This is Isaac. He’s a 1959 Bugeye with a rebuilt 1275 engine, rebuilt rib case transmission, disc brakes, and superior later rear drum assemblies from a later Spridget. This car is great to drive, with a great exhaust note and impressive performance.
Isaac has has been completely rebuilt during the past five years. The restoration began in March of 2020 by an experienced restorer, from whom we have bought nice Bugeyes in the past. He repainted the car in the original Primrose Yellow you see on the car currently. Everything else that was bolted to the car was either replaced or restored.
The engine was rebuilt for uprated performance without going nuts. The head was skimmed and a nice new Kent 286 cam was used for a little better performance than stock. A new clutch kit was installed, and a rear main seal upgrade kit was also fit, a nice upgrade to reduce oil leaks. Additionally, new jet-coated header was installed, and the HS2 carbs were rebuilt. The distributor has points ignition (if the new owner prefers, we can put in an electronic ignition unit, which we sell in our parts catalog). K & N lifetime air filters are also installed.
All the gauges were rebuilt, and an aluminum radiator was added, along with a premium optima battery and a remote clutch slave bleeder. Later rear brake back plates were used, which is a really nice upgrade to give you twin piston rear drum brakes, which have better performance and are easier to bleed when servicing.
The Windshield glass is surrounded by new glazing. There are a few scratches in the glass-not bad, but if that bothers the new owner, we can put in a new windshield. The rear end is an original 4:22 ratio; the tires are 175 wide tires which provide better grip and were replaced in 2020 along with brand new minilite wheels. The grille was re-chromed at this time as well.
Included with Isaac is a spare tire, like-new restored side curtains, and a nice soft top and corresponding top bow. Pictures for these items will follow early next week! There is no tonneau included, but we can fit a new tonneau for the new owner (the rear deck has fittings for a short tonneau, but we can remove them if you’d prefer a long one.
This is a very nice and nicely modified Bugeye with lots of great improvements. Click “read more” below for the full suite of photos and call us if you would like to take Isaac home!
