This is Ray’s Bugeye, which he has owned since 1970. We picked up “Dudley” (named in upon acquisition after Dudley Do-Right in Rocky and Bullwinkle) last week in Minnesota in an enclosed trailer.

Dudley needs lots of restoration work. All the posts this week feature maintenance required to get this car ready for the trip home. When we are done, Ray will drive the car to Vermont to visit his daughter, and then he will drive it all the way back to Minnesota (hopefully with her).

This is a “reality TV show moment” for us, as we plan our assault to bring “Dudley” back up to speed while keeping to a reasonable budget. The car has to be reliable and highway capable for the big adventure to come. But first, all the systems need restoration. Below you will find a few posts about different issues we are sorting-out to bring Dudley back to his former glory!

Lastly, we have Mr Olson’s Bugeye, once a racer, soon to be a reliable family cruiser.

In the first picture, you can see how the outboard inner fender was cut-away for fat racing tires. But the rigidity is compromised, and since the car will be painted shortly, we didn’t want the inner fenders to flex and crack the new paintwork. Thus, we welded the outer face back onto the car to give much needed support. This car will run new radials that will clear this sheet metal with ample room to spare.

Plug welds, clamps and time bring us back to a stock configuration and a Bugeye further restored!

If you need new inner fenders (or rocker panels) for your Bugeye, you can find them by clicking the photos below, or click here for our full catalog!

Check out this post from 2016 about “Atlanta”, a Bugeye we sent to Michigan with some tasty trailer co-inhabitants!

Here’s Atlanta loading up for the trip to Detroit area and a new home. Congratulations Todd and Donna!

When I went to load up this car for the trip West, these Cucumbers were on the street next to the truck. “Extras,” said the driver, “help yourself.”

And so it occurred to me that every Bugeye we ship should come with a free cucumber, but it gets pretty hot in those enclosed trailers so I quickly abandoned the idea, since we already have enough moldy food in the shop refrigerator.

On a more serious note, Todd reports that the Michigan registry initially gave him some heat about needing a bumper on the front of the car before they would title it, which was particularly frustrating since he had asked us to remove the bumper prior to shipment… he prefers the look without.

We have experience with registration of old cars in many states and have never heard this before, particularly with a car of this vintage. Many of the cars we ship are without a front bumper, the removal of which is a requirement to fit a flip-forward nose (you can buy the kit to do so here). Bumpers were also optional on UK delivered Frogeyes, although it is believed that all US-bound cars came with front bumpers installed. More importantly, the front Bugeye bumper, if fit, is so low, it would be insane for anyone to require it, as it does almost nothing unless you hit the sheetrock in the front of your garage. The world, I am afraid, is just plain taller.

I offered to get on the phone with the local officials, but Todd was successful convincing the powers that be that his bumper-less Bug was worthy of his soon to be delivered personalized frog plates.

This is a Bugeye engine bay in need of completion (before). In the second picture, you can see what we did to bring this great car back to life.

The O’days have loved this car for generations, and it’s time to get her back to “active” status after a lengthy hibernation. Now, she runs and drives beautifully!

[Read more…] about Transformation abounds