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Bypassing/Hot wiring a bugeye

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N

NW_SpriteGuy

Senior Member
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Maybe someone can help me with an ignition question. I recently became the owner of a 1959 Bugeye Sprite - but there were no keys for the car because they were lost. The car has not been run for about four years and it's been stored inside for about the same time. The engine appears to be in good order, fluid levels check out, oil level okay, and I can turn it over by wrenching on the crank pulley. Question, without having keys for the ignition, is there a way I can bypass the ignition and hot wire start this vehicle without keys to see if I can get it running?
 
Run a jumper wire from the hot battery terminal, or the input side of the starter switch, to the white wire terminal on the coil, and then pull on the starter knob.
Jeff
 
you could always pull the ignition lock and take it to a locksmith, they won't charge you more than $10 around here to make a key for it....
 
Bugeye58,
RU Pulling my leg? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I scratched my head when I read your response. I was really scratching my head after I actually tried it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
It didn't work.
 
Rob,
I was just anxious to do something now! I didn't want to take the time with messing around by getting under the dash and trying to pull out the ignition switch - even though I know your suggestion will ultimately be what I need to do for the long term. Thanks!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else have any suggestions on how I can bypass the ignition switch and hot wire start this vehicle?

[/ QUOTE ]

is it a dash mount key switch? If so, by pulling it you can connect the necessary cables, plus you'll have the lock out for when you go get a key /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

anyway, basically if you look at the back of the ignition switch, you'll see power in, then the output to the starter and typically a bunch of accessory leads too. (I'm making assumptions here since my car is newer, but every car I've messed with is very similar) usually power in is easily determined because it's a heavier gage, starter is next heaviest and all accessories and relatively small wires. Also the starter wire typically is sitting on it's own, away from the clusters of accessory leads.... Tie power dirrectly to the accessory leads, so they're all powered on. Then touch power to the starter to get it started. basically by tying power to the accessories you're turning the key to the accessory position (position II), then by touching power to the starter lead, you're cranking the key to position III, which you then release back to II. make sense?
 
one more way: if you don't want to get into the dash, what bugeye58 is saying is that you can route power dirrectly to the coil and then hit the starter. Basically run wire from the positive batter terminal to the coil, connect it to the side of the coil that's NOT connected to the distributor. That'll give juice to your ignition system. Next put power from the positive battery terminal to the starter solenoid. Don'y physically connect it, just touch it to make the starter crank. You want to be touching the terminal on the solenoid that's tied to the ignition, you should be able to tell which it is... you won't get any accessories functioning with this setup, but you should get the car to fire.....and hopefully not catch fire /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif
 
Don, what I said originally should have worked, if it is a stock Bugeye.
Do you still have the manual start, or has someone converted it to key, or pushbutton start?
If it is still positive ground, the battery negative cable is the hot side.
There is no need to remove the switch, crawl under the dash, or anything else. It can all be done at the firewall.
I've been messing with these things for 38 years, and have hot wired a lot of them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Jeff
 
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