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“Cheap” Racing: 1964 Austin-Healey Sprite

First off, for those racers that saw the post headline and immediately guffawed, yes, I’m fully aware there is NO truly cheap way to race a car. However, some methods are less expensive than others, and this 1964 Sprite would be a relatively frugal way to get out on a track and have some fun. It’s listed for sale here on eBay and is located in Crabtree, Pennsylvania. Bidding is starting at $1,964 (get it?) and there’s no reserve!

As you can see from this picture, the seller has cleaned the car up and removed it from it’s hiding place. There’s no telling how long the car was stored. The “GP” on the flank means the car was raced in G-Production in the SCCA, long a sweet spot for racing Midgets, Sprites and Spitfires. Although there’s some rust visible it doesn’t look too bad.

It looks like the car was raced under at least two team banners, but I couldn’t find anything about either on the internet. The Steel City SCCA Region is still around and hosts races, though; perhaps one of the older participants might remember the car. It would be worth trying to find the history.

Since Production class cars typically race on wider wheels and tires, I’m sure these fender flares were once necessary. The roll bar actually looks pretty substantial compared to some I’ve seen.

Even with the rust, how can you not smile when looking at a grin like this one!

I have my suspicions that the rust you see on the floors really isn’t as bad as it looks at first glance, although the seller states this is the worst of the rust. And if it is, well, cut and weld. Don’t forget that you will need to replace the harnesses as well as go through brakes, suspension, etc. before anyone will let you out on a track. Even though vintage racing organizations tend to be more relaxed, safety is something no one takes lightly.

Other than velocity stacks, this engine looks relatively stock, although it may not be internally. It does spin freely. The seller tells us that the car is equipped with adjustable rear suspension, an oil cooler and that the car was last raced in the 1970s. Want to go racing? You could do a whole lot worse than buying this Sprite!

Comments

  1. Avatar Camaro Joe

    It looks like a good buy, and it’s only a couple hours from me. But if it was originally from Western PA there could be rust problems. I’m not sure I could put up with the four banger. Does anybody know if the vintage sports car tech guys check engine size? I have a spare 1970’s LT-1 that would make it go, but that might be too obvious. A couple chassis braces (tube frame) might be needed.

    If I have to keep the four banger, a friend who’s a retired NHRA track announcer told me some stories about how the NHRA Pro Stock guys run hidden nitrous. Everybody knows they do it, physics say you don’t run a 500 CI normally aspirated motor within 1/2 second of the 900 CI Pro Modifieds with 3 stages of nitrous unless you’re doing something. The little 1250 cc Sprite would probably go pretty good with a 125 shot of nitrous. But getting enough nitrous to run 1/4 mile is one thing, a 75 mile race is another. But I still want it.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar Camaro Joe

    I forgot one thing, on the subject of “Cheap racing,” that doesn’t exist. There’s
    moderately expensive racing like this could be, then there’s really expensive racing, and finally “Using $100 dollar bills to light a cigar racing,” that’s what most of it is.

    Like 2
  3. Avatar Bob S

    I had a 61 bug eye Sprite that I drove on the street and raced. I had the engine punched out from 985 cc to 1300, with a cam, reworked head, bigger valves, headers, shaved flywheel, and Cooper clutch. It was a wicked little car, but the transmission and the rear end were not strong enough and I broke a lot of stuff. However, at the time, transmission parts and axles were inexpensive.
    I can honestly say that it was the most fun a person could have in a car. I took a lot of money from guys with big dollar cars.
    What I am saying is, that a car like that could be a lot of fun on the track, and the person would not be into the car for big money. I have a friend that was racing a vintage Mustang until last year, and a weekend at the track, without considering the cost of transporting the car and breakage, the bill for an average weekend was over $800.
    I hope whoever buys it will have a lot of fun with it.
    Bob

    Like 1
    • Avatar joseph w hartsell

      Set of tires for me is $750. Sure wish I could go racing for $800. More like $2000.

      Like 0
  4. bobhess Bob Hess Member

    Been there, done that. Tripped over this ’64 a few years ago to restore and Vintage race. Got half way through the rebuild when we found a rust free Bugeye shell that we are now building into a Vintage racer. ’64 went to a friend who is now completing the rebuild. We race about 6 times a year with SCCA and Bob’s cost estimate is about right give or take 100 each way depending on distance and how much fuel you buy. Our Production Sprite runs a 16.1 compression ratio engine that requires 110 octane leaded fuel at $9.50 a gallon. Pricey but great fun.

    Like 1
  5. Avatar James Martin

    Friend if mine traded a pretty decent 66 olds 88 4 door hard top for one of these. He decided to see what kind of money he could get out of it. I got in contact with the Healey club president. Told him my friend was hoping to get a 1000 out of it he came back with 250 bucks. They arnit worth what you think. Dime a dozen and parts are plentiful. So cheap racing maybe.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Doug

    The theory of Relativity certainly applies to racing ! It would be difficult to find a less expensive form of motor racing than one of these, unless you were racing stock engine 3hp Briggs and Stratton powered go-carts.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Derek

    2CVs are relatively inexpensive to race, but if I were to add it all up over the 20-odd years that I’ve been doing it…

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Bryan Cohn

    If I only had the space in the shop and a wife willing to let me own two race cars again…….

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Little Cars Member

    The photo of the car at the beginning is most likely the “after” picture. All the rest show the car when it was raced. No damage on the passenger side and the car looks silver in the first photo. Jes sayin’

    Like 0
  10. Avatar JohnSSC

    I’m a former member of Steel Cities. While I am not old enough to have raced when the Skunks were active, the Skunks were a group of active amateur racers who attend races as a group whether they were sanctioned by SCR or not.

    I don’t know many of the names involved, I know Ross Harris was one and potentially people like Ed Lowther, Donna Mae Mims and others were. There are probably people who wouldn’t mind having a Skunkeroo sticker for old times sake!

    Like 0

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