So I drove my first 948 Bugeye......

[bugedd]

And man, is it slow! There's a 59 for sale locally, nice car, rotisserie job but driver quality. My 180lb self combined with the owner at 240lbs had a heck of a time getting up some 8% hills. I guess my 1275 car must have been modified a bit to be so much faster and snappier than this car. Whatever car I end up with, it will have a 1275 or 1380. Which bring me to the question, is anything compatible between the two motors? Or will I have to buy literally everything to do the swap? On a good note, it had an amazing shifting smooth case, clean body, floor pans were replaced properly, and decent driver paint. It does need a bunch of little things sorted, like the correct wiper motor, horn button on the dash properly wired, needs correct gauges, has alternator conversion so the tach doesn't work, etc. But if I can get it for the right price, I'll have stuff to tinker with to keep me busy.

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/4677423098.html

 

[smaceng]

My first BE was a 948, and I really had to rev it like mad to get it to go....where my second BE (on to another) would really pull....take a look at this one to see how nice the Sacto BE is: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/4674862701.html
Cheers, Scott in CA

 

[nomad]

There is a big difference between a 1275 and a 948 but considering the mod's and the damper cap's are not original I wonder if that 948 is running right. Mine was a fun 2 lane car before my swap to a 1275 with no problem's below 65mph.

Kurt.

 

[bugedd]

There may be something up, don't know anything about SU's. It felt as if there was no advance in the timing. It was just a gutless wonder. But the build was nice and tight, handling was nice. He did tube shocks on the rear which I'd most likely reverse back to stock.

 

[SaxMan]

Your description of climbing up a hill sounds like what was going on when the 1275 in my '69 Sprite was losing its head gasket due to the blanking plug issue. Compression had become so low in the #2 and #3 cylinders that when I tried to take it up a hill, it felt like "The Little Engine that Could".

 

[AN5Sprite]

240lb passenger will slow any Bugeye down...You plus him, that's a lot to ask of pistons the size of tomato paste cans.

I love the 948. I do, I really do. But once you drive a strong 1275...there's no going back.

 

[RickB]

My very tired 63 Sprite with the 948 Bugeye motor (really it came out of a Bugeye and went into the 63) (did I mention it was really really tired, low oil pressure and generally in very bad need of a rebuild?)
It would take myself and a passenger (lets just say pretty darn close to 500 pounds of us) up the hill at 65 - 70mph.
Something wasn't right with the one you drove, the 948 is teeny-tiny and all that but it shouldn't have been that weak IMHO.

 

[Gray_Cat]

Sounds like a tuning issue and/or maybe the seller installed a taller gear set in the differential?

 

[jlaird]

Just wait till you drive one that is right. They sing, was she singing??

 

[bugedd]

No singing, more like groaning.

 

[zlppy]

i agree with g cat some thing up with tuning

 

[aeronca65t]

I have a '73 Midget I built up out of all my spare "junque". Fenders came from a '66, top came from a '78, trans from a '67, etc., etc.

I brush painted it (red) and call it The Red Rat. It has a 948 single-carb Austin sedan engine (35 horsepower). It's slow but it runs great. I actually like trying to keep up with normal cars in it.....a real challenge.

 

[bugedd]

Maybe instead of another bugeye I should get this MKII
https://www.autotraderclassics.com/...rite+MKII-1420415.xhtml?conversationId=144152

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I do like the MK II's. if that one had a five speed and was a few grand cheaper, I'd be all over it.

 

[bugedd]

Thats what I was thinking, $12k seems like an appropriate price. The only thing I don't like about that year is the cockpit surround trim, I prefer the aluminum of the bugeyes and early MKII's.

 

[sqbsprite]

I'm sort of prejudice for the MkII. Having had a good running 948 and then swapping to a 1275, I can say there is a big difference. When your dealing with so little weight, the approx. 40% more power makes a big difference.

 

[bugedd]

Your square body is why I've been thinking of one, that blue on your car is perfect! I prefer your 1962 with the aluminum surrounds and without the bulbous trim at the bottom of the dash as the 64 has. Maybe that can be changed??
On another note of the bugeye I drove, its registered as a 59, but has a super low 3069 VIN. Would that be on the cusp of 59? The body is not that of a 58.

 

[BlueMax]

In the back of Geoffrey Healey's book he list the production numbers by years. The last production for 58 was 8729. However sense the first cars were not introduced until May of 1958, they knew about the rear chassis issues during the first two prototypes. I suspect that retooling was completed in late 58 with a chance that a few very late 58's may have the 59> updates.

 

[bugedd]

Thanks BlueMax!

 

[CLEAH]

Bugged, my car is 5346 and was built October 1, 1958. A lot of changes were made just before my car was made, and a few just after, like going from the 9 stud windscreen to the two stud.