In the age of computer engine management, people seem to have trouble operating the manual choke on their SU carb-equipped Bugeye (or similarly equipped classic car). So we made a detailed video that breaks down the components so choke operation will be come easy to master for all, for generations! Watch below and give us a call for your Bugeye parts needs!
501 winter driving impressions
When it comes to the first production Bugeye, AN5L 501, we’ve become so focused on the concours details and the gold level point score (which is fundamentally obtained during a static judging process) that it’s difficult to remember the dividends concours restoration pays with regard to drive quality. A driving test is required for national judging; a judge did drive with me around the parking lot and made sure the brakes worked properly, all the lights were functioning, etc., but it was basically a couple hundred yards of driving and we were done. The remaining four hours of judging happened with the car at a standstill in a hotel lobby.
So now that the static judging is complete and I’m the proud owner of this massively significant piece of sports car history, how does it drive?
There is another very valuable benefit of national Concours judging, and that was very apparent to me on my drive in the video below, which we were able to make for you on account of the lovely weather we experienced early in the week. This is a car with no punchlist. There is nothing wrong with it. It does everything it was designed to do. Everything works. And that is perhaps the most valuable benefit of the concours judging process.
By returning this car to its original formula and doing so at a “gold” level, the car actually works just the way it was designed, and it works quite well. 501 drives like any of our fully sorted Bugeyes, and while this one is completely stock, it’s still ready to go in every way.
I’m constantly driving customer cars and trying to eradicate all gremlins. How nice that this car has none!
2022 in Bugeye photos!
Happy New Year!!! We wish you a wonderful 2023! Per our tradition, here’s a brief recap of the year in Bugeyes (& all things British)!
We had an amazing 12 months and served a lot of customers with significant restorations and adoptions. We’ve now placed 375 Bugeyes and we are delighted to have helped so many people realize their dream of ownership of a wonderfully sorted classic British Sportscar. We also restored, improved and/or modified dozens of additional British cars this year, ranging from a Daimler Dart to a classic Mini. We’re very excited and optimistic about what’s to come in 2023!
[Read more…] about 2022 in Bugeye photos!Hungry, Hungry Bugeyes!
I was talking to a client today about adding a luggage rack to a Bugeye for carrying more cargo. While this is an option that is available, I want to remind everyone of just how much cargo space a Bugeye provides without adding anything additional to the rear deck. With the seat bottom removed on the passenger side, you can carry a ton of gear in a Bugeye or Spridget. I’ll routinely remove the passenger seat bottom and leave it at home; this allows me to use my Bugeye far more frequently without having to break out a larger car. More Bugeye fun is facilitated when you can utilize the car for hauling cargo on various errands!
Of course, a luggage rack is a wonderful addition if you wish to haul a golf bag, or a folding bike, or even a wicker picnic basket; however, not everybody wants to drill holes in the back deck of their car. We do sell luggage racks; you can find them in our catalog here. But never underestimate what can be carried inside a Bugeye fuselage.
[Read more…] about Hungry, Hungry Bugeyes!Can You Drive A Concours Gold Certified Car? (NEW VIDEO)
Of course you can! Not only can you drive a concours Bugeye, but you can have quite a bit of fun with one, too! In the short video below, taken down the street from the shop at our local train station, you can see Betty, our Concours gold 1960 Bugeye, going through her paces. This is what it would have looked like to corner with a 100% stock Bugeye on bias ply ply tires in 1960 if you threw her into the turns with gusto; it’s good fun, analog, basic, simple, and very entertaining!
Betty is still for sale as of this writing, you can see the full listing by clicking below on her photo!
Give Your Shift Tower a 2nd Skin!
Here’s something every shift-tower-equipped Sprite needs. It’s too easy to scratch your painted shift tower, and it always seems to be in the way as you load and unload or work on your car! Our shift tower second skin is a paint protector that keeps you from scratching the nice paint work underneath the tower. We’ve learned from daily work in our shop that it’s too easy to scratch this painted surface on your transmission tunnel, so we started requiring a cover such as this one on all jobs once the car enters our building. It’s such a good idea we decided to make and offer them to you! These covers will protect your shift tower from chips and scratches, but it’s also a nice idea if your car has a beat-up shift tower and you’re not interested in repainting it. Perhaps this cover is just what you need to spruce up your cockpit! We recommend that you pop one of these on your tower anytime you sit down in your car for service. Keep your finish looking good for years to come!
The Austin Healey Sprite (MKI-IV) and Mg Midget’s (MKI-III) had this hard shift tower up until late 1969. Afterwards, they went to a soft vinyl shift boot.
