Ever-So-Slightly Broken Brits: 1996 Land Rover Discovery vs 1968 Austin-Healey Sprite

Sbsd 6 5 2023
ADVERTISEMENT

Welcome back to Shitbox Showdown! Today we’re in Richmond, Virginia looking at two British cars that run and drive, but still need a little help. Normally, before we got started, we’d have to look at Friday’s results, but there was no poll on Friday. There wasn’t much consensus, either. If it were my choice, I’d make the Chevy my daily driver, set up the Nissan Cube for rallycross (why not?), and give the already-half-dead Mustang a Viking funeral. But that’s just me.

Moving on: British cars are the butt of a lot of jokes. Their Lucas electrical systems bear the brunt, but their propensity to leak oil is also good joke fodder. Neither one is entirely unfair, but neither are British cars hopelessly unreliable as is so often insinuated. If you stay on top of the maintenance, and are handy with a spanner, these cars can be as reliable as any other old vehicle. More or less.

Both of today’s choices are running and driving already. Neither one is ready for a cross-country journey, but as we’ve discussed before, step one is being able to get in and turn the key and make the car go, and these are already there. You just have to keep them that way, and track down and fix a few problems. Let’s take a look.

1996 Land Rover Discovery – $3,500

00p0p Gb3bozw5gtj 0ci0t2 1200x900

Engine/drivetrain: 3.9 liter overhead valve V8, four-speed automatic, full-time 4WD

Location: Richmond, VA

Odometer reading: 138,000 miles

Runs/drives? Yes, but “smelled hot” last time it was driven

The Land Rover Discovery is becoming a well-known car around the halls of the Autopian offices, thanks to the exploits of our young weekend warrior Rob Spiteri. Rob recently sold his Series II Discovery, but still claims to have Land Rover fever. And frankly, I can’t blame him; the Discovery is a cool truck. It has a great chunky utilitarian look, luxurious interior appointments, and the same drivetrain as the legendary Range Rover. They’re well-made, incredibly capable off-road vehicles that have survived some absurd challenges. So how did they end up with such a poor reputation here in the US?

00h0h Nze78jzxgi 0t20ci 1200x900

I have a theory: They’re bored. Land Rovers are used to slogging through jungles, fording rivers, climbing mountains, getting winched up trees, that sort of thing. Americans buy them and… drive them to the mall. Or the country club. Or – God help us – Rodeo Drive. The poor trucks occasionally commit suicide just to break up the monotony.

00c0c 8eprrfkzpxb 0t20ci 1200x900

This Series I Discovery was purchased to be a first car for a sixteen-year-old. Things started out well, but after a few drives the new owner noticed a “hot” smell emanating from it, got worried, and parked it. From the sounds of it, it hasn’t turned a wheel since. The seller knows nothing about cars, and can’t find a local shop willing to work on it, so they’re getting out while the getting is good. Discoverys are prone to overheating, and the aluminum Rover V8 is not very tolerant of high heat, so it sounds like they did the right thing. Of course, a hot smell could be indicative of an oil leak, possibly valve cover gaskets leaking onto the exhaust, so that’s something to check as well.

00v0v 8cfpwdqh0jr 0ci0t2 1200x900

It looks good, with only a few bruises and some faded plastic outside, and some wear and popped seams on the seats. The aftermarket fog lights and roof rack are nice touches. To me, this Landy sounds like it just needs a patient and knowledgeable owner to nurse it back to health, and then go put that four-wheel-drive system to good use somewhere.

[Editor’s Note: Those orange things on the back seem to be a pair of magnetic boxes, to hold small amounts of chowder or fuses or something – JT]

1968 Austin-Healey Sprite – $3,200

00g0g Dk5efxtko5j 0ci0t2 1200x900

Engine/drivetrain: 1275 cc overhead valve inline 4, four-speed manual, RWD

Location: Mechanicsville, VA

Odometer reading: 63,000 miles

Runs/drives: Runs great, but rear main oil seal leaks

Looking for an older, more traditional British car experience? Look no further than this 1968 Austin-Healey Sprite MkIV. This final iteration of Britain’s tiny sports car features a 1275 cubic centimeter variant of the BMC A-series four-cylinder and the same squared-off wide-eyed front end first seen in 1962 on the MkII Sprite. It’s not as relentlessly cute as the original “bugeye” (or “frogeye” on its home turf) design, but it’s still adorable. And if you’re familiar with the MG Midget, no, you’re not seeing things; this is the same car, from 1962 up until the Austin-Healey nameplate went away in 1971. This era of Sprite and Midget has become collectively known by the portmanteau “Spridget.”

00f0f Clzwrzw98ch 0ci0t2 1200x900

This Sprite looks to be in good shape, with no signs of serious rust. Spridgets, like MGBs, are a unibody design, and as such, rust in the wrong places can be fatal. This car looks solid, but you would be wise to take a close look underneath, and lift up the carpets, too. The paint is only OK, and the seller acknowledges that. It looks like it might be an older poor-quality respray, so a magnet to check for Bondo (there’s bound to be some) isn’t a bad idea either.

