Meet Bob in the video below. He purchased a beautiful 1959 Bugeye we had called “Pedro” from us back in 2015, and we loaded the car into an enclosed trailer for him and shipped it to Florida. Before we did that, we designed a build sheet together that included the modifications Bob wanted to make this car his own, and to optimize it for his location and type of usage. Let us build the Bugeye of your dreams for you! Call us for more details!
Big person in a little car
“Will I fit?” is a popular question among prospective Bugeye owners. Check out this fellow, who is 6’5” tall and about 350 lbs. In he goes, and he looks very happy indeed!
We have a removable steering wheel that makes access easier, you can find it here. But even without, these pictures demonstrate that Bugeye Sprites accommodate a large range of body types. Like classic Minis, they are bigger on the inside than they look!
Bugeye dashboard therapy
A nice, properly-arranged dashboard is crucial to the Bugeye experience. It is the first item that catches your eye as you climb in and prepare for a relaxing summer drive. We are merciless about building Bugeye dashboards, and have always felt they should look just like they did when they left the factory. Over the years, we have seen dozens of dashboards “updated” with the wrong bits, extra holes, and the wrong switchgear. Let’s end this once and for all!
If your Bugeye’s dash has been butchered in the past, we offer a dashboard restoration service to return your dash to its correct factory condition. We weld closed any extra holes present, smooth out any metal imperfections, sandblast, paint, and recover your dash to your color specifications. We can even do your dash trim bar at the same time! Click the photo above to learn more!
If you have a dash that has the correct holes but has worn, damaged, or incorrect components, we offer a dash rehab kit to help you restore your Bugeye dashboard with the proper stuff. These are accurate reproductions so you can make your Bugeye living room proper once again! Click the photo below to order!
Our dash rehab kit includes:
New H knob
New W knob
New headlight switch bezel
New “S” starter cable
New “C” original type choke cable
Washer pump assembly with Knob
Be kind to your Bugeye Sprite gearbox
I love old British transmissions. While the lack of synchronizers in first and reverse may dissuade some drivers from them, in practice, when shifted correctly, non-synchronized first/reverse gears are just not an issue. So what is the proper way to shift a Bugeye or Spridget transmission to keep from grinding the gears?
The easiest gear to grind is the unsynchronized first gear. It is perhaps reflex for some drivers to attempt to engage first gear while rolling through a stop sign, which invariably results in grinding. The fix is to come to a full stop and engage first. Alternatively, you can roll through while staying in second, which I do much of the time when driving my own cars. In the video below, taken earlier this year, I discuss a little bit about not only how to shift your Bugeye, but what RPMs to best shift at.
Another thing I have noticed from riding with a lot of new classic car owners is that they will sometimes accidentally catch first while shifting from second to third. The gates are pretty close together and the shift pattern is tight, and if you aren’t careful when shifting from 2nd to 3rd, grinding is the result. It’s easy to avoid doing this; simply keep a tad of pressure to the right as you push the lever forward, and the shifter will jump over slightly so it easily aligns with the synchronized third gear.
The other cardinal rule is to be gentle with the shifter, and to use light pressure. With good timing, the gear box will almost draw the shifter into gear, instead of the driver applying excessive force. The goal is to shift quickly, but gently. Challenge yourself to be 100% grind free.
If your Bugeye’s transmission is grinding, seek help! Either your driving style needs a small adjustment, or something is wrong with your driveline. A failing clutch slave cylinder or master cylinder can cause you to grind in multiple gears, as the hydraulic pressure isn’t enough to fully disengage the clutch. An improper or worn slave push rod can also cause this, as can a bent clutch fork. Each transmission only has so many grinds in it before they fail. If you keep grinding, your gears will (sadly) come to look like what you see in the above video.
Of course, the best way to avoid grinding a non-synchronized first gear is to install a fully synchronized five-speed Ford gearbox, which has the added benefit of an overdrive gear for an improved highway driving experience! Click the photo below to order one today!
Should you wish to retain the original feel of your four-speed gearbox but need to fix or replace the gearbox or any other related component, we carry a full line of driveline components to get your Bugeye back up and running! Click the photos below to learn more about some of our products, or click here for our full catalog!
Early ’58 948 five-speed Bugeye for sale!
NOW SOLD to John in MI! Congratulations on taking home this great car! #417!!
Elle now comes with a new tonneau!
Take a look! This nice car keeps getting better!!!
Here’s a sharp looking early 1958 Bugeye called “Elle,” (AN5L 2264) with lots of new upgrades.
This is a very special early car with the correct early nine-stud windshield. She recently underwent a long-term extensive restoration done by a passionate owner in the Midwest. The prior owner put-in a Ford five speed transmission mated to the original 948 engine (#2069, the correct original engine per the heritage certificate) which was professionally rebuilt, balanced and blueprinted. Excellent documentation for this engine rebuild is included… this was a huge investment, and an exceptional asset of this particular car. Couple that engine with a stout Ford five-speed transmission (which was originally designed for a much heavier Ford Sierra and is thus capable of handling much more than Bugeye output) and you have a great driveline.
An aluminum radiator and spin-on oil filter assembly are also fit… both are nice summer weather upgrades. Of course, the five speed gives the new owner overdrive in fifth and fully synchronized gears, which makes this gearbox super easy to use for all types of drivers. Check out the driving video below to learn more!
Brake line of the month
More important than perhaps any other system on your Bugeye, the braking system is one that requires constant attention in order to operate at peak efficiency and prevent catastrophic failures. Nothing is more frightening than a car that cannot stop. In addition to the traditional shoe adjustments and leak hunting, there are other, harder-to-spot issues that can create just as big of an issue, like in the photo below, taken during a recent inspection.
Next time you get under your car, take a good look at your brake lines, particularly over the rear axle. On “Marvin,” the car shown here, we noticed a compressed segment, perhaps from an old tie-down strap that had compromised the steel line.
We replaced it for the new owner, to ensure optimum strength and integrity of this all important piece of safety equipment.
As our fleet ages, it’s worth taking a serious look at the overall quality of the hard brake lines on every one of these classic cars from this era. The old steel lines are looking more and more corroded these days, and we’ve been changing many hard lines in our building. The kit that we sell works well to remedy this need and you can find it linked in the photo below. Our hard brake line kit is made from a copper-nickel alloy that is easier to bend and flare than steel, has a higher burst rating, and most importantly, is corrosion-resistant!
And if you prefer to have us rebuild your hydraulic system, please give us a call. We’ll be happy to retrieve your car anywhere in the country and bring it to our shop for a spa session!
