Where, in stock form, the bugeye Sprite is hardly peppy enough and the Miata has the spirit but not the charm of an old British sports car, combining the two seems the most logical thing to do. Thus, we applaud the seller of this 1965 Austin-Healey Sprite, who swapped in a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine and five-speed transmission from a Miata. From the seller’s description:
Bare-to-the-chassis rotisserie build including custom a-arm front suspension, tube shocks, RX7 rear axle with Wilwood disc brakes and limited slip diff, Electromotive ECU, Fiberglass Speedwell Bugeye Bonnet, Wire wheels, custom dash with Dolphin gauges, roll bar, etc etc…. Less than 200 miles since completion, runs strong.
The selling price of $12,500 doesn’t seem bad for a bugeye that’s been treated to this swap.
See more Austin-Healeys for sale on Hemmings.com.