Mike,
Not planning any parade here, and I understand all the criteria necessary to
please the judges. Never the less, there exists out there, someone for whom
this motor trans combo will help tremendously.
As far as it's mechanical condition, a complete description of its history
by a very well known source, along with compression checks, and a leak down
test will determine the price that they'll be sold at.
WST
----- Original Message -----
From Mike MacLean
To: Wm. Severin Thompson
Cc: spridget list ; Healey list Forum
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 11:18 PM
Subject: Re: Bugeye gold
I hate to rain on your parade, but condition aside, the dates would have to
be correct on the radiator, generator, coil, etc. for a Gold level
restoration. By correct, I mean the month/yr stamped on these parts would
have to be very close to the production date. The generator and other
ancillary equipment on my 60 Bugeye all are 2/60 and my car was on the
assembly line in the last 4 days of Feb 1960 and the first couple days of
March 60. If the dates on this engine you have are too far off from the
production date of the prospective restoration subject, the best you could
hope for is a Bronze, maybe Silver, if they were feeling generous. You could
probably get Todd Clarke to stamp a correct engine number plate if you have
your Heritage Certificate for proof, but that will not be enough. Nice find
even though you can't be sure what condition the engine or trans are in
until you really run them. They might look great, but they might have been
pulled for a different reason. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but the judges
will be scrutinizing dates and other telltale things like the brass carb
dashpot covers. Early cars were plain, but later ones were changed by
shortening the plunger and marking the top with an "O" stamped into it.
There are many other telltale signs. What's to say the generator had not
been swapped out in the last 40 years? Gold level is tough and a straight
drop in might not help.
Mike MacLean-60 Sprite
"Wm. Severin Thompson" wrote:
Anyone out there doing a gold level restoration of a Bugeye? I've come
across a mint, stock, low mileage, complete 948 & smoothcase trans, stock
radiator, and front drum assembly.
All was removed from a low mileage CA car that was being transformed into a
hot street machine.
I've never seen such a clean engine... complete with generator, carbs, dist,
fan, wires... looks like you can drop it into a gold level car. (It's
cleaner than a 31,000 MKIII's engine I picked up this summer...)
The radiator is so clean and shiny, it looks like its been powdercoated...
but its not, just a clean unrestored original.
Pictures available for serious inquiries.
WST
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