BugEyeGuys

White 1960 entry-level Bugeye Sprite for sale! 1275, Datsun five-speed, disc brakes!

August 14, 2026 by bugeyeguy

This is “Lamb” (AN5 30600), a 1960 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite. I bought this car from a client in New York who was looking to move on to a different British car experience.

Here’s a unique opportunity to buy a car with tremendous potential. It has all the right foundational pieces in place. It’s a solid car with no rust in the body, and while the paint is not brand new, it’s good enough for most people to enjoy. Lamb has a Datsun 5 speed transmission installed, and good front disc brakes. The interior is nicely appointed in red.

The challenge with this car is that there is a slight engine knock on the number four cylinder, which we believe to be a worn rod bearing. So while the engine is usable and the car drives nicely as-is, there is an issue here that needs to be addressed. I’m not sure how long the prior owners have been using the car in this configuration, but it is an issue that is going to need attention eventually, even if someone chose to drive the car this season, perhaps it would make sense to address it over the winter? We’re happy to do that for you by the way.

I suppose you could attempt to change the rod bearings… while that is not the proper resolution of this issue and not one I would advise, it could certainly be a Band-Aid that might extend the utility of this engine even further. But the reality is, chances are that this Engine will need a rebuild, although the power is good and so is the oil pressure. The engine is not smoking.

Another alternative would be to purchase one of our completely rebuilt 1275 engines and simply swap the engine and we’re happy to do that as well for the new customer, so you have lots of options!

In addition, there does seem to be some wear to the bearings in the Datsun transmission, which is a common problem and something we’ve addressed in the past, so if you’re having us take the engine out, for example, we could also rebuild that gearbox with fresh bearings to end up with a new restored engine and transmission to send this car on its next new chapter with great strength and renewed longevity!

The tires are aged out and hard, so putting new tires on would be a good place to start. New 155 tires are only around $350 plus mounting and balancing. There is a short tonneau with the car, but the zipper is torn and needs to be replaced. A top bow is included that needs repair, as is a set of side curtain cores.

So this is a unique opportunity to get into our universe with a lower upfront cost, and perhaps do some of the work yourself and end up with a Sprite with all the most popular modifications, with the lower upfront cost. We can easily ship you the car and any of the parts you would want to personalize this project. Alternatively, it’s a nice pay as you go Option for someone who wants to use our skill and experience to upgrade and resolve any of this car issues and ultimately produce a fine refreshed machine.

There are lots of options here. Feel free to give us a call to discuss them. Whether you decide to take this project on on your own or delegate some all improvements to us, this is a great option with lots of potential! Click “read more” below for the full compliment of photos, and if you’d like to add Lamb to your classic car flock, click here to put down a non-refundable $500 deposit to secure it!

[Read more…]

A “wheel-y” important service item!

August 14, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Next time you remove a wheel, I invite you to put some energy into your wheel studs (that’s mental energy, not wheel torque energy). The wheel nuts on our Spridgets (all Bugeyes through rubber bumper Midgets 1958-1980) should be torqued 38 pounds each. The entire universe is designed to torque to more foot pounds than that, and if any modern shop gets anywhere near your Spridget (unless you have a technician with old car experience), chances are good your studs will be stressed by too much torque. Modern equipment is just plain over-built for our application. As a result, it’s not hard to over-torque Spridget wheel nuts and damage the threads of the lug nut and/or the lug stud, and this can create a serious safety issue.

Here we see a badly stretched wheel stud (left) versus a brand new wheel stud (right). Note the noticeable “dip” in the threads on the stretched stud, indicative of too much tightening force. You can also see the extra large gap between threads where they were stretched.

It’s difficult for some people to spot a stretched stud. They don’t always look as obviously stretched as above. More commonly, you might see some loose threads ripped out of the lug nut if an over-torque event has occurred. Keep an eye on this next time you remove a wheel from your car and see if anything looks out of sorts. If a new lug nut catches as you thread it onto the stud, that could be a sign that the threads are damaged.

A used lug nut with damaged threads (left) versus a brand new one (right). Not as easy to see as a stretched stud, lug nuts with damaged threads are just as dangerous. You can see the threads on the old nut are notchy and look imperfect, unlike the new lug nut.

Make sure that if you bring your car to a tire shop, for example, that you advise them the proper torque for the wheels is only 38 pounds, and that you want your nuts torqued with a hand-held torque wrench and not an impact gun. If you have any feeling that your Studs are elongated or stretched, make sure to change them, along with your lug nuts, the next time you have the wheels off your car.

We had a call this week from a customer who called to purchase a single wheel stud, and when I asked him why, he said that he torqued the stud properly, and it broke. This is a major red flag… his stud sheared at the proper torque because it had been damaged previously by someone who had over-torqued and stretched it. That means that all 16 of the studs (and potentially the lug nuts as well) were likely damaged at the same time in the same event, and even though all of his lug nuts were now properly tightened to 38 pounds as a result of his attention to this matter, he is taking a chance by leaving those studs in place, and I’d encourage anyone in a similar situation to change all 16 studs and lug nuts with safety in mind. We offer new studs and nuts in our parts catalog; click the photos below to get yours, or click here for our full catalog!

*Plain lug nut for steel wheels, sold individually (16 required per car, carry spares!)*

*Closed-end lug nuts, chrome (for use on minilite wheels)*

*Rear wheel stud (All Bugeyes & Spridgets with bolt-on wheels) (Sold Individually)*

*Front wheel stud (All Bugeyes & Spridgets with front DRUM brakes) (Sold individually)*

*Front wheel stud (All Bugeyes & Spridgets with front DISC brakes) (Sold Individually)*

So be a good detective. Keep this in the back of your mind, and I wish you happy motoring!!

