BugEyeGuys

Austin Healey Sprite fuel pump woes

March 6, 2026 by bugeyeguy

There are three critical ingredients to any classic car’s recipe to run: good spark, healthy compression, and a consistent supply of fuel. We were reminded this week of what a lack of fuel can do to the running equation.

While attempting to test drive Sam’s Bugeye, we could not get it started, no matter how hard we tried. The aftermarket electric fuel pump was buzzing, as it should, but the fuel filter was still dry. How could this be?

Ultimately, we don’t know for sure. Aftermarket fuel pumps, like the one pictured above installed in Sam’s Bugeye, fail without warning quite frequently. This one has all sorts of issues present; the housing is cracked, the diaphragm may be torn, there’s too much rubber fuel line… Our solid state fuel pump kit and a new fuel line will remedy the situation nicely. Luckily, this failure was discovered in our driveway; we haven’t always been so fortunate.

Pictured above is my Iris blue Bugeye (“The Egg”) getting retrieved by a flat bed tow truck a few years ago. The fuel pump had failed, a nice looking little German model which started pumping furiously (without moving fuel) because the diaphragm failed. Below on the right is a picture of the one that came with the car, which broke. Alongside I have also shown an Ecco brand pump that comes with plastic fittings- I much prefer metal ones. These pumps are two other examples of electric fuel pumps commonly fitted to Bugeyes and Spridgets that fail often.

Sadly, we have seen lots of these aftermarket alternatives fail.

We have had zero failures with the square solid state pump we sell. This is the most reliable set-up that we have found, and they live on almost all of the cars we have shipped to customers around the world. The Egg got one in 2018 and is still pumping strong; Sam’s car will also receive one next week.

Your Bugeye should get one too! Much more consistent than a mechanical fuel pump, and much more reliable than other aftermarket pumps available, our solid state fuel pump kit will withstand the test of time! Click the photos below to check out our fuel pump kit and other related fuel system components, or click here for our full catalog!

*Correct fuel tank pick-up line and fitting (All Bugeyes/Spridgets through 1969)*

Why your classic car needs new tires

March 6, 2026 by bugeyeguy

*The Bugeyeguys tire graveyard. All of these tires are too old for road use.*

Everyone cheats on the date.

And it makes sense, most classics never even begin to wear out the tread. We just don’t drive them enough.

Here’s how you tell just how old your tires are:

The tire above has a three digit date stamp. This means it was built before 2000. It would have made in the 5th week of 1998, or 88? There is no way of knowing (hence the change to four digits after 2000). All tires after 2000 have a four digit date stamp like the one below. That one was made in the 34th week of 2006, which means it’s 20 years old. Still much too old to use on a car safely-eight years is the suggested lifespan.

In actuality, both of these tires are in our discard pile that you see above. Even a 10 year-old tire is considered past its prime in terms of safety.

I can tell right away from the ride quality when a tire needs to be replaced, and the date stamp merely confirms what my butt already knows. Any tire more than about eight years old has started to harden, and as such, it yields less and provides a firmer ride. Sprites need all the suspension they can get, and the tire is vital for a supple ride. Older tires also skitter along the tops of the peaks of any asphalt surface, instead of hooking up with the roadway. As such, an old tire doesn’t grip as well and certainly can’t brake as well.

Note the cracks in the treads on this tire. This tire was from 2011 (15 years old), and these cracks are a sure sign of aging out. This tire is rock-hard, no longer supple, and the rubber is beginning to break down. Time to replace!

I used to think this was all propaganda from tire sellers. But I have driven enough Sprites now over the same local roads to be able to feel the difference. Old tires don’t stick. Sprite suspension is so low tech that the tire is even more vital for a good ride and the safest drive. While I hate to put more tires into the waste stream, safety is more important, and if your British car stops 50 or just 10 feet sooner because the rubber is fresh, that might just save your Bugeye nose from some unsightly scars!

Please proceed to your car and check the tire date stamps today. 13 inch tires are cheap, about 1/4 of the price of modern tires for most SUVs! And if you need some new ones, we have you covered! Click the photos below to see some of our new tire options, or click here for our complete parts catalog!

