bugeyeguy – Page 14

From the Bugeyeguys Vault: A Bugeye Sprite is good for your marriage and other tales from an owner since 1962

May 17, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Here is a post from the vault, written in 2015 about a very original Bugeye and its (almost) original owner, who had the time of the post owned this car for over 50 years!

Tom and Judith Brewer have been married 53 years. They went on their honeymoon in this Bugeye in 1962. He recently brought his car to us to get it back on the road again. Listen to his story in the videos below! And check out his remarkable original interior, all the original rubber mats are present in the cockpit!

While original floor mats are a very rare find today (check out the listing for Penny Lane here if you are looking to buy a car with original rubber mats!), we have the next best thing available in our catalog! Available in the four original Bugeye interior colors (black, red, green, and blue), our 501 early Bugeye floor mat kit is as close a reproduction as is available on the market! Made from durable vinyl with a horsehair backing, this kit provides the durability of hardura with the look of an original rubber floor mat set. Click on the photo below to order one today! These are cut and sewn to order, so please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.

*Our 501 early Bugeye floor mat kit (as shown here installed on 501, the first production Bugeye Sprite) is as close a reproduction of the original floor mats as we have found on the market today!*

I guess that’s why they call it the fuse

May 10, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Bugeye Sprites employ Lucas electrical systems. While Lucas has a bit of a checkered reputation among British car enthusiasts, Bugeyes tend to be mostly exempt from typical electric pitfalls due to their simplicity. When installed and maintained correctly, a Frogeye electrical system can provide many miles of stout performance and trouble-free operation. A big part of that is the fuse block.

*This is an example of a factory-installed fuse block, currently present on 501, the first production Bugeye Sprite.*

The entirety of a Bugeye’s electrical system runs through a fuse block that is smaller than a box of crayons. In fact, the entire car employs only TWO glass fuses. One glass fuse protects all of the components that require a keyed ignition source; this includes such items as the fuel gauge, heater, wipers, flasher, brake lights, electric fuel pump (if so equipped), and of course, the ignition system. The other fuse is for the items requiring constant power from the battery, namely, the horn and the headlights. As all of these systems run through this interface, it is absolutely critical that the fuse block be in good working order.

In the photo above you will find two fuse blocks. The one on the left is a brand new fuse block, while the one on the right is an original block we recently removed from a client’s car during a re-wire. You can see how corroded all of the terminals, screws, and even the fuses are. Corroded electrical connections do not create very good contact, which can cause resistance in the circuit, leading to intermittent operation, or in some cases, no operation at all, which could potentially leave you stranded on the side of the road.

If you see that your fuse block and/or fuses are corroded like this, change your fuse block! In the video below, we discuss fuse blocks in further detail and how they work:

Should you need to change your fuse block, we offer new ones in our catalog, as well as a full line of electrical components to suit your needs! Click the photos below to check out a few of the electrical parts we have available or click here for our complete catalog!

*Dashboard turn signal indicator light (Bugeye)*

*Bugeye Sprite fuse block (screw terminals)*

*Complete Bugeye wiring harness (dip switch & headlight wiring sold separately)*

*Complete headlight wiring kit (all Bugyes/Spridgets)*

*Generator/alternator with dummy regulator (negative ground cars ONLY)*

Derelict Door Seals

May 10, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Door seals are such an important part of a Bugeye interior. They help the doors to close properly and prevent rattling during normal operation, and offer a little bit of color to spruce up your interior. Too often, we see cars come to us that have door seals that are faded, worn, torn, improperly installed, or are just flat-out missing.

*This door seal was originally bright red. Time has taken its toll. Time for new ones!*

It’s paramount that your Bugeye is fitted with the correct door seal, and that it is installed properly. Too fat a seal and your doors will no longer align. And without improper termination of the ends, you end up with a frayed cut that is in plain view each and every time you open the door. The trick here is to use seals of the correct thickness (which we have for sale here), and to properly terminate the ends. They knew this at the factory, and in the video here, you can see how to properly terminate the ends so the cuts are not visible.

We sell our door seal kit with clips so you can secure the product underneath your dash trim, as shown, to hide the front cut. The video above also shows you how to terminate the back cut behind the panel. Affixing your door seal this way gives you a wonderful finished look, just like what would have come from the factory!

In the video above, you can also see our carpet kit, which features multiple adjustments to make it fit far better than the kits that are offered by other suppliers. We have panel kits available too, in black, red, green, and blue. Top bow holders are also in stock and available. Click the photos below to order!

*Bugeye Sprite interior panel kit (multiple colors available)*

*Complete carpet set with trunk mat (Bugeye)*

*Top bow holder/storage kit (Bugeye only)*

From mild to wild! The many different flavors of Bugeye

May 3, 2024 by bugeyeguy

One of the most exciting parts of the day in our workshop is that every one of these cars has a different personality. They’re such simple cars, and you would think that they’d all be pretty much the same, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, here are two cars that are radically different from one another; there’s a very strong community for each one of these flavors!

*“Fiona” is a perfect example of a stock Bugeye in a factory Sprite color. Click the photo above to learn more!*

Some of our clients just want to noodle around town, and for that application a stock 948 Bugeye is just perfect. Pictured here is “Fiona”, a 1960 Bugeye that was a California car its entire life, and is an older restoration. It is pretty much completely stock and drives how a Bugeye would have rolling off the show room floor in 1960. If you would like to learn more about Fiona, you can watch the driving video below or click here for more information!

Some of our other clients are enamored exhaust note and horsepower, and want a car that’s pushed out towards the limit. For these clients, “Sweet Spot” would be the car for them!

*“Sweet Spot” is an example of the radical, tire-squealing performance machine a Bugeye can become! Click the photo to learn more!*

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Screaming 1380cc five-speed Super Sprite for sale! Long list of mods!

April 26, 2024 by bugeyeguy

NOW SOLD to James in New York! Congrats on taking this fantastic Bugeye home! #410!!

NEW driving video! Vroom!

The NEW walk-around video below showcases the many custom features on this car!

Bugeyes were cheap when new, so it’s easy to find one online that needs a long list of upgrades… here is a car that has just about every upgrade we have available. This car is “in the sweet spot,” with tons of improvements for reliability and performance. Spot is ready to go now with no wait! Ready for your Spring!

Sweet Spot has returned to our shop and is now for sale!

We have owned this car three different times and for each owner, the car has jumped-up several levels. Spot is now set-up perfectly, with all the best stuff. This is a rare opportunity to buy an extremely well-modified and sorted Bugeye Sprite. It would take a lot of money and time to build a new car this good so if you are looking for a hot Bugeye, check this one out.

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Revisiting our 150th Bugeye Sold!

April 26, 2024 by bugeyeguy

The Blue Bugeye we called “Marsha” was a milestone, our 150th out the door (now we’re up to 408!). Here’s Cici, the proud new owner of #150, united with her car at home in the Lake Tahoe area.

When I bought my first Bugeye “Gumby” back in 1979, I never would have guessed that one car (and the passion that ensued) would one day result in such a robust Bugeye business.

*Gumby in current livery. This car (and our business) has come a long way!*

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