Here’s a sharp looking early 1958 Bugeye called “Elle,” (AN5L 2264).
This is a special early car with the correct early nine-stud windshield. She underwent a long-term extensive restoration done by a passionate owner in the Midwest. The prior owner put-in a Ford five speed transmission mated to the original 948 engine (#2069, the correct original engine per the heritage certificate) which was professionally rebuilt, balanced and blueprinted (excellent paperwork package and documentation is included). An aluminum radiator and spin-on oil filter assembly are also fit… nice upgrades. Of course, the five speed gives the new owner overdrive in fifth and fully synchronized gears, which makes this gearbox super easy to use for all types of drivers.
The prior owner also added a front disc brake conversion kit and nice Minilite wheels with 175 tires which are now only a few years old (2020 date code) with very few miles.
I particularly like the underside of this car. It’s well-restored with chip seal paint for added durability. The floor pans are both new; these are later Spridget floors with access holes by the spring mount… this is non-stock, but we’ve seen this before, and the new floors are perfectly wonderful and nicely executed.
The twin hoop roll bar is a simple style bar and can be easily removed by the new owner if a cleaner look is preferred. The upgraded tan stay-fast top is very nice. The steering wheel is news also new.
We went though the car extensively when we got it, and put in a brand new wiring harness since there was some burnt wiring revealed during our inspection. So the car was completely rewired, and any lighting or electric connection issues were addressed with a new factory harness.
To help make the cooling even more effective, we also put in a six blade fan to move more air through the upgraded aluminum radiator. We also dropped the new gas tank and resealed the fuel gauge sender and installed an ethanol proof new brass sender float. We installed a new fuel filter and rubber hoses, as well as a new throttle cable. We also removed the dashboard and completely restored it to factory specs, including a weld-up and fill of any errant holes, and a recover in the correct original black vinyl. Beautiful!
Speedo is not working but a new GPS speedo would be the right fix. Tachometer is reading too high, so a new matching electronic tach would be smart as well. We can work with the new owner to address any upgrades before the car departs.
Click “read more” for more pictures and give a call if you would like to take Elle home!