A shockingly high percentage of cars that come through our building are missing their dashboard lower supports.
These have not been available for a very long time so we’ve made our own. Every Bugeye came with two of these securing the bottom of the dashboard and bracing it to the firewall as pictured above. If the bottom edge of your dashboard is loose and floppy (and often resonating), you need these brackets.
Sold individually. You can purchase by clicking here.
Add stability to your life!
The Larricks and “Ducky” the Bugeye have arrived (under their own power) in Mount Sterling, Illinois, about 130 miles Northwest of St Louis! They have now traveled about 1400 miles in their “new” Bugeye.
If you are new to this story, they left our shop in Branford, CT about one week ago, went on a brief New England drive and then took off westbound to Gettysburgh, PA, across Ohio, Indiana and now across most of Illinois. Nowadays, we cross states with ease, well-insulated. But the Larricks have barely put up their top, and are out there feeling and seeing it all, and on this trip, every state they cross is a significant accomplishment.
The car has performed flawlessly, with zero issues. Here’s what TJ had to say about the trip a few days ago while they were still in Indiana:
“Stopped in Lebanon Indiana tonight and have done 1,150 miles so far and beautiful weather with no problems. Had the top up to reduce the sun but with the side curtains on, there is a lot of cool ventilation. Even had to wait and idle on fresh blacktop for over 1/2 hr and the aluminum radiator did fantastic. I check the car every day thinking that I will have to repair or replace something but no such luck so far- we have driven 1,155 miles so far and are getting about 28-32 mpg… Karen is still smiling. Some of the upgrades I particularly appreciate now because I have never had so much fun in a British sports car in my life and no breakdowns- I have have seven English cars in the past- don’t get me wrong, I loved every one… but this one is a blast!????”
We get cars in our shop all the time that will barely make it around the block, so we are celebrating the milestone of making it nearly halfway across America in a 948-powered 45 HP car. But there are some steep hills ahead.
How did we did we prepare a car that could run at 65 MPH for hours on end and then idle for 30 minutes in traffic on the hot August Interstate while road crews repaved the road in front of them?
Each system was upgraded for maximum reliability. This is how we look at every clasic English car and the parts we sell in our catalog. Each individual system has to be right and only then can all systems function in harmony. For example, the cooling has to be improved or they would have surely baked the engine by now. The aluminum radiator, upgraded fan and bigger water pump help to do the job.
The fuel system has to be perfect. A new gas tank eliminates any debris that would otherwise block fuel flow, clog a filter, and potentially shut down the engine on the highway. The hydraulics have to be optimized. We replaced the potentially leaking wheel cylinders with new calipers on all four corners, because front and rear disk brakes are much more likely to be leak-free and consistent for a good long time. (Plus, they are self adjusting.)
We replaced the master and slave with premium products, to restart the clock on these wear items. And we put on new HS2 carburetors to improve reliability and consistency of the engine tune as well as to reduce the risk of fuel leaks. A new distributor with new bushings and electronic ignition, a premium rotor and wires… all these components are crucial to keep that little 948 moving down the road. New tires. New seat foams for comfort, etc. Nothing is left to chance.
Next week, Ducky will head further west to Kansas City, and then on to the Rockies, the long way home!
If you want your car made as reliable as possible, give us a call or send an email. We’ll pick up your car and turn it into a highway road warrior. Barring that, call us for parts support, as we sell in our catalog every part that is keeping Ducky moving Westward. Whether you are planning a long trip or just a run to the store, we’ll be happy to support you to make your Sprite as reliable as possible.
There was just one problem with Ducky, something new and thus worth sharing.
While on one of their first few shake-down drives, Ducky hit a rain shower, and the Larricks reported that the passenger wiper was not wiping much at all. We don’t give the wipers on these cars much credit, and generally suggest RainX or similar products to best clear the glass. Given the length of this particular trip though, we were determined to improve the wipers as much as possible.
We inspected the blade, which was the usual suspect, but it was the arm that was worn. I was impressed to see that new wiper arms we sell have stronger springs than the worn wiper arm on Ducky. We replaced the arm and problem solved! Still a crappy one-speed wiper system, Rain-X is still recommended, but now, Ducky’s wipers are much better stuck to the glass.
If this is our only problem on the whole drive, we are doing really well (of course they still have another 2000 miles to go)!
If you need new arms with stronger springs, you can find them in our catalog by clicking here…
We’re about to find out! Meet TJ and Karen Larrick, new owners and pilots of “Ducky,” a 1958 Bugeye we sold a few months ago (our 308th). Above you can see them at our shop, and they will soon be on their way home to Mt Vernon, Washington. That’s 2989 miles from our door.
(And they are heading in the wrong direction currently, touring New England this week, so that mileage is going to climb). We will be curious to see what their new GPS speedometer reports for their total mileage when they are done! (I don’t put much weight on any British odometer, but since this is a new GPS unit, we will get reliable mileage data for a change!)
