Hey Guest!
Bill Austin, retired master tech here. Just bought a "restored" 1960 Bugeye with 948. Pretty car, but needs work underneath, either they didn't know, or didn't care. Looks like I'll have to keep the '59 wiring harness, even though the '60 supposedly has a new harness, lots of lights don't work.
Have had the '59 since the 80s. Paint was cracking when I bought it, sheet metal over the holes in the floor. Sitting outdoors under a car cover didn't help. Countershaft bearings were GONE. While I had that out, bored the 1275 .040", Total Seal Rings, ground the cam up a step just to clean it up. Put the flywheel on a brake lathe and cut 2 1/2 pounds off the outer edge, to the diameter of the pressure plate. Balanced. So strong, even coming out of slow 4th gear corners it just spun the inside 155/13. So added limited slip, made it a totally different car!
The "new" '60 has the 948. Runs and drives. It wants the 1275! And it gets the limited slip.
Help me swap the engines, and take the '59 with you, with the 948 and trans bolted into place or loose. I'll have everything ready to swap, and I've done it before with me underneath and 2 people above, with head and oil pan off to save weight and not have to lift so high. You keep head, pan, intake and exhaust manifolds and carbs, everything that bolts to the engine,
I can pay someone here to help me, but then the engine and body will be in the way, garage is FULL! Keep them out of the scrapyard!
Search Youtube for "Bill Austin Chimney Rock", to ride in my '71 Corolla GT-3/4 SCCA racer there and Charlotte, RockinghamX2, Lake Charles LA, Nelson Ledges, Indianapolis Raceway Park. Set 5 class records.
austinamusements@gmail.com
Have had the '59 since the 80s. Paint was cracking when I bought it, sheet metal over the holes in the floor. Sitting outdoors under a car cover didn't help. Countershaft bearings were GONE. While I had that out, bored the 1275 .040", Total Seal Rings, ground the cam up a step just to clean it up. Put the flywheel on a brake lathe and cut 2 1/2 pounds off the outer edge, to the diameter of the pressure plate. Balanced. So strong, even coming out of slow 4th gear corners it just spun the inside 155/13. So added limited slip, made it a totally different car!
The "new" '60 has the 948. Runs and drives. It wants the 1275! And it gets the limited slip.
Help me swap the engines, and take the '59 with you, with the 948 and trans bolted into place or loose. I'll have everything ready to swap, and I've done it before with me underneath and 2 people above, with head and oil pan off to save weight and not have to lift so high. You keep head, pan, intake and exhaust manifolds and carbs, everything that bolts to the engine,
I can pay someone here to help me, but then the engine and body will be in the way, garage is FULL! Keep them out of the scrapyard!
Search Youtube for "Bill Austin Chimney Rock", to ride in my '71 Corolla GT-3/4 SCCA racer there and Charlotte, RockinghamX2, Lake Charles LA, Nelson Ledges, Indianapolis Raceway Park. Set 5 class records.
austinamusements@gmail.com