Bugeye in San Francisco

[59diamond]

My Daughter who lives in San Francisco spotted a Blue Bugeye with a tan top down the street from her house with Ontario license Plates BBM J 566.
Does this belong to anyone on the forum or do you know who owns it.

 

[Gerard]

What part of town? Neighborhoods here have names they go by; Sunset, Parkside, Haight, Sunnyside, Potrero, Richmond, etc.

 

[59diamond]

She lives in the 200 Block of Glenview Dr.. which is in the Potrero area. The car was driving away from her area at the time. She is not far from Twin Peaks.

 

[Gerard]

I know where that is, I drive by there all the time. That's not Potrero though, that's Midtown Terrace. Glenview is accessed via Portola BLVD, so that may be the mixup. I've never seen it around town, but I'll keep an eye out for it.

She lives in the 200 Block of Glenview Dr.. which is in the Potrero area. The car was driving away from her area at the time. She is not far from Twin Peaks.

 

[59diamond]

Since it had Ontario License plates it may of just been passing through, although that would be a little out of the way if you were just passing through.
My daughter took a few photos of it but she texted them to me and I haven't got a clue how to post them on the forum. Maybe if you send me your phone number I could forward them to you.

 

[Gerard]

You could send them from your mail app (to yourself, then save on your computer) or log onto the forum from your phone, but if you can't figure that out, email me directly and I'll give you my number.

Since it had Ontario License plates it may of just been passing through, although that would be a little out of the way if you were just passing through.
My daughter took a few photos of it but she texted them to me and I haven't got a clue how to post them on the forum. Maybe if you send me your phone number I could forward them to you.

 

[Gerard]

Bill, want me to post the photos for you?

 

[59diamond]

Post away

 

[Gerard]

Here are the photos Bill sent me. I actually drive this route to where I have a couple of my other cars stored. If the stars are aligned right, I may get to see it in person.

 

[59diamond]

I think it is kind of cool that my Daughter sends me a picture from San Francisco to San Diego and I send the picture back to San Francisco to Gerard so even if the car is not still in San Francisco a picture of it is.

 

[nomad]

Well, if he drove all the way from Ontario I have respect for him!!

Kurt.

 

[Gerard]

BTDT... drove my first Bugeye from Detroit through Chicago, St. Louis, Tulsa, and all RT 66 Cities to LA (Venice Beach). Stayed there for two weeks. Then up Highway 1 to San Francisco in two afternoons, spent 4 days here, then drove from San Francisco to Chicago in 72 hours, only sleeping for an hour and half in a truck stop in Cheyenne, Wyoming.. Took a couple days in Chicago, then one afternoon back to Detroit. ... The entire trip was over about 6 weeks. This was with a rebuilt 948 and smooth case gearbox I rebuilt myself (first time I ever rebuilt an engine and transmission).

Well, if he drove all the way from Ontario I have respect for him!!

Kurt.

 

[nomad]

Well, I respect you as well, Gerard, but we were young and adventurous in those days and traffic wasn't what it is today. I was in SF traffic in the late 60's and early 70's and it was scary then. Wouldn't enjoy it now I don't think. Since that time I have always threatened that I would go back out there and drive the coast highway again from SF to LA in a nice driving British sports car. It was an enjoyable drive back then in my friends Shelby 350.
Is the traffic such now days that one could enjoy that road??

Kurt.

 

[Gerard]

You got that right, but it's not just the traffic, it's the potholes and torn up streets everywhere around town. PGE and Water Dept have been doing gas and swear line projects for the last couple years so everywhere you go is a mess. I have a friend that lives a mile from me and the street I normally travel has had one main intersection closed for about a year. I have to detour several blocks out of my way to get there. Then there are all the lanes that have been removed because they have put bike lanes everywhere in the city. Recently, on the streetcar line that is just a couple blocks from my house, they have removed traffic lanes to create safety zones for exiting passengers. These aren't raised platforms of any degree, they just painted lines in the center lane of traffic to ward off traffic. That means that they have removed all parking in those areas because the curb/parking lane is now for traffic. Then there are the massive SUV's and trucks that people drive like they are sports cars. With driver training being reduced to only 6 hours of education to get a license, what do you think the driver's are like.

