Modified Bugeyes

One of the ten best Bugeyes in the world, for sale!

August 10, 2025 by bugeyeguy

Now SOLD to Pat in Utah! Congratulations for taking home our Bugeye #444!

I’ve handled hundreds of Bugeyes, and Cole (AN5L 30876) was one that I kept for myself for the past 13 years. That says it all… the car is upgraded in every way but still looks completely stock. It’s fast, handles great, and looks right! Cole is upgraded just right without ruining the car, and fully sorted… that’s a strong testimonial coming from me. If I didn’t feel this was a special car, I would have sold it 13 years ago. But now, the car is spending too much time sitting and it’s time to send the car to a new home!

Call if interested! If you want us to build you a car like this from scratch, it would cost a whole lot more!

That’s me having an awesome drive in Cole! The video from this drive is posted below, as is the story of this amazing Bugeye!

Check out the driving video below!

And check out the new pictures in the gallery!

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Bugeye Rescue

July 11, 2025 by bugeyeguy

People either love or hate EV conversions. But regardless of which side of the fence you live on, I made this post out of sheer love for the fact that we were able to rescue another Bugeye. This one was bound for the crusher before Bruce in Iowa rescued it. Given its challenges, he decided an electric conversion would be just what it needed for its next chapter. So we picked up the car in Iowa, brought it to our shop in Connecticut, and welded its spine back together. Then we put in a new transmission tunnel and loaded up all the high-tech electronic bits to make it into a torquey little electric rocket. Check out the details in the below video:

It’s really fun to drive. And fast!

This is our fifth electric Sprite. We are getting better and better at building these and sorting out their unique challenges. This one worked beautifully right out out of the box on its maiden voyage, and we will ship it home to Iowa soon. We only need to cycle the batteries a few times and complete some charging cycles and this one will be ready for its new life to begin. Range for these, BTW, is about 125 miles, which seems plenty for normal Bugeye use (remember, a gas-powered Bugeye with its seven gallon fuel tank has a roughly 175 mile range).

I am beaming today for one additional reason… we are tasked each week with making classic cars as reliable and enjoyable as possible. Seven of us Bugeye people come to work each day to put these cars in people’s driveways and to give our customers a way to unwind. Each Bugeye that leaves our building brings joy to their owner, and in turn to the hundreds of people who see these smiling cars on the road. We are proud to play a part in that chain of happiness; this is a happy car that invites people to smile.

*Bruce’s EV Bugeye checking itself in the mirror… “do these LED headlights make my eyes look big?”*

We are proud to get another smile generator out into the world. Electric or gas, barnfind or concours, our job is to build useable machines that transport their owners reliably while eliciting joy. Thank you to all our customers for the opportunity! And congratulations, Bruce! This car will go great with your (gas-powered) Big Healey!

Bad Boy Bugeyes

July 11, 2025 by bugeyeguy

We continue to press forward on the assembly of Larry’s dream Bugeye! So far this week, the car has gone from a bare shell to having the entire front and rear suspension fitted, and a large amount of the braking system, as well! Larry’s car now as tube shocks front and rear and will also have four-wheel disc brakes when we are finished.

It’s great to be able to free ourselves from the grip of the old lever shocks thanks to our front and rear tube shock conversion kits. While a well-refurbished set of lever shocks work perfectly fine (we sell premium-quality rebuilt front and rear lever shocks; the fronts are available here and the rears are available here), we have been finding more and more that don’t last as long as they should before they start to leak.

*Our front tube shock conversion as installed on Larry’s Sprite! No more leaky lever shocks!*

We have also recently been encountering a lot of sets with mismatched stiffnesses, meaning one lever for one side is softer than the lever for the opposite side. This creates a situation where the car rides unevenly.

*Our Bugeyeguys exclusive rear tube shock conversion requires NO modifications to the body or rear axle! Bolt in and go! The shocks also come in a handsome shade of British racing green!*

One of the many benefits of our tube shock conversion kits is the consistency that tube shocks offer. Every cycle of the shock will feel the same, every time, on both sides. As the tube shocks get older and begin to weaken, you can dial up the adjustable stiffness setting and regain the superior driving feel that our tube shocks provide!

*Beginning to look more and more like a Bugeye! Front suspension and brakes are completely assembled, steering system is installed, and new hydraulics are plumbed!*

We will continue to provide updates on Larry’s Sprite as we continue to assemble it and make it into a roller. Rear disc brakes are next!

If you would like to upgrade to tube shocks and disc brakes on your Bugeye, click the links below to learn more and to order your kits today! Or click here for our full catalog!

*Front tube shock conversion kit (All Bugeyes/Spridgets)*

*Rear tube shock conversion kit, quarter-elliptical rear suspensions (Bugeye/Mark II Sprite, MArk I Midget)*

*Front disc brake conversion kit (All Bugeyes/Spridgets)*

*Rear disc brake conversion kit for cars with quarter-elliptical rear springs (Bugeye/MarkII Sprite, Mark I Midget)*

What’s your Bugeye’s personality?

April 25, 2025 by bugeyeguy

Modifying a Bugeye is easy. Modifying it properly? That’s another story entirely. How far do you go? Where do you start? How much of the original DNA do you want in your build?

