Original and Unrestored Austin-Healey Sprite | Jay Leno's Garage
Jay found this quirky relic and gave it a refresh to enjoy many more miles on the road.
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A new video every Sunday! Visit Jay Leno's Garage, the Emmy-winning series where Jay Leno gives car reviews, motorcycle reviews, compares cars, and shares his passion and expertise on anything that rolls, explodes, and makes noise. Classic cars, restomods, super cars like the McLaren P1, sports cars like Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro Z28, cafe racers, vintage cars, and much, much more.
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Had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Donald Healey in 1983 when I sold my 1961 Bugeye. Mr. Healey said that his design goal for the bugeye was a "poor man's sports car weighing 1,000 lbs and costing less than $1K". He expected people to modify them and like the mods that I did. Mr. Healey was a very kind and pleasant man.
he was a one of a kind wonderful man as was his whole family
Where is the, "Healey Story" video?9
he always was a true gentleman
He was Sir Donald..
My Dad had an Austin-Healey 100-4, and my mom had complained it was too drafty and cold. Dad was at a dealership in Toronto in the late 1950’s and there he met Donald Healey, who convinced him to trade it in for a Morris Minor. 😭
I bought a 1960 Sprite from Melody Rambler in San Bruno CA in 1962. It was sitting on the lot for a few weeks and I finally stopped to ask about it. They said it had a burned valve. My high school had an auto shop with a valve grinder, so we made a deal. I drove it home to San Mateo and it did sound like a burned valve, but I suspected it could be SU carbs in need of synching. Sure enough, I put my Unison on it (which I still have in the original box) synched the carbs and it ran like a top. Valve adjust, timing checked, new spark plugs, an oil change and I had a two year old Sprite in excellent condition. I had a good time with that car. The profit I made selling it helped get me into a Porsche 356 about 10 months later. Those were good times being a day dreaming kid who loved cars.
Yes, it was nice to live in a white country with a strong industrial base.
It always amazed me that a country where it rains more often than not, built SO many roadsters.
We're just optimistic or in denial lol. My midget was so much fun but the Pans were rotten and often filled with water. But that musty British car smell I would wear for sure. I would have one today as well, especially as they are MOT and Road Tax exempt now . Cheapish classic car insurance and though they may break you can actually have a go at fixing them yourself!😮
There is so little fair weather, than you want to enjoy what there is very completely.
These are the best videos. No interviews no fluff. Just Jay and a car.
Agreed. 👍 I'd prefer more videos like this.
Agree - Jay on his own always delivers
Hi Jay, I just showed my father this video. He is 73 years old and his first car in 1967 was a Austin Healey just like this one. As soon as I put on this video he instantly recognized the car as the same one he had. I enjoyed watching this video and I think it really made him happy to watch this on fathers day. He's always wanted to get another Austin Healey, but affording one was just never possible, but he would always talk about getting one and driving it on weekends. I know it's a dream of his to get behind the wheel of an Austin Healey one day, but being able to afford one just won't allow for it. If you ever consider selling this maybe I could purchase it for him one day to bring a smile to his face. I know he only had his car for around 2 years before the rod bearings started knocking and he had to sell the car. Thanks for sharing this video as I know it helped to make his fathers day special this year, Fred.
My dad bought a new 1958 Sprite in Germany when he was in the US Army. He drove it to England and had Speedwell bump the hp to 100??? Today, June 6th, he would have been 86 years old. Of all the cars he owned, the Sprint is the one I wish I had. He also owned a '53 356 bent window Porsche and a '29 V12 Cadillac, both of which were worthless when he bought them. I miss him, we were very close. Thanks for showing me this car.
My first car! Purchased in 1966 for $400. Drove it home without a working clutch. Restarted at every red light with car in 1st gear. Once home, I learned a lot replacing the clutch. I am sure I was the one who probably taught the world how to drift at one in the morning at the local Safeway parking lot. I am now 73 and have wonderful memories of the car. Thank you Jay for sharing. Jim
For a man that can and does drive everything, the fact that Jay enjoys this car so much says a lot about Jay.
He just loves cars.
Really? I think it says more about the car.
... these actually really work using a very ordinary base. ... a true car nuts car. Simple and clever but don't expect much.
well said
@@mattmorris2867 NAILED IT. There are petrol-heads ... and then there are people who don't get cars ... more than any other invention, cars represent fun and freedom.
This is why many of us watch the channel. Interesting old car, and a history lesson from Jay.
Love his videos
Yep. It doesn’t need to be, in fact, better than not if it’s something kind of plain, unusual, and unknown or obscure. I’m with you Peter, 💯
@@Patrick_B687-3 I love classic cars
I hope the gods let Jay live many more years. He truly is irreplaceable.
If anyone is the real deal it's Jay Leno. He is unique in many ways.
