Sid,
I spoke to Simon just after he sold the car. He told me the guy who bought it remembered it from the 70's and intended to put it in the showroom of his company, somewhere in London. He said he might also try to race it but obviously hasn't. So as far as I know it is still in the UK
Bit of history. We bought the car (in lime green metalflake) from Dave Miller in 1985. We raced it for a couple of years under the name Radical Ride. The car had a habit of breaking the gearbox (an old 3-speed PA Cresta box) the diff or a halfshaft a every meeting. In 1992 I completely rebuilt the car, adding (over 5 years) a clutched 3-speed auto box, slider clutch and Quaiffe LSD. By 1997 the spec was:
Engine: 1293cc (79cu in) Leyland 'A' series (Mini) engine. EN40B nitrided, steel crank, polished and shot-peened Cooper 'S' rods, forged racing pistons. Dave Miller fuel pump and fuel-injection system. Roots type 'cabin blower' supercharger.
Transmission: Steel bellhousing contains billet steel flywheel and 4-plate AP designed 7.25" slider clutch. Heavily modified Borg-Warner BW35 3-speed automatic originally from Rick Fieldings rear-engined Dolomite Sprint powered 'Imagination' dragster. Gearbox uses clutch to start in 1st gear, 2nd and third gears then use manual, clutchless, gearchanges. Fully floating narrowed BMC rear axle uses Quaife Torque Biasing LSD with narrowed and shot-peened English Ford half-shafts. Ratio 4.22:1 or 4.55:1 BMC.
Electrics: Vertex-Scintilla magneto.
Chassis and Bodywork: 118" chassis fabricated by original builder Dave Miller using CDS2 steel tube to a 1960's front engine slingshot design by Harold Bull. Built circa 1973. Front axle uses Ford Pop spindles and a torsion bar suspension. Standard 10 steering box. Hand-formed aluminium body panels.
Brakes: Rear disc brakes, ex-Army parachute.
Wheels/tyres: Front: 12" Raleigh Wisp moped wheel rims with Dave Miller hubs. Rear: Appliance mags with M&H Racemaster slicks.
Fuel: Methanol
Performance: 1997 Hot Rod Drags at Avon Park Raceway. 11.53 @113mph (1/4mile track)
We only did a couple of meetings a year and by 2000 with the above bits it was fairly bulletproof.
Sold the car to Simon who ran it for a couple of seasons (with a drop of nitro, into the 10's) before selling it on.
Pic at
http://www.e-britain.co.uk/cev (scroll to end) just before I sold it
Video at
http://www.e-britain.co.uk/dragaddict/images/spirit.avi from 1997 (sorry about the quality)
Let me know if you want more pics or info.
Mike Tomlin