# Way O.T. 1:1 engine rebuild video



## smalltime (Jun 3, 2006)

Really, Really cool.

Stop action is not dead.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

That's freaking BRILLIANT... Is that the one that was posted on Jalopnik in the last few days?

--rick


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## chuck_thehammer (Oct 24, 2007)

This is real nice. thanks for sharing.


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## smalltime (Jun 3, 2006)

ParkRNDL said:


> That's freaking BRILLIANT... Is that the one that was posted on Jalopnik in the last few days?
> 
> --rick


I don't know about that site, I got it from Practical Machinist.


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## 440s-4ever (Feb 23, 2010)

That's awesome! 

The moment I saw the Black & Decker workmate being used like that, knew it was going to be a british video  The guys across the pond LOVE those things


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## ggnagy (Aug 16, 2010)

Gah.. Stanpart. They might as well expect to be on auto-repeat for real. My wife's Midget has that abomination in it.


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## tjetsgrig (Nov 1, 2009)

Just saw that on the HAMB!


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

That was great Smalltime! It's like Don says, it's all about attention to detail.


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

smalltime that was a real interesting and fun video...thanks for posting it!!

Bz


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

Very, very cool video. Small very heavy chunk of iron with very heavy moving parts. So very British, or very un-Italian? LMAO!!!!!!!!!! Tubular pushrods were like rocket science, as were lifters that couldn't double as paper weights......... 

I love my workmate. Only problem is I have so much crap in my garage at the moment that I have to set it up in the driveway :freak:

Old Triumph engines like that one look a lot like earlier MG stuff, but the mid 1970's bored-out 1500cc Triumph was an abomination. They stuck em in the legislated high ride, heavy, rubber bumper, underpowered, thoroughly ruined Midget to complete the curse. The original "A" series engine was better in every way. At least that one doesn't have the Zenith Stromberg semi non-adjustable fuel drooler of a carb. 

My favorite description of a Midget, by it's owner, was something like "British Motor Toad." Get an early one and they can scoot. 

Always reinforced the center bearing cap to keep the darn crank from flexing on 3 main bearing engines!


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## ggnagy (Aug 16, 2010)

SplitPoster said:


> Very, very cool video. Small very heavy chunk of iron with very heavy moving parts. So very British, or very un-Italian? LMAO!!!!!!!!!! Tubular pushrods were like rocket science, as were lifters that couldn't double as paper weights.........
> 
> I love my workmate. Only problem is I have so much crap in my garage at the moment that I have to set it up in the driveway :freak:
> 
> ...


First thing we did with our 1500 was toss on twin hs2's on a 1300 manifold. 

Much prefer my 1275s. Limited Prep running to 7k all day long. Still kickin VW *ss and taking h-word names.


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

ggnagy said:


> First thing we did with our 1500 was toss on twin hs2's on a 1300 manifold.
> 
> Much prefer my 1275s. Limited Prep running to 7k all day long. Still kickin VW *ss and taking h-word names.


Word. All I got left are some stepped washers for header studs, a jet wrench or two... and my autographed copy of David Vizzard's book. Will revisit F Prod some day, I think.


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## ggnagy (Aug 16, 2010)

SplitPoster said:


> Word. All I got left are some stepped washers for header studs, a jet wrench or two... and my autographed copy of David Vizzard's book. Will revisit F Prod some day, I think.


Only if you want to race a Me otter. F Prod is filling up with refugees from SM. H Prod is where it is at.


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

ggnagy said:


> Only if you want to race a Me otter. F Prod is filling up with refugees from SM. H Prod is where it is at.


that would work... biggest car regret I have is letting a couple of HP bugeyes get away years ago. Neither was race ready back then but both had history. Always was an HP fan back to the Randy Canfield days. Big fan of limited prep, not that I can afford to do anything right now. What division are you in? (Glad this is O/T).


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

Since you guys are knowledgable on classes....
when I purchased my Bug eye I suspected it was a former racer which was confermed after sanding the paint to reveal the door number and the class H/G. Any clue as to what class might be? The car currently sports a Datsun A12 motor with a Datsun 4spd. It also has front Datsun disks as well as rear Datsun drums.


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## ggnagy (Aug 16, 2010)

SplitPoster said:


> that would work... biggest car regret I have is letting a couple of HP bugeyes get away years ago. Neither was race ready back then but both had history. Always was an HP fan back to the Randy Canfield days. Big fan of limited prep, not that I can afford to do anything right now. What division are you in? (Glad this is O/T).


What do you mean, "back to"? I share paddock space and crew with Randy at Summit Point. :thumbsup: 82 and can still run near lap record times, but he is just racing mostly regionals these days. If that was not clue enough. I am in the DC region, and I am primarily racing the the MARRS regional series, but will be partaking in my first National as a driver up in Pittsburgh later this month. 