We’ve modified hundreds of Bugeyes and we’re always trying to perfect the package. Goldie hits the mark in many ways. The car is aesthetically out of bounds with a pearlescent gold finish-this type of paint job has a bit of a limited appeal. That’s said, it’s quite striking with powder coated wheels, and black stripes. Plus, it’s highly visible on the road, which is not a bad thing. And the interior is stunning. But what’s really special about Goldie is the drivetrain.

This is a super charged 1275 Engine with 8 pounds of boost and an upgraded lightened flywheel and clutch to handle the extra power. 0 to 60 time is a about 10 seconds (you can see me demonstrate this in the video below). 10 seconds is not impressive by modern standards but when you take a Bugeye with a stock 0-60 in roughly 21.5 down to 10 seconds, it’s just about perfect. And it all works seamlessly; idle is smooth, no stumbling, backfires or weak spots.

We have an Audi R8 owned by a tuner in our neighborhood. It’s a fantastic car but he has clearly over-modified it. It pops and snorts and on decelerations sounds like it is about to explode. Our goal is for Sprite modifications to be seamless, to run just as smoothly as our 948 cars with a whole lot of performance added and no downside.

*10.44 second 0-60 time for Goldie, as measured by our exclusive GPS Bugeye speedometer, which you can purchase for your car by clicking here.*

Of course our electric car will do it an eight and that’s really cool too… but 10 is just fine and the noise is spectacular. See if you agree after watching the video above.

Goldie is not for sale. She’s heading to a new home in New York where she’ll live with E3, the blue electric Bugeye, and a lot of other cool cars in a stunning collection.

If you’re looking for a car as special as Goldie is, look no further than Sage, another superb Super Sprite! Click the photo below to learn more about Sage.

*Sage, in many ways, is a similar car to Goldie, built with many similar upgrades in mind. If you’d like to learn more about Sage, click the photo above!*

If you’re interested in those sounds and the overall experience, you can find all the parts to make this happen in our catalog; click the photos below for some ideas, or you can find our full catalog here. Additionally, you can give us a call and we’ll pick up your car and make it just like Goldie, with or without the custom paint job!

*Spridget supercharger kit (1275 engines ONLY)*

*Aluminum radiator (downflow type, 948-1275 engines)*

*Alternator conversion kit (Bugeye thru 1971)*

Bugeye Driving lights

April 4, 2025 by bugeyeguy

If you’re anything like us, you’re always looking for fun ways to dress up your Bugeye and make it stand out from others like it. In the video below, we discuss a popular add-on for Bugeye owners who wish to add a little bit of vintage racing flair to their bonnet: Sebring-style driving lights.

These driving lights are designed to mount to your Bugeye’s bonnet in the recesses outboard of the grill. You need to remove the front bumper if you haven’t already, the lights look best without a bumper. (We can also help you mount them on the bumper if you want to keep your bumper instead.)

You can wire these up in a number of different ways to suit your taste: on Gumby, pictured here, they are wired in tandem with the high beam headlight wiring to create a neat quad-headlight sort of look. Another popular way to wire them is to wire them to their own separate switch. We do this, as well, and hide the switch under the dash, so it doesn’t require butchering your dash to add one. Your choice!

*Our reproduction Sebring-style driving lights are an excellent accessory to add to your Bugeye! Click the photo above to order!*

Click on the photo above to order a set of Sebring-style driving lights today! You can also click here for our complete catalog!

Turn-key, ultimate five-speed 1959 Bugeye for sale!

March 28, 2025 by bugeyeguy

Now SOLD to Bob in Ohio! #449 becoming another in the long line of Sprites turning the “Buckeye State” into the “BUGEYE State”!

We’ve sold more than 400 Bugeyes, and we know how to upgrade the cars without spoiling the DNA. This car is no exception, and if you are looking for the ultimate interpretation of a Bugeye, give this one serious look. This Bugeye showcases what we have learned from the 400 cars that came before it… here is a sorted and exceptional, show-winning, modified Bugeye that you can drive anywhere!

We set out to create the ultimate Bugeye with this one, and “Jesse” is the result. Everything on this car is the best of the best. We took Jesse’s 1275 and equipped it with a supercharger and new carb, exhaust header, rear disk brakes, new chrome wire wheels, new custom leather seats and dashboard, new powder coated windshield frame and new glass, uprated Dunlop tires, and more! Every component of this car was upgraded and improved. If you are looking for the most hassle-free and upgraded Bugeye in the fleet, Jesse is the car for you!

If you grew-up with a less than perfect Bugeye (when you had no money but lots of time) and now you have (no time and) a few extra dollars to invest in the ultimate nostalgia machine, call us to discuss this one-of-a kind dream machine!

We’ve been on a mission to make Jesse an immaculate show-stopping machine!

Jesse is painted Nevada Beige, a great original color seldom seen on Bugeyes, which we have coupled with brand new custom red leather seats with color-matched piping, a matching leather-clad dashboard and dash bar with the same piping, and even a custom red leather key chain. We also fitted a custom red hardura floor covering with contrasting stitching and a custom beige wool heel pad. This makes for a spectacular car that turns heads everywhere it goes. The paint shines beautifully.

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