1968 Sprite Alpine data

[David_374368528]

I've posted in the "introduce yourself" section that we're re-commissioning my parents' old Alpine and I was looking for advice on a number of points.

I've now found the original owners' manual and have discovered the following -

Ex works weight - 584kg,

Max axle load - 750kg

Would I be correct to assume that the 750kg is the gross weight which is supposed to be marked on the van (but is long gone)?

The brakes are listed as Girling ML, either 8" or 9" (I'll need to check). Any idea where I can get parts for these (although they seem to be OK)?

Any help would be gratefully received.

 

[RayS]

Oh nostalgia - my first 'van. From memory I think you are right about the gross weight. Be worth checking the weight rating of the tyres currently fitted - which surely can't be the originals - to see that they are up to this figure.

The Girling brakes were the same or very similar to those fitted to the cars of the period, so I would expect that suppliers to car restorers may be able to help. The hubs are secured by the now old fashioned castle nut and split pin, so you can get at the brakes fairly easily.

Try your library for a haynes manual for a similar age car and it will show you the brakes in some detail and give the adjustment method. You may have to try several makes before you get the girling brakes - it was either these or Lockheed in those days.

Once they are set up, you can do small adjustments through a hole in the backplate using the end of a screwdriver to engage sort of gear teeth on a quadrant. There is no complication in the way of automatic reveersing - my van had a swing over catch which prevented the hitch damper from being pushed back 9which actuates the brakes).

Apologies if this is old hat to you; I had lots of good times in my Alpine and it would be nice to see one well restored. (

 

[David_374368528]

Thanks for the reply, Ray.

I'll be spending tomorrow giving the Alpine a good going over. The tyres are about 10 years old, so I think I'll be replacing them anyway (they've only done a couple of hundred miles and the side walls show no cracks - annoying)

My parents paid

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi david

Ray S is correct oh the nostalgia brings tears to the eyes I did not have a sprite but an ace airstream circa 1969 it was 11ft 6in and weighed 10.5 cwt or 1176lbs (535kg) empty so the weight sounds about right to me.

the chasis on most of the old vans was steel so I would make sure it is in good condition if nessesary clean it up with a wire brush and give it a couple of good coats of hammerite.

they were fitted with the same brakes and shock absorbers also.

so they should be easy to renovate, any parts should be available from auto jumbles if you take the parts with you.

if it was me I would service the brakes using copper grease and make sure the drums are not oval and do not bind (BE AWARE THE LININGS WILL BE ASBESTOS BASED BE CAREFUL WITH THE DUST) I would also clean out the wheel bearings and repack with new bearing grease,the brake overun damper should also be checked for operation and remember the old vans did not have automatic reverse brakes so some form of damper lock will be used.

finally if you go onto and join www.carryoncamping.org and contact a poster called "jennybugs" she will probably be able to give you some pointers on resoring an old van as she has just finished doing one up.

good luck with your project and I hope you have many years of service from the old girl.

colin

 

[Robert_374242026]

As with the other guys we also had one , paid

 

[David_374368528]

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

I serviced the brakes and greased the hub bearings yesterday - once the drums were off, it all looked like new. We got it all put together and went for a short shake down run - it was just like old times!

The chassis has quite a lot of surface rust, but it all looks intact - the rust cleaned off quite readily with a wire brush and when I gave the rails a tap with a hammer there was a nice clean "clang". It's been sitting in a sheltered driveway where the chassis has not been exposed to rain and has been well ventilated. I'm wondering about giving it a spray of Waxoyl or Dinitrol as these both cling to the surface.

 

[Oldfogey]

I did the chassis of my old van a couple of years ago with waxoil, and it seems to have worked well.

I'm not that impressed with Hammerites' claim to cure rust, I only use it where a posh finish is required, in this case on the A-frame.

 

[David_374368528]

Got the Waxoyl today - time to get out and get under...

 

[Parksy]

Hi David

Good luck with the restoration and if you take photos as you go along I think that they can be posted on here by using photobucket or a similar photographic host site

 

[Parksy]

Hi David

Good luck with the restoration and if you take photos as you go along I think that they can be posted on here by using photobucket or a similar photographic host site

Sorry I omitted to give their web address which is

http://photobucket.com/

 

[RayS]

David, the B&B electric revesing device was a simple solenoid operated plunger which pushed down into a hole in a block fitted to the damper and which effectively performed the same function as the hinge over device but without you having to get out - the solenoid was 12v powered and you wired it to a switch on the dashboard. unfortunately, the damper needed to be exactly alighned for the plunger to engage, and , of course, you couldn't see whether the car needed to go forward a bit or back a bit without getting out....

It came into the category "sounded like a good idea at the time"

Incidentally, my towcar was also fitted with a home made flasher repeater device of which the current sensor was a rred switch inseted in a coil of big gauge single strand copper and held there with evostik etc. etc. it was actually written up in the CC magazine of the time and I got quite a lot of enquiries, but the day job didn't allow the time and effort needed - Mr Hella did it much better shortly afterwards.

 

[David_374368528]

Well, just got back from a 10 day trip to Peebles (didn't want to go too far for the old van's first trip in almost a decade) and the old Alpine did fine - romped along the motorway at 60 and A-roads at 50. We got a few comments along the line of "I remember going on holiday in one of those when I was a kid in the '60s. Does it have the pull-out nylon hammock?"

Great fun for not a lot of outlay - just a few weekends' elbow grease.

 

[RayS]

Thanks for keeping us posted and glad you had a good trip.

I've just got a splendid book - Caravans - An illustrated histor from 1960 by Andrew Jenkinson ISBN 1 - 903706-85-8 which has a detailed history of Sprite and some good pictures of their 'vans including the Alpine. You should be able to get a copy from Amazon. The exact model I had is shown on page 10 with a Morris 1100 towcar. A great read.