So, in college I paid $50 for a 1963 Austin Healey Sprite. You can imagine what $50 buys you... At C&C over the weekend I saw some MGBs and began to think about that old Sprite.
What year did the ugly rubber bumpers start?
Did they ever have hardtops as an option?
In reply to octavious:
There were no rubber bumper Austin Healey Sprites. Only their identical cousin, the MG Midget, was still in production when the rubber bumpers came into being in 1974 and 1975. Those cars also had a Triumph 1500 motor, which is generally considered inferior to the previous 1275 for a number of reasons.
Yes, you could get a factory hardtop. There were also many aftermarket makers.
The one you want is the 1275 non rubber bumper. I had a 1970 with a hotted up 1275 - ported head, 3/4 cam, higher CR, headers, larger SU's, etc. Its the same engine as the Mini-Cooper S so there is a ton of after market parts. I also beefed up the suspension with bigger sway bars and 6 x 13 wheels. It really was a fun little sleeper.
I like this one. Kinda fast too
I think this one is aftermarket.
http://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/4110532076.html
In reply to Woody:
I had that exact hardtop on a old Midget. IIRC it is aftermarket.
Nice Woody, I like that one. Plus it's a BOGO since it has a parts car with it. Too bad they are in CT.
What about problem issues with these? Rust areas?
octavious wrote: What about problem issues with these? Rust areas?
Yes
octavious wrote: Nice Woody, I like that one. Plus it's a BOGO since it has a parts car with it. Too bad they are in CT. What about problem issues with these? Rust areas?
Interior and trunk floors, front of hood, rocker panels, tops rear wheel opening, and everywhere else sometimes.
That's a desirable Round Wheel Arch (RWA) car too.
They tend to rust in the quarter panel areas. But it is all repairable with plenty of parts available.
octavious wrote: What about problem issues with these? Rust areas?
My '72 had bad floors. The '70 had bad floor boards and rockers.
They are fun little cars! Nohome put it best to me as I was ranting one day about my 79 Midget: they are like boats, they always need maintenance and always need "something".
Hard tops can be found in many flavors from 300 to 600 dollars across all model years.
Many parts are interchangeable across the model years. You can put a 1275 and trans right in a 1500 car. You can convert a RB car to chrome bumper.
The die-hard MG folks do poo poo the 1500 engine. But you can hop onto a Triumph forum and learn how to make it go fast too.
Parts, new and used are very available. And there is a large support network available. You probably have at least one Midget person in your town who would be happy to help out if you get stuck.
You could try stopping by the mgexperience- lots of folks happy to help there!
paranoid- Thanks. I have been on the mgexperience ever since I made the OP. Lots and lots of info over there.
One area I will warn you about...front suspension.
The lower pivot point for the kingpin is perhaps a low-point in British Engineering.
While the suspension geometry and function is amazing, (they really can handle like go-karts) you can expect that it will need a re-build to reach its potential. Unfortunately, you should budget $1000 or so for this task if you do it yourself since doing the job properly is going to require new-a-arms and lever shock. Don't waste your life with the kingpin re-build bags-of-bits. Go for the exchange assembled units.
The good news is that since you are going to bin pretty much the whole front end, it wont take long to do the work.
A lot of people misguidedly go straight for "Guido Vasseliny" go fast suspension bits, not realizing the a stock rebuild will transform the car for less money and less compromises.
If you care about collector factor, you want the car that came out just after the Bugeye with the side curtains and quarter elliptic rear suspension.
NOHOME: you want the car that came out just after the Bugeye with the side curtains and quarter elliptic rear suspension.
I agree with you 100% about the archaic suspension design, but I used to have a Mk2.5 Sprite, and I wouldn't want another one. Those cars are VERY spartan. They have not seen a $$$ jump in the marketplace as their 1/4 elliptics, side curtains, packaway top, front drum brakes and 948cc engine are seen as negatives.
The two sweet spots in the US Spridget (Sprite/Midget) category appear to be:
1) late 1966-1967. First 1275's, last steel dash cars, most HP of any US Spridget, fold up top, no smog gear.
2) 1972-1974. Last of the chrome bumper cars, last 1275s, these RWA (round wheel arch) cars have fewer clearance issues with fitting wider wheels, tires. Better heater than early cars, successful 1970 restyling, better safety gear (collapsible column, side guard door beams, etc).
Truth of the matteris that none of the spridgets are worth a lot of $$$; both the appeal and the curse.
Unless you are a person like me who is in this game for the project challenge, do not plan on putting much money into a Spridget; you will be upsidedown pretty much after the 5k mark no matter how nice of a car you build; I have seen plenty of 20k projects and above.
Best to be patient and shop and buy one that was done to a high standard five years ago or so. There are lots of people like me who are more interested in moving on to a next project and you should be able to get the car for at most 50 cents on their dollar.
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