Bugeye Restoration

Our Quest For Concours Gold Nears The Finish Line!

September 16, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Car 501 immediately upon its arrival to our shop. This car has come a VERY long way since this photo was taken about 66 days ago.

The end is near! We are so very close to loading AN5L 501 into a trailer and taking it to the Austin-Healey club national Enclave and concours event in Pennsylvania next week. We have spent the last 66 days completely disassembling the car, rectifying every non-concours detail we could find (and some we didn’t even know existed), and putting it back together. We did all of this in conjunction with our normal business operations, too! It has been two months of research, documentation, meetings, consultations, blood, sweat, and a little frustration to get to where we are today with 501, but we are elated with the final result, and we believe the concours judges will agree that this car is worth concours gold!

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“Topping” Off Our Concours Quest!

September 9, 2022 by bugeyeguy

As the deadline approaches for the concours debut of Bugeye #501, we are getting into some of the finer points of accurate national concours preparation. Each trip down the list of requirements reveals a new element or something we may have missed. We are double- and triple-checking every element to ensure maximum accuracy (and points) and also to ensure we have properly returned car 501 to its accurate original state.

This week, we worked on the top and side curtain fit. The car will probably never be out in the rain again, but the kit has to be accurate and has to fit right, as we will be judged on accuracy of the components and also on quality of the fit. None of these ever fit well; in fact, the weatherproofing of a Frogeye was always a bit of a joke. However, this car actually has quite nice fit and finish of its weather components, especially when you consider that the pieces are all quite old!

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For Sale! 1958 Bugeye driver that snarls!

September 7, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Now SOLD to Roger in North Carolina! Bugeye #364 is on its way to its next home!

We are delighted to be able to offer “Candy” to you once more! This is the type of car that doesn’t come around often, and we are elated to be able to offer it again for your consideration. The previous owner had us do a ton of work to this car; check out the listing below to find out what we have done to Candy to make it such a great car!

Candy is one of my favorite Bugeyes, because it has a wonderful growl, and all the right upgrades without being “over the top.” I bought this 1958 Sprite about ten years ago and sold her to a family in Illinois, who drove it less than a thousand miles before we helped to find its most recent home, where it has been since September of 2021. The car is still excellent. And of course I am ecstatic to be able to offer it again because it is hard to find cars this nice.

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1960 Bugeye With Upgrades Galore For Sale! Videos!

September 2, 2022 by bugeyeguy

NOW SOLD to Dan of Washington! Congrats on giving Sherwood (our 362nd sold!) a happy new home!

We have added some very sharp black Minilite wheels to Sherwood for some contrast and to really set it apart from its Bugeye brethren! Check out the new listing below and give us a call if you would like to give Sherwood a new home!

We are pleased to offer “Sherwood,”(AN5L 27613) a top-shelf Bugeye that we have for sale. Sherwood has a lot of custom touches and beautiful accents that make it stand out, even in a Sea Of Bugeyes!

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501 Update & Some Cool Green Cars!

September 2, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Each day we spend with car 501 is another day closer to completion. In preparing this historic Bugeye for the Austin-Healey National Enclave later this month, we have run across multiple cases in which a concours correct part needs to either be fabricated, modified, or is completely unobtainable altogether. Such was the case for the air inlet hose for the heater assembly. However, we have finally been able to find a solution that will meet our needs, and in the process have launched an exciting new product!

501’s engine bay is so close to complete we can almost taste it!

The concours standards call for an inlet hose made of ” thin rubber with a helical spring inside” with a “seam spiraling around it from one end to the other”. The factory original hoses, due to their construction, did not survive the “harsh” conditions of a Bugeye engine bay. In the years since, there have been reproductions on the market but none of them are correct. But we have finally discovered a solution that has the correct look!

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Junk In The Trunk!

August 26, 2022 by bugeyeguy

In the photo above from the original Frogeye brochure, you can see the correct early car boot tray with the spare tire installed.

Welcome to another chapter in our Concours 501 story. We are working out the final details on car 501 (the first production Bugeye) for the September 18 Austin-Healey Club Enclave and National Concours in Pennsylvania. This week, we finished making our proper boot compartment spare tire tray, and we’re excited that this detail is now made right for our special car. We are even more excited to be offering this as our newest product!

The earliest Bugeyes (chassis number AN5L 4684 and prior), had a tray in the boot for the spare tire, not just a flat mat. In the photo below, taken from the factory parts manual, you’ll see what exactly the factory had in mind with this component (16 is trunk tray, and 16A is the later car flat mat).

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