Just saw a 1969 Austin Healy Sprite for sale by owner for for under $6000. Am I getting into a money pit?

Asked by elchemia Jun 29, 2016 at 04:36 PM about the 1969 Austin-Healey Sprite

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

It has a rebuilt transmission and says runs really well.

2 Answers

10

You are more getting into a maintenance pit than a money pit. Before you buy the car, make sure that it is basically stock. I owned a 59 Sprite which was wonderful when it ran. Unfortunately, it was also modified for racing so none of the stuff in the car was stock which meant that every time it was in the shop for repairs, it was there for a while because my mechanic had to figure out exactly what the bad parts were and where to get them. If it is stock, you should be OK. The good thing about Sprites is that there are a lot of them around so there a fair number of places where you can get the parts you need and the prices are not too bad. There are several parts houses on the WEB that only sell Sprite parts. Also, if you know cars, they are fairly easy to fix yourself. What drove up the cost of owning my car and the reason I finally sold it was that I had to pay my mechanic do keep it running and the fact that my car was definitely not stock. One final thing. Moss Motors appears to have a lot of S[rite parts in their catalog. The problem is that they do not have them in stock. When you order them, they tell you that they have to be made and they have to wait until they get orders for several of them before they can have them made. In spite of all that I have said, I say go for it. I loved my car and I miss it. On the plus side, I bought a Mazda Miata to replace it so I have much of the feel of a Sprite with the knowledge that when I get into the car, it will start. Hope this helps. DON

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