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Branson

Branson

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In my search for trying to find a replacement for my rusty old bugeye bonnet I got a response from a guy in Texas saying he had one. I've copied the email correspondance below:

<span style="color: #3333FF">Larry,

Saw your post on https://www.race-cars.com/ re: an Austin Healey bugeye bonnet….is this still available? How much are you asking and where are you located?

Thanks!

Branson
</span>
<span style="color: #FF0000">Hello Branson,
sorry for the late responce,the bugeye bonnet is still available for sale,how much are you willing to offer for it,am located in Tx.
larry</span>

<span style="color: #3366FF">Larry,

Thanks for the reply. Im in OKC, OK so a location in Texas would work great for me! What kind of shape is it in? Do you have any photos of it? That would help me tremendously in figuring out what I can offer.

Thanks!

Branson</span>

<span style="color: #FF0000">Hi Branson,
thanks for the swift reply,i was trying to restore initially but would cost me alot,so i decided to sell the whole parts,i dont have a scanner or a digital cam would have taken some shots and have it scanned for you,but its still in same good shape,whats your full location address for shipping,meanwhile i still want to know how much you want to offer for it,if it is a reasonable price then its yours,like i did say the bonnet is still in good shape.
larry</span>

<span style="color: #3333FF">Larry,

With you being in Texas I'd prefer to save us the shipping charges and
just make the trip down to pick it up. Would you be willing to accept
$200 for it?

Thanks!

Branson</span>


<span style="color: #FF0000">Hi Branson,
just got your email,the bonnet is still in good shape as new,i will accept $260 for it cos someone else has already offered $230 only that he wants to pay twice and am not accepting such,email me your full location address,i shall be able to use my fedex account for the shipping,so it will be delivered to your door step,write me back asap,cos i will be travelling down to Carlifonia in few days time for my Son's wedding.
regards </span>

<span style="color: #3333FF">Larry,

are you saying $260 shipped? what would be your preferred method of payment? would COD be okay? It sort of protects both of us that way. I don't mind just coming down and picking it up....I have a trailer and it would save you from having to deal with either getting it to fedex or having fedex pick it up. With the size of it I bet it has to go freight which would be more expensive. I could be down as early as this weekend if need be.

Thanks!

Branson</span>

<span style="color: #FF0000">Hi Branson,
i will only accept money gram as means of payment,and i will have no problem having fedex shipping it down to Ok,let me know if you are serious about these,so that i will have that completed tommorow,cos i will be leaving on saturday morning.
larry</span>

I replied to this email stating that my preference would be to come down and look at it. I could pay cash on the spot at that time. I was willing to be at his place friday afternoon or if that was a problem I could wait until he returns from California.

now why do you suppose he's so adamant about me wiring him the money and then shipping me the bonnet when I'm less than a days worth of driving away and more than willing to come and get it.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif
 
I'd guess that it is a poor example and he knows you won't buy it once you see it.

Keep looking, you'll find one. Do you belong to the Austin Healey club?
 
Are your hood/grill/fenders in good shape? You could always sell them and apply that money to a fiberglass bonnet from spridgetech.
 
It could also be that there is no bonnet, he goes and picks up the cash and leaves and I never see a bonnet.

I got screwed that way on ebay a few years ago. I bid on an eliptical machine, got outbid in the last minute and then got an email from the seller saying that he another one he would sell me for my bid amount (he had several listed on ebay at the time so I didnt think much of it). He had me wire him the funds and he would ship. I sent the payment via western union who is supposed to check and record ID when the person shows up to pick up the funds.....they didnt. since the transaction was outside of ebay I had no recourse there. All I could do is file a police report locally and with the police in that city/state...sigh. needless to say I never got my money back or an eliptical machine.

Once bitten twice shy they say.

My original sheet metal is in fair shape and could be re-used. I started stripping all the paint off of it last night and will likely have it reworked to go back on the car. I liked the idea of the bugeye bonnet but in all reality it just isnt quite right on a box spridget.

plus i'd feel bad knowing that there was a bugeye out there somewhere missing its bonnet /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Austin Healey Club? no, im not a member.
 
didn't realize that was what you were considering..I see now you do have a 65. I agree...I have seen a couple later Sprites convereted over the the frogeye bonnet...but honestly they just don't look right in my book....if you want the frogeye better off selling the 65 and getting the real deal...
 
in alot of ways /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif

the wife liked the way the bugeye looks and was finally getting excited about the lump of steel that is occupying the garage....

fortunately I got the bonnet for free and Im only out the money I spent to have it media blasted.

so if someone needs a bugeye bonnet that could use some tlc ive got for sale that I will let go pretty cheap.

I need to do another post that has all of the stuff that I need to sell off....the parts pile is starting to get kinda large.
 
I think that race-cars bonnet is a scam!

What's it cost to send your bonnet to Denmark?

Actually I think your bonnet is repairable. It's only dented a bit on the right side and left front. Oh yeah the rust on the back corner. From what I can remember I saw.

The one on evilbay is nearly that bad.

Oh btw, I really dont think the frogeye bonnet looks too good on the later sprites. just mho
 
It has a couple of dents, a few wrinkles and quite a few little holes,and lots of pitting. The cancer wasnt exactly kind to it. I will take some better pics when I pick it back up on friday. If someone were willing to put the time and effort into it could be restored. perhaps I need to use it to teach myself how to weld? lol

I got another bonnet emailed to me yesterday that the seller wanted $200 for and it looked as bad as mine but with the rust still on it.

i will hit mine with some 60grit and coat it with some primer to help preserve it for the time being.

It would cost around $200 usd to ship one from california to here...I'd hate to find out what it would cost to ship it out of the country. but if you want it bad enough....

yeah I agree its a scam. once I said that I wanted to come down and see it and that I was willing to wait until he got back from his trip the responses stopped. hmmm
 
Pitting is quite easy to remove etc etc. High build primer and a skip coat of filler, no prob.
 
Jack, if the pitting is severe then the metal must be replaced for strength. Not a problem, unless the metal has complicated compound curves (like a bugeye bonnet).
 
Oh I agree Trevor I though we were talking bonnet, they have preaty tough and thick metal and you can get to both sides easly.
 
I don't care what anyone says. A Bugeye Bonnet looks fabulous on a Square Bodied Sprite as well. Look at Ron Valantine's Ride

https://www.valentinephoto.net/oDoody/page3/page12/page12.html
 
You know Spridgettech makes a fiberglass rear section you can put on a square body to complete the look of the Bugeye.
 
The rear end of the bugeye, having quartereliptic springs is just a big piece of metal hanging out there. The only thing even resembling structure is just holding the shocks and bumperettes. The semi eliptic models used a bit of the existing strength of the chassis to hold the rear spring mounts, I think with a small extension to the chassis. The photo from sebringsprite.com shows the bugeye structure, and this overall structure is the same on the bugeye and the square sprites. The exterior panels mount to the top above the wheel well and along the b-post. When it comes down to strength, the body shell doesn't really add any.
bodyshell-web.gif
 
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