You be the judge....

[terriphill]

Saw this tonight....I know what I think, thought some of you might find this interesting

Bugeye Racer

 

[jlaird]

Looks nicely done, would be fun.

 

[zimmy]

thats pretty sweet! ....z

 

[bugimike]

Other than getting a bit nit-picky about stuff, it looks like a fun ride. I don't like the spoiler on the front end, it's a bit too massive, I definitly don't like the orange "Porsche leather" interior, and after all that work, why the heck didn't he put the battery in the boot instead of where it is??

 

[aeronca65t]

It's probably fun to drive.

Wonder what trans he's using with that 1.8 Escort/Mazda engine?
It's hard to tell if the trans tunnel shape has been altered, but it looks a bit different than my box-Spridget. It's hard to imagine it has a stock trans.
I wonder if that's just a Miata engine/trans with the Escort GT valve covers?

The interior is dreadful and the I agree with Mike...tha battery location is poor.

 

[bugimike]

Nial, I think he mentioned he is using the Miata 5 speed box!! :thumbsup: Looks like good German engineering went into it!!

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I was thinking that car had a Turbo-T-bird engine.
Maybe the current owner did a swap to the swap.

 

[ChrisS]

It's probably fun to drive.

Wonder what trans he's using with that 1.8 Escort/Mazda engine?

Nial, The Escort GT (the engine in your 212) is the same block as the Miata 1.8 (the engine in your street car). Are you feeling OK? You knew that .

 

[aeronca65t]

See that's what I'm really wondering Chris(you know I have a spare 1.8 Escort GT engine, right?).

But I've never been able to be sure if the Miata trans will really fit the Escort fwd engine....probably will with a crank-swap, but will it fit as-is?

If so, I have an idea!

 

[Hap Waldrop]

I know that car, that was Phil Chiles' street car. Phil was a great SCCA racer, we now have Phil SCCA Bugeye that we race. Phil brought that car to the SCCA runoffs one year and we got to look at it. Phil was a great guy, smart as whip, and a good fabricator, Phil died a few years back of cancer, and this car got sold off. One of the many thing Phil did was make SCCA racing fiberglass and sell it, that front nose is one of his racing bonnets, same as on his ex race car that we have now. I don't rember the snazzy interior, I think that is the work of the new owner, but i can tell you first hand the car is pretty well done. Here's a picture of Phil ex race car, Dick has three win in the car this year, and is leading the SCCA SARRC series in this car.

 

[racingenglishcars]

Well, I think the car looks very well done. OK so I don't really like orange for the interiour, but it looks well done.
Interesting with the gas filler in the middle of the boot. There's also a crack on the bonnet front right under the grille. I think the top is missing a bow.
I still approve 100%. But I can't afford it.
Who's going to come up with the cash?

 

[ChrisS]

See that's what I'm really wondering Chris(you know I have a spare 1.8 Escort GT engine, right?).

But I've never been able to be sure if the Miata trans will really fit the Escort fwd engine....probably will with a crank-swap, but will it fit as-is?

If so, I have an idea!

Erica has all the parts to do the swap. The crank is the same. She was planning on doing the 1.8 swap in one of her Miata's but she decided on a turbo instead.

 

[aeronca65t]

Erica has all the parts to do the swap. The crank is the same. She was planning on doing the 1.8 swap in one of her Miata's but she decided on a turbo instead.

Cool! That fact may influence my Winter '08 project.

..and by the way, any gal who talks about engine swaps and turbos is a definite keeper! :thumbsup: