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59 Bugeye - Fix it, Sell It, Let It Sit?

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Sorry for the delayed response, and thanks to everyone for all the the comments - really good food for thought! ThomP's guesstimate is particularly helpful, and the cost not all that bad, especially if one were to save the tires for last! They are a neat little car, and I've enjoyed reading all the "progress posts" on the cars being worked on in Spridget forum. Those posts, and the "1-footer" in the exact same color as mine at the PV Coffee Meet this weekend (what a coincidence!), have given me a new appreciation of the car in it's current state, and it's potential!

Sharon
 
Sorry to be a downer, but when it comes to cost estimates......at least triple it.
Everything you remove to replace will reveal another surpise that needs replacing!
It's definately got the potential and you can do it.
 
Oops, you're right - I forgot about that aspect of the "hobby" once a complete restoration is under way. But having had to deal with my big Healey the past two years to get it running right (rebuild, then rebuild of the rebuild at 13k because one thing after another kept going wrong), and hearing of other owners' trials and tribulations as their projects progress, I've learned that's just the way it goes with these cars! Anyway, with all the positive comments about the car's potential, I sure am curious as to whether or not it will start and run. It may be a couple of months (multiply that times 3, especially with the holidays coming up), but I'll post any updates!

Sharon
BN1 back on the road /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
AN5 just sittin' /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Oh, a decision has been reached, cool.

Another Bugeye looking for a new life in time for the 2008 anniversy party and get together at the Lake of the Ozarks??
 
Having recently acquired my '59...according to the pics early on it too was a basket case...having it restored and on the road is a great feeling! Hang on to it...fix it a little at a time...you will not regret it.
 
Check closely on tire sales, I just bought 5 Good year, 155/80/13 for my bugeye for $206 mounted and balanced.
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif WOT! Sharon, you can't sell that cute little car. It isn't going to take much to get it going and clean it up. Then cute little girl have cute little car combination hard to beat!--Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/angel.gif
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif
P.S. Problems with Big Healey are totally unrelated to this cute little car. These cars are simpler, less costly and virtually bulletproof.-- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
Xbimmer, Jack and Keoke,

Thanks for all the encouraging (and flattering) words. Kind of makes me feel guilty thinking about selling it. Fixing it a little at a time does sound reasonable, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for tires on sale. A friend found a place that had four used ones for $100 (who knows how old they were), but $206 for new ones sounds like a better way to go! Also, happy to hear these cars aren't the headache the big Healeys can be (shh, don't let my Healey hear me) - that was another item of concern.

Sharon
BN1 & AN5
 
Yeah Sharon, don't be looking at no used tires.The tires on the car are good enough if they hold air until it's time to put it on the road.--Fwiw--Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 
Another point that you have already made, fortunately, storage is not a problem, is that our cars don't take a lot of room to store. I have a nice sized 2 car garage that has kept the wives van on one side, my son's tr6 on the other and my bugeye parked perpendicular in front of the six. I can drive it into the garage on one side, turn, and park to make it a 3 car garage. Glad to hear that it will be a keeper. Now, a 1275, 5 speed, supercharger.....haha/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
As far as tires go, keep an eye on the holiday specials in the newspaper that local tire stores offer. I bought the last set at a time of tight budgeting and found a deal at Firestone (Oh horrors!) Our little cars are the ones that take that size (155/13) that they advertize for $9.99 per tire with $5.00 for stems, mount and ballance. At that price I bought a brand new spare too. They may not be super performance or last too long, but they are definitly better than "may-pops" and get you and driving!!! all for under $80.00.
 
This thread has been very helpful! kcbugeye1275's comments covered my last two concerns about the car - It's in a garage about 1/2 mile from home that I'm fortunate enough to be able to use for storage. It occurred to me over the weekend I could maybe get 3 cars in the garage IF I could move a couple of pieces of furniture and turn the Bugeye sideways for now. Then I could park my sister's B or my Healey in the remaining space on that side, and still have room for the full-size pickup truck in the other half. The truck is out for repairs, so now would be a perfect time to do the measurements, then grab a friend and go over there and scooch things around if this brainstorm look doable!

Then there's the matter of the engine size. I distinctly remember riding in a friend's Bugeye some twenty years ago and going up a not-real-steep incline in Los Angeles. The car slowed down noticeably as we proceeded uphill! I understand they're not real good at getting on the freeway in a hurry, either. Guess I won't worry about all that, though, since the car is just sitting for now. I do have an extra engine block and two transmissions that came with the car (in a weak moment a couple of years ago, gave away two extra heads), but don't know anything about size, type, condition, etc. on them. Should probably hang onto them until I know the engine and trans on the car are OK, though.

In general, I tend to like to keep things stock, but the thread on "Performance Upgrades" sure was interesting, though.

Sharon
BN1/AN5
 
Heh, no freeways when this car was designed. Steep hills require downshifting.
 
Now! you can always come here get inspiration and see what it will look like finished.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 

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Very nice! The one at the PV coffee meet last week looked just like that, and in similar prize-winning condition. Was that color one of the standard ones offered when the cars were new? I've seen several that color on ebay in the last several months, kind of in the same condition as mine, too.

Sharon
 
Hi Sharon, I am not sure that this is an original color, it may be close but modern paints have so much more brilliance to them than those originally used it's hard to tell.---Keoke
 
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