I really enjoyed my bugeye sprite, and it was a true roadster. Side curtains,
stowable top, no door handles inside, no trunk, etc. With a 1275 motor and
factory go-fast pieces it was a joy to drive, and would still be competetive
if it had modern mechanicals and factory support. (and lots of dollars) Scott
McQueen has a tri-rotor Cosmo motor in one, but I don't think he runs in the
stock class. My solution to the "Lucas, Prince of Darkness" curse was to rip
out all the wiring and replace it with my own homemade harness. Definitely
not stock class, but very reliable. The old cars are limited by wheel and
tire restrictions that didn't exist when they were built. A bugeye with 15x9"
Hoosiers might run away with H Stock. I also drive a 1968 Datsun Roadster.
One good year of Z car sales outsold the entire run of SR/SP cars. I don't
know if a factory could sell minimalist cars like the bugeye or
semi-minimalist cars like the Datsun Roadster and make enough profit to
justify their existance. Wouldn't it be great if the Ford Motor Company
purchased Austin-Healy (maybe they already have) and started selling
retro-bugeyes with modern mechanicals off the showroom floor?
Leisure Suit Terry
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