Comments for Speedwell Engineering

Comment on Relatively recent/ongoing projects by peter knightley

peter knightley — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:00:44 +0000

very nice web site, own a very modified 1960 sprite which could do with some of
your goodies. Keep up the good work Pete stoke gabriel devon UK ( do you fancy some pictures?

Comment on Tire Pressure? We don’t need no stinking tire pressure by Ron

Ron — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:44:55 +0000

WEll I dropped my tire pressure to 22 p.s.i. and travelled the same road on yet another rainy day here in CAL. winter seems to have grabbed a hold on what is supposed to be spring. Car felt much smoother over bumps and railroad tracks. I was a bit hesitent at the turn where I had previously spun out, but the car held its own. thanks for the sugustion. I was supprised to notice that the tire walls bulged only slightly wider and the tred did not cup as I expected it to.
Thanks again Ron

Comment on Tire Pressure? We don’t need no stinking tire pressure by Ron

Ron — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:29:24 +0000

well I am running 13″ x 8.5 wide tred @ 32 PSI and just had a spin out taking a left turn on slightly wet city street.
I travel this road regularly. I will take your suggestion of 22PSI and will let you know what happens @ this same turn at a similar speed and condition.

Comment on Sprite Mk1 Restoraton by Tom Spangler

Tom Spangler — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:28:18 +0000

Tom, I’ll bring up the pictures of the bonnet Lanse took so you can add them to the site. Lanse cut and added metal, removed metal, but no bondo.

Comment on Some older photo’s by Jerry Etzel

Jerry Etzel — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:32:40 +0000

Tom,
We really had some great times with these old race cars.
The real story about the Rolex Enduro in 1993 is that your driving and great pit stops had us 2nd overall to the “NASCAR” Aston DB4 with 30 minutes to go. My best was not good enough to keep ahead of the 2 liter 356′s.
You are the best!
Jerry

Comment on Some older photo’s by John Alpers

John Alpers — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 21:40:59 +0000

Tom, you reference your blue monza Sprite from the old days. I have a Speedwell Sprite first raced at a SCCA regional/Riverside Raceway by Tom Dadson on April 5, 1972, the logbook signed off on by Jerry Stevens, chief scrutineer. The logbook says the car was blue in color; the serial number is BAE/36047 and the rollcage configuration to the one in your above article is the same. In May 1982 the car was bought by Mark David Bjostad and rebuilt by Dave Helms, Scuderia Rampante, Boulder CO, 303-938-9000. It had the monza bonnet on it at that time, according to Helms. March 1990, the car went to Gayle Louise Galvin. Gary Curtis, now the chief driving instructor of Brainard Intl. Raceway, raced the car in the 1993 and 1994 Minneapolis Grand Prix, placing first in group in ’93 and second in group in ’94. The last owner before me was Ralph M. “Pete” Towell who bought the car in 2003. The car started out it’s racing career with a 981 cc engine but, somewhere along the way it was upgraded to the 1275 cc unit, as are most racing Sprites.

I am very interested in anything you might be able to add to m knowledge of the history of this car. Thanks for your time on this and I look forward to hearing from you. John Alpers

Comment on Tire Pressure? We don’t need no stinking tire pressure by Joel Young

Joel Young — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 14:41:17 +0000

I was reluctant to try this, especially with the ‘battle zone’ pavement conditions in New Mexico. However, emboldened by the razor-like tracking yielded by my Speedwell tapered wheel bearing kit, I reduced the pressure in my 165/70 R13 radials to 22 psi and headed up the ramp onto I-40. There is a rain-grooved stretch that used to yank my ’67 Midget around like a politician facing a runoff election. As it approached, I notched it up to 70 mph, took my hands off the wheel, and… Shazam! Tom’s right! Drifting around the on-ramps is a little less skittish, too. Whaddya know!

Comment on Some older photo’s by Paul Clark

Paul Clark — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:55:14 +0000

Hi Tom,

Enjoying reading your blog.

Whatever happened to your beautiful Walker Bonnet? You used to list it with your other fibreglass products but it no longer features on the latest site.

What’s the story behind the development? Is there more to it than moving the headlamps to the wings. I’d love to know more. Since first seeing it in Daniel Stapleton’s book I’ve wondered how I could source one for my Sprite. It so suits the Sprite, and is in my view the most beautiful front end available. I’m guessing it is unique to your shop & that there are no UK retailers. Are you aware of any in the UK? Have you ever shipped one?

How about some more pictures of it to remind us what we are missing?

Thanks for your time, keep up the great work.

Regards

Paul

Comment on SPEEDBLOG ! by Luke Lambruschini

Luke Lambruschini — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:59:27 +0000

Tom, keep up the great job and keep blogging. I wish I had your style on my website – you indeed must have found it boring!

Comment on Some older photo’s by Joel Young

Joel Young — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:55:13 +0000

Love the new website (and the aluminum radiator you weld up for my ’67 Midget), but I’m starting to question your engineering methods. I mean, using a bikini-clad brunette to run stress cycles on your roll bars? Any sane and sober gear-head would’ve used a blond. I was contemplating ordering your tubular anti-sway bar and pan-hard rod, but shudder to think how you might ‘bench test’ those beauties…