Bugeye Restoration

“Socket” To Me! (This Week’s Tech Tip, From Nick)

November 11, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Electrical upkeep is a very important component of classic car ownership. After 60 years of dirt, dust, snow, rain, heat, and cold, electrical components, such as light sockets, fuse blocks, and even entire wiring harnesses, deteriorate and become not only non-functional, but also a fire hazard. British cars have a particularly sketchy reputation when it comes to their Lucas electrical systems; mechanics and owners alike either swear by their designs or detest them. I personally believe that if they are maintained properly, the Lucas electrical systems found in a Bugeye are just as reliable as any other. The issue is that most of the time a car comes through our shop, the maintenance has either not been performed at all or was performed incorrectly.

We removed these turn signal sockets from a client’s Bugeye this week. Blue Painter’s tape is NOT a safe insulator for electrical sockets.

A perfect example of this comes from one of our projects this week. I cannot begin to quantify how many times we have seen amateur electrical work performed on Bugeye wiring systems, with some particularly creative solutions being deployed in times past. The work in question in this post revolves around the turn signal sockets in the nose. Due to their loacation low in the bonnet, these sockets are frequently the source of corrosion, which causes them to stop functioning. This is undoubtedly what happened here, as whomever did the work last replaced the sockets with new ones. Unfortunately, as the pictures above and below suggest, they did not do it properly.

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Bugeye Sprite Driving Impressions From 61 Years Ago Still Ring True Today!

November 4, 2022 by bugeyeguy

With our recent focus on the first production Sprite and concours accuracy, I thought you might find the following article particularly interesting. The April 1961 issue of Car and Driver Magazine featured a road research report which is reprinted below. I found it very interesting to read Bugeye driving impressions from 61 years ago.

The article makes it abundantly clear that Bugeyes are a very malleable platform. In the report, you’ll see the stock Sprite reviewed, and a pile of parts offered to transform your Bugeye into a capable rally or race machine. The author made it quite clear that the car was designed to do many different things with simplicity and grace. (Check out the end of this post to see the article in its entirety.)

Credit: Car & Driver Magazine, April 1961

Since 2007, we’ve transformed hundreds of Bugeyes; just as the article predicted in 1961, some folks enjoy the stock version, and others prefer to customize their ride.

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Dave’s Faves: Three Bugeyes We Think You’ll REALLY like (with new prices)!

November 4, 2022 by bugeyeguy

This week, I would like to spotlight three Bugeyes currently in our inventory which are my personal favorites and which any Bugeye hunter should really like. Each of these fabulous Frogeyes is looking for its next caretaker! Call us today if you are contemplating a new ride!

All three of these have been upgraded in our shop for prior owners, so you get the benefit of our experience from the hundreds of Bugeyes that have come before. You also get a long list of now depreciated improvements, courtesy of the prior owner. Thus, each of these cars would cost significantly more than the current asking price if you had to pay for the improvements that are already now built-in to these cars. Remember, most of the generic classic cars you see online for sale will come to you with a lengthy punch list. Our job is to eradicate that punch list before delivery, to save you the headaches. These three cars have already had their punch lists (largely) eradicated!

This yellow beauty is a Sprite named “Sharpie” (AN5L 27824). We call this Bugeye “Sharpie” because it was actually last owned by none other than Bob Sharp. If you’re unfamiliar, Bob was a Datsun dealer here in Connecticut for many years, and he owned Paul Newman’s Trans-Am racing team. Sharpie has undergone some upgrades recently. We put in all-new wheel cylinders to restore the drum brakes to their peak performance, and replaced the radius arms to make the car ride more smoothly. Price reduced! $29,995.

Click here to read more!

“Mahoney” (AN5L 19886) is the perfect Bugeye cruiser. This is a 948-powered car, with front disk brakes and upgraded wheels, and you’ll find this Bugeye great fun to drive. We have had the privilege of working on this one a few times for the prior owner, and we’ve repaired and upgraded this car with a new four-speed transmission, so the new owner can now jump in and enjoy it. A different white Bugeye you might find online could look similar, but too often that other car will need upgrades like the ones already done to this car. This one was fully sorted in our shop for the prior owner. This one is available for $29,995.

Click here to read more!

This is “Eggplant” (AN5L 49187), a Bugeye built in late 1960 (near the end of production) and titled as a 1961. The car was originally red and was completely stripped to bare metal in 1999. She was then painted this very deep and luscious color of aubergine. She shines beautifully!

Eggplant has a 1275 engine and just about every drivability upgrade we offer already installed as well as several cosmetic improvements and is ready to drive anywhere TODAY and win shows!

Eggplant is a deep shade of purple; in the sun, she brightens into an absolutely breathtaking hue, one you need to see to believe! It looks even more beautiful with its chrome wire wheels! Eggplant can be yours for the reduced price of $37,995.

Click here to read more!

Bugeye Salad Dressing

October 28, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Oil changes are very important. A few weeks ago, we shared with you some serious sludge in a Sprite oil filter canister, filled with gunk perhaps because the filter had never been cleaned. (More on that adventure here.) But classic car hydraulic system maintenance is perhaps even more critical, and this week, we have a great example of why this needs your attention, perhaps more attention than even your regular engine oil changes.

This is not what you want to see…roughly one inch of water in this bottle, on top of dirty fluid, is what came out of one car when we installed fresh fluid.

Classic car hydraulic systems are seldom sealed and usually vented to the atmosphere. This lets air in, and moisture too. Over time, that moisture will make a real mess of your brake and clutch hydraulics.

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Bugeye Sheet Metal Shenanigans!

October 28, 2022 by bugeyeguy

The triangular section of a Sprite inboard of the front tires is a trap for dirt and debris. There is a weep hole in this section, but these are often clogged. Because they trap dirt and debris over time, and that debris holds moisture, these sections of the body often rust. We made this post as a reminder that you should check to make sure yours is clean, and that the weep hole is clear, to protect the integrity of your Sprite’s body.

This section of the inner fender (left) is open to the elements and catches all matter of road debris. There is a drain hole at the bottom of this panel (right) to aid in keeping water out, but this clogs. Make sure to check yours!

On one of the cars we are preparing for paint, we had to fix this area because it had rotted away and previously been repaired elsewhere with body filler. You can see this old repair in the photos below.

While this panel looked okay on the surface (left), an ugly combination of corrosion and bad repairs (above) lurked below a think layer of body filler. This discovery is what initiated this repair.

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Stunning White 1960 Bugeye With Many Upgrades For Sale! Driving Video!

October 20, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Now SOLD to Gerard in Florida! Bugeye #367 is off to the Sunshine State!

Meet “Delores” (AN5L 30460), a stunningly-restored 1960 Bugeye. Delores has been to our shop multiple times before, and each time has received extensive attention and upgrades. The car was last owned by a family in New Jersey, where it has spent the last year, and it is now ready for its next home!

When Delores first came to us in 2017, it was a well-sorted, authentically-restored Bugeye, and the owner at that time wanted several upgrades done before they took delivery. This included three-point inertia seat belts, new minilite wheels and tires, a wood steering wheel, no-drill windshield post mirrors, new tapered front wheel bearings, a rebuilt smooth case transmission, and much, much more! These items are all still present on this iteration of Delores and still look great. When Delores’ latest owner purchased the car in late 2021, they wished to take it to the next level. We installed a front flip-nose kit, aluminum radiator, exhaust header, rebuilt HS2 carburetors with new K&N lifetime air filters, a 6-blade radiator fan, and more!

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