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Bugeye Hood Latch

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BillW103 said:
View attachment 43321I don't think they ever used Silver. Mine was brown when I got it. It was Iris Blue from the factory.
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Bill every time I see your bugeye it gets me fired up to go out in the garage. Money is going to be what slows me down on this project. Don't have the disposal income to keep up the pace.
 
haha, no, I know exactly where it ended up. I still have pretty much all of it except the shell itself. I still have the bonnet and doors, and everything else which will go on the one I'm currently restoring (if I ever get to finishing it) The shell was sold to a guy in the Portland, Oregon area along with an 1970 Arkley Midget, which he turned into a race car. This was the late 90's. I'm not sure what became of the Bugeye, but after seeing what he did with the Arkley, I'm sure it's running around somewhere. I know he sold the Arkley to someone else (I came across it years ago), and likely the Bugeye eventually had the same fate.

You can see the Bugeye shell in the background.

arkRacer.jpgbarkley.jpg

nomad said:
That sound's exactly like mine, Gerard! Your first BE didn't end up in Nebraska did it? With a "Save water, shower with a friend" sticker on the passenger door!:yesnod:

Kurt.
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I went to vintagecarparts web site and could not find these latches. I searched with "hood latches" and they didn't turn up. Maye they call them something else?
 
Are those latches Spring Loaded. I used Ss adjustable Draw Latches rated at 400 lb from the McMaster Carr catalog. Depending on the curve in your Bonnet, they seem to straighten out if they are off the car, you may need something stronger to hold in place like the draw latches. There is another thread on one of the boards commenting on bonnet alignment and poor quality of supplied hardware. Paint getting scratched bonnet flexing etc. it all needs to fit correctly with proper hardware and proper clearances. If not paint will definitely get damaged or bonnet could get tweaked. Gerard's Kit in my garage now waiting for me to pull bumper and install. Tired already of banging my head in the bonnet.
 
If you have an early '58 bonnet without the bracing around the grill, then the front tilt will not work. Do you have any pictures?
 
Agreed on that one. Good to go on Bugsy IV. The bonnet that came with Bugsy II had exactly that issue. It was an early '58 or '59 Bonnet. I sold it along with Bugsy III my parts car last year.
 
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