This car has become a very special test bed. We have thrown every imaginable reliability upgrade at this car with the sole purpose of making the journey mechanically stress-free. The 307 cars we prepared before this one have taught us a lot, and so anything that has ever broken on any prior Bugeye has been carefully inspected and replaced, repaired or upgraded. While Ducky was our 308th, we have sold a total of 319, and if every one of those cars has driven an average of just 3500 miles total since departing our building, that’s about 1.1 million Bugeye miles. We put that experience to work and built this car for maximum reliability.
The build sheet was massive. Countless hours were spent. Our team checked and rechecked everything. We tried to retain the original look and feel, while improving systems along the way. For example, we installed an alternator, not because the car needed one, but because we have not had one break. Generators have failed and we didn’t want to take a chance. Hopefully, Ducky will enjoy a good consistency flow of juice throughout this crossing.
We’ve also been agressive with the brakes. We added disk brakes at all four corners, not because they make such a big difference in brake performance, but because we have replaced countless front and rear wheel cylinders, and very few calipers. Calipers are more reliable. Braking with disks is more consistent. No adjustment is needed. So Ducky’s brakes will work just as beautifully at mile 3000 as when the car left our building.
We’ll be watching closely for the next 30 days, anxious to see how we did. While I am quite confident we produced a great product, you’ll probably find me pacing and distracted and eating lots of junk food for the next 30 days. If we answer the phone this coming month, “TJ, is that you?” you’ll know we are still wound a little tight. This is our baby. We are anxious to see if we found and addressed all the potential issues. This is a big test.
Before departure, I set up my 2021 BugiPhone to track this 1958 Bugeye, using that “find my” function on my phone. “Siri, find my Bugeye!” “I’m sorry Dave…” Below is the first tracking screen shot…
Oops! We had sent them on our local Thimble Islands boat tour, and, phone in pocket, it appeared that Ducky went for a swim!
Back on land, and they are off, and I’m like an expectant parent stalking a new teenage driver. “Bogie’s on the move!” There’s going to be a lot of yelling and cheering in the coming days, as Ducky quacks his way across the US of A. We’re all gathered around my iPhone, giddy and high-fiving, because as I write this our intrepid travelers have arrived at the Mystic Seaport.
This is one small step for Bugeyes, one giant leap for Bugeye-kind.
Check out the reliability video tour of the car below:
By the way, after the above video was made, we changed the header and exhaust system because of pin holes we noticed in harm’s way, and the leaf springs, to stiffen the rear, as the original and somewhat tired (understandably) springs were sagging a bit.
We’ll get you updates on trip progress as they become available!
Here’s a spectacular restored Bugeye tub. TJ sent this one from Reno, NV, and this was TJ’s grandfather’s car that toured Europe in the 60s. Grandpa had the rear deck cut-out, so the three kids could ride along while sitting on the shelf behind the seats. Side lights were required for registration in Europe at the time, apparently, so we left those in place, as well as the rear deck cut-out, as a tribute to Grandpa, who, sadly, passed away last year.
All the panels have been welded, and the Olde English White paint has been laid-on beautifully. Next we will begin the assembly so TJ can fly in from Nevada and drive this car home!
In these photos, you see the car come back from the paint shop on the rotisserie, which allows us to spin the car and get beautiful finish underneath. You can also see the doors being re-hung and the tub transitioning from the rotisserie onto the lift. In the coming weeks, we’ll build out the suspension so the car rolls once again!
More pictures to come!
Driving down Interstate 95 yesterday at 68 MPH in fifth gear, I happened to notice my temperature was above normal. The indicated 197 or so is probably fine, but was higher than what I like to see, and with minimal reserve. Air temp was about 82, hot, but certainly not what our desert clients experience. What was going on?
My wife’s Bugeye “Iris,” (or The Egg” as I like to call it) has a 1275 engine and five speed transmission, and it’s an awesome restoration. The restorer even re-cored the original radiator (you can tell from the modern fins in the picture) and then added a fancy thermostatically controlled electric fan. So why would this car overheat with all this impressive upgraded technology?
Here’s a hint… off the highway, the indicated temperature came down. Only under the sustained “high” load to keep the car moving along at 70 did the temperature climb. It is possible there is sediment in the system, but unlikely since everything is new. Much more likely is that the cooling fan is obstructing air flow above a certain speed. The fan is nice in traffic, but once you get moving, you need air flow to exchange heat, and the fan is actually an impediment.
This fall, (when we catch our breath at the shop and have a free minute), The Egg will get a new aluminum radiator and no electric fan, and that will be the end of it. Never again will an Iris driver have to keep half an eyeball on a climbing temp gauge. The aluminum radiator is the absolute best way to go for your Spridget. Just ask Iris.
