Crane, (AN5L 14580) was our 227th Bugeye sold back in June of 2018 (now, we’re up to #422). The car has lived in a climate controlled garage since then with regular exercise (as part of a stunning collection). Only a few hundred miles have been added since 2018. The owner has too many cars and asked us to sell it for him on consignment so someone new now has a shot at an exceptional stock-looking Bugeye with smart and choice upgrades, such as LED lights, a 1098 head (with bigger valves), header and HS2 carbs for increased power on a 948 engine. Front disc brakes were also added for the current owner.
This car was prepared with the best of everything for prior owners so if you want a premium Bugeye that evokes the look and feel of an original car but has great upgrades and is thoroughly vetted by our shop, Crane is worth a serious look.
BTW, we’ve actually prepared this car twice, once for Steve, the current owner, and once for Crane, the prior owner, who bought this car from us in August of 2015 with 35,514 miles. Both of these owners were quite generous with their upgrades to the car, which now shows 36,312 miles, so the car has traveled just 798 miles in these last nine years (Crane also had a large collection of nice vehicles).
Below is my write-up from 2018. All the photos are new. Feel free to call if you’re interested in adopting Crane!
This car is awesome. Everything works. It drives right. It’s fun. It goes. It handles. And it looks great. The new owner is going to get one of the best Bugeyes money can buy.
We sold Crane to the current owner in June of 2018. For him we added electronic ignition, spin-on oil filter kit, new tires, three point retractable seat belts, an improved engine cooling fan and he even had us ceramic coat the already deluxe stainless steel exhaust header.
We also sold the car in 2015 to a different owner (Crane) who had us upgrade the engine with a 1098 head with better performance and new valves, springs and hardened valve seats. (We also put on completely restored larger HS2 carbs, a great upgrade from later Sprites.)
Once he got it, Crane lavished on this little Sprite every indulgence one could offer a four-wheeled vehicle. The car was stored in a what amounts to a museum.
One chronic issue with Bugeyes is a small arc of scratches on the back that usually result from the convertible top chafing this area. While this was fine in 1959, it is not the way Crane rolls, so he had a piece of clear plastic invisible clear BRA strategically applied to the back deck, to make a nifty protective layer between convertible top and painted surface.
Top and windows are new BTW, and come in their own fleece-lined pouches. So does the top bow, if you prefer to stow it in your garage in its own separate case. You can see the protective pouches for top bow, side curtains and top in the slideshow below.
He powder coated the rims too, and these are some of the nicest original Sprite steel wheels I had ever seen, with not a single mark.
When you run your hand along the finish of this car you can tell it has something different going on, Crane hired the worlds’ finest detailer and I don’t know how many hours he must have spent but the car feels like it is sufficiently protected to last into the next millennium. That detailers receipt is included… he spent more time detailing the windshield glass than most people spend on their entire car. And it looks that good.
This car is not for everyone, but only for the person who wants the best of the best. Comes with its own birth certificate too! (see Heritage Certificate picture above).
Photo gallery below! Click “read more” below for the entire compliment of photos and give us a call if Crane is right for you!
