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Bugeye Sprite front rocker panel repair

November 24, 2018 by bugeyeguy

One of the chronic Bugeye rust areas is the forward portion of the rocker panel. It would seem that road contaminates thrown off the front wheel batter this part of the car, and accelerate corrosion. The passenger side seems to take the brunt of it because of the crown of the road, which, of course, causes water and salt to gather on the curb side where the right front tire can throw it up.

The car pictured here is one we are preparing for a repaint. It features this exact kind of rust-through on the passenger side, and it is fortunately contained on just the outer skin of the rocker. You can see the box of the passenger footwell (inner sill) is still intact. You can also see the bondo on the back side of the piece we cut away, evidence of a former repair.

Kenny does an artful job cutting away the outer skin, and grafting the front portion onto the balance of the rocker. The result is impressive, and now strong and sealed for many years to come.

Filed Under: Bugeye Restoration

Before gas power, before electric power, there was human power.

November 24, 2018 by bugeyeguy

Filed Under: Life with Bugeye

64K mile 1971 Volvo 1800E for sale, overdrive!

November 21, 2018 by bugeyeguy

I love this car, and I am excited to own it again! I sold it last summer to Steve in Arizona so when he offered it to me recently, I jumped at the chance to own it a second time. He has made a number of significant improvements, so the car is dramatically improved!

New dash!

This Volvo 1800E #184363034961 has just 64,510 miles (500 more than when I saw it last in 2017) and it drives wonderfully, with a four speed transmission, aftermarket sunroof and factory electric overdrive. Steve had the sunroof replaced with a newer flush mount model that looks much better than the previous version. And all new weather seals are a great benefit of this upgrade. I drove the car today and with an overcast sky, the cockpit is nicely illuminated with the tinted glass roof. With the small windows fit by the factory, the sunroof is a welcome feature, and makes the passenger compartment seem more expansive.

It has the original engine and fuel injection, and starts and runs beautifully. It was driven sporadically by the prior owner who had the car since about 2000, when receipts place mileage at about 60,000. Thus, the car has traveled just 4000 miles in the last 17 years. All service records are included since that time and the car was maintained with no expense spared to keep the car in excellent mechanical shape. Note the recent new front brake calipers and brake lines.

Steve has also put on new tires and completely redone the interior, with new leather seats, carpets and dash cover. New leather door panels too, with the original Volvo insignia sewn in to upgrade those new panels. He’s also put in a new USB compatible stereo. New battery too. He also replaced the seat belts, which were getting faded. The car is now at it’s best and ready for a new home. What a delight to get sit in the car now with new foam in the seats and plush carpet all-around. The new interior transformed a nice car into a great one.

The car was repainted dark green over the original code 104 turquoise. The paint is very good and shines beautifully. Chrome and trim is also in very nice condition. The engine bay is very clean and the underside is nice and solid. Overdrive works nicely. This car is a lot of fun to drive.

This car presents beautifully!

I can’t think of many classic cars this unique, this head-turning, (with overdrive and fuel injection) for this price!

Call or email if you would like to make this cool car your own!

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Filed Under: OTHER CLASSICS FOR SALE

Classic Mini! 1961 Classic Austin Mini Estate Countryman (Woody) For Sale

November 21, 2018 by bugeyeguy

Further price reduction! Now $13,495!

This is a really fun car for not a lot of dough. Check out the new pictures and video so you can see for yourself. I can’t think of any other iconic classic car you can get for this kind of money… woodies usually mean bigger bucks, and early Minis also command a premium. This car has a lot to like, especially for this price!

A ’64 Mini Cooper was the car I owned just before I bought my first Bugeye way back in the 70s, so I have a particular affection for early cars like like the Mini you see here. This one is a head-turner, and a joy to drive.

In September of last year, we performed a major service to this car and made it into a wonderful driver. We replaced shocks, ball joints, wheel cylinders, drums and shoes and a host of smaller issues, all with the eye to make the car easy to use and ready to go for the former owner, who used the car sporadically and recently decided to simply sell it to us.

The car, AAW7L68346, is fit with a 998 cc engine with a four synchro gearbox. 9571 miles are indicated so perhaps this is when the engine and transmission were installed, although I can’t verify this or what the actual mileage might be. The engine and gearbox are presumed to be from a later classic Mini. The car runs great and shifts smoothly.

Drum brakes are fit all around and they work wonderfully, the car stops straight and true. Nice 165/70×10 Yokahama tires are fit to ten inch minilights for a great performance ride. The underside is good and the rear subframe solid (see photo album). Ready to go!

You can now jump in this car and drive anywhere. It starts up easily courtesy of a premium Interstate battery.

If you like these woody wagons, this one will provide exceptional fun! Call if you would like to take this one home!

This one is registered as a 1961 Mini and it has early door hinges, latches and windows, but a more modern interior and dashboard, complete with comfortable headrest equipped seats and a nice wooden dashboard. Looking for the ultimate beach cruiser? Rack up your surfboard on top!

PS: What is the difference between a Traveller and a Countryman?

Answer: Very simply a Morris Mini estate is a Traveller and an Austin Mini estate is a Countryman. Some people wrongly think that one model had the wood and the other didn’t, but both the Morris Mini Traveller and the Austin Mini Countryman were available both as a Woody and as an all steel version.