In 1970 with most of my worldly possessions stuffed in the boot of a 1959 Sprite, I headed out from New Jersey to New Mexico. What was I thinking? I got about 170 miles from home on the Pennsylvania Turnpike when number three connecting rod went through the side of the block. We towed it home and a day or two later Plan B: my less glamorous Triumph Herald Saloon. The exhaust valves lasted just long enough to reach the ranch at Las Vegas, New Mexico. I handed the keys to the car to my buddy and hitched a ride to Fort Collins, Colorado just in time for fall semester at CSU. The return trip to New Jersey was on a Boeing 707 which nearly crashed on approach to Chicago O’Hare airport. Thinking that aviation needed more perfection in spite of Moon landings, I doubled down on terrestrial travel by heading west in my Austin 850 Mini. Watching Jay in the Austin Sprite brought back some memories of how I never left home without a tool kit, spare parts and several quarts of oil.
Heartwarming, the pride, the passion for this simple machine, every car he gets in is his favorite, A truly generous man, sharing his joy with the world. Thanks Jay.
Very cool. This is exactly the kind of car in Jay's collection I like to see. The smallness and simplicity is something we just don't see anymore. I used to have a car that's also small and simple, a Porsche 914/4. Thank you.
Have you seen a Robin Reliant . My dad had the van version. They have a fibreglass body. The kids on our housing estate would pick it up and carry it somewhere to hide it as a prank.
Nice
Not many people are aware that in Gerry Coker's original design the headlights were to be recessed, giving the car a more smooth aggressive look; not a smiley cute look. But due to budgetary constraints, BMC opted for the now distinctive bug-eyed headlights. It really would have looked quite different; more akin to a 1950s Testa Rossa, albeit an underpowered one.
There is Beauty in simplicity.
@@Oooo-bi7bi The best Robin Reliant videos are from Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear, Grand Tour). Him and Jay are good friends and get together to swap car stories once in a while.
My first car was a '66 Mk lll Sprite, which I bought in 1974 for $200. My dad had been driving his '66 until the Massachusetts winters rotted it to pieces. Imagine his shock when the one I brought home had no rust. I swapped my dad's better drive train and interior into my clean tub, and over a few years, rebuilt the engine, did bodywork and sprayed it with black acrylic enamel that I hand rubbed, installed new carpets, seat cover kits and a new convertible top. The "hood", as the British called the top, had to be removed, along with the metal frame - "bows", rolled up neatly and stowed in the "boot" (trunk). The 1098 cc engine had all of 60 hp, but wished it could have the raw power of its 1275 big brother that came in the Mk lV. My dad, watching the progress I made on mine, got nostalgic, and bought a '71 MG Midget, which was a Mk IV Sprite with MG trim and badging. Oddly, Sprite and Midget production overlapped for a short period with those minor cosmetic items being the only difference. Dad never liked the orange paint, or the MG seats, dash and trim, so he set about turning the Midget into a Sprite (some refer to these close cousins as "Spridgets"). He did rot repair in a manner of his own enginuity - sheet metal patches epoxied to the body and held tight with pop rivets and skimmed with Bondo. I was sure it would fail, but he drove through several salty winters, and not a hint of a problem ever developed. I sprayed the car black for him, and he opted for the red interior that his '66 had and my '66 as well, so we ended up with very similar Sprites, and only anyone savvy would be able toidentify the imposter by its serial #. Fond memories...
I remember when I was a kid in the 70s there were so, so many Sprites, Spitfires, TR6s, Fiat 124s, MGs, etc. on the roads. Little, cheap sportscars were everywhere you looked.
Exactly my memories. I lived close to the Naval Academy where the mids bought little sports cars by the score. I had a Midget Mk I and a Sprite Mk II (same care mostly) and it was a toss-up as to which would be the parts car. So many Br. Leyland cars around then. But no more--thanks, Lucas!
@@anotherdamn6c I saw a bumber sticker once..."I like my beer warm, I own a Lucas refrigerator."
@@ramspace Maybe he has a redeeming side we don't know about.
My very first car was a 1969 FIAT 124 Spyder I got in 1975. We lived in Hawaii at the time. You would be surprised that we could get 3 guys and 3 surfboards in that car. If there's a will there's a way. 😅 LOL
Absolutely love it! My mum drove one of these for about 6 months when we lived in Aden, in Yemen. My dad was there as a doctor with the British Army, and our neighbours went away for 6 months and let my mum use the Sprite. So cool!
About 1960, my mom had a Triumph TR-10. It was basically an English Standard sedan with Triumph badges so the Triumph dealers in the US could sell a sedan in their dealerships. It had an engine with less than a liter displacement and a 4 speed. As we were going through the Smokey Mountains, we stopped at a layby and were enjoying the view. A guy in a Buick pulled up next to us and came over to speak to my mother. He said when he saw that little car ahead of him, he thought, "Oh, no! We will be poking along behind that thing forever!". "It turns out, I had a hard time keeping up with you!" My mom told him, as long as she keeps rowing that shifter, it keeps going up these hills.
