements carried out, most parts from Calver Special Tuning Ltd, 24/06/15 inv 1129 on file. Specification Cylinder Head: Stage 3 small-bore- Keith Calver 998 +020” High Silicone Squeeze cast pistons 10.3:1 compression, A+ rods, press fit pins. Steel Rocker assembly 1.3:1 Cam Followers- specially made, ground & hardened- Calver Camshaft- Piper BP255 hi-torque Duplex timing gear with IWIS chain Timing cover 1098 for clearance Special mains caps hardened washers- ARP Spin on oil filter housing Huco 133010 electric pump fitted, low pressure auto switch off and very quiet. New fuel tank fitted June 2023 Work done- Perret Engineering, Henstridge, Somerset- 24/02/16 Crankshaft reground, machine rear main bearing cap to accept lip seal conversion Reface flywheel to accept 1275 Clutch & fit new ring gear Dynamically balance Crank, flywheel & clutch assembly- Sigma Engineering Chemically clean block, core plugs +oil gallery bungs, Big end & Main bearings +0.30” + Thrusts. Re-bore, hone, reface block, fit a+ conrods to pistons provided. Catch tank for breathing fitted LCB manifold, stainless, insulated/Lava Wrap, Sports exhaust to match. Cooling-engine- Electric fan with 95 degree stat, very quiet & much more efficient. Distributor Lucas 25D, upgraded with Accuspark Electronic ignition, sent to H&H ignition services, adjust curve to road sport spec (Calver recommended). Carbs HS2- completely overhauled, major repair kit from SU Burlen, Salisbury Butterfly valve shaft bushes (line bored) Talon engineering Yeovil 24/09/15 Inlet manifold matched to head. Malpassi fuel regulator fitted. K&N Pancake air filters bought from USA Gear Box & Diff Original smooth case sent to Heathrow Trans. To fit new 1098 gear set, much better than 948 and retains outward appearance. Suspension:
World Wide Auto improved Dampers, bearing & lip seals, 20% uprated, can’t buy better. Option for Peter May Panhard rod if required, 5/8” anti-roll bar fitted. Braking:
Disc brakes are in perfect order, no servo required and duel master cylinder was refurbished. Kunifer brake pipes were used throughout for longevity. Steering Rack in excellent shape, car had Mk2 Wheel and later Column, so this have been replaced with new old stock Column and restored Mk1 Wheel. Tyres:
Modern Goodyear tyres fitted initially, but ride was pour, so contacted Blockley and they they said it would transform the ride, what a difference! Body Restoration:
The body was sent to North Dorset car repairs, directly across the road from my industrial unit, to enable me to check progress and make sure no short cuts were taken, to achieve the best finish possible. The bonnet was in exceptionally good condition after stripping to make sure no repair sections were needed. The car when bought didn’t have seatbelts, so I bought original spec type, a chap at Gerards garage in the states had exact drill requirements (these are on file). Equipment:
New hood & Tonneau (Don Trimming), also side screen frames were very good & original, so I bought new Perspex types and fitted them myself, must better that pattern parts. Original Jack & handle. Interior Carpets made Danbury Car Carpets to get an exact match with the AH Healey seat & trim panels. Receipts Full A4 Lever arch file, shows all info & receipts totally £26,500, my labour (extensive!) FOC. |