PPS: Ever driven a RHD English car? It’s a hoot! My wife regularly drives our RHD Morris Traveler, no problem! If you are unfamiliar you’ll find it takes about 5 minutes to get used to it, and the rest is pure fun. RHD amplifies the attention one gets with a classic car. Totally legal and easy to register anywhere in USA (or elsewhere, we’ll help).

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Filed Under: OTHER CLASSICS FOR SALE

1959 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite for sale, 1275, disk brakes, Weber sidedraft, lots of goodies!

November 16, 2018 by bugeyeguy

SOLD to Cory in Texas! Congratulations and thank you!!!

This is a really nice 1959 Bugeye Sprite we call “Belle.” AN5L 12297 is reportedly a lifetime California car with a wonderfully solid underside and no signs of any body rust. The car comes with receipts back to 1984, all from Northern California. 50,471 shows on the odometer. One sees many bright red Bugeyes… this car is the correct “cherry red” color used by the factory.

The car has been upgraded with many of the popular performance upgrades to make this car into a wonderful fast driver. If you are a purist and prefer all-stock, and you just want to noodle around town, you don’t need these upgrades. But this package of improvements is widely accepted as very useful for bringing out the best in a Bugeye. If you want more power and better handling, which for many collectors equates to more fun, then this is a car worth serious consideration.

She has a rebuilt 1275cc engine and upgraded 40 DCOE Weber side draft carburetor and header. The Weber is set-up right and the car performs quite well! Very quick! The carb and header add additional horsepower to the strong 1275 engine (which came from a later Sprite or Midget, before it was rebuilt). Incidentally, the original 948 and later 1275 engine have exactly the same footprint, which is why this is such a popular conversion.

Wheels are nearly new, JB from England, shod with wider 175 series tires with very little wear. Rubber is fresh, from 2015.

The transmission is a rebuilt ribcase unit with no issues, it still works like it’s newly rebuilt. The differential was rebuilt and upgraded for highway cruising, with a 3.9 ratio. If you are unfamiliar, the original differential had a 4:22 ratio.

Front brakes were upgraded to discs, and the electrics were converted to negative ground with an alternator installed for higher output. The alternators are also more durable than the original generator, with better bearings. A new electronic distributor was added with electronic ignition, again for more reliabilty. The tachometer was rebuilt to function as an electronic unit which means the sometimes problematic cable drive system is eliminated. It’s more reliable than the original mechanical version.

Other great features include an electric fuel pump, aluminum radiator with nice upgraded expansion tank, walnut burl wood dashboard and steering wheel, 3-point seat belts/shoulder harnesses, new wiring harness, rebuilt seats with new foam and upholstery, new rear leaf springs, new Halogen headlights, new LOUD Hella horns, brass fuel sender float, custom locking choke control with original knob and an original tool kit.

The top and tonneau are nice, both older Amco models, but still with plenty of life. Side curtains are also of similar vintage and quite usable. A front sway bar was added, for even better handling.

The underside is very solid! The paint shines beautifully and the interior looks like new. It’s a clean Bugeye.

The exhaust system includes a small resonator and muffler perpendicular to the car. It works great, and sound nice. It’s also quite recent so there is no need to make any changes. However, if the new owner desires, we can put in a performance muffler with no resonator for a sportier exhaust note and perhaps less back pressure.

This car would also benefit from a five-speed conversion, for even more wonderful highway cruising. It is quite common for us build-out Bugeyes to the specifications of the new owner, so if you want a five-speed Bugeye, we can convert this one for you. Since it already has so many nice upgrades, it is a perfect candidate for this upgrade.

There is just one thing missing, did you notice? We took off the nice wipers to detail the car, and they are still sitting on the bench. Not to worry, I’ll put them on in the morning.

This is a good one, with great handling and performance, and overall, great fun, she’s a fast driver that will make you smile. We’d love to send “Belle” your way! Call or email if you are interested!

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Filed Under: SOLD BUGEYES

The next chilling chapter of the electric Bugeye Sprite

November 16, 2018 by bugeyeguy

This was a busy week, with a full house of Bugeyes needing various repairs and restoration work. Our electric project is still a priority, and we made time to add a new radiator to our prototype electric car. This one is tiny, all it has to do is cool the controller, the brain that manages the batteries and motor.

Juice comes in, juice goes out! The AC Bugeye Electric motor controller, roughed-in place, with more wiring to still complete.

I know that the Bugeye Sprite is all about simplicity, and an electronic brain is exactly the antithesis of what the Bugeye is all about. But until further notice, I am hooked on the smooth and maintenance free/turn-key operation of an electric Bugeye. In addition, of the 19 Bugeyes in our building at the moment, the electric is by far the fastest of the bunch. So if we need to add a little cooling to keep the brains of the operation happy, I am more than willing to comply.

I thought you might find this story interesting, as it represents one more way in which we had to engineer a solution to a British car challenge. It turns out that the controller is smart enough to de-rate the power it will transmit to the motor if it gets too hot. You can still limp home, but you don’t get the full power that makes this vehicle so addictive. We set out to fix the problem once and for all so we added a liquid cooled chill plate under the controller.

The silver plate you see in the photo above sandwiches underneath the controller box. You can see the recesses that will carry the antifreeze under the aluminum case that houses the controller. The square O ring around the perimeter keeps the antifreeze in place. Two half inch hoses and a small pump allow the antifreeze to circulate to a small heat exchanger we fit alongside the batteries.

Now, the controller will stay much cooler, which will allow us to send more power to the rear wheels. And thus our car is almost ready for range testing. If the weather improves, we will be out driving the car throughout the balance of the month.