Austin Healey Sprite Mk 3 1965

For sale is my lovely Tartan Red Austin Healey Sprite Mk III. which has done just over 52. 50 miles from (I believe) new and has a new MOT until 8/8/2014.   The Road Tax is due at the end of this month but of course is free of charge.

I purchased ‘Botty' in September 2010 from classic car Specialist Snowden's of Harrogate.   Before arriving at Snowdens. the car had been owned by an elderly gentleman who had undertaken a very slow renovation from 1993. but I understand that he could not complete it owing to age/ill health and therefore sold it to Snowdens before being able to drive and enjoy it.  

The last MOT certificate before its restoration is dated 21st August 1993 and showed a recorded mileage of 51756. so it was off the road for 16 or 17 years. during which time the car was painstakingly renovated.   Snowdens then re-commissioned the vehicle mechanically. putting in new brakes. battery. dynamo. control box. fuel pump and giving it a major service.

I have poodled about it in it over the past three years. adding only around 500 miles to the total mileage.   I have decided to sell it as I now have several classics that require work and I need to free a bit of space.

Here are details of the car's condition:-

Bodywork

The car looks stunning. with gleaming tartan red paintwork in excellent condition.   There is no rust or bubbling anywhere and the car is always kept under cover and has been driven only on dry spring or summer days.

The chrome work is not new but is in excellent condition. with minor pitting here and there. but no corrosion or flaking.

Underneath. the car has obviously been welded at some point. but there is no visible rust and it has been carefully and professionally undersealed.   The exhaust and fuel tank are in good condition.

Wheels and tyres

The wheels are the pressed steel type. in excellent condition and painted silver. with shiny AH chrome hub caps.   The tyres are as good as new.

Interior

The cockpit is very tidy. The seats are black with white piping and are in very good condition. with no splits or tears. and the sliding adjustment works efficiently.   The steering wheel is a smaller sports-style one with wooden rim.   The black carpets are in good condition. with just a little bit of wear on the top of the gearbox tunnel.

Some improvement could be made.   The back of the area behind the seats is wood. painted in black. and would perhaps benefit from having vinyl affixed to it or black carpet. in order to tidy it up a little.   The parcel shelf is in good condition and it has the wiring and aerial for a radio. but I have never tested this to see if it will work.

Boot space

This is clean with no rust and includes a spare wheel and tyre in excellent condition along with a jack and ‘spider' wheel wrench.   The boot lock works fine.

Hood and Tonneau

The black hood is in good condition. with no splits in the vinyl or window.   There is some slight discolouring of the edge of the window where a sticker might have been fixed at some point in the past. and there is some fraying where the hood slides over the chrome anchor points at the back (see photo) but this could probably be repaired.   The hood frame is the standard detachable type with stowable frame which is in excellent working condition.

The red tonneau cover is also in excellent condition with all functioning clips. connectors and zip.

Instruments and controls

Instruments are standard and working. apart from the fuel gauge which works in reverse……so if it shows full it is empty and if it shows empty it is full!  This is obviously due to a problem with the wiring of the sender unit. but as this appears to require the tank to be removed. I have opted to live with it!  A plastic one-gallon fuel container will be provided so the new owner can keep a reserve!

The headlight main-beam warning light is intermittent.

The door locks will work with a little effort. as the locks are rather loose.   On the passenger side. the interior latch to enable the door to be locked from inside the car is missing.   So overall. the locks could do with some attention.  

Mechanics

The car starts well with a little choke and warms up reasonably quickly. I have recently tuned and balanced the carburettors so that it runs smoothly and efficiently.   It has not done a long journey for probably 20 years having been used sparingly for short trips since I owned it and not run at all for the 16 years it was laid up.   But it pulls well and the gear change is smooth. and the suspension surprisingly gentle and accommodating.  

The 1098 cc A Series engine is probably the original one and I reckon it will therefore need some attention within the next 10k miles or so as I doubt that it has had a major overhaul.   It is not an unleaded head. and therefore it requires additive each time the tank is filled.   The oil consumption is OK. although like most of these A series engines. it does drip a little so you will need a drip tray if you want to keep your garage floor clean.   The oil pressure should be between 30 and 60 lbs/sq in and it is usually within these parameters but is borderline at the lower end when running hot. so this suggests that an engine overhaul will be due reasonably soon.

The offside wheel bearing has some slight play. having been picked up as an advisory in its MOT test. so this might need sorting out before next year's MOT.

Summary

Overall Botty is a pleasure to drive and she always gets admiring glances.   This is a great chance to own a great British classic in excellent condition. the value of which is sure to increase.  You should not expect a concourse car; there are some minor improvements to make and the new owner might need to address some engine issues in the next year or two if they want to use the car regularly and on longer journeys.

More information

Feel free to contact me by email or mobile phone (07774 989112) if you want to ask anything or arrange to view.   I would welcome inspections.   The car is located about 12 miles west of Huntingdon and 15 miles north of Bedford.

Financials

The successful bidder must pay a deposit of £100 via PayPal within 48 hours but the balance must be paid by cash please on collection.  

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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