My best friend in High Schools Father had a British Leyland Dealership from 1955 to the end in 1981. What a great experience going to his car lot. He would let us 16 year old maniacs drive whatever we wanted that was on the used lot. Bugeye Sprites, Triumphs, MG's, Austins, etc. This was in the mid 70's. I drove a Spitfire that I bought off him. Miss those great little sports cars. I am now on my 3rd Miata.
I have a delightful 1962 Sprite. It's a 1098cc A series Sprite, and I can't imagine wanting the bigger 1275cc engine. The 1098 is so characterful, makes the most wonderful sounds, and is very driveable with lots of low end torque. I drive my Sprite every moment I can, frequently racking up 1500 to 2000 miles a year. I even daily drove mine every day rain or shine a few years ago. It's really all the car I need. Jay hits the nail on the head with the experience of owning and driving a Sprite. Everyone is happy to see it.
When I was in grade 12 my physics teacher collected British sports cars. He had a barn full off old ones waiting to be restored. Another barn for finished cars and a 2 car garage for cars being worked on. He drove a green "Bug Eyed" Sprite to work almost every day. The automotive teacher and him constantly liked to argue American verses British automobiles.
"Man and sewing machine," indeed. Another amazing dose of genuine Leno gratitude that we can all identify with 100%. Thanks!
My Dad bought a 1960 at a Mercedez Dealer new. We had a great time in it. Coming down the mountains with the roof down and a rain storm kicks in, panic to get the top up. Driving through a highway construction and a car passes us covering us to blindness in muddy water. Great memories.
Actually we were driving on the Dragon.
Thanks for the memories. I had a '60 that I bought in '63. Drove it while in college in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Snow would blow around inside the car. After 2 years I sold it and moved up to a '63 MGB. With rollup windows and 98 horsepower! I blew a tranny in Altoona PA. Left the car there and thumbed to State College. A few days later, I borrowed my roommates '65 Vette 396, 425 horsepower to tow the bugeye to State College. Fastest it ever went. Changed the tranny in the back yard of a Frat house. I still drive a MGB.
P.S. The Vette was bought from Roger Penske.
This car was meant for the California backroads. Big horsepower not required, get in and enjoy. Right on Jay👍
Imho New Hampshire backroads fit these better, they are smaller scale, seem to be more like the English lanes. I know they suit my '16 Mazda MX-5 quite well. I drove one of these back in '67 when I was looking for my first car, it did indeed drive like a go-cart. I ended up with an Alfa 101 series Sprint Normale.
@@3ducs it makes sense why cars were so different between our countries. Read a book by an American author Bill Bryson. He explains the commotion created when he announced in his local pub he was driving from London to Cornwall. As he says people suggested going the day before. Yet to him an American, who drive further to pick up a burrito.
Might be better on English country roads
@@GTMarmot That is what it was designed for......
Agreed
That was fun! My father bought a 1959 AH Bugeyed Sprite new and raced it in SCCA events like Lime Rock, CT and other Haybale events up and down the East Coast for a few seasons. I’m still kind of thrilled that he took me around the track a Lime Rock in that race-car, baby blue going up the back hill “No Name” straight. I remember going round up at the top of the hill. I Musta been about four years old. I think he loved little cars and it was kind of funny because my Mom, my two older sisters and I were able to get in this car and go places with him driving….try to figure that out. Like a clown car! A few years ago I restored the 8 mm films of his races and digitize them that my mother took of Gordon my dad in this car. So neat for me to see this video. I’d love to drive one some day. Cheers-Greg
I grew up near Lime Rock and started going to races there in the late 1950s, Little Le Mans and others. I have pictures from back then, and I'm sure I saw Sprites along with the Lotus 11s and the Formula Juniors.
Ditto, except Watkins Glen. He raced a Mk2 Sprite, his buddy had a bugeye, and their buddy had another Mk2. All painted the same blue color, and they used to bounce between Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio and Pocono and the whole family (8 kids!) would tag along in the camper. Someone would tow the camper, someone would tow the race car, and somehow it always worked out. I have two of his later purchased bugeyes today, and hope to restore both to running order.
Thanks for sharing :) Love family car stories
I get the little car thing.They are fun.Like the old MG's Spiders and even the Miatta-fun to drive em all
My first car was a '62 MK ll. One cold winter night I was driving with 2 adult passengers. We stopped and picked up a hitchhiker, and he was over 6 feet tall! I'm not sure who handled the shift lever, but I couldn't reach it.
