Listers,
I got reacquainted with an old friend yesterday, our '59 bugeye. It's
been a member of the family since 1977 when my newlywed wife saw it in a
local shopper and asked, "Didn't you used to have one of those?" Silly woman.
Bought it for $300 and undertook a full restoration. I tried to recreate the
bugeyes raced at Sebring in '59 and the car has the following specs: 997 cc;
12G295 head; 88G229 cam; Cooper dizzy; 1.25 in carbs, LCB. Tranny is an NOS
ribcase and gears are 4.55s.
Suspension goodies are factory competition shocks, sway bar, and
Armstrong adjustable rear shocks that are pictured somewhere in Dan
Stapleton's book (imagine that, I have famous shocks!) Wire wheels, factory
"competition" muffler, Radyot mirror, and Monza quick-fill gas cap complete
the competition image. About the only thing missing from the Sebring cars is
the hardtop, which I just couldn't stand to get in the way of open-air
motoring.
Anyway, the point of all this is I put the car back on the road yesterday
after two years of nonuse while funds were diverted to our BJ7 and time was
stolen from Healeys so that I could put a 6cyl Euro drivetrain and suspension
into my son's 83 BMW 320is. Took a trip to the Registry of Motor Vehicles
(the only thing that's hated more in Mass. than the Yankees) and tried to
register the car with the '59 Mass. 5 digit license plate I picked up at a
flea market. Unfortunately, the plate # was already on a '57 Buick so I
couldn't register using my Y.O.M. plate.
Bummed out for a while, but once I slapped the new plates on and went for
a ride, all was right with the world. Everything functioned fine. No leaks
from the brakes filled with silicone brake fluid 17 years ago, even the 2
year old gasoline was still good. Great sounds going through the gears and
while driving through northeastern Mass. I had a chance to think about all
the wonderful times and great people I've met thanks to the bugeye. Met
Donald Healey for the first time when the car was first shown in '84 on Cape
Cod. Ran like a train to Spritefest and Spriterush. Went to a big bash at
Peter Colgate's (factory Sprite driver in '59) during Healey Challenge at
Lime Rock in '90. And scores of rides to both my sons who've always loved to
ride along. Oh yeah, taught my oldest how to drive a stick in the bugeye
which he learned in 15 min. No lie!!
Gotta get back in the driver's seat again before I start gettin' kind of
misty.
Rick
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