The 1960 Bugeye I bought for my 10-year-old son Bradley 18 months ago is finally home in the SCM garage.
When I bought this Bugeye, I accomplished two goals with one car.
First, I was paying a tribute to my own beginnings in sports cars. My first car was a Bugeye — purchased the day I turned 16 and got my license.
Although the car was only seven years old, it was thoroughly decrepit and barely worth the $30 I paid for it.
Second, the diminutive Austin-Healey would be Bradley’s car. He could claim it as his, and in turn, begin to learn some of the responsibilities and joys that go with car ownership.
I imagined him keeping a log detailing our trips. He would be responsible for checking the fluids and tire pressures. It would be another hobby — just like the computer coding, robotics and cross-country track he enjoys at school.
A child of the 21st century, Bradley has an iPhone, and we stay in touch by text. He has created his own YouTube channel, and he builds computer animations with his friends. These are just things kids do these days.
He’s overjoyed to have “Buggie” running again. He has started practicing shifting from the passenger’s seat. He is almost tall enough to reach the pedals (were the English that much shorter then?), so we’ll soon poke around in empty parking lots on the weekends — with him behind the wheel.
No projects, please
When I began looking for a car for him, I knew one thing for sure. Under no circumstances was I going to buy a project.
To no one’s surprise but mine, things haven’t turned out that way.
I found his car on eBay. It was located just 65 miles from Portland in White Salmon, WA. The owner was an enthusiastic collector and SCMer.
The Bugeye performed well enough on the test drive. While it had a race-tuned 948-cc engine with a lightened flywheel and refused to idle, I was sure all it needed was a minor tune-up.
I paid $13,000 on September 1, 2015, and drove it home to Portland on scenic Highway 14 through the Columbia River Gorge. That turned out to be the longest trip it would take in the ensuing 18 months.
Once home, we could never get the car to run properly.
I had forgotten — or had chosen to forget — my own mantra. To make any old car reliable, you have to go through it from stem to stern and renew or replace everything that wears through use.
These are 50-year-old cars, and most of them haven’t been properly maintained. Chip Starr of Race Car Resurrections took on the project. He rebuilt the spare 1,275-cc block, head and crank that came with the car.
Pistons with 9.2:1 compression, along with a mild cam, were fitted. The engine was balanced, and headers were added.
The suspension was rebuilt, and all the electrical systems and instruments were made to work properly.
Most of the parts were sourced from Moss Motors (www.mossmotors.com). They have been an invaluable resource.
I picked the Sprite up last week.
It’s a totally different car. It pulls strongly and has a great feel as it goes down the road.
All of the improvements to the Bugeye came to $13,000, making my total “investment” in the car $26,000.
Clearly, I’m deep underwater here. Similar cars are selling on Bring A Trailer for under $15,000. Would I have been better off buying a finished car for $26,000? Perhaps — if I found one locally with a professionally built engine and years of thoughtful, precise care.
However, once you start down the road of bringing an old car to life, there’s no way to stop until you are finished.
I’m aware that this is a very dangerous car in terms of surviving an accident. If you get hit hard, it’s over.
However, life is full of risks, and you can’t live in a bubble. I’ve made the decision that I will take Bradley in the car with me, and we’ll only drive on back roads. He will get to experience sitting in his own car, driving on back roads with his dad.
I hope I don’t come to regret this decision.
The Bugeye has cost me a bit more than a year’s tuition at The International School, where Bradley has been enrolled in the Spanish Immersion Program since age 4.
Each experience is an investment in his future, in a different way.
As a parent, your obligation is to encourage your child to have a variety of interests — and then assist him in turning those into valuable experiences. By doing this, you’re preparing your child for a full, rich life.
We’ll see you on the road, on Father’s Day. ♦