BugEyeGuys – Page 58

AN5L /501-The quest for gold! Just add red oxide!

July 22, 2022 by bugeyeguy

The most important result this week is that we now have our proper red oxide coating in the boot of our 501 Sprite and can begin to next assemble all of the rear end components. If you’re unfamiliar, original Frogeyes had red oxide on the interior of the body that was then painted body color on top of that which meant that looking inside the boot you would see traces of this red oxide, particularly on the top of the boot. Our car was painted green throughout when recently restored in Australia so this was technically incorrect and we wanted to repair this and that’s a big reason why we took everything apart especially in the back end of the car.

Now that the red oxide is laid down we can layer on top all of the various fabrics and bolts that would have come later in manufacturing to make it an accurate car for the Concours Judging to come.

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Electric Bugeye Sprite New Owner Orientation Video!

July 15, 2022 by bugeyeguy

This was a big week for us on many levels. We were finally able to take delivery of the first production Bugeye Sprite, AN5L501 (you can read more about that here). But we were also able to put the finishing touches on one of our electric FrogE Bugeye conversions.

We’ve made dozens of improvements on this car in the last four weeks after it sold; it’s superbly rewarding for us to be able to have this wonderful product that retains the DNA of a Bugeye Sprite, but with an extra-smooth, silent, leak-free power plant. It’s quiet, it’s calm, and it’s quick. It was fun to take what we love most about Bugeyes and add to it a whole new electric drivetrain. This is the best electric car we have ever built.

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The Eagle Has Landed!

July 15, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Last December, I announced at our company holiday party that I had purchased the first production Bugeye Sprite. Never did I imagine that we wouldn’t be opening the box with this car in it until mid-July 2022, but here we are! Seven-plus months after its journey began, AN5L/501 has arrived, and this special Sprite does not disappoint.

501 is a car that has been restored to Concours condition while also being made into a driver at the same time. This is perhaps one of the best interiors we’ve seen in a Frogeye, one that is both accurate and usable. The builder of the tunnel mat included the ribs that would’ve come on the original rubber mat on the tunnel into a hardura piece and did so with great skill and artistry. Many other small details involving the interior were done with the utmost precision, as well.

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Superb 1960 Vintage British Thumper For Sale! 1960 AJS model 8 NEW RIDING VIDEO!

July 13, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Now sold to Gordon in Connecticut! Congrats, Gordon!

Today we have for your consideration this 1960 AJS Model 8 350 motorcycle (VIN 10284). AJS was, at the time, a subsidiary of Associated Motorcycle Company (AMC for short), a conglomerate that owned several mid-to-large-sized motorcycle manufacturers from the time period, including Matchless and Norton. The Model 8 350cc was produced from 1960 to 1962 and is a badge-engineered twin to the Matchless G5 350.

This particular bike just absolutely oozes late-50s nostalgia. It’s powered by a 347cc, single-cylinder, 4-stroke engine that was advertised as having 21 horsepower from new. This engine is mounted to a 4-speed transmission.

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Restored 1959 Bugeye Sprite For Sale, With 1275 Power, Front Disc Brakes & Minilight Wheels!

July 8, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Now SOLD to Don in Colorado! Congratulations on giving Bugeye #357 a loving new home! We will be installing a 5-speed and a supercharger kit in Tink before it leaves! Another Super Sprite in the works!

If you are looking for a nice Bugeye this summer with a 1275 engine, rib case transmission and front disc brakes, here’s a great one to consider, a product of a multi-year restoration. We call this one “Tink,” because it came with a (removable) Tinker Bell sticker on the back.

Tink (AN5 10735) looks great, and drives nicely, too. The engine and brakes are nice upgrades. The builder put in a pair of master cylinders from a later Spridget… this is a nice upgrade that gives you a clutch and brake master instead of the original single unit. Two independent systems are better!

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501 Has Arrived! (Almost)

July 8, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Hopefully, something bigger than this vintage license plate will come out of the container when it lands!

The time has nearly arrived for AN5 501 to land on our doorstep! After a seven month shipping soap opera that included several delays, inspections, rate increases and even a few surprises, the shipping container currently (supposedly?) housing the first production Austin-Healey Sprite has landed in New Jersey! All that stands between our Quonset hut and its newest occupant is a few days of paperwork, a sprinkle of red tape, and a 90-mile trailer ride.

We are elated to be able to take delivery of this important piece of British sports car history and mold it into the Concours-correct specimen it deserves to be.

Last seen last December in Australia… what will come out of the container?

Once the car arrives, we will have a monumental task ahead of us: prepare 501 for Concours judging at the National Austin-Healey Enclave in Pennsylvania on September 18th (this year!). That means we have 68 days from the projected landing date to whip 501 into Concours-Gold-winning shape.

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