The stripping begins! Here is Gumby getting ready for new paint, on the journey to our next supercar. The old lacquer paint is coming off, and the primer is going on in sections for more sanding, and then another coat of primer, and more sanding, and thus a new Gumby will emerge. I am contemplating Aston Martin green this time around, with black wheels. Our goal is to have it ready for the Lime Rock Concours this labor day. There’s a lot to do!
#47 is a wonderful storied car! It is a well modified track car which we modified back into a street car which has now taken up residence in New York City of all places. So here is the one year “life in the city” report… the car has done quite well, only suffering one dent on the rear parking light area. The car has been exclusively stored in city parking garages and one dent per year after life in NYC is actually pretty good.
The owner sent the car back to us for a new clutch and five speed conversion, which is a wonderful improvement over the former racing gearbox which was also jumping out of third gear. Now we have a superb former racer, ready to head back to the wilds of Manhattan!
We have done many five speed Bugeye conversions. When the cars are well sorted, the overdrive gearbox makes a Bugeye much more user friendly, and opens up a lot more high speed adventures. The five speed boxes are also fully synchronized, which makes shifting easier. We have the kits available for 948, 1098 and 1275 engines.
Installation is easy if you have a lift and intermediate mechanical skills. Some modification is required to the tunnel in order to fit the shift lever. Some modifications are required to the crossmember to accommodate the new five speed transmission and speedo cable. We can pick up your car and make this modification and install the transmission for you, and we can also provide templates and tech support to make the install easier if you choose to do this yourself. A complete new clutch and rebuilt gearbox is included with each kit.
We have installed many Datsun and Ford kits like this one and I prefer the Ford kit because it’s a bit easier to fit into the car, even though some modifications to the frame are required. We also find the Ford gearboxes to be more stout and Datsun gear box parts are getting harder to find. So we prefer the Ford set up to Datsun. We have the kits in stock at a lower price than what you will find elsewhere! Feel free to call if you want to talk about five speeds.
Idle speed on an A series engine is often variable. This is partly due to the change in viscosity of the engine oil as it heats up. Your engine will idle at a lower speed when the engine is cold and the oil is thicker. Idle speed will also change when you hold down the clutch. In fact, it’s always a good idea not to sit idling with your foot on the clutch because you add stress to the thowout bearing. So idle in neutral with your foot off the clutch if possible… but regardless, it’s important all Bugeye owners know how to adjust their own idle if fine tuning is required. It’s easy to do.
Original H1 carbs have idle screws as indicated below. Later HS2 carbs have hex shaped screws as shown. Whichever type you have, it’s important to turn each screw the same amount so you don’t throw-off the synchronization of your carbs.
Look for roughly 1000 RPMs at idle. But it’s personal preference as far as what setting you like, and not all Sprite tachs are accurate. Have fun!
Finally! Our new Bugeye specific fender cover is ready. For years we have been using a wide range of traditional fender covers and pads to protect the uniquely shaped Bugeye inner fenders, and they all fall short because they don’t fit. Now we have developed a bugeye-specific design to protect the paint job on your car. It fits great!
These are vinyl covers with a freece backing which will allow you to place your spanner on the inner fender without fear of scratches. Our fender covers are not handed, so you can use one on either side, or get a pair for larger projects. A nice bugeyeguy embroidered patch helps dress-up your engine bay!
They are keyed on the bonnet support blocks which are stock on all Bugeyes. If yours are missing, we have those available for sale too.
Rose is now sold, and what a fantastic car. It’s nearly ready for a national concours because there are a lot of original parts present and it’s such a clean car with an exceptional paint job. Many buyers of such an immaculate stock 948 car would trailer it, or use it sparingly, with a primary objective of winning shows.
This car’s new owner, however, is looking to use the car more regularly than most, and while he isn’t planning a cross-country trip, he does routinely jump on a highway for a 20 or 30 minute stretch, so his particular Bugeye needs a few reliability upgrades to minimize stress and minimize leaks and any other issues that might get in the way of an otherwise enjoyable day.
In the video below, I show the select upgrades we applied to this car, designed to preserve the integrity of this original example, and to add what is needed to bring reliability a bit closer to modern standards. We’ll have all these upgrades for sale on our site shortly.
Willis arrived in Idaho this week, after we loaded the car into the enclosed trailer above near our shop a week prior. Here’s Willis with his new Minilight wheels and new owner Lynn enjoying her new ride in the mountains near Sun Valley Idaho on highway 75 on the way to Stanley in the Sawtooth Mountains. The snowpack is still deep but fortunately the roads are dry.
Congratulations Lynn! It’s nice to see a great Rocky Mountain Bugeye Sprite video!
