This is “Kellison,” a Bugeye with a light-weight and sleek 60s accessory nose!
Click to enlarge this period Kellison advertisement. (The original nose was $150!)Somewhere along its journey, a prior owner removed the Bugeye nose and put on a fiberglass Kellison Nose, a very cool and unique period accessory. This front end gives makes this a special car indeed, and will guarantee a lot of attention at car shows. It’s common to see later Spridgets fit with Bugeye noses, but rarely to you find a nice Bugeye fit with an aftermarket period nose. I am guessing this one was purchased in the 60s because the original business card is still attached to the nose (see photo below). Kellison moved from Folsum to Lincoln, CA in 1963.
AN5L 18695 is a nice 1959 Bugeye with a strong 1275 engine, painted in the correct original Cherry red color.
We did several thousand dollars worth of work to repair and upgrade this car. For example, we put on a new 1275 head with a fresh valve job, hardened valve seats and new valves and spring.We also changed the steering rack boots and radius arm bushings. We also replaced water hoses as needed and fixed a few oil leaks. We changed the fuel tank, fixed the fuel gauge (which has a metal float on the sender, ethanol proof) and replaced any of the older fuel line. We also fixed the charging system. We spent a lot of time on this car-feel free to call to get the final list of improvements, as we made many. Our goal was to make a reasonably priced driver anyone could enjoy without breaking the bank and the car is now ready to go to a new home. It’s now a great driver.
The car already has an upgraded solid state electronic fuel pump, new tires from late 2015 and an exhaust header as well as performance muffler and front sway bar. The car also has a nearly new top in great shape and a pair of original side curtains, which will need restoration, but they are good cores. Air filters are included, we just weren’t finished tuning when I took the pictures.
This is a flip forward assembly for much improved engine access. It’s also significantly lighter than a stock steel nose. I happen to love the look. And if you ever wanted to go back to a stock Bugeye nose, we have those available in steel and fiberglass.
The car drives wonderfully and looks great. If you are looking for a nice driving Bugeye that’s a bit out of the ordinary, Kellison is a good one, for $13,995.
