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Posted by: rick 918-S May 9 2006, 12:45 AM

59 days to the WCC "06" No heads yet. I'm not too worried yet. I can complete the Alien Resurection in a week. So My friend needed a hood for his Beetle. While I was building my garage I put a really nice one up in the loft. I never put the stairs in to the loft. So the hood was too big to get down through the small access hole I left. One thing lead to another... I had to build a stairway to get to the hood.


Well We got the hood down now anyway.


Then, some of you know Sandy was looking for a summer car to replace the Titan. She doesn't need to drive that big gas sucker all week to work. We missed the So Cal 914 by about 4 hours. We checked out another car in Mich. By then she was over 914's....

She spotted a Bugeye ad, and off we went with the trailer. This is a true Barn Find. The P.O. bought this car as you see it 10 years ago. It was sitting in a wrecking yard with a bunch of Caddy's. He moved to his Barn and never looked in the corner again.

Here's her new ride! 1959 Austin Healey Bugeye, It looks tough but it's all surface rusted. No holes or issues with the pan.

I just bought a Suzuki Swift 16V DOHC engine and a Samuri 5 speed trans. I may run Solexs on it. It's only 1300 cc's. The car will be stripped and sand blasted over the next two weeks. More photos to come.


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Posted by: So.Cal.914 May 9 2006, 12:50 AM

Sence I Was a young man I have always loved those cars. It was between the

"Bugeye" and a TD, so I got the 914. Nice find.

Posted by: VegasRacer May 9 2006, 04:04 AM

Very nice. You have my approval.

Congrats Sandy. <---(the closest I could find for a Bugeye smilie)

Posted by: Jeroen May 9 2006, 04:25 AM

nice score!

Posted by: rick 918-S May 9 2006, 02:26 PM

She asked my to take her picture with the car. I think she likes this one.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Jun 12 2006, 08:26 AM

Here's an update if your interested...


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Posted by: rick 918-S Jun 12 2006, 08:32 AM

Someone cut the curve off the front and rear of the quarters and rockers. I'm putting them back on. Here's how....


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Posted by: rick 918-S Jun 12 2006, 08:37 AM

Finshed the right rear. BTW: still no heads, all my fault..


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Posted by: olav Jun 12 2006, 08:56 AM

Looking good.

Keep the progress coming.

What kind of rear suspension does that beast have?

Posted by: Aaron Cox Jun 12 2006, 09:17 AM

archaic

Posted by: Mrs. K Jun 12 2006, 10:50 AM

Congrats Sandy!

And nice job there Rich!

Lisa

Posted by: rick 918-S Jun 12 2006, 05:51 PM

Posted by: lapuwali Jun 12 2006, 06:17 PM

Assuming it's at all stock, it will have quarter elliptic springs (i.e., one set of leaf springs, cut in half, with the square end bolted to the tub, and the "pointy" end bolted to the axle), which perform all lateral and longitudinal location. Lever-arm shocks. Very simple, with generally awful geometry. Archaic is a good description.

Posted by: rick 918-S Jun 13 2006, 12:35 AM

Some of you may have wondered how this is done. Here's a couple more from tonight.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Jun 13 2006, 12:37 AM

pattern


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Posted by: MJHanna Jun 13 2006, 05:56 AM

any reason why someone would do that to the fenders? to get larger tires under it?

Posted by: Howard Jun 13 2006, 09:22 AM

Rick, as always, beautiful work. Love your industrial jack stands

Posted by: rick 918-S Jun 14 2006, 11:51 PM

Finished the right side, on the the left. This is about 10 hrs of work stretched out over 4 evenings give or take. The repair pieces are butt welded.


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Posted by: Aaron Cox Jun 14 2006, 11:55 PM

rick... why the suzuki motor?

wouldnt the OE motor help with value and resale?

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Jun 15 2006, 06:31 AM

I was reading this thread and thinking about all the MGs that I see around where I live. Comming back to the store the other day I asked Erin if she would like one. I'd always thought she would look great in a little brit sports car.

