Here’s an extremely solid Sprite we bought in California. We call it “Berkley,” and she is known to have lived in California for the past 20 years. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the car has been in dry climate since new. It’s rare to find a Bugeye that has all the original sheet metal underneath like this one, so we can be certain this one has been in nice weather for a good long time.
Click “read more” below the picture to expand this post and see the photo album…
The car is equipped with a rebuilt 1275 engine with under 1000 miles since a major rebuild. That engine is mated to a rib case transmission from a later Spridget, that I presume was also rebuilt, since it shifts smoothly in all gears and has no issues. The synchros are excellent.
The interior is nice, although not brand new. The car has been driven, but not much for the last five or so years. Speedo and tachometer are from later Sprites, but we can change those if the new owner so desires. Speedo reads 22,816 miles.
We’ve just changed the master and slave cylinder to new upgraded units and changed the radius arm bushings, all to make the car ready for a new home (not yet pictured). Disk brakes in front are a nice upgrade, and are working great. We’ve also tuned the HS2 (slightly larger, better) carburetors. The car drives wonderfully. Tires are just 2 years old, like new. An electric SU fuel pump is mounted on the rear bulkhead, a nice upgrade.
Muffler is nearly new. Good top and nearly new windows. Excellent side curtain pouch and jack included. The tonneau is a bit worn and needs a repair, which we can do, or we can fit a brand new one if you prefer.
All in all, this is an excellent package, in a sharp color, with a nice finish. There are some paint imperfections on the nose as shown in the photo album, and a few minor paint chips. But the real value of this car is the rust free structure.
Note that even the inside rear fender bottoms (above), which are almost always previously repaired (they trap water), are still quite virgin on this example. You’ll also notice the original primer color in the boot of the car (below).
I believe this car has had just one re-spray since new.
Call or email if you would like us to ship Berkley to your door!
