• Seller: Jesse M ortensen
• Location: Boise, Idaho
• Mileage: 14,501 Shown
• Chassis #: AN5L-43883
• Title Status: Clean
• Engine: 948cc Inline-4
• Transmission: 4-Speed Manual

More than a few Austin Healey Sprites and MG Midgets have passed through the Barn Finds Garage. We love these little sports cars, especially early Sprites. The Bugeye, as it’s known here in the US, is possibly the happiest car ever built. Not only do they always look happy, but they will put a smile on your face every time you see or drive one. Of the ones we’ve owned, all of them have been modified with larger engines, upgraded transmissions, and suspension upgrades. While they have all been fun, we’ve wanted to experience an unmodified example for years, but it’s hard to find one with its original drivetrain. So, when this one family-owned example popped up for sale here in Boise, we had to have it!

This Bugeye was sold new in California. Its original owner drove it regularly for many years and enjoyed it so much that they eventually had the car repainted and the interior redone. They handed it over to their daughter and son-in-law to care for and enjoy when they could no longer drive it. When the family moved to Idaho, they brought it with them and drove it occasionally. In the early 2000s, they parked it in their garage, where it stayed. This past spring, they decided to try and get the car back on the road, but a significant fuel leak kept it off the road. They decided to list it for sale rather than let it sit in their garage longer. When we learned about it, we had to look closer and were surprised to see that it still retains the 948 cc inline-4 engine and smooth case 4-speed transmission.

The interior would have been green since this Sprite left the factory wearing Leaf Green paint. When the exterior color was changed to the current darker green, the interior was redone in black. The dash and rear vinyl appear to be the original green pieces but were painted black. Some of the paint is worn off in spots, but you wouldn’t notice it if you weren’t looking for it. The seat upholstery has been replaced and is in usable condition, although some of the piping is damaged. During the interior refresh, carpet was installed in place of the original Hardura on the transmission tunnel and footwells. The gauges all work, and a volt meter was added to the dash. The previous owner also installed a radio and a speaker.

One of the big selling points for us was that this car is still equipped with the 43 horsepower 948 inline-4. The previous owner had started the work to get it running before deciding to sell it, but after replacing the fuel pump, the carburetors were leaking significant amounts of fuel. Getting the engine running was a relatively simple job, but making it a driver wasn’t so simple. The new fuel pump pressure was too high, so we installed a replacement, but its pressure is also too high. We installed a fuel pressure regulator and set the pressure at the correct amount, which fixed the flooding issues. We also rebuilt the carbs, adjusted the floats and installed PTFE seals in the jets, so the carbs no longer leak fuel and work great. Once the carbs were serviced, we removed the fuel tank, flushed it out, and lined it with fuel tank sealer.

Since the coolant hoses looked old, we replaced all the hoses, the heater control valve, the water pump, the thermostat, and the heater matrix, plus flushed the engine and radiator. New motor mounts were installed prior to reinstalling the radiator. We changed the fluids and serviced the rear end with new bearings and hub seals. We also installed a new master cylinder, brake hoses, wheel cylinders, shoes, drums, and clutch slave cylinder. Bleeding the clutch can be challenging on these cars, so we custom-made a remote bleeder, making the job easy. The engine runs great, the transmission shifts smoothly, and the differential no longer leaks out the hubs. There is still a small engine oil leak, but it wouldn’t be British if it didn’t leak a little oil!

We’ve put a lot of time into getting this Bugeye back on the road, but it still needs some tweaking to be ready for daily use. We aren’t sure why fuel pressure is high, especially from a mechanical pump, so that should be investigated further. The drum brakes will also need to be readjusted after it’s been driven more. Also, the transmission mounts are looking a little tired (replacement mounts are included). Speaking of included parts, we have a box full of replacement rubber grommets for the firewall and interior, a few small trim pieces, plus the felt for the side screens. It’s a driver as is and presents well overall. We planned to keep this one around for the foreseeable future, but other larger projects demand our time and garage space, so we’ve decided to move this happy little Sprite along. So, if you’d love to have it, cast your high bid, and if you have any questions about it, let us know in the comment section.

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