Beschreibung
1960 Austin ‘Frogeye’ Sprite
I am very reluctantly having to sell my sprite as I am moving to Australia. I bought this last year and I have spent thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours bringing it up to scratch. I restore classic cars for a living and had intended to keep this one for the long term so it has been gone through top to bottom. I am currently on holiday for the next week or so but I'm more than happy to answer any questions or arrange viewings for when I get back.
This is a very solid and well-maintained frogeye sprite which has been enthusiast owned for most of its life. The documentation with the car is superb with MOT certificates dating back to 1979 and invoices dating back to 1983. The original buff logbook is present, as well as many photographs from previous restorations. There are a number of old tax discs present as well as the original sales brochure and a heritage certificate.
The engine is the original engine that was fitted when the car left the factory but has since had a number of upgrades and improvements. The previous owner converted to head to take unleaded and the car was fitted with larger HS2 twin carburettors as well as a stainless-steel exhaust. In my ownership the cylinder head has been fully overhauled, with new valve guides fitted, new seats cut, and oversized 31mm intake valves fitted, as well as bespoke 27mm exhaust valves. The cylinder head has also been carefully ported and polished to maximise power throughout the rev range. I have also fitted a new Kent cams 266 camshaft which has been properly timed in to exactly 104 degrees ATDC. During this work new tappets were fitted as well as new timing gears and an uprated IWIS non-stretch chain. The rockers have been re-bushed and fitted to a new shaft, and the carburettors have been fully stripped, ultrasonically cleaned and rebuilt. New air filters have been fitted with bespoke stub stacks to improve airflow and throttle response. The result is an engine which has most of the same friendly driving characteristics these cars are known for but drives and sounds fantastically. It pulls strongly from idle and is noticeably quicker than a standard car. It currently has around 60hp which makes it much easier to drive in modern traffic. The gearbox was replaced by the previous owner and upgraded to a Hardy Engineering gearbox (complete with uprated synchromesh). The differential works well with no noises or problems to report. While the above work was carried out, I had all the engine bay components repainted and cleaned, the end result being an engine bay which would certainly impress the judges at any classic car show.
The car had an extensive restoration in the early 2000s, which included a new steel bonnet and a full respray. The bodywork is still in excellent condition and turns heads wherever it goes. I will also include a full chrome front bumper kit which I was intending to fit, if you would like this fitted to the car I am more than happy to sort that out for you. The door gaps are good, and the bonnet fit is decent which is often overlooked on these cars as it’s hard to get exactly right. The car has wing mirrors fitted and comes complete with a convertible roof and side screens.
The car was well specified when it left the factory and was fitted with the optional extra tachometer, heater, front bumper and toughened glass. It was fitted with a vintage Motorola radio which underwent an FM conversion and I have also fitted a very discrete Bluetooth enabled amplifier which allows you to connect a smartphone while being virtually impossible to spot. The windscreen washers have been converted to use an electric pump while the switch retains the original appearance. There is an amp meter fitted and an isolator switch provides extra security from theft. The rest of the interior is in good overall condition with some wear in places but still very presentable. I believe the seats are original and the original steering wheel is still fitted which is unusual these days.
The suspension and brakes are in excellent condition and has seen regular maintenance. The previous owner has spent a lot of time and money in this area, fitting new springs and an uprated anti-roll bar. I have thoroughly checked every aspect of the cars suspension and replaced the front passenger side wheel bearing with a quality part. This has been fitted and shimmed correctly, a time consuming job which many mechanics do not know how to do properly. I have also replaced the front brake shoes and wheel cylinders on both sides.
Overall this is an excellent example of the marque and benefits from a number of thoughtful and well executed upgrades. It drives brilliantly and gets a lot of attention wherever it goes. A very usable car for the money and one which will require no further work other than regular maintenance.
