1962 Austin Healey Sprite

Convertible

948 CC

4 speed

HAN6L / 2244

Clear

Gasoline

1962 Austin Healey Sprite - very early Mark II Vin#2244, Body #1833. 948cc engine, 4 spd. In April, I pulled this car from long term indoor storage from my neighbor. It was one of their relatives and no real history was known. I have since got it running well and put several hundred miles on it over the summer. I have a clear KS title in my name. I listed this a few months ago, but got cold feet and pulled the ad before anyone bid. I love driving this thing. But, winter is here, and I need the garage space back. In the past 5 months I have done the following: Converted to Pertronix electronic ignition (no points to worry about)Converted to negative groundNew spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, rotor, and coilCarbs rebuilt with new brass floats and grosse jetsNew engine gaskets - oil pan, valve cover, side coversNew Radiator, hoses, thermostat, overflow tankNew beltNew Generator - correct rear tach drive unitNew Tach drive gear unit New StarterNew clutch slave cylinderNew Master CylinderNew fuel pumpNew heater core heat control valve by Moss Motors (new in box, not installed)Purchased used, later model midget heater box & heater core - not installed but comes with the carInterior removed and thrown away - a good thing. The body is very good shape with very little rust - especially for a sprite. Solid fenders, floors, pillars, frame rails (see pics for spot in floor pan). Lower 5" section rear quarter panel on both sides replaced and done well, can only tell if looking under the car. A few nicks and scratches in the paint, what you would expect for a car stuffed in a garage for years, but overall, not bad and not dented. While unknown, I believe the engine was rebuilt before going to storage - engine was clean, freshly painted, the metal tag missing as if decked - and when I did a compression check, all 4 cylinders were 175 - which is excellent for this motor. That high of a reading not only suggests a very tight motor, but that compression is above stock. All 4 the same is rare as well. Motor does not smoke in any way. OK - the bad: The wiring needs to be looked at: although car runs great, it will only run if headlights are on (I didn't do it!). Wiper, turn signals, fuel gauge do not work - I assume related to wiring issue. Tach stopped working about a month ago, the speedo stopped working last week. I've put about 50 miles on it since the speedo broke. The transmission is getting a little tired. First whines a lot and reverse can be picky. Radio did not have any speakers or antenna, so I assume it does not work -- plus it is a positive ground radio anyway, so you can't use it since I converted to negative ground. Overall a solid little car with a lot of new mechanicals (starting price is almost the cost of just parts). Great little project that can be driven now. Finish what I started or restore as you go. Great MPG! $500 deposit with full payment within 1 week. This will be a cheap car so don't bid unless the money is in the bank. IF YOU HAVE 0 TRANSACTIONS I WILL CANCEL YOUR BID IF YOU DON'T CONTACT ME FIRST! NO RESERVE! YOU WIN - YOU GET! On Nov-03-12 at 08:21:00 PDT, seller added the following information: In the spirit of full disclosure, this week the *new* mechanical fuel vapor locked after 30 minutes of driving on a warm day. This is the second time the new fuel pump has done this in 3 weeks. SO - I AM INCLUDING A BRAND NEW SU ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP in the box. I think this is only fair to the buyer. After talking to several people that deal with these cars, this is the best, most recommended fix - and in fact in the later models, this is exactly what the factory did to combat this problem as well. Happy bidding! On Nov-05-12 at 19:10:00 PST, seller added the following information: I had a few questions about the vapor lock - and I want to clarify the car runs fine as is. I drove it to work everyday last week. The vapor lock on the fuel pump occurred after 30 min of driving in rush hour traffic (lots of sitting at lights) on a warm day. The car did not overheat, but the fuel pump did vapor lock. Ice water on a towel on the fuel pump and cooled for 10 minutes I was able to drive it home. But this was the second time in 3 weeks since I changed to the new fuel pump. The first time, I added a new heat sheild then and thought i fixed the problem. Since I already had the car listed on Ebay when #2 happened, I jumped on the MG boards and the unanimous opinion was to switch to an electric fuel pump for a permanent fix. In fact, this is exactly what the factory did in later years to solve this problem. I live only a few miles from Victoria British, so I thought the right thing to do is to provide this extra part & picked up a new-in-the-box SU dual polarity electric fuel pump for the new buyer. It is not installed. Thanks