Help me price my Bugeye?

[David_Doan]

Hi Jim. Here is a picture or two of the red interior. I also included a picture of the engine bay.

Jim, I really like what you did with your car (I'm doing a lot of the same ).

• front tilt
• convertible top hardware is gone
• mirrors on the windshield posts
• no front bumper
• heater delete
• polished carbs
• stainless heat shield
• alternator conversion
• I love the red engine. I did mine in gray and black. Anything is better than the original army green. No offense to the purists.

A few questions/comments if you don't mind.

• The rubber bonnet supports on the front fenders can go away with front tilt. The bonnet is fully supported by the front hinge. When I did the bodywork on my car before front tilt conversion I noticed that over the years these had made dents in the bonnet. With a front tilt setup they are likely either not touching when it is closed, or are pushing, creating an impression in the bonnet.
• The missing shifter cover may detract from the value. (maybe didn't fit after 5 speed conversion?)
• since the convertible top hardware is gone, why not fill in the holes? (can see 3 of them on the right-rear fender)
• Can you share where you got the side mirrors? I've heard it is hard to get the passenger side mirror to be useful and not hit the door when opened.
• I'm doing white too, but yours looks amazing. Is it a pearl finish?

I'm sure you will have no trouble selling this car!

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Jim,

Looks fabulous. A picture of your car is now hanging on my wall for inspiration.

Seat Kit and Carpet Kit came from which supplier. Looks really gorgeous.

Stripes - Painted over the white or did you do a multipart masking with stripes laid down first and them remask and paint white?

Paint color?

Thanks for the pics.

 

[59diamond]

It is a beautiful Bugeye. One thing I really like are the mirrors. Can I ask where you got them and about how much do they cost?

 

[HealeyRick]

Beautiful car. If I had done that much work and hadn't even had the chance to drive it yet, I'd be looking for every way possible to take it with me on the move. Have you explored all the options for bringing it along with you?

 

[bug_sixty]

Well, sounds like Jim gets stress re..lief not the opposite... So goes it... Look at it as a resurrection from the scrap metal guy...

 

[Coastalman]

The mirror looks like a Harley mirror. I have one on my BE and it screws right into the captured nut for the front windshield screw. Best mirror I could find for the car.
Charlie

 

[Guest]

It would seem this is BE's migratory season.

 

[Jimflorida]

Thanks for the comments, guys. I've been prepping for my move and have not had time to reply. David, that is good idea re the bonnet supports--they really don't serve any purpose. I have not gotten around to putting on the shifter cover or convertible top yet, but they are sitting ready to go on. The white paint is a pearl called White Diamond, which is a GM color that they used back in the day on Cadillacs, etc. I used the PPG Deltron DBC paints, with the DCU clear. I did use the Harley side mirrors.

Jim, I painted the white, did the red stripes, and then clear coated. I got the seat upholstery, carpet, etc from Moss. (I think I got the red convertible top from the UK). I think it looks fine, but would maybe spring for the leather seats if I was to do it again. I spent so much money on everything else, I might as well have done leather.

Jim

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Fabulous paint job. I used Deltron on the hull of my sailboat when I repainted it. Paint is hard, hard, hard. Had many a collision on the water racing 17' One Designs and my boat usually came out without a scratch.

 

[Jimflorida]

Yes, that is nice paint to work with. I use a HVLP spray system and the problem with doing this in the garage is that (especially with the HVLP unit), the temperature has to be just right. If it is too hot, as it almost always is here in Florida,you have to deal with a good bit of orange peel. If the weather is right, then the paint and clear coat lays out like glass. I enjoy painting, but when you paint a car once a year or so, it is hard to become a real expert. But, if you don't mind doing a lot of sanding and buffing, you can get a nice job.
Jim

 

[59diamond]

In the thumbnail of the engine compartment I see where the back of the bonnet fits closed there is a rubber ridge at the back where the bonnet meets the body of the car. Mine doesn't have that rubber piece and the bonnet has scratched off the paint a little bit from opening and closing the bonnet. My question is did bugeyes come with that rubber ridge and if so where do you get one?

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Bill,

Best source for the rubber is MacGregors/McGregors in CA. They are the same guys that sell the Bristleflex Door Seals. Their rubber pieces fit and you can do it yourself vs. the MOSS Kit that needs 3 people to install to pull and stretch to fit. They always have an add in the back of Class Motor Sports. Call them on the phone. They don't respond well to e-Mail.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Hey Bill,

PING me about the price for those hubcaps you've got for sale.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Jim, you sound like maybe you're losing your garage in this move, how about a cheap storage building to keep the Bugeye in?