*155/80R13 tires, stock size for Bugeyes/Spridgets with stock wheels*

*165/70R13 tires, wider tire for better cornering performance, perfect for all Bugeye/Spridget wheels!*

*Michelin XAS 165R13 tires, high performance, awesome vintage tread pattern, our favorite tire!*

Shiny 1960 Bugeye Sprite for sale, excellent body and paint, needs mechanical refresh.

March 6, 2026 by bugeyeguy

NEW PRICE!
Available for $12,495.

Lots of Bugeye for the money!

Meet Blake, a nice 1960 Bugeye Sprite in need of mechanical refresh. The car was traded-in for one of our finished Bugeyes and we are offering the car in unrestored mechanical condition in case someone has low upfront cost as a priority… we wanted to make it easy to get in to the Bugeye world cheap… and then fix as you go!

Blake has a 948 engine, smooth case transmission and drum brakes all around. I’ve driven the car around the block and all the essentials are fine… nothing major is needed… but it’s time for a refresh of the basics. Plan on hydraulic system restoration (master, wheel cylinders, slave), new shocks, new fuel tank, carb rebuild, and suspension bushings. The wiring harness should be replaced and the driver’s footwell has some rust-through. We can help… we have all the parts if you want to do it yourself, and/or we can do as much or as little as the new owner would like.

This one would be great for anyone who hates bodywork and wants a fun winter project. I love the fact that the car is not blistered and still shines quite nicely. Take a look at the body close-ups I’ve added to the gallery. You can see nice A-pilars, nice rear fender bottoms, nice nose beading. The car was repainted I am guessing sometime in the last 15 years, and it’s a nice job. When done with a mechanical refresh, you’ll have a great car-paint is great, interior is good, just needs a wiring harness and a refresh of other mechanicals.

Call if you’d like to discuss making this car your own!

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1960 Bugeye Sprite project for sale! Excellent mechanicals! Inexpensive project!

March 6, 2026 by bugeyeguy

NEW PRICE $5,595!

Rescue this very repairable Bugeye, with 8578 indicated miles!

This Bugeye “Barrie” was totaled when our client was hit by a car pulling out into him on one side which pushed him into a pole on the other (he’s OK, just shaken up). The nose was damaged beyond repair… we fit a good used one to make the car complete.

The car has bent front frame rails as you can see in the pictures of the underside, but for the right person or a collision shop, this damage is quite fixable. This car is unique in that we did a major mechanical restoration on this car previously, so once the new owner addresses the crash damage, they can enjoy a nice driving Bugeye.

There is some work to be done with the inner fenders (we have the parts if you want to cut the right inner fender off and weld on a new one). Work needs to be done at the collision shop to straighten the frame rails and realign the two front wheels.

Both front wheels moved their control arm mounts slightly upon impact, so that will need to be straightened. For a collision expert or a good collision shop, this is not a particularly difficult thing to fix. Bodywork will also be needed to re-align the doors and the nose.

I would argue that this project is infinitely easier than to buy a basket case full of rusty parts. There’s really no rust to address with this project- (that’s probably why the car fared so well in the crash)! It’s solid!

This is not a project for everyone yet we do feel quite confident the car will be back on the road soon. The 948 engine, completely rebuilt carbs, electronic ignition, aluminum radiator, high output starter, spin on oil filter and strong smooth case transmission were in excellent shape before the accident. This was a very nice car to drive and will be once again! Also included with the sale will be a used black carpet kit that came with the car. No interior panels or seat parts are included. The floors are quite solid as you can see from the underside. There is some surface rust shown in the footwells. The carpets got wet after the crash but we have removed them. It should be quite easy to clean those footwells up once again.

Click “read more” below for more photos, and give us a call if you’re interested in taking this car home! Sold with a bill of sale only and we”ll help the new owner with re-registration and restoration as well!

[Read more…]

All original 1960 Bugeye for sale! Numbers matching!

February 27, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Here’s a Nice Bugeye for sale that will satisfy anyone who loves originality!

