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CURRENT INVENTORY IS SHOWN IN THE SMALL PICTURES JUST BELOW THIS TEXT!
(if a car is not pictured here, it has been sold)

Juiced

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From time to time we come across Bugeyes with Weber carburetors installed. We prefer SU HS2s. If you have good ones, your car will run wonderfully!

You can see the size of this side-draft Weber nearly dwarfs the 948 engine in the car. While the car had run previously with this set-up, the owner reported the car would stumble. This has been our experience as well with Webers. Unless you have a track car, a side-draft Weber is too much carb for street use.

We installed new HS2s and now the car runs beautifully. No hesitation, no stumble, easy to start, hot or cold. New carbs make a huge difference if you want out of the box instant smooth running and performance. Click the photos below to order a set of brand new HS2s and the bits you will need for install today!

HS2 Carburetor Kit with Manifold Gasket
Slightly Richer #3 Needles
Carburetor Synch Tool

1960 Bugeye restoration project for sale

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Here’s a great project if you are looking to build your dream Bugeye. We call this Bugeye “Winter,” a 1960 Bugeye (AN5L 39114) and she’s a great project for the coming winter!

Winter was last driven in about 1989. For the next 35 or so years, she was stored inside awaiting restoration until the owner finally said it was time to trade it for a restored Bugeye. Out went the project and in rolled a nice Bugeye we built, and now he’s happy and his old friend Winter is ready for a new garage.

Check out the photos, the car has plenty of potential, although it will need a complete restoration. (We have all the parts in our catalog to do the restoration!)

The nose is currently rigged to flip forward using the factory bonnet locking mechanism. It will tilt a little or you open the bonnet lock and remove the bonnet entirely. Of course, we have new flip forward kits to do the job properly.

The driver’s side footwell should be repaired-you can see in the underside photos that the floor pan below the headlight dip switch will need a patch… but the rest of the car is far better than most project Bugeyes we have seen. (Floors under seats look far better than most!) Go for a complete restoration or fix the floors and make it drive, the new owner can decide!

It has a 948 engine and a smooth case transmission fitted. I have no info on the condition of the engine and trans, so assume a rebuild will be needed. Rebuild them yourself or we can help with those components if you need rebuilt units, or want to upgrade.

Seats are from a later Sprite and can be fit to the car, or we can provide stock Bugeye seats. What you see in the photos is what you get… and we can help with any small pieces that might be missing. It looks to be quite complete! This is a very rebuildable Bugeye and we hope to see it driving next summer! The car comes with a clean transferrable New York registration and all the paperwork to title the car anywhere in the world.

Let’s get another Sprite back on the road! Click “read more” below for more photos and give us a call if Winter is right for you!

Available for $2,995. Click here to purchase!

[Read more…] about 1960 Bugeye restoration project for sale

Bugeye Sprite and Midget engines for sale!

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Engines for sale!

We have a lot to say about which is the right engine for any Spridget, particularly after driving more than 500 different combinations over the years! Since so many people want to upgrade to 1275 engines, we decided to make three different engines, all with different levels of performance, and all designed to our specifications. The 948 engine is great and works fine. When they wear out, people tend to upgrade to 1275 engines which are exactly the same footprint. Now, when you’re ready for that upgrade, we have completely remanufactured engines to do the job.

The original 948 Bugeye engine, taken from the original Bugeye brochure!

For years, we have worked with local machinists to craft great rebuilt engines for our clients. But backlogs at small shops have slowed things down and made availability an issue. So instead, we have partnered with a leading UK-based engine builder who has been crafting engines for classic British sports cars for more than 40 years. Now, we can deliver a plentiful supply of 1275 engines for everyone wanting a bit more power in their Spridget. We stock all of these engines, and each one will be crated and shipped directly to your door after your order is received.

Our stage one engine is a fairly stock 1275 that puts out about 70 HP while our stage three engine puts out about 100 HP. Choose your weapon! These are meticulously crafted balanced power plants designed to be durable and easy to run. All our modifications are rooted in our extensive experience with Sprites. We have added performance with strength to make sure that our upgrades do not compromise durability.

All of our rebuilt engines will be produced in the factory-correct dark green unless a custom color is desired. this engine was painted in blue, and had an aftermarket aluminum valve cover added (not included).

These are stout engines that are bench run and ready to go right out of the crate. Check the listing out by clicking here to read the detailed specs and order!

These engines will power your Spridget with grace for many years to come!

That special Bugeye thing

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To be fair, I was driving a really unique Bugeye the other day (Sage), so the fact that I attracted attention from an otherwise seemingly completely non-car person perhaps shouldn’t surprise me. But surprised I was nevertheless.

I would swear that the lady taking pictures of Sage in my photos here never thought about owning a classic car before, but she sure looked like she is now and was attracted enough to Sage that she got out of her late model Mazda at the pump next door and proceeded to make her own photo album.

“I like the color,” she said.

I hope she has now doubled her Instagram followers after posting all those pictures.

I was so inspired to see this woman touched by our rolling sculpture. No one seems to be paying attention anymore, we all have a lot of distractions. But here was someone who noticed, and that was very affirming. Bugeyes do that to people. We’re very lucky to have a business that puts these unpretentious little cars back on the road, and that magnetic Bugeyes keep getting new people to come out and play.

A contemporary interpretation of a very basic car

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Back in 1958, $1795 didn’t buy you many color choices. That was then. Now, we want it all. And thus we have built a Bugeye, reinterpreted.

If you like modernized classics, we think you’ll like “Sage,” our newest stunner. We will have this car done in about a week. Check out the video below to see how we are doing, and check out the photo gallery at the end of this post for some up-close photos of some of Sage’s best features!

Of course, if you prefer original stuff, we have offerings more suited to you, as well. Check out AN5L 552, a Gold medal-winning Concours Bugeye, and a rare opportunity to own a preproduction Bugeye! Click the photo below to learn more about 552.

Give us a call if any of our inventory tickles your Bugeye fancy!

Battery Fires made easy

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Please take a look at your battery hold down… we too often see what is shown below, which is a flat metal strip on a slippery plastic case, begging to slide into the terminals to make sparks and then fire.

A battery hold-down like this is just asking for trouble. The only thing worse than this is no hold-down at all.

We suggest that you get a sealed battery with the terminals on the backside against the firewall. Typically a Bugeye with the original positive-ground configuration takes a group 24 battery, whereas with negative ground cars, we use a group 24F. We also strongly suggest using an angled battery hold down (which we sell here) for the leading edge of the battery. Secure it with nyloc nuts so it can’t loosen. And you will have a nice insurance policy that your Sprite won’t ignite at the wrong time.

We have only had one fire in nearly 20 years, and it came from a sliding battery on a newly-arrived car with no hold down. The battery hot lead hit the unshrouded (and grounded) heater cable and sparks lit the plastic battery box on fire.

Don’t do that to your Bugeye Sprite!

Contact us at customercare@bugeyeguys.com or call (203)-208-0980 Monday - Friday | 8 am - 5 p.m. EST