Beautiful Black/Burgundy MGA Mark II For Sale! Driving Video!

August 13, 2026 by bugeyeguy

We sold this car four years ago to a great home in California and we now have it back again!

Here is a rare opportunity to purchase a vehicle out of my own personal collection! This is a 1962 MGA 1622 Mark II. This car was prepared for concours judging when it was restored in Canada about 20 years ago, and it has been a dry weather driver ever since. It’s been used very little in that period and it remains in excellent shape. The underside is impressive; the interior is beautiful, with leather seats and the proper Mark II deluxe dashboard.

If you’re unfamiliar, the Mark II was the last of the MGAs; they are able to be distinguished from their Mark I brethren by their horizontal tail lights and more sculptural rear fenders, as well as a recessed grill that’s a little different from the earlier cars. In late 1961, the Mark II came along and was the shortest production run for the breed, producing just over 8,000 cars in its 2 year pruduction run before the MGB came out in 1963 and replaced it.

[Read more…]

Summer fun! 1967 Morris Minor convertible for sale!

August 12, 2026 by bugeyeguy

New Price! $13,495-More than the purchase price was spent on upgrades in our shop (17K in upgrades)! Priced to SELL, call us today!

“Clementine” is a 1967 Morris Minor convertible that had about $17,000 worth of upgrades and improvements done in our shop three years and 600 miles ago. This is a well-sorted car! So if you’re looking for headache-free summer fun, this car is worth serious consideration.

Clem drives great. She accelerates well, courtesy of new twin SU HS2 carbs and electronic ignition added in 2023. In fact, everything functions quite nicely. We changed all the brake drums, shocks, wheel bearings and hydraulic parts and many other components to make this a very nice driving machine. We fit a new battery, under dash battery kill switch, new tires and more; in fact, we fixed anything and everything, as requested of us by the owner. Take a look at the build sheet below to see the full extent of the work we performed! Only about 600 miles have been added since the work was completed!

Clementine March 23 Download

Check out the driving video below! This car is fit with a strong 1098 engine and rib case transmission. The front lever shocks were renewed when we serviced the car in 2023 and a rear tube shock upgrade is fit in back!

Click “read more” below for more photos and feel free to give us a call if you’re interested!

[Read more…]

Delightful Old English White 1960 Bugeye Sprite for sale! 1275, front disc brakes!

August 7, 2026 by bugeyeguy

“Dorian” is a 1960 Bugeye that was completely restored about 15 years ago with front disk brakes, 1275 engine and rib case transmission. Since then, the car has had multiple upgrades including our flip forward nose kit with our x bracing to keep the nose precise and true. Check out the nose to body gaps-they’re excellent!

Color is accurate olde English white… creamy french vanilla. I like the white color matched stock rims. We’ve just completely restored the paint job to make it shine by sanding and buffing the car’s entirety. The interior and underside are excellent. This car shines beautifully!

Like all these 65 year old cars, there are maintenance opportunities… this one has an extra noisy first gear, indicating above average wear to the cluster gear. You can hear it in the driving video below, where I explain what this means and what can be done about it.

This presents several choices for the new owner… The first choice would be to live with the noise. It’s only in first gear and some people may not be bothered by this. I don’t expect that the wear will cause any other issues-it’s just a little bit louder than normal in first gear. We’ve set the price lower than it would’ve been if the transmission was newly restored, so perhaps this minor issue can help make this high level car more affordable for some customers.

The second option is to replace the unit with a newly rebuilt rib case transmission. This would add about $3500 to the price for parts and labor.

The third option would be to install a 5 speed Suzuki transmission and this option would add about $9500 to the price. Our new Suzuki conversion kit is superior to all the prior 5 speed upgrades. It’s lighter, requires no cutting of the frame, and parts are readily available, so it is our 5 speed of choice.

Which option is for you? The Choice is up to the new owner! We can do as much or as little to the car as the new owner would like us to do.

One other thing -the top doesn’t fit very well. It was installed by an amateur, and we can do some tailoring and re-fitting to improve the fit if the new owner feels that they would like that upgrade prior to the car’s departure for a new home. The short tonneau fits very well.

Click “read more” below for the full suite of photos, and feel free to call if you’re interested!

[Read more…]

You may now be seated

August 7, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Here’s a delightful transformation… This car Star has undergone multiple improvements after being purchased by a customer in California and is now nearing the end of its pre-departure inspections. It became clear during our vetting process that the worn out drivers seat foam was really beyond its service life. Check out the video below, where we chronicle the seats before and after their revitalization!

We removed the old foams and re-sewed new skirts on the seat base covers to accommodate the thicker new foam that’s so much more comfortable, and a delight for your rear end. You’d never know we upgraded it by looking at it, but you can certainly feel the difference!

*The old seat foams had very little life left in them. It was time for a change!*

The result is a delightful driving experience, and was well worth the additional expense for these beautiful new pillows that are far superior in terms of support. Too often the metal trays that hold these foam pillows are rusted and damaged beyond repair, and in this case two of these trays were needed. Take a look at the products below, feel free to order them from us and we’ll get them on the way so you can complete a similar restoration!

*Metal seat tray/pan – Bugeye thru 1965*

*Sea clip kit – Bugeye thru 1965 (1 kit per seat required)*

In addition, if you would like us to sew new skirts on the bottoms of your seat fabric, we can do so to complete this restoration for you. All you have to do is mail us your old seat bottoms, and we’ll complete that process, too! Just give us a call first so we can make sure we have your particular color and texture in stock.