00g0g 3rjvnajagzf 0lm0t2 1200x900

The seller says the little A-series engine runs great, and has had a lot of work done. The only mechanical problem is a leaking rear main oil seal. British cars of this era still used “rope” seals for the crankshaft, and after fifty-five years you can’t expect them to hold up. Modern rubber seal kits are available, but of course you have to pull the gearbox and flywheel to get to it.

00f0f 7czwzetcbmg 0ci0t2 1200x900

But it wouldn’t be a proper British roadster if it didn’t need something. You have to be willing to get your hands dirty if you’re going to drive a car like this. (How do you tell the British car guy at the pub? He’s the one who has to wash his hands before peeing…) But again, in the right hands, this little car could be an absolute gem. The final line of the ad says, “This is not a daily driver.” And I agree; at least, not with that attitude, it isn’t.

If you want something consistently reliable, get a Toyota. But you’ll be missing out on decades of tradition, massive amounts of charm, miles and miles of fun drives, and the satisfaction that comes from knowing a vehicle inside and out. You’ve got two flavors to choose from – a rough and ready SUV with a soft side, or a tiny fun roadster that feels much faster than it is. Which will it be?

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)

About the Author

View All My Posts

57 thoughts on “Ever-So-Slightly Broken Brits: 1996 Land Rover Discovery vs 1968 Austin-Healey Sprite

  1. Oh wow, it’s a gen1 Disco! These are pretty rare – My family had the diesel manual metallic green version, and we loved it. Apart from a blown head gasket, it didn’t really let us down that often. Well, apart from the time that the exhaust fell off with no warning in the south of France.

    Very useful for hauling dogs, towing caravans, and giving us kids an elevated view from the back seat.

  2. I wish I had a third garage when I see cars like that Sprite. Cheap enough to get into and deal with, simple enough for a white collar guy like me to figure out, cruise with the top off when it is working.

    But I also like to keep my daily in the garage, so guess the “project car” will have to wait.

  3. sprite (n). An elf or fairy.

    A wise man does not enter into deals with the Fair Folk, but I am not a wise man, and I’m feeling puckish. Sprite it is.

  4. Ive always loved little sports cars over 1000hp muscle cars. Heck on a twisty road a 200hp sports car could beat the American muscle car as long as no straightaways. This ad reminds me of decades ago i wanted a little 2 door brit, could only afford 1 car. Pulled into a dealer that had a used MG told him my plans to daily it. He said shit son there is no way you are going to daily an old british roadster. Not all car salesman are bad. That is when I got my Isuzu Amigo. Great car.

  5. The Sprite for me. It’s a more interesting vehicle.

    Also I strongly suspect that when the seller of the Land Rover wrote “Turns out, I can’t find a single shop that will work on it for me”, he’s full of shit.

    What I ACTUALLY think is he can’t find a shop to work on it FOR CHEAP.

    Because I’m 100% certain you can find specialty shops that work on these… but it won’t be cheap.

    

    1. I had a MkIII (purchased new) and this version has, IIRC, a larger engine and a stronger gear box, so it might be even more fun, when it runs. I. didn’t find the MKIII to be quite as much fun to drive as the Bugeye that preceded it, maybe I was not able to handle more the Bugeye’s 43 horsepower.

  6. Contrarian here, I’ll take the Disco. Not that I have anything against the Sprite, but I know Disco 1’s inside and out, and there’s likely nothing I couldn’t fix.

    There’s a very good chance that the “hot” smell is due to either a leak from the (very small) top plug on the radiator which needs to be removed to bleed air out during coolant changes (despite the owner manual telling you not to do so…) or a leak in the coolant expansion tank — which is a one-hour-or-less swap and coolant change.

    Also, remember, folks — if your British car is leaking some oil, everything’s fine. If it stops leaking oil, there’s something wrong! 🙂

  7. Sprite, please. As simple as a coal cart and more fun to drive than should be legal. It’s not fast, but it’s all about going fast in the slow car and cornering like a go-kart.

    Point of correction: the 1275 A series does not have a rope rear main seal. It has a slinger machined on the crankshaft that fits into a housing in the back of the block. Supposedly centrifugal force flings the oil off into grooves in the housing where it drains back into the crankcase. There are lip seal conversion kits available but if you don’t let the rear main seal leak how will you ever know if you’re out of oil?

    Source: long time Spridget owner who has been crankshaft deep into several A series engines.

  8. Sprite. Not the Frogeye I really want — I had one — but it’s easier to work on than a Lego set, parts are easy, and a whole lot of fun to drive.

    I’ve hard various Landies and RRs crap out on me in surprising and creative ways over the years, and if I needed such a device an Old Skool Cherokee would be a better choice for me.

    And yes, after attending to the leak and whatever else wants immediate attention, I’d DD the Sprite? Why not? Been there, done that.

Leave a Reply