YFY 467 has now been delivered to have its bespoke race wiring harness installed it will be away for approximately 10 days and the recent photos show that the installation is well under way. Prior to its delivery Corry Motorsport installed a new race battery in readiness for final testing. The car is one step closer to the engine start up. More photos of the wiring installation can be found via the below gallery button.
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Good news Will Corry is now on the final push to finish my Lenham Sprite! The car has gone to have its race wiring harness installed.
In the meantime Will has been working on the dashboard and what a difference 24 hours can make! Below are before and after shots. The dash has been kept simple and with an in period look. Over the past two weeks Will Corry has restarted works on YFY 467.
Most recently the deep dish Minilites have been powder coated and fitted to the Lenham GT. Once the electrics are sorted and the final touches are completed it will be time to get the car started and then onto the Dyno finalise timing and setting the fuel mixture. The end is near! The Weslake Cup was introduced to the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in 2017, a race series tailored to the popular ‘Spridget’ MG Midget and Austin-Healey Sprite cars, as a tribute to Harry Weslake, the wizard engine builder and tuner who designed the cylinder heads for the A-series engine for the Morris 1000 and Mini. Since then it has broadened out to welcome other small wonders into the fold, with front-wheel drive, Mini-based models spicing up the field. It brings together the multitude of oh-so-small but laugh-out-loud fun sports and GT cars of the late 1950s and ‘60s – all powered by the A-Series engine. Cars like the Ashley GT, Lenham GT, Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite, Ogle SX1000, Fletcher Ogle, Rochdale Olympic, Turner Mk1 and Deep Sanderson 301 all attracted a huge crowd – no surprise when you consider that they are based on some of the most popular cars of the ‘50s and ‘60s. One of the highlights of the 79th Members’ Meeting was the Weslake Cup, the little GT cars lining up for the start omight look cute with their smiling faces, but these lightweight racers put on one heck of a show. Charles Rainford in his fathers SS1800 Lenham GT was overall winner. Both races held have been won by Lenham GT’s. Goodwood 75th Members’ Meeting 2017 This afternoon has been pretty wet so I thought I would watch the Weslake Cup again. For those of you who have not watched it then now is the time! The skills of Richard Woolmer in his WSM Sprite battling hard against James Colburn in the Lenham GT Sprite can only be described as an all sideways affair with so many overtaking masterclasses. The Lenham GT Sprite was restored and race prepared by Westbourne Motorsport. The Lenham GT bodywork is a very early variant and is believed to have started life as Austin Healey ‘Frogeye’ which its chassis was used to build the Lenham GT. From it’s time of build the car has been a competition car for the majority of its life its quality restoration certainly gave the car a competitive edge during the Weslake Cup. This race has it all and just shows you that you don’t need huge power and high tech to have an entertaining race. Oh and by the way watch out for Will Corry who’s also racing in his Sebring Sprite. He had engine problems and his spare engine was used which will be going in YFY467! The build of YFY467 has been a little quiet of the past few months. Mainly due to Will Corry being really busy working with the Aeriel Motor Company and myself saving up the pennies!
When starting out on this project it clear in my mind if I was going to have a Lenham it needs to be the best one ever built. That may sound a bold statement but I want it to be build like it came out of a factory rather than a shed! The planning and dreaming took me over ten years and during this time it was also researching who I would throw the gauntlet to. The thing that steered me to Corry Motorsport was Will’s passion and knowledge for Austin Healey Sprites, his attention to detail, the amazing machines he builds and of course his ability as a race driver. My first telephone call with Will was long but I could here his enthusiasm as I explained what I wanted and by the end of the call he had sold me YFY467 a 1963 MKII Austin Hesley Sprite as my starting point. A solid car he had purchased from an estate sale which was waiting to be loved or in my case butchered but for the right reasons! From the butchery and fabrication skills of Pete at Brookfab, to the amazing paint job completed by Bodyworx YFY467 is really starting to look like the Lenham of my dreams and every time Will sends me new photos it gives me an instant excitement and energy. Will’s Northern Ireland based team all have one thing in common quality and that’s what YFY467 is all about. Always nice to get some update photos from Will Corry. The recored race radiator is back and has been fitted along with the Mocal oil cooler.
The bonnet is also looking more complete with the fitting of the side lights. We now await Pete at Broofabs expert skills in fabricating the exhaust manifold, pedal box and catch tank which are all being bespoke made. Click here to see the latest photos which have been added to the build gallery. Will Corry sent me a few more teaser photos this morning!
The Holes are now sorted for side lights and nose is just set on loosely on the car for now. The number plates and bespoke bonnet badge will be going on next weekend. There are still a few bits to get before the engine can be finished, but it won’t be long now to completion of this unique Austin Healey Lenham GT Sprite. Please do take a look at the build gallery Page The Seats are now fitted and Fuel line will be finished this week things are progressing towards the big day of engine start up!
Lots of new photos have been added to the build gallery! Enjoy Received this photo this evening from Pete at Brookfab who is designing the manifold for YFY 467. He has started designing the Flange. Another step closer to the engine firing up!
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AuthorRob Clubbe is orignally from Wem in Shropshire. At the age of 20 he purchased his first Midget from Dr Sayce and the story begins! Archives
November 2023
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