1959 Austin Healey

BUGEYE Convertible

Unspecified

Unspecified

Clear

Gasoline

1959 AUSTIN-HEALEY BUGEYE SPRITE ROLLER There is a lot to be said for the joys of resurrecting a rotted shell – just think of the personal satisfaction, sense of accomplishment, the thousands of hours, and all the cash for replacement panels. Yes, a lot can be said, but for the most part it’s just a big heap of “not good” to put it mildly. If your restoration project has been going on and on for the better part of your lifetime, it may be time to look at an infinitely simpler, and more cost effective alternative! The solution is to just start with a pristine shell to begin with. This 1959 Bugeye is in remarkable condition, and is 95% ready for paint right now. If you had an interior kit, and the mechanicals ready to go, you could be on the road in weeks, rather than the additional years you are facing with your current shell. The shell is all steel, with a glass tilt front-end. Take a very close look at the pictures. I have never seen a glass nose that is built with the quality and fit that this one possesses. I don’t know who the manufacturer is (possibly Speedwell), but it is street-weight and superbly constructed, even down to the detail on the fending beading. The only way to tell its glass without flipping it open is the two tiny cam-locks on each side that secure it in the closed position. This was a long-ago started racecar project that obviously spent the majority of its life in someone garage. The welded-in roll cage is done right, but the roll bar (top hoop) has been removed from the cage. The pictures still show the bar, but it’s gone. It just ruins the look for a street car and makes fitting a top very difficult. The front hoop, door diagonals, and the rear cross supports are still there. They add some great rigidity to a shell design that’s not exactly a pillar of strength. In any event, it’s an easy job to get rid of it all if it’s not the look you’re after. The wheels and tires are just junk rollers. I have a set of modified lower control arms from a race car (adjustable camber & solid kingpin), disc brake hubs, splash shields, and a nice set of used calipers that will give you most of what you need to convert the front-end to disc brakes. It also comes with a re-pop grill, and a pair of decent original over-riders with brackets. It also has a complete set of aluminum cockpit surround trim, and the rear trim section has been modified to fit the cage. The pictures tell the entire story, so study them carefully. What is pictured is what you get – nothing more, nothing less (except the cockpit trim which is included, but not pictured). The condition of the front suspension, rear differential, etc. is unknown, (but it does have a brand new rear tube shock conversion kit installed) so consider that stuff as the means to hold-up the shell for transport. I did, however, remove the rear springs to replace the shackle bushings, and the inside of the spring perches still had the factory undercoating and there wasn’t so much as even a hint of surface rust inside! What you are primarily bidding on is the shell itself, so please bid accordingly. The shell comes with an open Colorado title. My original intent was to find a 1275 Sprite or Midget that was hit, or had good mechanicals with a terminal case of tin worm and transfer the parts to this shell. But, like many of us, I have too many projects ahead of this one, so I’m reluctantly offering this to some lucky Bugeye fan that has the time to put this one back on the road where it belongs. Don’t let this slip away. If you are a Bugeye aficionado you know the heartbreak of rotted sills, lower “A” panels, spring perches, floors, and worse! A shell in this condition fits into the “unobtainium” category, but has been priced with a very low reserve for what it is. Stop picking the flaking rust particles out of your eyeballs, and get your wife off your back by actually completing that project you began in the ‘70s! The winning bidder is responsible for all arrangements and costs involving shipping (I will help load if needed). Shell must be picked-up within fourteen (14) days after auction end. Deposit is due at the conclusion of the auction, without exception via Paypal ONLY. Full payment is due within seven (5) days of auction close via bank check or cash only. Shell will not be released until all funds have cleared my bank. I’m selling this shell AS IS, WHERE IS and without warranty of ANY KIND, including any implied warranty concerning fitness of use. A special note to Internet scammers … please feel free to contact me with various schemes on overpayments and shipping refunds, etc. The comedic value is priceless and very entertaining! Only YOU can determine if this body will work for your intended use, and as such, YOU must make the final purchase decision based on the personal knowledge you have of your project. If you need permission from your wife, your significant other, your kids, neighbor, clergyman, parole officer, medicine man, or imaginary friend, PLEASE get it BEFORE you bid. Other than that, thanks for taking the time to view this auction, and feel free to email any questions you may have!!!!