new Nippy owner

[Jeff Taylor]

As others have said and in particular Martin Prior, the engine is a BMC (British Motor Corporation)  'A' series engine and one of the most common engine types in the world. First introduced by the Austin Motor Company in 1951 for the Austin A30 saloon which somewhat confusingly was initially marketed as the 'new' Austin Seven.

I believe your engine number 10CC - Da - H 42084 equates to the following:

10 = 1000 to 1099cc
C  = Austin Healey Sprite / MG Midget
C  = Engine Series C which means it was fitted to later A.H.S / MG.M cars with an increased main bearing size of 2 inch diameter. These particular engines were fitted to both the Mark III Austin Healey Sprite and Mark II MG Midget between 1964 and 1966.
Da = Close ratio centre change gearbox
H = High Compression Head with the serial number 42084

I believe the Austin Healey Sprite / MG Midget were popular cars in the USA so there's probably a number of specialist suppliers of spare parts particularly mechanical spares in the USA should you require any. There's also a large range of readily available workshop manuals / handbooks for these A Series engines.


A Mk III Austin Healey Sprite:  

   

[Martin Prior]

It should be great as a fun car, but the more I look at it, the less Austin Seven I see. Mechanically, including the chassis and all of the running gear, it's all from elsewhere. The body looks to be of Nippy origin, but the floorpan must have been heavily re-worked, the cockpit opening has been extended several inches backwards, the doors have been extended forwards to include much of the scuttle sides, the front wings have been heavily re-worked and the rear wings have been moved outwards to accommodate a wider axle. The steering wheel looks to be from a Morris Minor and the dashboard is homemade.

PS - We can supply the timber frame for the boot lid and can source the sheet metalwork for you.

[Jeff Taylor]

Re your dipstick question - it may be worth asking on the Austin Healey Exp Forum - link below. 

Here in the UK, SC Parts Group Ltd appear to have in stock a used dipstick for Sprites / Midgets built between October 1962 and October 1974 with the 1099cc and 1275cc engines - link below. 
I suppose it's also possible that the sump pan fitted to your engine may be a shallower pan from a different possibly earlier 'A' Series engine hence the reason your dipstick which may of course be the original, doesn't fit properly. I'd email SC Parts Group and ask if they'd be willing give you the measurement of the dipstick they have in stock so you can compare with yours.    

https://www.ahexp.com/forum/the-sprite-f...on.194704/

https://www.scparts.co.uk/sc_en/dipstick...gLPC_D_BwE

Jeff.

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There's more, this time on The MG Experience / MG Midget Forum regarding dipstick lengths and problems similar to your own.

https://www.mgexp.com/forum/mg-midget-fo...h.3500504/

https://www.mgexp.com/forum/mg-midget-fo...504/page-2

Jeff.

[Ralph Miller]

Awesome, this info exactly what I am looking for. 

Yes, heavily modified. Which is going to make things tough. Handbrake,,,,,,what handbrake!

I will check out the suggestions and get back to you with more info and pics. 

Not sure on what to do with the missing boot.....but that can wait. My main mission at this point is to get her moving so I can run her from house to shed to work on her.

Thankyou for the help, back later.

[Jeff Taylor]

Ralph,

Re finding out more information on your engine dipstick / sump pan problems, if you're on Facebook there's a Public Forum "Austin Healey Parts & Cars" with 4.1K members and a Public Forum "MG Midgets & Austin Healey Sprites" with 3.4k members - I'm sure you may find members from Florida with Mk III A.H. Sprites and Mk II MG Midgets on these sites.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1858218614412735/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/45204160930

Jeff.

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Re engine oil, here in the UK a standard 20w/50 oil would normally be used in an A Series engine - obviously it's an awful lot warmer in Florida, so best to ask anyone you know locally who may own and run British built cars from the 1950's, 60s and 70's such as MGB's / Austin Healey 3000's / Austin & Morris Mini's all of which have BMC A & B Series O.H.V. engines and are still very popular collectors cars throughout the USA.


Jeff.

[Mike Costigan]

The steering wheel is definitely Triumph - Spitfire Mk3 or Vitesse (late-1600, 2-litre or Mk2) - as also is the steering column and universal joint; it would be interesting to see what the front suspension is like, there seems to be a distinct lack of coil springs - is it really still on the Austin Seven front suspension!

[Jeff Taylor]

That does appear to be an A7 chassis rail running alongside the engine / carb air filters, but it would seem to be missing the forged front nosepiece unless my eyes are deceiving me and it appears somewhat higher above ground level than it would normally be. I wonder if the original A7 chassis minus its nosepiece is sitting on top  / has been attached to some other lengthened possibly home fabricated chassis structure?

Ralph,

Is that an old pre-war / post war UK tax disc on the side of the car? It would be interesting to know the details so we can discover whereabouts in the UK it was first registered as the original documentation may still exist.

[Mike Costigan]

Good spot, Jeff; that would appear to be either a 1941 or 1953 tax disc.


  1941.jpg (Size: 48.73 KB / Downloads: 214)
  1953.jpg (Size: 44.59 KB / Downloads: 211)

[Hugh Barnes]

or replica thereof..

[Jeff Taylor]

Ralph,

Is that an old pre-war / post war UK tax disc on the side of the car? It would be interesting to know the details so we can discover whereabouts in the UK it was first registered as the original documentation may still exist. There will be a handwritten up to six character entry on the disc of either two letters and up to four numbers or three letters and up to three numbers. On the example shown below the vehicles original UK registration was DEA 276 - it's the two or three letters that are the important part and show which UK County / Local Licensing Authority first registered the car when new. If you can let us know what these letters are, we'll try and find out more information on the car.  

In the example below the letters DEA show that the registration number was first issued by West Bromwich. Further investigation shows that DEA 276 was first issued around mid 1947. 


  Screenshot 2021-09-04 at 16.08.18.png (Size: 299.98 KB / Downloads: 186)