• Notice: If you're posting to get rid of the little man (Lucas), please post A NEW TOPIC with something meaningful. Tell us about yourself and your interest in British cars. You need not share anything too personal. NOTE: this New Member's Forum is only to introduce yourself. If you have specific questions about your little British car, please post those in the appropriate marque-related forum.
    Thanks and welcome to BCF!
    Basil
  • Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.

    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Making friends and driving a bugeye

61forfun

Freshman Member
Country flag
Offline
Howdy all,
Sam here!!! I just bought myself a version of the very first car I ever owned. When I was about 14 or so my dad gave me his broken, ol’ garaged 60’ bugeye. I used it to complete my autoshop course and drove it to high school for the next three years. While it was a real girl getter it was not a car one could easily "fiddle around" in, so much more time was spent adventuring around and enjoying the visceral and unique ride that bugeye had to offer. I wound up selling her and getting into American muscle in my early 20’s. Some 35 years later, I am back for another round of the Austin Healy chronicles.

Thr new bugeye is in veirtually and rather ironically in the same condition as my original. It has sat in a barn since 1976 - original Oregon plates. The original owner told me he drove it hard and nuked the 948 and had a really nice 1098 built for it and that he also had the breaks upgraded to disc off a late model MG. While doing a brake job, he had snap a line and put the car in the barn and simply lost interest some 40 + years ago. I paid him $2500 for it and took it home. My 15 year old is an ace mechanic and he could not wait to dig into it. He immediately started researching what fluid specs were need and the respective capacities. He changed all the fluids, through a bit of oil down the cylinders, installed a battery and then make a Gatorade bottle gastank. He even bleed the brakes and clutch which amazed me they came back. I later found out the owner used silicone brake fluid and it seemed keep the lines from absorbing moisture. At any rate, this sucker runs and drives!!! Lot’s of plans and already spent a mint on parts !
 

Attachments

  • 2F5C1E5E-9148-402D-8D61-A0B2EB978C45.jpeg
    2F5C1E5E-9148-402D-8D61-A0B2EB978C45.jpeg
    3.5 MB · Views: 58
Welcome aboard! That looks like a fantastic project for father and son! Look forward to seeing your progress! What will be the first big part of the rest you intend to tackle?
 
I figured we would get it mechanically sound, drive it this summer while working on body. Once the body work was close to complete blow it apart for paint and detail. Waiting on n a gas tank now
 
Back
Top