Anthony,
I purchased Bugsy 2 years ago and he came home on a flatbed trailer. It took
more than a years worth of work to make him roadworthy. The repairs are almost
too numerous to mention but include a complete rebuild of the front end, not
only bushings but complete A Frame & Kingpins, new shocks from Peter C front
and rear, steering rack replaced, new rotors, new pads, a used LF Caliper, used
rear drums, new master cylinders, new brake lines, replaced clutch and brake
MC, replaced clutch slave, replaced clutch hydraulic line, replaced rear spring
mounts, all new bushings in the rear, new rear shocks, replaced speedo,
replaced tach, replaced oil pressure gauge, replaced gas tank sender, rebuilt
all interior panels, fixed upholstery problems with seats, new CD player, new
speakers, recarpeted interior, installed a used top, built a plexiglas
windblocker, and fixed more electrical problems than you can shake a stick at.
Fortunately I had a fairly good, fairly rust free chassis to begin with.
No metal needed replacing, some grinding and filler. Over this winter I hope
to finish the body work and get started on converting a Bugeye Front Clip for
Bugsy. After two years it all works and drives, performs, and handles as close
to a new Spridget as a 35 year old car can be.
Fortunately the car came with a rebuilt 1098 and smoothcase out of a '66
Spridget. Not the right engine for a '68 but car feels fairly strong and runs
fine after lots and lots of tinkering. Figure out what needs to be done to
keep it running and stay on the road. Too many of these cars end up as taken
all apart and the enthusiasm wanes and the workload to get it running again
seems to increase. Take it slow. Put a plan and a budget together. Remember
these cars don't have huge resale value just a huge fun quotient. Bugsy gets
driven at least to the coffee shop for morning coffee almost every day. Top has
only been up once since March 1 when I got caught in a rain shower. Tonneau
cover is fitted and with wind blocker in place and windows up, car is comfy
during the day down to 0 degrees C. I plan on pulling car off of the road for
body work Dec 1. That's the long term plan. Make a list of all needed to be
done, prioritize in terms of time and $, and figure out your restoration
budget. Most importantly have fun.
Jim Gruber
Bugsy '68 Sprite (future Bugeye in disguise)
Dayton, OH
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