Testimonials

BUGEYEGUYS Reviews

If you would like to add a Google review, please click here!

If you do not have a Google account, click 'sign in'
Click 'create account' on the bottom left
Choose 'For my personal use'
Choose 'use my current email address instead'

View our Google Reviews as well!

151 broken things and upgrades (video)

April 8, 2022 by bugeyeguy

Old cars are getting older, just like (most) of us folks who love them. As a result, that shiny classic you spy online may look great, but in reality there is always more to the story.

This car looked good enough for our client to “click the mouse” and buy it. He was also wise enough to have it make a pit stop at our building on the way home to Minnesota. We found about 151 issues to repair and improve.

Now, that we’re done, he’s got something!

Check out the tour of the improvements in the video below:

[Read more…]

The world’s most reliable (and fun) Bugeye Sprite

May 17, 2019 by bugeyeguy

Above is Jeff in his blue Bugeye “Peggy,”, a car we prepared with a supercharger, rebuilt 1275 engine and five-speed transmission. We also performed about 100 additional improvements, to make the car as reliable as possible.

This is Jeff’s car, before it departed our shop, with supercharger installed.

Much to our delight, Jeff took the Amtrak train to our shop, jumped into the fully serviced car and drove it three hours to Boston, then got up the next morning and drove 145 miles to Lime Rock Park where he ran about 20 hot laps on Saturday in a driver school, drove to the hotel (about 40 miles roundtrip), back to the racetrack for another 20 laps of racing, then another 145 miles home to Boston.

Do you think the average Bugeye sold online or on an auction site can survive this sort of intense mixed use driving?

I doubt it.

After 246 Bugeyes through our building, we know what to look for, and what to change proactively to keep your British sports car on the road. Thanks, Jeff, for demonstrating that our processes work. Thanks for the drivable (and racing) testimonial!

If you’d like a supercharged Bugeye of your own, we have “Carmine” available, a car that would be equally at home on the track or at the golf course. You can see Carmine by clicking here…

Photo: Richard Campbell

Happiness is a new Bugeye Sprite

March 22, 2019 by bugeyeguy

This is David from Michigan, and he is very happy.

This is his first test drive in “Mellow,” his new Bugeye Sprite. We sold it to him and then upgraded it to his specifications. When he flew-in from Michigan this week to take it for a drive, I watched him beam from my passenger seat perch and thus I was prompted to take the photo below.

Dave’s a former 356 owner, and in the video below, he makes a good point about how those Porsches (and many other collectibles) have become too expensive to enjoy.

As with most of our cars, there was a build out process… a few cracked rubber trim gaskets changed, a front sway bar added, upgraded wheel bearings, upgraded fuel pump, new three point retractable seat belts and lots more. The end result is a fully-sorted car, ready to be used and enjoyed.

Our goal is to make the most drivable and user-friendly British sportscar, and when we see unbridled joy in the faces of our customers (as we did with David), we know we are fulfilling our mission.

Thank you David, and many thanks to the 242 other people who have taken one of our vehicles home (and we have another great yellow Bugeye in stock, in case you are thinking you might want to dive-in).

Our National Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite Restoration Center

August 4, 2018 by bugeyeguy

I never dreamt that a Bugeye purchase in my teenage years would one day lead to 230 Bugeyes sold. And similarly, I never would have imagined that our network of enclosed auto carriers would allow us move cars nationwide with ease, so that we could build what has become a national restoration center here in Connecticut. In addition to the 230 sold, we have now restored about 30 additional Bugeyes from addresses as far away as California.

If you have a car that is begging for a five speed transmission upgrade or supercharger, or just needs to be sorted-out, please give a call so we can help. Steve did, and as evidenced by his nice note below, he has been smiling ever since. We’ll be delighted to pick up your car, bring it here for therapy, and send it home when it’s done.

Hi David,

I have to admit that the thought you presented about a year ago to ship my newly acquired 1959 Bugeye dream (since I was 15 years old) back to Connecticut from Colorado, initially sounded like some far-fetched idea. I had just discovered this mid-west barn find in Eastern Colorado. Now that I’ve had the time to settle into ownership of this classic little piece of British automotive history, I am SO glad that I did agree to allow you and your team to bring the car back to a standard that is now without worry. When I want it to start, it starts. When I want to go somewhere, it takes me there. And most importantly, it NEVER has left me sit out there waiting for a tow truck. All thanks to the specialized and professional job you did at Bugeyeguy. Thanks David. I know you have a great team behind you, and I want you to please pass on my thanks and gratitude for their un-compromising quality of work that they performed. And it was a significant amount of work done to bring this car back to a reliable driving, head-turning and SAFER standard. The car performs so well, that if I didn’t know it was from 1959, I’d almost say we have a nearly new car here instead of one which will turn 60 next year, and only slightly younger than me. Many thanks again to you and the Bugeyeguy team. You and your team have earned my respect and my loyal business for life.

I’m living the dream.

Best regards,

Steve in the Rockies

And maybe do this with your Bugeye too!

June 1, 2018 by bugeyeguy

Matthew has been a great customer. Not only did he buy one of our cars (Marco), he also had us modify it for speed. We attached a five speed transmission to his 1275 engine and an aluminum radiator so he could do battle in the DC area with his Sprite. We powder coated his new black rims and set up his 3.9 diff so that he could cruise at high speed per his request. His car serves as an excellent test bed for our product and we were gratified to get the following message from him:

I am driving her almost every day usually with a typical speed around 80 mph. According to my GPS speedometer, top speed so far has been 103 mph (not sure if that is accurate or not, although I have pushed her a few times on a straightaway at the local track) and my best 0 to 60 is 14 seconds….although I really don’t accelerating too aggressively. Not bad for a 60 year old car…you and your mechanics certainly do a good job on these cars!!!

Thanks,
Matthew

He’s using our new GPS speedometer, which gives GPS based readings so it sure better be accurate! It also has a 0-60 recorder, which is how Matthew is getting the data above. The original 0-60 time for a 948CC Bugeye was around 23 seconds! You can get yours by clicking here.

Our new tachometers just arrived as well (pictured below). You can find these in our catalog by clicking here…

Matthew is also a pilot who loves vintage aircraft. Here’s his Bugeye parked with his two tail draggers!

Bugeye Sprite Piper Cub eclipse

September 1, 2017 by bugeyeguy

Roger has nice toys. There is perhaps no better vehicle to drive to visit your Piper Cub than a Bugeye like “Carmine,” the black supercharged Bugeye he purchased from us a while back, which we sent to his home in Oregon. He was able to enjoy a recent morning viewing his Cub and his Bugeye and also a total solar eclipse, all at the same time, and he sends this dispatch from his hanger in Oregon, where he is wearing his Bugeyeguy hat:

“Hi, David; Well, I thought I would check in with a quick Carmine report. I guess my comment would be ‘Wow, I really shouldn’t be allowed to have this much fun with a car!’ You can see it tucked away in my shop (and quite dirty, but well used and enjoyed). It’s due for a wash job. No mechanical issues thus far, but, as they say, death and taxes… I’m still coming to terms with the English terminology (bonnet, boot, etc.) but I’ll struggle through. Thanks for an almost new 57 year-old car. Regards, Roger.”

Our newest listing, the Bugeye called “Kelly,” would be another excellent car to supercharge just like Carmine. Call if you are interested!