She turned me down. Flat. I was stunned.

Oh well, maybe when she sees how nice my 914 is gunna be.
(or maybe she sees the mess that my 914 is now....)

Zach

Posted by: tdgray Jun 15 2006, 06:39 AM

I'm guessing that she might want to actually drive with more than 60HP

I love my MGA but... higways are completely off limits. Crusing at 3500 - 4000 RPM to do 60-65 when your redline is 5200 is not something you want to do for more than a few minutes at a time (especially with a 46 year old never rebuilt motor).

The sierra 5 speed conversion is also a popular conversion for the MG's as well... people sell kits to work with the stock motor.

Posted by: mudfoot76 Jun 15 2006, 07:55 AM

It isn't so much the 60HP, but the driving aspect, I would imagine. The Suzuki motor doesn't have any vintage Lucas components.

Beautiful car though - I could see how she picked it over a 914.

Posted by: rick 918-S Jun 15 2006, 08:17 AM

This car came with a 948 cc motor (I think 40 hp) and a 4 sp trans. The trans was filled with water and is completely seized, and the engine is of unknown condition.

I rebuilt a 5 main 1800 cc for her MGA once. it ran fine but like others said, 55 mph was it. It was unpredictable, and unreliable for her as a daily commuter car. She never drove it, ever! The only time she would go anywhere in it is if I drove her. I have my own cars to drive.

A couple of reasons I picked the Swift motor. First is parts availability.

Second is it looks like a lotus twin cam motor. (staying with the British look anyway)

Third is it has 100 hp. The Samurai 5 speed is a direct bolt on, which gives the car overdrive with a high reving import motor. This should make the car very drivable for weekend trips.

I've since thought about carbs over injection. I'm going to modify the stock intake to fit within the confines of the engine bay and stay with the stock injection. I may move to MS as an easy way to get a tune-able system. This will make it much easier for sandy to start and run it after work.

If your interested I'll post more photos as I work on it. I know it's not a 914 but I havn't found a stateside Healey board with real traffic. And I know some of you guys are as nuts as I am.

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Jun 15 2006, 09:38 AM

You better keep updating the thread! I love reading this stuff. It keeps me intrested in working on my car. :-)

Zach

Posted by: tdgray Jun 15 2006, 09:44 AM

Ya know all this bashing of Lucas electrics... I have NEVER, EVER had a problem with my MGA. I have driven through horrendous rain storms etc and not one hitch.

Crap my JVC CD player died in the last rain storm but the car never quit.

Posted by: mudfoot76 Jun 15 2006, 12:20 PM

I don't doubt that there were/are owners who never had problems with their British cars. However in my personal experience, these cars have always been problematic. Growing up, my parents had an MG Miget, and that was frequently having problems. I got my first taste of wrenching on cars from "helping" my Dad out working on that thing. I learned how push starting worked from that car. The top never leaked, but it had plenty of other problems.

Everybody that I know personally who has owned a classic British car at any point in their lives has similar tales of woe, from fires, to receiving shocks when operating switches (in one instance, a brand new Spitfire that had a short in the electric overdrive switch), to leaky windows, carbs that never quite worked right, etc...

But like I said, I don't doubt that some people had perfect experiences. And in spite of the reputations for being trouble, I still think the old Jags, MGs, Healeys, etc look great and I'd love to have one.

Posted by: rick 918-S Jul 28 2006, 09:46 PM

I've been working on the Healey. If it ever cools down I'm ready to paint the shell. The bonnet and doors are still in need of work. But if I get the shell in paint the interior, wiring and motor and trans can go in.


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Posted by: tdgray Jul 29 2006, 08:11 AM

Damn Rick... you do amazing body work.

That would have taken me four times as long and would not have looked 1/4 as good.

Stay in touch buddy.

