BugEyeGuys

Take a Loop

September 25, 2026 by bugeyeguy

This is “The Loop,” (AN5L 34434) a 1960 Bugeye that’s just about right. Get this car and loop back to where you started…this is the car you had (or once saw) way back when you first fell in love with classic British cars. It looks just like it. Olde English White paint, deep red interior, mostly stock. It surely looks the part. It’s a 948-powered car so it’s not super quick, but it sure will loop you back to those great old days in a hurry.

Take “The Loop” home for $19,995.

This car is solid. The cosmetics are quite good. Its mechanicals are also good. The upgraded four speed rib case transmission is strong. This is a very respectable driver that is certain to impress.

The body is very straight. The floors were replaced at some point and while the paint is peeling on the new floors in a few places, the sheet metal still looks new. You can see the centerline seams where the new floor pans were attached. It’s a solid car.

The interior is in excellent shape, and is a lovely deep red color that is a favorite among Olde English White Bugeye owners.

There are a few things that need addressing on The Loop, which we will take care of for the new owner and are included in the quoted purchase price above. Our initial punch list includes a new master cylinder, new clutch slave cylinder, new rear wheel cylinders, and all new carb gaskets for the float bowls and jets. That will come as part of the purchase price.

Of course, plenty of other optional upgrades are available to whomever decides to purchase this lovely Bugeye, such as an electric fuel pump, aluminum radiator, front disc brakes, electronic ignition, alternator, and so much more! Click “read more” below for all of the pictures we have, and give us a call to discuss!

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How many MPH per 1000 RPM?

September 25, 2026 by bugeyeguy

I love these charts.

Over the years, we have been asked a time or two, “What makes the biggest difference for those of us who want a Bugeye that runs at highway speed?” The two charts shown in this post (originally made for a Morris Minor, but apply to Bugeyes just the same) will give you a sense of which ratio, which gearbox, and which tire size produces the best mix of results! Chart one above shows the RPM’s with a variety of different tire sizes when a stock transmission is used, with no overdrive.

Chart two, shown below, provides the RPM ranges using the same tire sizes as the first chart, but with an overdrive fifth gear. A Datsun B210 was used in sampling, which has a .82:1 overdrive ratio; all three of the major overdrive gearbox conversions, Datsun, Ford, and our newest option which will be available soon, Suzuki (contact us for more details!) use similar overdrive ratios to the B210, so the numbers will be pretty consistent throughout.

There is one other variable… comfort! We generally do not deviate from 13 inch wheels because we find 14 or even 15 inch wheels excessively harsh riding in a Sprite. Still, these charts provide you the ability to look to see how wheel size and tire size makes a difference.

You can also see how a wider tire also brings the RPMs down at speed. We generally do not use wide tires because they also make for a harsh ride and stiffer steering. One exception is the 185/60X13 Toyo tires we just put on our Bugeye build called “Kit” that you can see in the photos below, along with our VTO Black Classic 8 wheel. These performance 185 tires are a sufficiently soft compound that they ride nicely in spite of the extra width. They look cool and ride nicely with lots of grip! (If you’d like a set of these tires or wheels, you can find them in our parts catalog by clicking on the photos below!)

*Click here to purchase the VTO Black Classic 8 wheels used when building Kit! (Tires NOT included)*

*We are a big fan of the tread pattern, grippiness, and performance of these Toyoy Proxes tires, now available for your Bugeye!*

We are constantly rebuilding differentials too, so if you want a 3.9 limited slip differential for example, click on the photo below to order one and get your place on the waiting list secured! (Currently quoting December/January delivery).

*Now taking orders for our next batch of 3.9 limited slip pre-built differentials! Click here to reserve yours today!*

Thank you to Brian Lane for creating this very useful document!

Pissy carbs that will ruin your day

September 25, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Sure, HS2 carbs perform better, but another nice thing about them is that they tend to leak less than their older, smaller counterparts. The original H1 carburetors employed on Bugeyes have a few more rubber parts and junctions than the later HS2s have, and can leak fuel when those rubber parts perish. Ethanol doesn’t help, and might actually accelerate leak frequency. The rubber parts we sell for these carbs are made of ethanol resistant Viton. So if you have never changed your top hat gaskets, now might be the time. These gaskets are positioned where the float bowl is connected to the carburetor, shown in the video below.

