Our new GPS Sprite speedo allows us to measure zero-60 times. You’ll see me stage the instrument in the video below. Scroll through the functions to 0-60 timer… once keyed, the timer starts when the car begins to move. Click play in the video below to watch!
12.77 seconds is not going to win any prizes. But a 948 powered Bugeye which would be lucky to break 20 seconds to 60 when new (Road & Track quoted 20.8 in 1958), so this is very impressive, and a whole lot of fun. The power is smooth and progressive. It ain’t the sound of a Stereo muffler, but the electric motor has a distinct whoosh that is also surprisingly fun to hear. You can see the custom driveshaft doing its job below.
We love gas powered Bugeyes. We have cars here currently from Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Idaho, and we are sorting them all out, chasing down every noise and rattle, and tuning them for optimal performance.
Our electric Sprite is a welcome change.
Most dramatic is coming the familiar stop sign at the end of our block, just as I do with the other four Bugeyes I am testing prior to their departure. At a stop there is, of course, nothing. No noise. Nothing to manage. No throttle to blip or choke to pull. Just silence. Noises, when present, have to be right. Many noises are telltale indications of problems. So we listen very carefully. While this electric car is missing it’s sweet exhaust note, most dramatic is that is has no bad noises at all! And that makes it quite refreshing to drive!
In the coming weeks, we will finish this electric car. We’ll clean up all the wires and put in the complete new interior, and other appointments, which we will share here when they are done. Some of you have asked for conversion kits. Those will not be available for a while, as we need to further develop the kit so that it can be installed at a DIY level.
We are, however, scheduling electric conversions here in our shop for the coming months. If you have a Bugeye for example with a rusty fuel tank and played-out 948 engine, we would be happy to pick it up make it a great driver. We can put in a new fuel tank and rebuilt engine, or, now for the first time, we can convert it to electric power. For us to install a complete electric conversion, I would budget $35,000 for the complete kit and labor to remove the gas powered driveline and replace it with the electric systems needed to charge and drive with about a 100 mile range. If you are interested, call or email to discuss your project!
We’ll keep the gas powered (and electric) Bugeyes rolling!
