![]() And these days the ‘Frogeye’ remains as popular as ever, with values having increased substantially in recent years. By the time production of this original Sprite ceased in 1961, a total of 49,000 had found buyers worldwide, with a large proportion of cars being exported to the USA. The lack of a bootlid and external door handles added to the Sprite’s smooth look.īy the time the ‘Frogeye’ hits the streets in 1958, it was priced at just £679 including Purchase Tax and instantly became a hit with younger buyers in particular. The large one-piece bonnet provided superb access to the engine bay, while the car’s curvaceousness both front and rear gave it an abundance of character. But in all other respects, the Sprite stayed true to its original brief. The original plan to have flip-up headlights proved too expensive, hence the use of bonnet-mounted cowled units that inevitably led to the car’s nickname. The ‘Frogeye’ may have shared its mechanicals with other BMC tiddlers, but aesthetically it was unique. It was enough to provide the Sprite with nippy performance, with decent enough handling to ensure plenty of thrills on any winding A-road. Healey and his team managed to get the best out of BMC’s 948cc A-series engine, meanwhile, by adding twin SU carburettors and stronger valve springs, pushing power to 43bhp at 5200rpm – a figure that compared well with the A35’s 34bhp. It’s why the ‘Frogeye’ ended up with parts from the Austin A35 (including the front suspension, gearbox and back axle) as well as the Morris Minor (the steering rack). In a bid to repeat their earlier success with the larger Austin-Healey, the pair decided to develop a budget sportster, with Healey carrying out the design and engineering side of things while BMC provided the running gear. BMC’s boss, Leonard Lord, met with Donald Healey in 1956 and a plan was hatched. And the Corporation’s relationship with the Healey Motor Company seemed like the ideal route for creating such a machine. ![]() BMC could see a market for a small, low-cost sports car that combined lively performance with reasonable running costs. Any Sprite or Midget is fun to drive, of course, but you’ll struggle to beat the original 1958-61 ‘Frogeye’ Sprite for sheer charm. ![]() It evolved into the Sprite MkII after just three years on sale, with that newcomer of 1961 being joined by the badge-engineered MG Midget that went on to be a big seller for Abingdon, remaining in production for an impressive eighteen years. The Austin-Healey Sprite Mk1 – better known by its nickname of ‘Frogeye’ Sprite in the UK and ‘Bugeye’ in the USA – enjoyed only a short career, and yet its influence on the British sports car scene was immense. If I have missed a thread that discusses this, or if someone has assembled a "How To" document, let me know where to find it.Classic sports cars don’t come much more basic or more entertaining than the ‘Frogeye’ Sprite – although there’s still plenty to check before you take the plunge What's the trick? Do you need to remove the thru bolts first to lift up the master in order to get the flare wrench on the fittings? I'm sure this is a common task that many have done so I'm hoping for the step-by-step scoop. I'll start soaking them with penetrate solution for several days but eventually I have to get a flare wrench in there. Or is there room to slide the bolt out with the pedal box in place? But before I can lift the pedal box up (if required) or slide out the master cylinder, I need to disconnect the brake and clutch tubing. It seems I would want to disconnect the brake and clutch lines at the flair fittings, remove the two thru bolts on the master cylinder, and lift out the cylinder leaving the push rods attached to the pedals But it looks like the thru bolt on the bottom may not be removable without lifting the pedal box up. The manual is not very clear on the removal process. I'm looking at rebuilding the master cylinder on my 61 BE and want to understand the process to get it removed.
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