BugEyeGuys

A contemporary interpretation of a very basic car

October 4, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Back in 1958, $1795 didn’t buy you many color choices. That was then. Now, we want it all. And thus we have built a Bugeye, reinterpreted.

If you like modernized classics, we think you’ll like “Sage,” our newest stunner. We will have this car done in about a week. Check out the video below to see how we are doing, and check out the photo gallery at the end of this post for some up-close photos of some of Sage’s best features!

Of course, if you prefer original stuff, we have offerings more suited to you, as well. Check out AN5L 552, a Gold medal-winning Concours Bugeye, and a rare opportunity to own a preproduction Bugeye! Click the photo below to learn more about 552.

Give us a call if any of our inventory tickles your Bugeye fancy!

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Battery Fires made easy

October 4, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Please take a look at your battery hold down… we too often see what is shown below, which is a flat metal strip on a slippery plastic case, begging to slide into the terminals to make sparks and then fire.

*A battery hold-down like this is just asking for trouble. The only thing worse than this is no hold-down at all.*

We suggest that you get a sealed battery with the terminals on the backside against the firewall. Typically a Bugeye with the original positive-ground configuration takes a group 24 battery, whereas with negative ground cars, we use a group 24F. We also strongly suggest using an angled battery hold down (which we sell here) for the leading edge of the battery. Secure it with nyloc nuts so it can’t loosen. And you will have a nice insurance policy that your Sprite won’t ignite at the wrong time.

We have only had one fire in nearly 20 years, and it came from a sliding battery on a newly-arrived car with no hold down. The battery hot lead hit the unshrouded (and grounded) heater cable and sparks lit the plastic battery box on fire.

Don’t do that to your Bugeye Sprite!

Leaf Green 1961 Bugeye Sprite driver for sale! NEW driving video!

October 4, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Arty just keeps getting better!

We replaced both rear wire wheel splined hubs, resealed the rear axles, installed new K & N lifetime air filters, installed new door seals, and removed the clattery, non-original interior door handles… all to spruce up the cockpit and improve the driving experience (and eliminate a bunch of rattles)!

This is a great car at a great price. Check out the listing below and give us a call if you’d like to adopt Arty! (Hardtop optional).

We have a new driving video below to give you a feel for the sweet driving experience one can have in this car…

Arty (AN5L 48495) is a nice driver, built near the end of the Bugeye production run and first titled in 1961.

We have added some hardtop pictures this week so you can see the full “Kermit” effect. A monotone Bugeye in leaf green gets a lot of attention and plenty of frog comments! If you are a frog-lover, this could be a great car for you! Add your plush frogs to taste!

This week, we also rebuilt the seat bases with new foam. They look much better now! Call if you want to take Arty home!

She is a 948-powered car with an upgraded rib-case transmission and front disc brakes. This is a nice car that is great to drive and runs very well! It came to us from Virginia, where it was under the long-term loving care of its previous owner. Arty is nicely painted in Leaf Green, one of the original colors available on Bugeyes when new. The chrome wire wheels are nice too!

The matching green hardtop has the correct original glass window. The top and tonneau are very nice. Top and side curtain storage bags are also included, as is a set of side curtains.

There is a short punch list of needs, and we would be happy to address them for the new owner. For example, the tires need replacement (they’re old) and the toe-in needs to be set. The wiring is older and some folks might want it refreshed with a new wiring harness. We can do all or none of this… this is entirely up to the new owner. We can fix it for you, or you could choose to do it yourself.

*We added new seat base foam this week, and the seats look great!* (new door seals have since been added and the chrome pull handles have been removed, call for details)

We can also work with you to take Arty to the next level! An aluminum radiator is a favorite upgrade of ours, and we thing it would look great under Arty’s bonnet, and three-point inertia seat belts would add a level of safety to your driving experience.

Check out the walk-around video below for an in-depth tour taken before all of Arty’s most recent upgrades!

Click “read more” below for the full suite of pictures, and give us a call to discuss bringing Arty to the next level!

[Read more…]

Own one of the first Bugeye Sprites to reach America in 1958!

October 4, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Here’s a rare chance to own a very historically significant early Bugeye Sprite! This is one of just a handful of Gold level concours Bugeyes (nationally judged). We are entertaining offers! Call if you are interested!

This is a 1958 Frogeye that we restored to gold level concours standards in 2015. The car was judged in Gettysburg, PA at the national Austin Healey Club enclave and attained gold level, which is the highest honor a Bugeye can attain for accuracy and condition. In fact, four judges spent roughly three hours evaluating the car and scoring roughly five pages worth of components for originality and condition. It is a high honor to wear a gold concours registry badge on your grill (below)!

This early car was well worth the hundreds of hours we spent preparing this car for the concours event. We made a DVD/digital download about the unique early features (which you can purchase by clicking here), all of which we restored to capture these features for posterity. For example, we built a custom spare tire tray to match the one shown in the original Bugeye brochure. This tray is still visible in the boot of this car (below).

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Color sense

September 27, 2024 by bugeyeguy

How do you go off the map without breaking it? We love making art and we love original Bugeyes. We also love contemporary interpretations of everything… as long as they don’t go too far afield.

Meet Sage, a new Super Sprite we are building (will be done soon). With this car, we wanted to evoke tradition and innovate at the same time. So the spiffy Sage color is Leaf green derivative (one of the original Bugeye colors), yet totally current at the same time.

We faced multiple choices (re)designing the interior, and after much rumination, we settled on pebble grain leather for the seats and distressed leather for the dash and panels. This week, we chose to line the doors with wool carpet to match the floor pans. We might have used rubber per the stock configuration, but this created a bit of a dark cave (see photo below). Tan wool (above) gave us a lively and integrated door face and thus won our hearts.

The black inner door liners we normally install on all of our Bugeyes created a bit of a “black hole” vibe that we weren’t thrilled with, so we went with the same wool carpeting we used for the flooring.

Every choice matters, such that we integrate each texture into the special completed whole. Now, each driver can paw his way into the driver seat and savor the smell and feel of freshly tanned leather. A stunning wooden steering wheel is also to come.

*The sewn pieces on the floor are in-house color tests and mock ups*

Next up, new tonneau material… dark or light? Stay tuned! And if you want to buy this car, it will be complete shortly, and you can help us with the final color choices!

Check out the video below to see more of our thought process, as we move toward completion of another ultimate Bugeye!

Dem Bones

September 27, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Checked your dog bones lately?

*A brand new dog bone (left) versus two worn ones (center & right).*

We run the cars through their paces to get them ready to depart, and here’s our car #420, at rest and at speed in preparation of departure for California.

Tate parked in Connecticut, and ready for a long trip to a new home in California!

On “Tate” this week, we had a minor rear end rattle and traced it to a sloppy dog bone joint. The dog bone rubber perishes and the joints can get sloppy. Check out the video below, to see the floppy bone in action! This was a satisfying fix!

If you need your own new bones, click the photo below to order!