Bugeye Restoration

Barry’s (dad’s) Bugeye begins its journey!

October 2, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Let’s nerd-out on a Bugeye Sprite restoration right from the start. This is Barry’s Bugeye. It’s been sitting in a field for a very long time; the restoration was started by his father, and our job is to finish it. This is a car with tremendous sentimental value, and Barry has hired us to finish his tribute to his dad so the legacy can live on for future generations.

The car will need at least a year to be usable, and the first step to achieving this is a massive amount of fabrication and welding to build the foundation for bodywork and paint. Only then will assembly begin.

Check out the video below, in which I describe a few of the central foundational issues that we need to address first and foremost. Too often we see restorations where critical details have not been addressed at this stage, and you end up paying the price because once everything’s painted, it’s way too late to correct some of the alignment issues that this car now needs addressed.

Like everything in the restoration world, preparation makes a world of difference. I would argue that this stage of the restoration is the most important of any piece of the process that lies ahead. It may not seem very glamorous, but unless we fix all of these minor details, well, we won’t end up with a car that’s worthy of the massive amount of energy and work that’s about to begin.

If you want your car restored (or want anything else fixed on your classic vehicle), please get in touch. We’re happy to go to work for you with passion and integrity!

Torn Rubbers

October 2, 2026 by bugeyeguy

It’s time for another reminder about the age of your tires! Seven to ten years is pretty much the norm for maximum tire lifespan. How old are yours?

Most of us don’t use our car is enough to wear out the tires, so they age-out. The cracks prove it… fine cracks are visible on this tire tread and you have to ask yourself if you want that vulnerability driving down the road in these little classic cars. Fortunately, 13 inch tires that we stock are pretty reasonably priced so it’s not too painful to change them! These tires are from 2011. Make sure you check your classic car tires accordingly!

Click the photos below to purchase new tires for your car!

*155/80R13 tires, great tires at a great price!*

*Michelin XAS 165/80R13 tires, superior vintage look and feel!*

Pissy carbs that will ruin your day

September 25, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Sure, HS2 carbs perform better, but another nice thing about them is that they tend to leak less than their older, smaller counterparts. The original H1 carburetors employed on Bugeyes have a few more rubber parts and junctions than the later HS2s have, and can leak fuel when those rubber parts perish. Ethanol doesn’t help, and might actually accelerate leak frequency. The rubber parts we sell for these carbs are made of ethanol resistant Viton. So if you have never changed your top hat gaskets, now might be the time. These gaskets are positioned where the float bowl is connected to the carburetor, shown in the video below.

The carbs in the video shown here were hemorrhaging fuel through not only the top hat, but also through the main jet, meaning this set will need jet gaskets and washers, as well. Our H1 rebuild kit has everything you need to ensure your carburetors are potty trained! Click the photo below to order!

*Order your H1 carburetor rebuild kit today by clicking here!*

Masterful diagnostics

August 28, 2026 by bugeyeguy

Old English car issues are sometimes very easy to diagnose. When stuff leaks, there is a problem, except, of course, when it’s leaking oil, which is inevitable, and which is only really a problem when it floods your driveway or stains the tops of your shoes.

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Ups and Downs

August 28, 2026 by bugeyeguy

King pins and swivel axles are a constant focus here, because we want tightness, and this is a common source of loose. We talk a lot about bad bushings, and front end play, and lubing the bushings, but the up/ down adjustment is commonly neglected, and when that happens, you get the play you can see in the video below

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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.

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