On the engine, for anyone interested, it is stage I rebuild done by me. Here's run down to what was done.

Bore .040 over, I pretty sure we used the 9.7 to 1 piston, but i have to look back at the build sheet to know for sure.
APT nitrated slot drive VP276 cam with the good APT CF-04 lifters, and a Powertune adjustable vernier cam gear set up with the cam timed at APT's instructions
Crank was index reground to .010/.010
Connecting rods were cleaned, bead blasted, big ends re-sized and new ARP 206-6001 rod bolts installed, and balanced within 1 gram of each other
King tri metal rod and main bearing
New slot drive oil pump
New water pump
Gerard rear seal kit, and custom aluminum back plate for the Datsun 5 speed
Payne gasket used
Cylinder head was cleaned , beadblasted, re-cleaned, new bronze guides, new SS valves, new dual valve springs, the head was pressure checked, has new hardened exhaust seats, all seats, intake and exhaust have a 30/45/60 multi angle cut on them done on a Serdi head machine. The head was also resurfaced, all seat pressures set on the valve springs
Rod and main clearances are .0015" and all machining was blueprinted by me, as I always do with these engines.
ARP head stud kit
Rebuilt rocker arm assembly
All common fasteners were replaced with new grade 8 hardware
Engine paint is Duplicolor Red at Jim's request, all painted components were painted separately, and then assembled, this is the only way I do this, so you can see the details of the yellow zinc fasteners.
I also made a top timing pointer, and marked the harmonic balancer with a TDC mark to reflect this. I'm pretty sure Jim provided a new balancer from Moss for this too.
This is a good 80 HP 1275 blueprinted engine, and could easily be 90 HP with head porting.

Jim, I think you are being too modest when you say this isn't a show car, I know you built it to use, which anyone in their right mind would do, what good is having a super model for girlfriend, if you can't sleep with her Anyway I believe your car could easily win a show,and it should command top dollar on the open market.

With all that said, I sure would like to see you keep it, and enjoy it.


As for value, what you have done to your car what will probably command the most money return, even though you probably want get all your money back, you get more of a return than some. For example my friends David Harrison Bugeye, is a even a more obsessive build with a lot of things that someone may, or may not like in a Bugeye, like a SC/CR gearbox, or even the 1380cc engine, and like my friend Alan Gilbert's build, this is going to be even higher end build than David's , Alan is building the fantasy Bugeye , obsessive is a understatement in this build, and Alan is probably the most obsessive guy I know , but at the end of the day, people don't pay extra for obsessive, says the guy with a $65K MGB vintage race car worth maybe $20K if I can find a sucker

 

[Gundy]

Jim, <snip>


As for value, what you have done to your car what will probably command the most money return, even though you probably want get all your money back, you get more of a return than some. For example my friends David Harrison Bugeye, is a even a more obsessive build with a lot of things that someone may, or may not like in a Bugeye, like a SC/CR gearbox, or even the 1380cc engine, and like my friend Alan Gilbert's build, this is going to be even higher end build than David's , Alan is building the fantasy Bugeye , obsessive is a understatement in this build, and Alan is probably the most obsessive guy I know , but at the end of the day, people don't pay extra for obsessive, says the guy with a $65K MGB vintage race car worth maybe $20K if I can find a sucker

Tis a wonderful obsession none the less. Jim's Sprite is clearly a fine example of a show quality driver.
No way I'd ask less than $16-17K for it. Personally I think it's worth closer to $20K or a MGB vintage race car.

I'd never get my investment back on my Sprite. How much is invested is a secret I'll carry to my grave.
Even my wife is clueless about THOSE numbers.
It will never return what my old FJ40 Cruiser did.
Took about 30 years for my $1500 investment to mature. Just sold it for $15,000. Rust bucket, dented from hard trail use, bad brakes
and badly needing paint. Buyer didn't care.
P.T. Barnum would be proud.
Maybe in 30 years the Sprite will be worth what I've invested....but I doubt it.
layful:

 

[bug_sixty]

Yep, that's why they call them hobby's...

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Yep, that's why they call them hobby's...

Yep, for sure, ain't addiction fun

 

[nomad]

Find a way to keep it!!

You'll kick yourself later if you don't!

My .02!

Kurt.