*The Maryland license plates will not be included in the sale of Calvin, but it will come with an incredibly sharp set of black California plates!*

“Calvin” (AN5L 41960) was a lifetime California car until the current owner purchased it a year ago at a Bonhams auction. The car is almost completely stock, with 948 engine, drum brakes, and bias ply white walls, just as is indicated in the heritage certificate (below) that is included in the sale of the car.

*A heritage certificate will accompany Calvin to its new home, which indicates the Chassis number, body number, and engine number all match!*

The engine is the original unit and all the numbers of the engine and body match the numbers on the birth certificate. The car is fit exactly as it would’ve come when it was new!

Calvin drives nicely and is quite solid-excellent floors and body. The paint is very good, although it would benefit from a good compounding if the new owner prefers a more lustrous finish. Still, it shines quite nicely and presents beautifully. If you want more of a mirror finish, some buffing would help make the car “pop” even more.

The interior is also excellent, in correct black with white piping, just like when new. It is also fitted with a premium hardura tunnel mat in matching black (which we sell here in our parts catalog). This mat more closely matches the original rubber mat than the carpet you usually see in restored cars.

If you want a Bugeye with a seriously stock vibe, this is a great car for you!

There are a few maintenance opportunities that we can address for the new owner… the water temp gauge and speedometer are not working. We can fix both. Also, the fuel sender seems to be leaking given the fuel tracks on the outside of the trunk floor. This just means it’s time to drop the tank and reseal the sender with a new gasket.

The fuel line could use an upgrade, we’d like to clean that up. The car once had fender wing mirrors and these have been removed. It’s up to the new owner on this one… we can easily put mirrors back in the holes, which are now covered with white tape. Or, the holes can be filled and the nose repainted, totally up to the new owner! I would budget roughly $3000 to have us upgrade all these opportunities for improvement before we send the car to your door.

Call to discuss! We can prepare the car for you to your taste!

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Well…

February 27, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Don’t do this to your Bugeye Sprite.

*The* “well” *around this filler neck is not supposed to be there.*

In the “I’ve never seen this before” category, here’s a Bugeye rear deck that’s been damaged by someone who didn’t realize that the fuel neck to their tank could be modified to fit the body rather than making the body fit the tank. We’ve run into this before-old body damage to the back of a Bugeye and resultant body repair can make for a slightly fatter boot section at the filler neck. Because the filler neck is a fixed length on original and some replacement fuel tanks, it can be difficult or impossible to get the fuel cap onto the neck if your body is slightly taller at the location of the filler neck. This restorer chose to beat up the body rather than modify the filler neck and damaged the back deck of the car for no reason.

*A piece of rubber at the base of the filler neck allows for extension of the neck, meaning you can dial in the height for proper fitment of your fuel cap!*

The correct solution for a slightly pregnant rear deck is to cut the fuel filler neck and put in a rubber hose with clamps to extend the neck above your existing body and thereby make your filler neck adjustable in height.

*Our fuel tank kit comes with a detachable filler neck, so no cutting or rear deck mutilation necessary to achieve proper fit! Click the photo to order!*

We sell a fuel tank kit with a removable neck and you can set the height of the neck to your specifications regardless of any body damage that may have been built into your car before you bought it. You should never have to damage the body of your Sprite to get something to fit… call us if you have a problem that makes it looks like that might be needed —we’ll help you find a workaround.

*A fixed-neck tank can result in a cap that is too close to the filler neck, which can close your tank vent and affect how your Bugeye runs!*

*This is what your filler neck should look like when the fuel cap is attached, with a small gap between the bottom of the cap and the top of the filler neck gasket.*

Another important issue here is that sometimes the fuel cap is way too tight against the body rubber gasket, which blocks the vent in the cap, creating a fuel delivery issue. So make sure you have at least an eighth of an inch gap between your cap and the rubber grommet that goes in the back deck, so that your fuel tank can vent properly, otherwise your engine can die if the tank doesn’t breathe. If your cap is too close to the grommet, you may need to cut your filler neck, just like the above restorer should have. We have all of the parts and tools needed for this job in our parts catalog! Click the photos below to learn more or click here for our full catalog!