Around the shop

Turn signal wiggle

September 11, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Turn signals are one of those problem areas on Bugeyes that really shouldn’t be an issue, because they’re such a simple component. But inevitably, we’re always fighting one battle or another in trying to keep them blinking. For example, it’s routine for us to have flashers fail. They’re very old-fashioned and simple, and even the upgraded electronic flashers and LED systems are not fool proof. This week, however, I wanted to show you a shot turn signal switch. Unfortunately, these are more and more frequently failing. Check out the video below to see how.

The good news is, we have good ones in stock!

*A new turn signal switch may be the secret to all your car’s turn signal woes! Click the photo above to learn more and to order one today!*

You can order a new turn signal switch in our parts catalog by clicking the photo above or by clicking here, and we’re here to help you keep yours working. More importantly, we’re always looking for the best suppliers for parts and constantly updating our inventory when we have recurring failures in the field.

This post is a good reminder to check your turn signal operation. It’s common for the flasher units to fail and stop the dash indicator from working so if yours is not winking, a new flasher is worth trying. You might also consider adding LED bulbs for your turn signals to make them more visible to oncoming motorists. Click on the links below to learn more about these parts, or click here for our full catalog!

*Upgraded turn signal flasher (standard bulb, not LED)*

*LED Light kit (negative ground Bugeyes)*

More than you need to know about A pillar blisters

August 21, 2026 by bugeyeguy

We’ve seen a lot of cars in need of A pillar patches lately, and it’s pretty interesting, particularly since this is a common area of concern on all Sprites and many other classic British cars, as well. All too often, these cars are beautiful, but you’ll find some blisters in the A pillar area, which can ruin an otherwise show-quality car.

*An A pillar looking like this has ruined many beautiful Bugeyes.*

Water enters the A pillar cavity (that’s the rectangular pillar directly in front of the door hinges) through the windshield post mounting holes. You can see in our photos below that the front windshield mounting threaded hole is a direct link to the cavity where we often see rust blisters on Sprites. Once the water runs down that hole it gets trapped with no drainage and can sometimes rust the top of the rocker panel as well.

The front screw holes for the windshield stanchions, visible at the top of this photo, open up directly into the structure of where the doors mount. If left unchecked, moisture and debris can find its way into these cavities and wreak havoc on the metal, creating a mess like this.

In general, this is nothing more than a nuisance and not a particularly structurally consequential issue, because the rust is usually contained to the small A pillar lower portion. The first patch that you see below is a simple repair of a very small rectangular area where we cut out the rusted area, treated the metal to prevent further rust, and then welded in a small patch. It’s one of the easiest rust repairs you can ever take-on… it’s very satisfying and manageable, and blisters such as these are not usually indicative of larger rust problems throughout the car– it’s usually a localized problem.

[Read more…]

Fouled-up frame horns

August 21, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Noses get hit. And then these frame horns bend. This makes locking your bonnet down a challenge if you have the conventional hinge arrangement, and it makes life even more challenging if you want a flip nose conversion. With the front flip kit, you need these horns to align such that your nose will hinge properly and also latch in the right place on the back and sides. If these are not parallel, your nose probably won’t have a soft landing.

We straighten many of these.

The car pictured here had mangled horns, so we cut them off and replaced them. Now, we have a great foundation for the flip nose work to follow!!!

After cutting off the bent horns, new ones are welded into place. Note the threaded rod run between the two frame horns; this is used to keep the horns level with each other and also helps to keep them straight while welding.

*After welding on the horns, welding on the radiator supports, and checking everything for level, a coat of black paint is applied, and the frame horns look better than they did from the factory!*

If you want your nose converted to flip-forward, call us, we’ll pick up your car and make it happen! Check out the video below for more information on frame horn replacement.

If your frame horns are mangled and need to be replaced, or if you are looking to install a front flip kit of your own, click on the photos below for more information on some of the parts you will need, or click here for our full catalog!

*Bugeye Sprite Front Frame Rail Horn (sold individually)*

*Front flip nose conversion kit (Bugeye only)*

*Bonnet “X” Bracing (for Front-Flip Bonnet Installation)*

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!!

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.

Crunchy

July 31, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Ouch! A rear end hit is heart-breaking (and hopefully nothing else-breaking) and this is Izzy, a car we now have and are preparing for sale. In the second picture, you can see the repaired sheet metal with the dent removed. Izzy will next get prepped and painted and will look great soon!

Below you can see the sheet metal on its way to being smooth and great once again.

But this is actually a post about the blisters you see all over the car. It’s a post about moisture, and the damage it can do to your classic car. Each of the blisters you see on the back deck of this car is indicative of some rust on the metal. All of it needs to be cleaned out and recoated to keep it from spreading and delaminating later.

It’s possible the car was in humid air after stripping but before being re-coated. It’s essential to prime promptly before moisture gets between new paint and your car. Or maybe the last owner failed to prime the metal properly… for whatever reason, this little bit of surface rust wrecked this paint job. Thank you Izzy for giving all of us a chance to learn from prior mistakes!

The paint might have lasted a lot longer if the car was in a climate controlled environment. Instead, this car has spent the last ten years in South Carolina in moist air in a car port. That wet environment accelerated and activated any moisture under the paint.

Time under a wet car cover can be fatal to a car’s paint job! If your cover gets wet, make sure to get it off the car so both can dry. Otherwise, a wet cover on a car is simply an accelerant for the blisters you see here.

« Previous Page