I bought one when I was 15, because I promised myself my own Sports Car at 16. I washed dishes in a french restaurant on Nantucket Island,that summer, bought it for $50. It was right Hand Drive, it had a fiberglass LeMann's nose. It had a seized motor seized brakes. Paper thin floor boards. I brought it back to life I rebuilt and fitted a 1275 ,I found a stronger later gear box, I took off the glass nose, found a steel Bugeye nose( heavy) and enjoyed the Right Hand Drive. That was my first. Restoration, my own money ( washing dishes! And reading every book/ magazine to fix it.
I've owned a lot of muscle cars in my history- but my first- very first car I ever brought in high school in 1969 was a 1958 Hillman Minx Series II, with a four speed column shift- that car as well was a lot of fun. My friends couldn't believe it was a four-speed until I gave them a ride!
The find of a lifetime for most us...very nice. My 1st car was a 1970 MG Midget. It had the "big block" 1275cc. Perfect car for a high schooler. I could race around all day and hardly ever exceed the speed limit. It was also the perfect car to learn car control in. Quick and direct steering, low power meant low speed, perfect balance. Sure miss that car.
I had a 1275 midget myself. Learned all about working on cars on it.
Me too.
My first fun car purchase was a 1976 midget. It was yellow with black racing stripes and a black top. I still miss that car. It was so much fun! Go to work in a sedan, but off hours I was the wild child I was. My friends told me I was the coolest chick, always unusual. I had to learn how to fix the car as well. Blown fuses, rotten gearshift. I would to have loved to have a garage to store mine in.
My college roommate had an MGB from 72 or so. We drove from Boulder to Chicago, to Santa Fe, Yellowstone. Great fun. I'm 6'0" but of course back then weighed maybe 140 lbs. Still, couldn't get in one today. Like Jay it's a project standing up from a knee.
I had a 64 1/2 Midget... funny, I never thought it was small back then... I look at pictures and...lol... they were small.
As Shane wrote in fairytale of New York, “ They’ve got cars big as bars. “. It’s always good to see a British car on the show . If you look out of the window for too long here in the UK, your eyes start to rust.
I had one for 14 years. I loved it. In 1976 I drove it from Charlotte NC to Little Rock AFB and drove it while I was stationed there then drove it back! A VW Beatle is a huge thing when it passes you.
I spotted Jay driving this (I'm pretty sure it was this Sprite) just outside the Burbank airport in March 2022. Funny thing is, I thought "Cool old Sprite!" and waved before I recognized the denim and white hair. Then I realized it was an icon driving that icon. Thanks for waving back, Jay.
I have a 66 Sprite that is a little modified - has the 1275, a 5 speed box, weber carb, sway bars etc... but otherwise is stock, and the first thing that should be noted about this car is you don't get into it.... you wear it. That said, there is more room inside it than I have in my 94 miata, and even my wife agrees with this. It's also more comfortable. What it also is is the most enjoyable to drive car I have ever driven. It is the perfect storm of a brilliant drive - you are so connected to the road and the entire experience it is always a thrill. No other sports car, british or not, manages it as well as a sprite does. It is Donald Healeys masterpiece .... cobbled together from a BMC parts room so that Joe anybody could have a small race car that fits in a garden shed.
Jay's love of cars always makes me smile, and this little bugger is what driving is all about
My first car was a 1965 Triumph Spitfire in 1979. I love that you're keeping it mostly as is. When I go to a car show the most interesting car is the one that had a lifetime or character, I don't think Betty White ever had a face lift. bless her :)
Good show!!. I owned a 1958 purchased on 1070 for $50.. yes fifty dollars. I was a mechanic at the BMC dealership in Monterey Calif...The car came in with a spent motor. Owner decided not to fix it.. I bought it. Took a week to get it done up with a fresh overhaul, new clutch and brakes, new tires etc. . I think I spent less than $400 . Loved that car. If I owned it today I would upgrade it to a 1275 and disc brakes, other than that, leave it as is. Good for Jay getting it back on the road as it was intended to be. Light and fun , cheap to run.
Would love a series on “barn finds” like this! Unrestored beauties!
Thanks for the memories. My older brother’s best friend had a ‘58 Sprite back in the 1960’s. I rode in it once. I had a ‘58 Morris Minor 1000. That had a power train that was quite similar to the Sprite’s. My brother and his friend are both gone now. I miss them and their car adventures.
Similar A series drive train which comes in many sizes. Small changes everywhere. 6 inches narrower. 948, 1098 & 1275. MM's have even more size variations and a side valve.
My father bought a '60 Sprite in '65 and put an MG Midget engine in it. My brother taught me to drive a manual trans in it.Not so fast but you didn't have to slow down in the corners. Always forgot to turn off the dash toggle switch turn signal.Still get a smile just seeing one on the street.
