Bugeye Restoration

Tub talk

April 19, 2024 by bugeyeguy

It is no small feat to restore any automobile from the ground-up. The Frogeye Sprite unibody tub (or monocoque for our friends across the Big Pond) is a stout little foundation, but that doesn’t stop these little buggers from taking abuse. After roughly 65 years, one accumulates lots of scars.

This car featured here is no exception. It looked like a pretty sound car with its peeling paint attached, but once we blasted the structure and removed all the paint and filter, we were left with quite a massive project. Most of these cars need floor work and other structural work to the floor pan, and this tub was no different. Several layers of floor were present on this one and they all needed to be removed before the repairs could commence.

Many of these cars also need rocker panels, as this one did.

*Here’s what the inner structure of a Bugeye looks like at the rocker panel.*

This car also needed a lot of gap adjusting to make sure the doors would fit nicely with uniform gaps. The pictures below show how one of the door gaps was massaged into position; this has to be done for both gaps on both doors.

*First, the door edge is built up with weld, then ground down until the desired gap is achieved.*

This car also had a massive hit in the right rear corner that dislocated the license plate depression in the back of the car. Filler was used to fill the void from the prior repair, so we cut out everything. We cut out the crumpled up trunk floor in that area as well, and then welded in all new sections to bring this car back into spec. Click “read more” to see the process in action!

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Steering rack slop

April 12, 2024 by bugeyeguy

This week, we have been hard at work putting the finishing touches on a Bugeye that came to us for an extensive mechanical restoration. Part of this restoration included doing a front disc brake conversion with new front lever shocks, new outer tie rod ends and camber-adjusting control arms, which we used to adjust asymmetry in the front end due to prior crashes. You can see these new components installed on the car below in the photo of the suspension taken earlier this week.

*All-new front suspension components have completely transformed this Bugeye into a great driver!*

While performing our typical final test drives, which we do to work out any “bugs” we encounter (centering the steering wheel, for example), I noticed a looseness, or “flutter”, coming from the right front wheel. The video below helps to explain this feeling and what can cause it:

Worn steering rack!

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Flip-forward basics

April 12, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Bugeye bonnets are notoriously heavy and cumbersome, and as such can be hard to open, especially if you have a bad back. By adding our flip-forward nose kit, you can not only make the engine compartment infinitely more accessible for service (all but eliminating the painful bonnet “head bonk” inherent to Bugeye ownership), but also make the nose much easier to open and close!

The above video explains the ins and outs of flip-forward Bugeye noses; how to open and close them securely, how you can add rigidity to a floppy nose, and a basic overview of what comes in our flip-nose kits. All of the parts mentioned in the video are available for purchase, which you can do by clicking the photos below, or click here for our complete parts catalog!

*Bonnet “X” bracing* *(1 kit does both sides)*

Done-for driveshafts

April 5, 2024 by bugeyeguy

A Bugeye’s driveshaft is a vital link between the transmission and rear axle. Without it, you’re going nowhere. It is important to make sure your shaft is in good working order, which means checking the universal joints for play.

*An exploded view of a Bugeye driveshaft.*

A customer’s car came to us recently with a “clunk” coming from the drivetrain- watch the video below and you’ll immediately understand why!

Ideally, you want your driveshaft to be free from any amount of play in the joints. This way the power from the engine and transmission can get transferred to the rear wheels with the least amount of lost motion.

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Owner-tested, owner-approved!

March 22, 2024 by bugeyeguy

It’s pure bliss for me to be able to test drive a client’s car on a meaningful 60 minute outing because it allows me to confirm that we haven’t missed anything in our restoration process. It also allows me to enjoy the satisfaction of driving a very well sorted classic sports car that can compete in the modern landscape.

I wish there were more business owners who thoroughly tested their products like this… customer service in the world would be at a much higher level if this were the case. Be that as it may, at least in our little world, all of our cars are owner-tested and certified before they go home.

Click “read more” below to see a video tour!

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Battery Tray Decay

March 22, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Battery trays rust. Like death and taxes, this is an inevitability in Spridget world. It’s a popular moisture gathering point and 60-plus years of battery acid exposure, (which is corrosive to metal),makes matters worse.

This one above (on a client car here for restoration) was exceptionally bad, so much so that a battery could no longer safely be installed in this car. As such, we cut it all away and welded in a whole new tray, which is a job most easily done with the engine out of the car.

*Click the photo above to order a new battery tray for your Bugeye today!*

You will find below a series of photographs to show you how we did it; view them by clicking “read more”. If you need a new tray, we would be happy to send you one… or if you prefer, we will pick up your car and bring it here and weld in a new one for you! You can buy one from our parts catalog by clicking here.

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