But Ma, it followed me home

[otto_kretschmer]

I should stay off Craigslist but I didn't find this Sprite on Craigslist. I got it from a friend of a friend.

Oh boy I did it again. It should work out. These cars are not in the 911 price as far as parts and cars go. I got an engine rebuild coming up. These engines have cast iron blocks and heads so I should be able to do it myself for a tiny fraction of what a flat six would cost.

I'll post pics when I can but I'm building some infrastructure first so I will have a place to work on this shoebox.

The bugeyes just make people smile. I don't think there is a car out there that has more charm.

[RNajarian]

YOU are going to have to take care of it. Do the maintenance and take it out for drives.

Congrats! Look forward to following your progress

[Joe Bob]

850 cc?

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I'm sensing the car will be green and have a lot of cool fabrication 'just for the sake of it' going on!

[flatbutt]

That looks like fun. Maybe a nice champagne colored coat?

[otto_kretschmer]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

850 cc?

950

thats an entire 43 hp under the bonnet

actually I got two cars,

there is a parts car still in California that I have to go get

[otto_kretschmer]

I don't know what color(s)

maybe a lotus scheme, green/yellow with some silver in there

I'm going to keep this one stock. All the gauges are still there and look in fair shape.

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to fit in it. If not, I'll sell it and hopefully make a couple bucks.

[jyl]

Fun project! My neighbor has a Bugeye, it makes me smile uncontrollably whenever he drives by. There is a YouTuber who has exhaustively documented his Bugeye restoration. might be worth finding that channel.

[john walker's workshop]

I had a 59 back in the late 60s. Loaned it to a girlfriend and she didn't want to give it back. LOL. She finally spun it out one day and I got it back with a messed up bonnet. Fixed it in a couple of days. Fun car, and I could slide into it at 6'4" without much trouble. Traded a 64 hardtop impala for it. Back when you could get a 5yo car for a couple hun.

[Baz]

Congrats, Otto - should be a fun restoration project!

Currently on eBay:

1959 in Colorado

1960 in New Jersey

1960 in PA

1960 in Texas

[pwd72s]

Tons of fond memories of the bugeye for me. My now deceased best buddy had one...a 1960. Boy was it ever fun to drive...the 948cc 4 banger sounded great since he modified the exhaust with a no muffler straight 2" pipe. We'd swap cars when he had a date...for some reason he preferred the bench seats of my '50 Ford coupe for dates.

[masraum]

Very cool! My dad had a bugeye. Said he milled the head a bit to bump the compression to get more power. He may have done other stuff too as he was a gearhead and did lots of American V-8 stuff. My dad was in the Navy in the 60s stationed in HI where he had a 67 AH 3000. I'd love to have either the bugeye or the big healey.

I'm looking forward to your updates!

[Alan A]

Prisoner color scheme (tv show - he had a lotus 7 in green and yellow) on one is cool.
One of the original colors like speedwell would be awesome too.

And remember if you get bored you can always stuff a v12 under there. There was one at Carlisle a few years ago.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

These are super fun little cars, I had a 59 many years ago. One of the few cars you can do 65 in and it feels like a 100.

[Steve Carlton]

My uncle had one when I was a little kid in the '60s. He put a mail order supercharger on it. Years later I asked him how did it run and he said "It ran like he!! for about a year and blew up."

[DonDavis]

…bruh…sweet car

I’m in Mesa.

I has tools.

[herr_oberst]

Jeez, I'm starting to think I'm the only person on this board who didn't have a frogeye in his past.

Looks like a fun project, Otto. I hope you do an "Up-fixin' the Frogeye" thread and keep us posted on the progress.

[LWJ]

Damn. I was actually looking for a bugeye on craigslist today. I have a weird idea that I need an autocross project. Something simple and cheap. (funny. race cars are NEVER simple OR cheap!)

[otto_kretschmer]

I'm putting in a concrete pad in my backyard as an extension to my porch. I'll have to put an awning over it someday. I don't have the bucks to put in a shop so I'll have to work outside for the majority of the work. When I'm done with the paint I'll have to figure out something to keep the car out of the weather. I'm not old enough to use my 401k money yet so I have to keep an eye on my spending.

The forms and rebar are in place. All I have to do is order 2 yards.

[latunabernie]

Raced a Bug I for about 5 years in VARA.
Kept it street legal and got 2 class championships.
Don't waste your time rebuilding a 948.
Get a 1275 with a rib cage transmission. (Bolts right in.)
Smooth case transmisión parts are unavailable.
Install later model front disc brakes.
Check the front lower A arms for cracks.
My biggest performance gain was building a close ratio gear box.
It kept the motor in the right power band and you had more control downshifting while braking.
With the bigger engine you could go with a 3.90 gears for better highway cruising.
They are a blast!
And yes I still own it.

Bernie