My brother bought a '62 for $300.00 in 1964. Both axles were broken. He was an automotive mechanic-genius. Over time, we bored and stroked, ported and polished it, getting the displacement to over 1 liter and horsepower on the dyno up to almost 100 horsepower. I remember being tasked to work STP into the old-style shocks. We took it on wonderful trips. Picking up 2 girls and cramming all four of us in was very exciting. He sold it years later. Aside from my mother's '49 Packard, it is the most memorable car in my life.
I love the wee thing. I have a TR6. It's registered as a 1975 but you would be hard pressed to find something dated then. It's good from far but far from good. I truly appreciate your comments with the fun of driving a 'bloke's, blokes car. Open top, the sights, the smells, the adventure in an old car. Small children stop and wave at us as they recognize how different it is as compared to the jelly bean design of late. As of yesterday, she's ALIVE again! Cheers from the "Hoser's country . Johnny Canuck from Canukistan
My best friend picked up one of these for cheap in our first year of college ('66). He, at 5'-2", fit the car perfectly. I was 6'-2" and we must have made an odd looking couple ripping around campus. I can tell you there is not many experiences as terrifying as being the passenger in one of these when he was driving. Good times. . .until the few times I had to give up my seat to some girl if he got lucky. The trick was to find a girl that had a friend that didn't mind walking. You gotta take the silver linings that are handed to you. . .
😄👍
Love cars like this -- real blast from the past. My Dad had a Datsun 1200 -- not a sports car per se, but a 2-door small peppy engine with a 4 speed, heater, and nothing else... I drove it like it was a sports car, though. So simple, so light, so much fun!
Fun car and quite worthy of respect. Used to be lots of them around Southern California. And it definitely is a sports car. I'll bet it was red, too. Right?
Had a '71 1200 Coupe a dozen or so years ago. It's on my 'never-should-have-sold-it' list.
I have a ratty 1975 1500 Midget. It is a fun car to drive, easy to maintain and my daily driver April to November. It is the same car, just upgraded or maybe degraded depending on your perspective. Those AH Sprites / MG Midgets sure deliver a lot of fun and still are an affordable classic. Mr. Leno is a treasure, and I'm so thrilled to see him feature the Spridget. I would love to hear his views on the 1500. If he makes a road trip to Canada I would let him flog mine around the winding roads of Bruce County Ontario.
Yep , that 1500 engine is a lot of fun in something so light.
Kindred spirit of sorts with Jay on this video and relative to my 71 MGB. MGB very simply fun and mechanically interesting experience to drive.
Really enjoyed the Bugeye segment. My Bugeye was the first car I bought in 1964. Over the years I've had many cars but one of my favorites has been the Lotus 7. The car I have now is, like your Sprite, an original unrestored Lotus 7A with the same motor your have in the Bugeye; a 948cc developing a whopping 41 horsepower. Similar to your Sprite, it spent its whole life in Southern California and was never raced or wrecked. It was put away in the mid 70's and resuscitated from 2008 to 2013. Love it. Thanks for your great weekly episodes.
In the UK we knew it as a frog eyed sprite. 😁
I love originality and am so glad Jay kept this as original as possible. Over restored cars are not really my thing
Sat in a twin of this car, brand-new but with a black interior, at an auto show probably 60-plus years ago, can still smell the fresh rubber, vinyl, and wool carpet. The Sprite was never on my bucket list, but after this infectious and affectionate feature, I may re-evaluate that. Thanks, Jay!
This is like my 1967 Triumph TR4A IRS. My car is not fast or has a ton of horsepower but it is just fun to drive. In the 1960’s my dad had a 1958 MGA and I just fell in love with British sports cars. I had to rebuild my engine, I put a Toyota 5 speed, new wire harness, alternator and a screw on filter adapter. It’s important to do needed maintenance to these cars or your car will be breaking down all the time. Moss Motors has all the parts you need at a reasonable price with quick delivery. I live in Burbank too. I see Jay all the time diving his car around the neighborhood. A few streets from my house for at least 25 years now a guy has an early Porsche sitting in his garage with boxes stored on top of it and I have never seen it driven.
I had one of these probably 25 or 30 years ago and it leaked oil like I had an uncle in OPEC. The engine rear main seal was another brilliant British design, the "labyrinth" seal. I fought that thing for three engine out attempts at fixing the leak until I gave up and put in an after market kit to convert it to a conventional lip seal. That worked pretty well but it still would put out a little oil drip every now and then. The car was an absolute blast to drive, the gas pedal was pretty much an on/off switch. It went to my nephew who shipped it to Hawaii where the speed limit throughout the entire state is 50. Perfect. He still has the car.
There’s an old joke among us British car owners: how do you keep a British car from leaking oil? Empty the pan! 😜
@@MultiPetercool Even when totally empty, a British engine will leak oil
Labyrinth seals done properly are pretty cool. They're used on jet engines a fair bit, though generally that's for sealing air not oil, and they can pressurise the other side to make the leak go "inwards" .
