[Spridgets] Story about a hardtop

[Linda Grunthaner]

Tim thanks for getting us started in our Spritely adventures and I love
your choice of blue on your white Spridget, stunning and great story not to
mention motivating us to do some work on our LBC's or just parts in the
shed or garage.

Wow Bill's hardtop story was so expensive, what an adventure of Spritely
money spent for the love of our Spridgets. Wow I never knew a Bugeye Bonnet
can fit into a van as seen in Rick's van, what year & model is that to fit?

My story is when Frank Clarici RIP was building his daughter's "Lady Bug"
he needed a Bugeye bonnet. I had a red one in my garage and knew where it
had to go. I look back over 15 years ago, perhaps closer to 20 and I picked
that bonnet up myself and slid it on top of my favorite car, a 1994 Saturn
wagon "myself". I strapped it down and headed for my 35 mile trip on the
Garden State Parkway.

In 2016 I bought another Bugeye bonnet (can't turn down a good deal on a
Spridget part). I hung in the garage several years ago all by myself but
using a lot of ratchet straps for leverage and hoisting support. I don't
know which harddrive has that bonnet picture of Lady Bugs bonnet on my
Saturn but it is somewhere and once found I will post it. Now my daily
driver a 1985 Nissan 720 truck I carried  my last bonnet in it (hopefully
my last). I don't know what makes me buy bonnets or hardtops for my
Spridgets or any parts for that matter but I'm getting closer to turning my
head at a good deal.

Enjoy and keep the stories coming,
1962 California Sprite "Pinky"
Linda

I SEE I ONCE AGAIN FORGOT TO PRESS "SEND" ....UGH!


On Tue, Mar 24, 2026 at 9:25 AM Tim Collins via Spridgets <
spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:

> Back in  September of 2022 Rick Fisk posted a Spridget hardtop as a give
> away item. After a day or so I sent Rick a note saying if no one else
> wanted the hardtop I would take it rather than have it get trashed. Rick
> responded; "Come and get it." Several others were interested until they
> learned where Rick lives.
>
> I'm 33 miles away from his home so getting the top was "easy." Easy is in
> quotes because I don't have a truck. I drove to Rick's in my (at the time)
> 2002 Mercury Sable "grandma car." - inherited from my mother-in-law. The
> top wouldn't fit in the car easily no matter how we twisted it. I finally
> lashed it to the open trunk lid - partly in the trunk - and drove home.
>
> My wife had passed away 5 months prior so I thought this would make a good
> project to keep me busy.
>
> Here's what I learned about restoring a fibreglass hardtop;
> I don't like working with fibreglass
> Free is quite expensive
> Parts may be available - somewhere else in the world, but not nearby
> Some parts are not available - anywhere
> I had fun with the project! Maybe the most important part of this story.
>
> The hardtop was missing one sidelight. I made a pattern and went to a
> glass company with an aluminum pattern to be sure I would get a perfect
> fit. On the second try they made a window that matched the pattern. The
> cost was in the neighborhood of $168, but it is tempered glass as it should
> be. McGregor British Car Parts in Canada was able to provide most trim and
> seal parts except for the window seals for the sidelights. I never did find
> an exact replacement so I ended up buying the closest size I could find and
> then trimmed some off to fit. It's not perfect, I couldn't use the lock
> strip, trade offs were made. I chose a MG blue paint, Iris Blue - I don't
> know why, it just worked for me.
>
> It isn't that heavy, but putting it on by myself wasn't easy and as I get
> older it won't get any easier. So, I put a hoist on the ceiling of my
> garage which also provides an elevated storage location. That's another
> story.
>
> Thanks again to Rick for the hardtop!!!
>
> Here's some before and after pics.
> [image: sprite top 2.jpeg]
> [image: 20240912_163214.jpg]
> [image: 20250528_084837.jpg]
> I couldn't find a good pic of the sidelights in the weather seal. These
> pics have temporary plastic sidelights.
>
> Tim Collins
>
> ------------------------
>
> spridgets at autox.team.net
>
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-- 
"Pay if forward" in honor of Frank Clarici III, Spritenut
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