Mods and Consequences

If ever a car was ripe for some upgrading it’s the wonderful Frogeye – but overdo it, and you risk actually making it worse…

Austin-Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite

t’s not unusual for us to write about classics that can be modified to within an inch of their lives in Mods and

Consequences. Some cars can even be given the V8 treatment, if that floats your boat. But it’s not like that with the ‘Frogeye’ Sprite, for two reasons. First, these cars are now so collectible that any mods which cannot be reversed shouldn’t really be attempted. And second, the Sprite’s tiny size means giving it lots of power will only end in tears because it’s so narrow and light that the brakes and suspension (even in upgraded form) might not cope.

Having said that, the standard Frogeye was endowed with so little power that a few sympathetic mods are almost essential if you want to keep up with modern traffic or tackle anything more than local journeys. After all, this is a car that features a 43bhp 948cc engine borrowed from the Austin A35.

While later Sprites had 1098cc or 1275cc engines, the Frogeye only got that 948cc unit. As a bargain-basement sportster, BMC pared manufacturing costs to the bone in a bid to reduce the purchase price as much as possible. As a result, there’s scope to improve pretty much every aspect of the Frogeye – but don’t be tempted to overdo it or you’ll

’A few sympathetic mods are essential in order to keep up with modern traffic’

end up losing the very essence of what this car is all about.

Speaking of which, we know of one Frogeye that’s been converted to Ford Zetec power. The engine is a snug fit, but its 175bhp certainly livens things up. K-series engines are also popular because they’re compact, tunable and can be mated to a Ford Type 9 gearbox.

To keep things simple, though, you’re better off sticking with a bigger A-series lump which will look authentic and whose perkier performance will make the car even more desirable.