@@abarratt8869 The key words are "done properly". This is the British automobile industry in the late 1950's. Sure, it seems like a pretty good idea in theory, but in practice,well, just look under any Austin-Healey from that time frame.
@@MultiPetercool Yeah, when the Sprite went to my nephew, I bought a Mustang with a 302 in it. From a leaking rear main seal situation, this was more of a lateral move. Oh well, I still have the car. And a drip pan.
The friendliest sports car ever. My dad worked on a lot of British sports cars when I was growing up in the 1960s, including Sprites. I had the most fun riding around with him during the test drivers. My only regret is that I was too young and didn't have my driver's license yet. Oh well.
History will look at Jay as the best Historian of the auto. God Bless Jay and family.
One of my college professors had a Bug-Eyed Sprite in British racing green. What a car. This was in the late 70’s so it was still incredibly small.
I loved this presentation! Jay's Sprite is the same color scheme as the 1960/61 version my father bought in 1961. My parents let me have it when I turned 16. With about 40,000 miles on it, it the engine was tired but the body was virtually perfect. I rebuilt it and drove it flat out for 35,000 miles having a total blast because you could drive it flat out and not be much over the speed limit. A friend bought a Porsche 914 and I was shocked I could drive the Sprite faster through some curves than the Porsche. Plus, the Sprite was more fun because it tended to over-steer; imagine throttle steering in a 43HP car! It is a wonder I never hit anything despite several wobbly goblin incidents. 🤪 After the 35,000 miles of full throttle fun it needed another engine rebuild, I looked around and found a two year old, very low mileage, 1974 MG Midget 1275cc engine for about $375. It was a straight bolt-in fit and turned the car into a "thoroughbred" with the additional 20-25 HP. I could now pass with confidence on narrow California mountain roads. Plus, the engine ran much cooler so I never had to watch the temperature gauge again. Total Fun! 😄😄 P.S. Jay, you can make the engines much more oil tight. With care during the rebuild, you can get the 948cc motor to only have an occasional rear main seal drip, though there will eventually be a thin coat of oil on the whole engine.
I had an original one too in the 1970s. Drove all over europe but the rust got it in the end!
bought mine for 50 bucks n 1972 and it was loaded in back row of chevy dealer he practically paid me to take it
The bug eyes sprite is such a classic. My first car ride after birth in 64. My dad had one until he wrecked it in Glendale. I have lots of photos of all his English sports cars including this one. He loved this car
I used to see tons of Spridgets in Glendale/Burbank. Lots of Sunbeams, too. Remember British Car Service on Colorado, run by George and Martin Barrett? The best.
@@jimcarlile7238 Yes indeed man! I grew up in North San Gabriel right off San Gabriel Blvd. just below Huntington dr
As an old English classic like myself, it's great to see these still running. It's like a little Jack Russell. It would go down a hole and catch a rabbit for you. Please were simple cars to replace motorbikes and they did the job. Put a smile in your face and that front end. You just can't hate it It's so cute!.
Lovely. In the British car restoration scene in Europe the frogeyes are still quite the popular projects, but most of them do come from California now indeed for an obvious reason; rust like nothing else. The last Sprites produced in 1971 if I’m not mistaken, however with the succeeding body style. The frogeye style (Mk I) ran for a rather short lived 3 years of production 1958 -1961 but have always been the most iconic. The best type of content on Jay’s channel is this. Wonderful.
My Dad owned one of these in the eighties and another Sprite owned by his buddy which was raced in G and H industrial classes at Cotati during the 60's. He then purchased one later and bored it out 60 over and shaved the head about the same amount. Really can pull some G's on the tight turns. He built some really good race engines for these, Triumphs, Jaguars and MG Midgets. He worked at Lonnie Jensen machine in SF together with his buddy (son of the owner) for 25 years. I sold that car for him in 1994 for $1,740 and the buyers were so enthusiastic to get it at that price! I probably could have gotten more for it but I was in a hurry as he wanted to sell it quickly.
Your Dad sounds like he was quite a guy!
My mom used to brag about running her bugeye ton up across the Woodrow Wilson bridge by DC back in '63 or so... She was a legend. Used to track it too locally.
I owed a red Sprite and loved it. When I was stationed at Nas Fallon NV I and a Navy buddy bought another one that was damaged and we got permission to use a empty hanger and took it apart piece by piece and layed it out on the hanger floor. We repaired it, raced it several times, and sold it for a good price. Thanks for the memory Jay.
Finally!! This has always been one of my favorite cars of all time, and I've been waiting for years for Jay to have one on!
I've always loved the look of the bugeye, it just has some kind of special appeal that still looks classy but not dated. The side view is beautiful as well, great lines never get old! I love seeing this time capsule as-is rather than restored, anybody can restore one, but keeping it original somehow keeps it real. It will only be original once, those restored ones are just for sitting in garages and occasional shows, this is a driver's car!
