Registry: 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite

This project was started by a friend of mine in 1980. Set up with a 215 Buick V8 and four-barrel carb, it sat on the back burner, unassembled, until late 2014, when a new home purchase required he sell off quite a few projects.

I acquired the car with 2 spare 215 Buick engines, and boatloads of spare parts. He sold it to me because he believed I'd be the only one he knew who would actually finish the car. It came to my place unassembled in the back of a U-Haul trailer.

I make no claims as to the quality of the bodywork - I did it, it's rough, and it was painted with Rustoleum and a paint roller. It's a driver, plain and simple.

At the end of the day, I really don't care how it looks.
But I have never driven a care that accelerated as quickly as this one does.

I've got no issues regarding handling or braking - The front brakes and springs are from a '79 Midget, the rear end includes Chevy Monza brakes, and it utilizes the stock suspension with air bags to compensate for the added subframe connectors and the fact that the transmission sits so far back in the chassis.

That said, it's actually pretty well balanced. The engine set-back puts most of the weight about dead center, and it weighs in at about 1800 lbs. It stops and handles no worse than my MGB, but the ride is . . . well, let's just say it's no Cadillac.