Yeah, not enjoyable to drive a vintage car around here unless you head to one of the backroad areas either down the peninsula or up across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County. In fact, not enjoyable to drive anything around here because you can travel as little as a mile with seeing someone make a bonehead move that scares the crap out of you!

I walk a lot these days...

Well, I respect you as well, Gerard, but we were young and adventurous in those days and traffic wasn't what it is today. I was in SF traffic in the late 60's and early 70's and it was scary then. Wouldn't enjoy it now I don't think. Since that time I have always threatened that I would go back out there and drive the coast highway again from SF to LA in a nice driving British sports car. It was an enjoyable drive back then in my friends Shelby 350.
Is the traffic such now days that one could enjoy that road??

Kurt.

 

[nomad]

Maybe I could avoid SF, though, just for nostalgia, going over the golden gate would be kinda nice again. We did the coast road from my sister's in Portland till we cut in to wine country north of SF a few years ago. Still hankering to drive the coast road from SF south. It's got to be one of the best drives in the country.
One of my bucket list roads would be US 12 to the Pacific. If I could stand it maybe drop south to MG 2017 in San Diego!:eagerness:

Kurt

 

[Gerard]

In an ironic twist, while traveling that very 1 mile route to my friend's house on Saturday night, one of those idiot drivers I mentioned pulled the type of bonehead move I alluded to in a previous post. While about to pass through a intersection that had no stop for me, this Asian guy driving his Mercedes rolled through the stop sign while looking the opposite direction for traffic coming down the hill. He never looked my way and was suddenly in my lane. With no time or distance to stop, I had to swerve into the oncoming lane to avoid hitting him. Luckily, the approaching car was still a few hundred feet away. Had he been closer, I would have T-boned him or hit the other car head on. Unfortunately, my dash cam was not recording or I'd post the video. Needless to say, I was ******, but grateful I still have my quick reactions! He drove off like it was no big deal.

 

[AngliaGT]

I'd check with Caltrans/CHP before travelling -
Highway 1 took a big hit this last Winter.

Maybe I could avoid SF, though, just for nostalgia, going over the golden gate would be kinda nice again. We did the coast road from my sister's in Portland till we cut in to wine country north of SF a few years ago. Still hankering to drive the coast road from SF south. It's got to be one of the best drives in the country.
One of my bucket list roads would be US 12 to the Pacific. If I could stand it maybe drop south to MG 2017 in San Diego!:eagerness:

Kurt

 

[Randy Forbes]

The only Bugeyes I ever drove were in San Francisco, and there were dozens of them! I worked at Austin-Healey West (Shipley Street [alley, really] between 3rd & 4th sts, Folsom & Harrison). It was fairly normal for a customer to stop by on his way to work downtown, collect one of us to drive him the rest of the way and take the car back to work on it, often picking them up again at the end of the day. I believe that was service; were we in the service business!

That was back in 1978-79, and the same place I bought my '57 100/6 earlier the same year (having just celebrated 39 years with it 4-1-2017).

I once walked out of the flat I lived in (161 27th St) and there was a gorgeous Bugeye parked directly in front of the house. It was BRG/tan, top down but had a couple of the most unusual features I'd ever seen; a trunklid was expertly cut into the rear deck (T-handle and all) and it had the wood dash from some model of Jaguar, equally expertly fitted. The entire center section was eliminated to compensate for the Sprites narrower cockpit (and far fewer controls) but it looked as if the car had been designed with it. I never did find out who the car belonged to, or even who they were visiting__most of the neighbors already knew about me, as I had about four (<4) MGBs in the garage, along with a Big Healey, and I was all the time bringing something interesting home for lunch or in the evening on test drives.

Always a treat to hear (someone else talking) about San Francisco, as it brings up memories that I haven't thought of in years, or even decades! Yes, as bad as traffic/drivers were back then, I can only imagine how bad they are today! We're in New Orleans for the week, and they're crazier now than when I lived here too!

 

[nomad]

I'd check with Caltrans/CHP before travelling -
Highway 1 took a big hit this last Winter.

Thanks
Probably just a pipe dream for now but checking with the highway dept makes sense!

Kurt.