It has the same motor that my Morris Minor had except mine was just a single carburetor. My Morris Minor had full length leaf springs instead of those semi elliptical leaf springs on the back. My Morris Minor is what I drove to my high school graduation in 1972. It was a convertible and the back window frame and door Frame stayed up when you put the top down! ‘Party on!’
Fresh out of High School, I bought a new 1964 Austin Healy Sprite and I loved it, and so did my girlfriend. Mine was not a bugeye. I wish I had never sold it.
I drove it all over southern Cal and a trip up the Pacific Coast HWY to Redding and back home. Good memories.
When I was at Jay's garage in early February, when he and I did a video about my Auburn, I saw this car as they were putting it back together. It's really beautiful!
Humble brag. I'm jelly
I remember, twenty plus years ago, seeing a load of Austin Healeys, just round the corner from my house. It was an owners club excursion; they were visiting the four pubs in Scotland that were the furthest north, south, east and west, excluding islands, with my local being the easternmost. Great to see Frog Eye and later Sprites and the bigger 100, 100-6 and 3000 models.
Jay.....I have this car....same color in and out........However, I did a total redo that took 5 1/2 years (93-98).........1275 engine, front disk brakes, electronic ignition and on and on....I did buy one for $300 in 1967...drove it for the summer and sold it to a high school kid for the same price. All you say is what this car is....I have put 4500 miles on mine since 1998 and it will go to family member when I am gone.....Thanks Jay
A friend had one of these when I was a student - same colour as well. It was a classic then in the late 70s with its unmistakable friendly frog-eye style.
I have a restored 64 MGB. You can basically build one from catalog parts and do much of the work yourself. Sure they leak. If they don’t leak something is wrong. Early Brit Cars. Simple and fun and not a bank breakers.
My uncle let me drive his frog eye spirt, he purchased it when I was two years old and I’m now 54; I’ve always been in love with this little car. There is something magical about driving the car you remember as a little boy. Thanks Jay.
Its a frog sure 😁
Probably 40 yrs ago dad and I rebuilt the engine in an Austin coupe for a gentleman in our neighborhood. We needed a part that was unavailable so he took us to a building in town. When we went in it was packed with 20 plus Austin, Nash and Jensen Healey's. We thought he was nuts but looking back he was sitting on a gold mine
My dad got me a '62 Sprite MK 2 for my first car in '84. Fixed it up, painted it white, and drove it everyday for 8 years. Love the little Healeys.
Been waiting for Jay to show a bugeye for a long time. We are half way through the restoration of ours.
Jay, This episode made me feel less inadequate with our small collection; 1970 VW, 1973 914 and a 1974 Saab Sonett. Keep having a great time. It's lots of fun watching you sharing your passion. Thank you
The Saab is dope, in good condition?
@@mondaymorningmowingwithmike Yup we just bought it. A very cool car, indeed.
I've got a 1959 I'm restoring. Turning into a touring car and plan on doing America's great roads in it.
My grandfather bought a new 1964 Ford Galaxie, drove it for a while, my uncle got it in 1968, drove it until 1974 and then parked it in the garage. It stayed parked, never moved, until after 2008. I wish I knew where it is since my parents drove it from their wedding.
Thanks for this video Jay! I bought a british racing green '61 in 1972 for $350. Loved that Bugeye! Sold it in 1973 for $600 and thought I'd made a killing. Should have never parted with it.
Just went to a British car show yesterday. My son and I were walking out, sad that we hadn’t seen a Sprite. On our way out, we ran into one. Mission complete! That car was mint, I think I like this one more. Thank you as always for sharing your knowledge and collection.
1996 while a senior at Trenton Central High School my dad bought me my first car - a Mark I Bug Eye Sprite in white. Seats were black and white. As you have discovered it was immense fun to drive, and back then I could fill the tank with $5 and have change. The car saw me through my freshman and junior years in college, although the engine was completely overhauled and the clutch replaced. To this day in my 75th year I still have the occasional dream of driving that joyous little car. Thanks for the memory.
I had a 1960 Bugeye back in the day. I replaced the 948 cc engine with a 1098 engine, and it was a blast to drive. Thanks for the memories! A nice oily sheen on the underbelly is good rust prevention. :-)
I had a 76 Spitfire when stationed in England and a 79 MG Midget when living in VA. Yes, both were great fun to drive. I sure do miss them.
Jay Leno is a national treasure. His discussions about his cars is very enjoyable as well as informative.
1959, I was 14. My cousin Russel was the Drum Major for the Baylor marching band. I can still see him getting 2 cheerleaders stuffed in there with him after a football game with the top up because it was raining.. I dare say he kept his most memorable times to himself. He'd drive down the road wearing dark sun glasses, a little English golf hat and a white trench coat (beat-nicks were something of a style). Back then little sports cars were so rare on the highway that they''d all wave at each other when they met.
Had a worn out 7 year old Bugeye. 😆always had to Jumpstart with popping the clutch. 😊 Thanks for the good memories Jay. ❤
Great to hear that BMC A series sound again, Jay. Keeping those engines oil tight is a thankless task - my wife's first Mini leaked despite every effort! But, as you say, so simple, so delightful to drive and made out of Austin A35 parts, too. The big structural weakness is with the mounts for those rear quarter elliptic springs. When that rots it's really bad news for the little car's future.
I restored older (late 40s to early 70s) Jaguars, and later was a Jaguar dealer lead tech, in that time I learned how to make just about any engine non-leaking, I have a 1964 Harley-Davidson panhead that I've owned since I was 19, I'm 60 now, and it doesn't leak at all, also it starts right up in any weather, snow rain, etc. It's a real, live "one kick wonder" but I have to admit, getting it dialed in to be what it is took an enormous amount of time and effort, but I ride a real panhead harley all year round and even though it's only 74 inches it'll do 100+ mph in 100° weather all day long, just keep on top of maintenance, change the oil every 3000 miles, and it's lasted for me over 40 years, and it's been bored only 30 thousandths in its life, replaced the crank pin twice, and a couple of valve jobs, almost all of the engine is original, oil pump, hydraulic lifters, etc. are still going just fine
Little British cars don't leak oil - they're just marking their territory!
@@rcknbob1 LOL, what I tell everyone when my MGB leaves oil spots on their driveways!
My wife has a 1959 Bugeye just like this that we acquired last fall.. She loves it. I went through the engine and all the mechanicals last winter. Against everyone's advice we kept the 948 and smooth case transmission. It is a blast to drive.
I've got one of these I need to restore. I've owned it since college...{now 77}. So about 50 years, a SoCal car. Thanks for the memories....
This was the car of my dreams in Sydney. We used to say someone pushed the headlights back while the paint was still wet.
I like it. The wheels have a nice design. I can't wait to hear about the XKE. Thank you.
To of my older half brothers had these in the late 60's. I remember them constantly working on them until they finally gave up and sold them.
Boy 0 boy this little car takes this old man back to the 1950's.....Thanks Jay.....Shoe🇺🇸
This reminds me of when I got a 1986 Civic Si in 2005, for $500. It had only around 100hp, but being so light and basic at under 2000lb, was quite quick. 4 speed manual, manual steering and brakes. The first Si with the first fuel injection in Hondas, and was noticed by car people even. It was a fun project car, that made me appreciate light weight over hp.
Here in SLC we have an annual event called "British Field Days" (June 18th at Liberty Park) that attracts all sorts of British cars and motorcycles. There is usually a timed course in the traffic cones and the "Bug Eye Sprite" is usually the top contender because of its handling and agility in the tight turns. It looks like a blast! It would be great to see Jay there!
Always called the 'Frog-Eye Sprite' in Britain.
@@golden.lights.twinkle2329 - That is actually correct... not just because you invented the car, but frogs have their eyes on top like this car, insects don't. I think we use the other term because "bug eyed" is a long established idiom here for anything odd looking.
I love the sound of that engine! When I was a kid on Long Island, one of the young guys in the neighbourhood had one. We lived at a corner and eveytime he made the turn to go to his home, he had to down shift. So that 948 cc engine sound brought back a lot of long gone memories! Thanks......
When I was 16 in 1961, I got my Massachusetts license. One of my uncles had a “Bug Eye” Sprite. A few weeks after getting my license I saw him and asked what it was like to drive a four speed. He tossed me the keys and said to go find out for myself. It was my first sports car experience. Something I will always remember.
This is my second car that I owned when I was in high school in the early 60s. Same color even. Mine was a 61 though, the last of the "bug-eyes". It had the worst brakes of anything I have ever driven, but was great fun.
Oh, Bugeye Sprites make my heart ache. Such a lovely, honest little car; I've loved them all my life. And, one you can drive with verve and have fun with is even better! I adore it, Jay, and I wouldn't change a thing on it! Thanks again for another great episode, Jay and crew! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
That's the appeal of small, kids would say underpowered, REAL sports cars. Verve is a perfect description. You try driving any of this modern over-powered stuff with 'verve' and you're dead.
i think this one needs the Armstrong dampers replaced especially as at the front they are also the upper control arms
Wonderful looking english sports car. A frogeye sprite... brilliant. Cute. Practical. Simple fun car.
Great to see an old frogeye Jay, great little car for the Country roads, a thanks from a 28th of April birthday kid 1955 and a mother from scotland.
Dear Jay, this is for sure your best sports car in your garage… simply great! 👍 Greetings from Stuttgart, Matthias