bugeyeguy – Page 27

Reflections on 400 Bugeyes sold in a fun new podcast… click to listen!

November 3, 2023 by bugeyeguy

Wow, what a journey! Every Bugeye has been unique, every customer has had unique needs, every build required patience and flexibility, and lots of problem solving. And every one of the 400 has been a blast to build, test, complete and ship to happy customers worldwide. We have blanketed a lot of roadways with smiling little cars.

Click the photo above to listen to a new podcast on ‘Cars Yeah,” just recorded this past week!

Cars, restoration, parts, electric vehicles, a supercharged Gumby and the very first Bugeye… all from a Quonset hut that never leaked oil but sure leaked a lot of rainwater (until we encapsulated the building with a new standing-seam metal roof).

Thanks for coming with us on this ride, I hope you enjoy our celebration on the Cars Yeah podcast by clicking the picture and link above!

And if you would like to hear a similar podcast I recorded in 2017 (when we had sold our 211th Bugeye) click here to listen that podcast too!

400 Bugeyes Strong!

October 20, 2023 by bugeyeguy

Thank you and Congratulations Ed and Christine in Florida for making Little Lulu our 400th Bugeye sold! Thank you Bugeyeguys everywhere!

It seems just yesterday that we sold our 100th Bugeye Sprite, so 400 still feels to me to be a dream. I never thought this business would serve so many people, and that the Bugeye Sprite could endure so many iterations. We’ve sold cars to people all over the USA and Canada, as well as one to Brazil and several to Europe. The people and needs have been diverse, ranging from experienced collectors to complete novices… lots of surprise gifts for spouses… lots of bucket list purchases… and a particularly large number of people who never bought something nice for themselves, and came to us to indulge and celebrate a lifetime of hard work.

We have put a lot of smiles on the road. We have started a lot of conversations at gas stations. We have made the roadways of the world a little bit happier. We have met a wonderful array of people and built a big family who love this car and everything for which it stands.

Thank you to the great people who have supported us to build our Bugeye nation!!! Above is our “400 Strong” T shirt, featuring “Little Lulu,” (below)” that Bugeye that got us to this magic number. Click here to order!

Now that we’ve arrived at this amazing milestone, we have a minute to reflect on a few of our favorites!

Above is a great story… Phillip and Kathleen paused their Bugeye aspirations to have a their daughter Jenny… they went into labor on their way to see a used Bugeye for sale and went to the maternity ward instead! 50 years later, Jenny surprised them with this Yellow Frogeye above.

Below is another favorite, a dead Bugeye rotted and done, found in the woods and rescued, repainted, and put into the lobby of a condo in New Jersey as a display for selfies! The car would never have been restored, too far gone, but made a perfect sculpture!

This is what the display car looked like when it arrived… yikes! Time to work our magic!

Layout for the condo where “Luv Me” would live-(Square Sprite shown only for this sketch)

Jesse is another favorite, leaving this week for Glenn’s garage in California. This one is a particular favorite because it drives like a dream. We started with an awesome high-end Bugeye and added about 100 hours of maintenance and upgrades to make it even more superb. This car speaks volumes about what we do best… it drives nothing like when we got it… now, this is one capable machine. If you hadn’t driven more than 400 Bugeyes, you might not realize how much further a Bugeye can go, how much nicer, how much tighter, more responsive, powerful, etc. These are not hard cars to fix. But it takes experience to make them great. I am honored we have been given a change to build that experience. After 400 examples, we are still learning and still improving!!!

These three are some that stand out on our journey and we look forward to serving you as we build the next 400!

Most comfortable shoes

October 20, 2023 by bugeyeguy

We are always looking for small details to make these cars just a little bit more exciting … and this week, we wanted to point-out the superb tires we used on the Nevada Beige Bugeye called “Jesse.” These Dunlops are a personal favorite, as they wrap the tread so nicely, and look just that little bit extra macho. They seem to fill the well wells just perfectly. This is one of the little details that makes Jesse a favorite.

These 165 series tires are 80 series, a bit tall, and you may have to trim the front of your nose a tad for clearance on turns. (This is common with larger tires, and somewhat routine our shop.) If you are uncomfortable with this, then go with 155/80s that we sell here. Noses sometimes move aft from old crash damage, and so nose trimming is common regardless of the tire size you choose.

*Note the small air gap between leading edge of tire and nose. Sometimes, you have to relieve material here or these tires will scrape on turns. Check before driving!*

These are also the tires that I have on my personal Bugeye Gumby. If your tires are out of date (and most of them are!) consider ordering a spiffy set of new shoes by clicking here!

Dashboard: Restored

October 20, 2023 by bugeyeguy

The number one most abused component of a Bugeye Sprite is the dashboard. They are routinely speared by their owners, and it always seems like we get stuck with floppy vinyl covers and saggy foundations.

This dashboard on Mark’s “Robin” (heading to Southern California this week) is one of the worst we have seen. Someone took it upon themselves to drill several extra holes in the dash, making the dash look more like a piece of swiss cheese than a car part.

We welded every errant hole, filled and painted the surface to make it perfectly smooth, and then re-fit it in the car, ready for another lifetime without molestation. Now it looks like new!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 20231020_173045-scaled.jpg

Mark, thank you for for the opportunity!

Bugeye Basics: Bonnet Operation

October 13, 2023 by bugeyeguy

Our “Intro to Bugeyes” series continues!

We periodically get asked how to open a Bugeye’s bonnet, so here’s a video for for all new Bugeye lovers that will grant immediate access to the Sprite engine compartment! With VIP access, you can check your hydraulic fluid, charge your battery, admire your power plant, and enjoy the utter simplicity of these fantastic little cars.

The original Bugeye bonnet was hoisted in the manner shown in the video above, with hinges close to the windshield. But as the human bodies of our drivers continue to age, the noses seem heavier than ever, and lifting the nose from the front bumper area sometimes forces a trip your local chiropractor.

Thus the flip-forward has become a very popular upgrade for anyone with tired vertebrae and/or discs (the spinal kind, not your vented rotors). Flip kits are also popular for anyone just looking for easier access to their engine.

Please take a look at our flip forward conversion that we sell in our catalog (shown below). I’ve just converted my own car “Gumby” to a flip forward configuration, and I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner, because it’s so much easier to open the bonnet. For those of you who are purists, keep in mind that racers made removable and flip-forward noses way back in the early ’60s to quickly access their engine for repairs, so history supports the notion that a bugeye nose can be lifted with ease once the hinges are relocated forward.

Order your very own flip-forward bonnet kit by clicking here!

If you’re interested in converting your Bugeye into a flip-forward Bugeye, click the photo above to order your own flip-forward kit! Or, should you have missing or broken bonnet mechanism components, click the photos below or click here to access our full catalog!

And keep in mind that flip forward hinges have to be properly mounted on the front frame so that the nose aligns when you lower it. We make these conversions all the time, and we would be happy to pick up your car and convert it for you!

Bugeye Basics: Operating your Bugeye Sprite

October 13, 2023 by bugeyeguy

Check out this quick video that reviews basic operation of a Bugeye. I made this for Teresa in Pennsylvania, the new owner of our Sprite (#397, just delivered this week) but anyone new to this universe will enjoy this quick tutorial.

We have now sold 399 Bugeyes, so get inspired and choose yours for the big 400!

« Previous Page