This winter we will assemble Gumby, my first Bugeye, now that the custom green paint job is complete. My plan is to showcase all of the great trick parts we have learned about after the 200 Bugeyes that have come through our shop. But I simultaneously want to keep everything as stock as possible. This may sound like a contradiction, but part of the fun is keeping a stock identity while making tasteful upgrades. This is a line that can be hard to define absolutely.
There is a strong market for completely stock Bugeyes. There’s an equally strong market for modified cars done right. I’m not talking about V8 equipped flared-fendered radical designs which are too extreme in my opinion, but simply tasteful improvements that retain the soul of the car. Gumby’s build is intended to look and feel like a Bugeye, with some great extras. We still do many accurate and authentic stock cars, but that’s not the mission with Gumby.
For example, for me, rear disk brakes is a brilliant upgrade, and we are excited to now offer them for sale. I never want to change rear wheel cylinders or adjust the rear brakes again. Disk brakes fit the bill, with modern calipers that are bullet-proof and self-adjusting. For you, that may be too far afield. But keep watching, as we’ll feature “invasive” and less-invasive upgrades so you can pick and choose what is right for your particular car and identity.
We started this week with the back end of the car, in particular the license plate light and support. This is often done incorrectly, perhaps because of a lack of good information about how to do it right, and/or perhaps because of scarcity of the parts. You’ll find both in this blog post, in the video below you can see how to properly affix a Bugeye license plate light and plinthe, and you can click the links below if you wish to purchase the correct stuff.
Get your rear disc brake kit today by clicking here.
Get your proper license plate light with plinth by clicking here.
