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opinions on a 1960 Sprite?

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NutmegCT

NutmegCT

Great Pumpkin
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It is not orginial ie lots of parts are mods. And that is not a problem as long as you know. Front turn signals, shifter boot, and seats as examples.

Look at that it has a head bolt heater.

Now, what is the asking price? I should suggest knowing only what you have said 3 to 6K.

We do not know condition of engine and tranny, and looking at it, it has been in there a long time. I would also bet that the suspension needs looked at as well. We need much more info.

Nice looking Bug and nice HT though. But then all Bugs are nice looking.
 
I vaguely remember seeing this up for sale before, those quilted seats stand out for some reason.

Non-stock things I can see are the interior (red could be original, but the quilted seat covers are definitely a 70s thing). Carbs look like HS2s, which would be from a later car, but not necessarily a bad thing at all.

As was mentioned in the MG forum thread, rust is the big killer. Everything else on these cars is simple to work on, but rust work gets expensive if you don't do it yourself. Always hard to tell from the pictures, but for a reasonable price that car looks to be worth taking a look at.

There might be someone here who is close to the car (if it's not close to you) and could look it over for you. I had similar help when I bought the Tunebug long-distance -- a BCF member here was kind enough to look it over for me, and that made all the difference in finding a good, solid car.
 
I'd say the interior is out of the 70's, but it is certainly functional. What are you looking for in a car? Show car? Weekend fun car?

That engine might be a 1275, but I can't tell from the pictures. It has a mechanical fuel pump and HS2 carbs.

The floor pan has been replaced. If I had to buy it right off the pictures I would go $3000. But upon inspection I might go to $5000. I doubt it is a $6000 car. It is going to need a lot of attention.

Does it have disc brakes?
 
interior, engine, trans, turn signals, carbs - yep - these are things I need your eagle eyes to catch.

I've got the car# and the engine#. Is there a website where I can look up those numbers and see if they "match", and what size it is?

Previous owner replaced the floors about two years ago.

I'm a retired schoolteacher who enjoys engine tinkering, parts replacing, and interior work. I'm *not* a mechanic to do bodywork and overhauls. Not looking for the 10/10 showcar, but rather the weekend driver for our New England two lane roads in good weather. Healey.org has good caveats on the brakes; this car has drums on all four.

Owner is asking $6500. He just got an AH3000 and says he now needs the garage space.

Thanks guys. If I can find a BCF member in Toronto I'll askk if he/she would do an inspection. My *primary* concern is corrosion, as well as engine and drivetrain.

Trevor - you mention it will need lots of attention. Can you give me some specifics?

Tom
 
Drew can help with what sort of things will need attention, but to start a list.
1. You will need to clean and check all wiring connections (don't wait for a problem to surface)
2. Bleed new fluid through the hydraulics and be prepared to replace master or slave cylinders. If the car has been sitting they often start to fail when they become active again.
3. If the front suspension has never been rebuilt, it will probably need it. If the car was well maintained, then you may only need to replace rubber bushings. However, if it was neglected, then it may need new king pins, fulcrum pins, etc.

... I guess I made that statement because any older restoration that has not been regularly driven will have issues.

Post any numbers you have here and we'll let you know what they mean (or if they are meaningless)
 
So.. other than the carbs and exhaust manifold, the car has mostly "year correct parts".

The 948 is a fine little engine, but don't expect to easily merge onto busy roads. It is best suited for brisk drives down curvy two lane roads.

If the car has a smoothcase transmission, then it is correct for the car. However, if it fails then you may have to switch to a later ribcase design. No big deal.
 
Just noticed that someone mad a pendant style accelerator pedal. It should be the floor hinged version. Probably made the switch when the floor was replaced.
 
Come to think of it ... is there a way to search the forum to find a member in a specific city, so I can ask if he/she would do an inspection?

According to my numbers sleuthing ...

Car# AN5L/23028 = Austin, 2-seat tourer, Sprite Mk I, left hand drive, 23028th car

Engine# 9c -u-h-4639 = 948cc, AH Sprite/Midget, Mk I close ratio center change gearbox, high compression, 4639th engine.
 
Missing the rubber stop on the inner fender.
...just making notes of little things...
 
Chasis AN5L 23028 was produced in mid September 1959. Engine 9CUH4639 was produced in September 1958. Therefore, although the engine is a 948cc appropriate to the car, it's not the original engine. The coil mounted on top of the generator is appropriate through engine 9CUH11888 February 1959.

The red quilted interior must have been a popular replacement. I had the same seat covers on AN5L 9382 when I purchased it last fall.

Unless engine and transmission are in extra good shape and rust is very minimal, $6500 would be more than I would pay. If everything is in "average" condition maybe $4000-4500.
 
I agree, but Ray. However if the engine is strong and there are no major rust issues, then I'd go higher since it has a hardtop. Esp living up north.
 
Good point about the hardtop. If it's in good condition add $400-600.
 
The hardtop is one of the real pluses for me. I plan to drive in good weather on our New England roads. Not planning to "travel" overnight at all. But the hard top makes it more of a 12 month car.

Question for you: I'm 5'10", 160lbs. As I haven't sat in a Sprite yet, is my size a problem? For the seat as well as under the top?

Thanks guys.
Tom
 
Just ask right here for someone close to where the car is to put an eyeball on it.
 
You are the same size as me. You'll find it a little roomier than an MGB (really), but I little more difficult to get in because of the short doors.
 
I'm 6'-3", 230lbs and not as flexible as I once was yet I have two Bugeyes.
 
Trevor put a good list together. Brakes and wiring would be up on the top of the list of things to go through. These are robust little cars, and not hard to work on at all. Font suspension will probably need to be looked at, but if it's functioning you may be able to get a year or 2 of driving before that project.

The drums, if in good shape, are well able to stop the car from the speeds you'll get from a 948. In the flats it will move the car around well, but not quickly (factory spec was 0 - 60 in something like 30 seconds). It will feel faster than it is. 50 in a Bugeye feels very fast.

Ray - I had wondered about the coil on the generator, thinking that was from an earlier build date. Don't have my book handy, so couldn't verify. Also, I think it was your car I was thinking about with those quilted covers. Never thought I'd see 2 with that "improvement."

Depending on the rust situation, $6500 is a decent asking price, giving you room to negotiate down for issues you find on inspection (such as the things mentioned here, and any rust issues). The modifications don't seem too out of place, but they do hurt the value a bit. For a driver, they're not significant since you may change/update things anyways.

On the other hand, there are plenty of Bugeyes around, so don't settle for less than you really want. There's something to be said for an unmodified car, even if you plan on modifying it yourself. At least that way, you know for sure what you have and can always go back to stock at a future date.
 
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