Hi! My name's Geoff, and, like Danny, I'm a semi-lurker. I live and work
in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada (1 hour SE of Halifax near the Bay of
Fundy). I stopped at Carlisle back in May on the rainy Saturday & Sunday
(prior to most of the fun) while driving to Mississippi and was pleased to
have had the opportunity to put faces to the names of a few listers.
I was in university when I was looking for an affordable and practical car
to help me escape from my parents' clutches during the summers. I found a
'59 Bugeye for sale in Halifax and fell in love! It was not at all
practical but was obviously lots of fun (and that was really all that was
important at that time). The elderly Scottish gentleman who was selling it
had owned it for a number of years (he brought it with him across Canada
when he moved from British Columbia) and needed funds to help him finish
another lbc project. However, he was leaving the country for an extended
vacation the next day. I decided that I must have the car and called the
Scot that night, despite my father's advice (which came from experience -
he'd owned a Bugeye when he was at the same age). The only hitch was that
the car had to be picked up the next day from Halifax - 1 hour drive at
highway speeds - and my boss wouldn't give me any time off from work to do
so. Well, my father came through and volunteered to go and get it! I
realized then that he was a closet supporter of the purchase! I'll always
remember his reminiscences about the motorbikes roaring by deafeningly and
the extreme heat on his feet (the heater was on - not that it really
mattered) as he drove the Bugeye home on that warm summer day. :)
It didn't take long for the Bugeye to start acting up and after a few visits
to the local British repair guru I quickly realized that I was going to have
to learn to wield a wrench if I was going to be able to afford the car and
school, too - after all, the car was my daily driver during the summer.
After 10 years, too many new parts from M*** and VB (never having any
success locating used parts and not having the advantage of the wisdom of
the list - and Frank's opinions on various parts suppliers), and many
memorable drives, I now have another Bugeye which I drive as the first sits
awaiting a total rebuild, stripped of all its parts. I'm slowly collecting
used parts to assist with the rebuild and maintain the 2nd Bugeye. I am
optimistic that the rebuild won't take forever but it's already been a
couple of years and other things keep trying to become a higher priority!
This list has been an invaluable source of information and enjoyment. My
only regret is that I didn't find it sooner! Thank you all for your
contributions! I am confident that no purported Ferrari owner will ever be
able to sabotage this list! (those of you that are/were on the MG Midget
BBS list will know of what I speak).
For those of you that don't currently belong to a club, I recommend that you
join one. I knew several owners of L/lbc's when I purchased my Bugeye and
we started a generic British car club for the camaraderie (to drive, not
show). The club has spread to all of Nova Scotia and now has members from
several other provinces. This is a great way to get to know others who face
similar trials and tribulations; they likely know of sources for parts, even
if they don't share your marque, and the group is always up for a run!
Please know that I'm always lurking, hanging on every word, even if I don't
often make my presence known!
Geoff Muttart
gmuttart@mtdc.ns.ca
'59 & '61 Bugeyes
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