The carbs in the video shown here were hemorrhaging fuel through not only the top hat, but also through the main jet, meaning this set will need jet gaskets and washers, as well. Our H1 rebuild kit has everything you need to ensure your carburetors are potty trained! Click the photo below to order!

*Order your H1 carburetor rebuild kit today by clicking here!*

Great 1960 Austin Healey Bugeyed-Sprite driver for sale! Driving video!

September 25, 2026 by bugeyeguy

This nice Bugeye is worth a second look! Great color, fun car! We just modified the nose-flip mechanism to make the nose track more smoothly and fit better. This is a nice improvement and makes the body lines look much better! We haven’t shot new pictures-the photos of the car are before this improvement-but now the nose to body lines are much more true and clean!

*We had someone ask us what Flip would look like with a full unchopped grille, so here is a different Leaf Green Bugeye for reference!*

Bugeyes often look like vintage penny candy, and this one is no exception!

Meet “Flip,” (AN5L 27223). We have just gotten Flip in to sell for its most steward in Florida, who had purchased the car from us in 2023 and at that time he had us upgrade a few things, including fitting a brand new cream tan tonneau, new rear axle seals and brake shoes, a spin-on oil filter conversion, generator/alternator conversion, and more. Prior to that, a different owner in Florida owned Flip, and in 2021 the car received an additional list of multiple upgrades, plus our six hour departure check-over being completed (now twice) to ensure that every part of this vintage car is ready for a new home. As such, you get a superior car to what you might otherwise find online from other sources.

Prior to the 2023 sale, we further upgraded the nice interior with metal threshold covers in the footwells, and improved the under-bonnet X-bracing to better stabilize the flip-forward nose. These are welcome improvements to make this nice car even better-our clients love the ease of operation of a flip forward bonnet. So if you are looking for a nice driver that has been carefully evaluated and upgraded, give this one a serious look!

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Very boring.

September 18, 2026 by bugeyeguy

We throw-out a lot of wheel cylinders. Water gets into the brake fluid and causes corrosion on the cylinder bores (remember to change your brake fluid often). Wheel cylinders are a weak link on every classic car. That’s another reason why we love front AND rear disk conversions. Calipers seem to last on average 6-10 years, and it is quite rare to see wheel cylinders last that long.

Below is a wheel cylinder that looked new on the outside but is clearly not new inside. You can see imagine how corrosion and rust is doing damage to the bores of the cylinders. We replaced these, and make sure to keep an eye on yours!

Need to rebuild your brakes? Take a look below at some of the parts we offer in our parts catalog, or click here for our full selection!

*“Wet” rear brake shoe rehab kit (All Bugeyes/Spridgets)*

*EARLY rear brake spring kit (Bugeye only)*

*Rear wheel cylinder with parking brake boot (Bugeye only)*

What’s the diff?

September 18, 2026 by bugeyeguy

This is a post to help you know which differential is in your car. The stamping on the top of the casing tells all. These are the numbers of teeth on the ring and pinion. Divide the two and you’ll have the rear axle ratio.

Sprites work great with every ratio. 4:22 is the stock axle ratio you’ll find in most bugeyes. Starting with Mark III Sprites and Mark II Midgets, a 3.9 rear axle ratio became optional, which is better on the highway, and with the 1275 Engine you lose a little off-the-line acceleration, but the 1275 can support a lower ratio because of additional horsepower.

After 1975, a 3.7 differential was used in the 1500 midgets, and some people like that for the additional reduction, but a five speed transmission is really the best way to improve your highway cruising RPMs… in fact, the reduction in RPMs from the five speed is much greater than a reduction from changing the rear axle ratio. The optimal set-up seems to be a 3.9 Diff with a five speed but there’s nothing wrong with a 4:22 and a five speed as well, because you keep great acceleration at hand, but drop the RPMs in fifth gear when that’s desired.

*501 with the factory 4-speed and a 4.22 diff turns roughly 4200 RPMs at 70 MPH.*

*Adding a five-speed’s overdrive and a 3.9 differential brings the 70 MPH RPMs down to around 3300! Big difference!*

We can pretty easily provide a five speed transmission kit for our clients (whether we build it here or send you a kit). Differentials are a little harder. Most of the differentials now are starting to whine due to wear and it’s difficult to properly clearance them and rebuild them with new bearings. We do sell the bearings and also the gear sets if you have a rebuilder that can assemble it properly for you, or you can hire us to do that as well.

Give a call if you’re interested! Or keep your existing differential, and buy one of our five speed’s below!