Posted by: rick 918-S Jul 29 2006, 09:00 AM

Thanks man, Sandy wants the car this year. (yes dear...) I'm in a time crunch. My job may pull me away at any minute. So I'm jamming to knock it out. I'll probably be gone again for awhile. But not gone...

Posted by: Joe Sharp Jul 29 2006, 09:52 AM

Rick, I once thought I saw a picture of a 100S in your shop. Missed you guys at the WCC.
:PERMAGRIN: Joe

Posted by: Bleyseng Jul 29 2006, 09:53 AM

Here is a nice "Bug" that was at the PIR Historics/WCC06 event.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Jul 29 2006, 11:35 PM

Yep, I have a 1954 Austin Healey 100-4 project car. I was going to do it stock but I changed my mind. I think I'm going to do a Rover V8.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Jul 29 2006, 11:36 PM

Dood!

Posted by: Flat VW Jul 29 2006, 11:38 PM

WOW!

What a sharp car!

John

Posted by: rick 918-S Aug 5 2006, 04:12 PM

Painted the rear shell today.


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Posted by: drewvw Aug 5 2006, 04:24 PM

looks great. My family has a '60 bugeye thats old english white....original for the most part and unrestored. Great little car. Its on my blog

I am jealous of the 100-4..would love to have one of those.


I need to show thsese pics to my dad...

Posted by: JPB Aug 5 2006, 06:06 PM

My mom lived with a dude who had a white one. It was a very cool little car. I see you removed the fender splices on the top of the fenders or at least looks like you did. Nice work and will be alot of fun with 100 HPs.


Their Lotus engines were very unreliable, good choice with the new toy motor.

Posted by: wbergtho Aug 5 2006, 06:12 PM

Rick,

I cannot say on this forum what I do while waiting for my head...suffice to say it is embarassing

Posted by: Toast Aug 5 2006, 10:22 PM

Looking good Sandy!

Nice job Rick!

Posted by: GWN7 Aug 20 2006, 06:43 PM

Rick,

this was at the same garage I picked up the Westy from last week.....59 all original ..... needs paint, it's in SE Iowa. The owner was driving it away and it sounded good...


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Posted by: rick 918-S Sep 5 2006, 10:34 PM

For those interested, Here's an update. I set the Suzuki Swift motor and Samurai 5sp into the Bugeye. No mounts yet. Here are a couple of photos of the intake mod.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Sep 5 2006, 10:43 PM

In the first photo you can see the intake flange cut off the manifold. The intake is a ram horn design. The ram tubes curled down in the swift. It would not fit into the Bugeye that way. I modified the intake so the ram tubes curl up and the throttle body faces forward.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Sep 5 2006, 10:44 PM

one more


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Posted by: tdgray Sep 6 2006, 06:58 AM

AWESOME Rick... you are the MAN

Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 24 2006, 12:12 AM

Now that the site is back up I have an update coming soon.

Posted by: McMark Dec 24 2006, 02:40 AM

Looking forward to the new pics, Rick! I wanna see the welding on that intake.

Posted by: rhodyguy Dec 24 2006, 08:52 AM

are you going to use a extrusion type process to clean up the welds on the interior runner sufaces? i still think the seeing the usa from the business end of a paint gun is a good idea.

k

Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 10:50 AM

I'm going to Gas weld it. I'm still out of practice. Back in the day that's all I had was torches before mig welders were common. I don't have a tig, so.... I've been practicing off and on for a week.

Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 10:52 AM

Nothing as high tec as the extrude hone, more like a die grinder. I would love to be a traveling body shop assistant. But I'm not sure the wife would go for that..

Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 10:59 AM

The mounts are done on the Healey and I just received the mandrel bent tubing for the header I need to build. I was going to run the stock exhaust manifold but when I took it off I discovered it was cracked.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:00 AM

Mounts


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:01 AM

mount


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:07 AM

Here's the newest project. I'm repairing a 1970 280 SL for a friend of mine. It had a very poor installation for the front sheet metal probably 25 years ago. It was brazed on and the metal oxidized from the heat and dissimaler metal. Storage caused some pretty serious rust damage.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:11 AM

I needed to save the fenders as I removed the one piece fender to fender assembly. I will be replacing the inner wheel houses and the upper rails.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:14 AM

We have several new parts on order. While I'm waiting for them to arrive I'm repairing some of the smaller sections. Here's how you make a rear valance panel from scratch.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:15 AM

#2


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:16 AM

#3


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:28 AM

#4


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:28 AM

#5


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:29 AM

#6


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:31 AM

#7


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:32 AM

Near done but needs some tweeking. That's it for now.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 11:37 AM

Oh ya, one more. fitting the corner to the quarter panel.


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Posted by: Andyrew Dec 26 2006, 12:28 PM

That is some NICE metal work!!!

Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 26 2006, 09:20 PM

Thanks, I'm still working on it.

Posted by: rich brennick Dec 27 2006, 07:26 AM

Aha; there you are!
Merry XMas to the Ollah's!
From the Brennick's/ Michigan.

You do nice work, Rick.
Because your thread is a WOT "collage," I'll throw up one pic
of my OT welding project car:
82 VW Rabbit Pickup- Diesel
16 internal welded patch panels on original paint- YUK!
Rotten 'lil tramp...

I'll take a pic shortly, if you don't mind.
Regards,
Rich B

Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 27 2006, 08:11 AM

Hey Rich! Happy Holiday's Buddy! Post away!

Posted by: michel richard Dec 27 2006, 12:53 PM

Just noticed this thread. I agree, awesome metalworking !

And FWIW, I agree that a bugeye and a 914 are a good combo:




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Posted by: rich brennick Dec 27 2006, 04:27 PM

On welding topic only;
Numerous floor pan, inner fenders. front struts and lower control arm welded patches, BUT, I've managed to save the OEM paint.
I think I'll use the box for hauling "you-know-what" from the curious on-lookers in the pic!
That's it; good luck on your project(s), Rick!
RB


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Posted by: rick 918-S Mar 10 2008, 09:16 PM

Dug this thread out of the depths. Still working on the Shealey. Marks914 just did a tach conversion from the old cable drive style to a modern electric guts. Looks stock.

Then Here's the header I made and the rats nest wiring. I started sorting the rats nest out but got a call to work for a month or so.


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Posted by: michaelt55 Mar 11 2008, 10:48 AM

man...you do great work.....very impressive..

Michael

Posted by: scotty b Mar 11 2008, 06:45 PM

I got to looking at a Healey we did a month ago. That car without the front clip would make a KILLER rod.. I was thinking about removing the clip, making a tube frame for the front end, Ford grill with supports and a flathead. Bitching roadster

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 12 2008, 01:49 AM

Rick---

You're my hero!

I would kill to get a bugeye or healey.

My MR2 has some rust, I may ask you some Qs about that.

Posted by: rick 918-S Mar 12 2008, 04:48 AM

Hi Britt! Nice to see you posting!

Posted by: Root_Werks Mar 12 2008, 07:53 AM

Rick, I always love checking up on your threads. Very cool projects! Thanks so much for sharing them with the group!

Posted by: Cupomeat Aug 6 2012, 04:20 PM

How did this Healy turn out?

Posted by: rick 918-S Aug 6 2012, 07:52 PM

OMG! I just realized this project and the Mercedes are 7 yrs long! Add the Ravenna car to that list of incomplete projects. I'm coming to the realization that my track record sux!

The Healey got pushed aside for a quick Ravenna 914 rebuild that turned into a Dirkwright project. Hey while your at it, let's rebuild everything! As a storm claims guy I work 7 days a week without any time off unless I just stop working and let things pile up behind me. So now that my stinkin job has consumed another year of my life both of them remain unfinished.

The good news, Claims are slowing just in time to give the Alien a once over for the trip to RRC... I hope. My goal is to not have to bring work with me and do it in the hotel while my friends party. Rant off.