Reposting this link I had in another thread. VIR SARRC/MARRS 2003. 

My uncle also raced out of the NE, and went to the runoffs a number of times in CSedan in a mini and F Prod in a Spit 1500 between 75-86


Odd Rods, 

That is strange, as G and H are two different classes, based on performance potential. Sometimes people would list both classes they wanted to run in, and cross out the letter, with tape, that they were not in for a given race. Could possibly give extra track time, or let two or more share a car. However, with a very few exceptions, the Bugeye only raced in H Production. 
Depending on how long ago your car was raced, I can make a couple guesses on exceptions. 
1. There was a VERY short period of time when the original Bugeye Sprite could be entered in either G Production or H production. The difference was the addition of some factory race parts. We are talking 60-61 time frame. Once the newer Midget/Sprite came out with the slightly larger motor, the bugeye was no longer allowed in G Production. 
2. If one exceeded the rules for production in the 50s and most of the 60s, you were bumped up to a new classification group called Modified. They also used letters for performance potential. So a car might run in H for production, and then make a change that would put it in G Modified. Shelby American used to famously do this with the Cobra, running it in A Production and C Modified. 

Of course, this is all written in respect to the SCCA rules as they were. There were other race bodies that would adopt some or all of the SCCA rules, and might make tweaks to better meet their membership wants and needs.


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

The G Mod guess is a pretty good one. Class G was originally, according to my reference book published in 1956 (before my time BTW) 751cc to 1300cc. The upper limiit came down over time. The 948 the Bugeye came with would have fit there if that classification was still used for Modified classes. Mind you, all that would have needed to have been done to force a move from Production to Modified would be a set of wider wheels - most anything not as delivered back then. 

It's a shame there isn't a roll bar with the car, or is there one with parts? (All British cars come with a trailer load of parts). When they started requiring them, they initially used all types back then, from small hoops to "tripods" even. There may be evidence of that in the car. When SCCA started doing it, the roll bar would have the logbook number stamped into it, with region number and sequential number of the logbook. It could tell you where the car was initially inspected and approved, and an inquiry to SCCA archives MIGHT tell you the specifics about the owner, driver and date the number was issued. 

GGagny - the last time I remember seeing Randy Canfield at the Runoffs his blue (?) car was a bit bent. That was a long time ago, and i haven't been to the Runoffs since they left Road Atlanta. Very glad to hear he is still running strong - that is exactly what I want to be doing when I am 82. Have only been to Summit Point once, 2 years ago, and then I was on the S/F flagstand the entire time, so I never got to see the track!!! Afla 100th anniversary convention time trials 2 years ago, of course I spoke up ahead of time and volunteered..... There are some old Prod racers around here who do mostly vintage, tag along a little bit. Not in a position to let that bug bite me now...... as bad as I would like to roll up my sleeve. nuff said.


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

No roll bar. It was welded in origonally. No trailer load of spares either. It was beat to within an inch of it's life before I got it. I thought it was fairly rust free. Key word was thought! There was a 2ft square section of the bonnet that had been crudely cut out and replaced with a JC Whitney type plastic scoop. This is how it looks now.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

It looks happy!!


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

perky smile, round cheery cheeks, bright eyes. yep, happy. LOL


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

I think it's happy because It's no longer going to the crushers!


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## ggnagy (Aug 16, 2010)

*All bugeye's are happy*

these pictures are someone elses and from 09, but this is pretty much as how Randy's car looks today. He has had two cars over his close to 50 years of racing, and you are probably remembering the end of chassis 1. They have been Midnight Blue for a long, long time.
Pocono 
Pocono Tech Shed


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

That Bugeye is as cool as it gets, and it does look happy! The Canfield pics are fantastic. You're right, I couldn't remember if his car was dark blue or black, but as a young guy all I wanted to do was race prod cars. Managed to race Spridgets once or twice, there's a story there and I made a good friend in the process. But never fulfilled that dream completely. A friend nearby bought two retired MW Div Spridgets, to go with all his other old smallbore race cars I guess. He has mentioned he doesn't really need both. If the hole in my wallet gets sewed up one of them would be tempting. 

A group of guys in Jackson Mississippi bought used Bugeyes in the 1960's when they were cheap, and they raced 5 of them. Team Frog. The first one was called the Happy Frog. I "rescued" that car about 25 years ago, it was sitting outside. It was a few years before I started racing, and I sold it a few years later when I couldn't afford to prepare a cheap Prod car and could manage a cheap IT car. The only piece I have left is a bent conrod... I didn't bend it, but that's what got the car parked in the first place. Wish I could have kept the rest of it! The first aforementioned friend wrote one of the Frogs off at Pensacola NAS in the old ARRC days, rolled it 6 times he said. I still remember that stronger front stub axles and double bearing rear hubs have been the way to go for some time......


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