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Bugeye generator color

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Rut

Rut

Obi Wan
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My Horler is gone and mr google shows a variety of colors, mainly black and engine green. Which color is correct for a 1960 Bugeye?
Thanks, Rut
 
Rick,
Thanks, that’s the way I was leaning and I disassembled the generator and prepped it for paint. It’s a Bugeye with a 1275 and 5 speed and I’m trying not to have any glaringly wrong things visually that slap you in the face.
Thanks, Rut
 
My Generator on Bugsy IV is Black. New Alternator in Lucas Case is Black. Rut I also sent you a PM earlier today.
 
Rut,

I saw these on Facebook the other day, a bugeye belonging to Ben Kenion. As a former Sprite concours judge, I can tell you this is one of the most accurate cars I've seen in about 40 years:

25299246_10212909871514699_1190136274534877037_n.jpg
25348440_10212909870194666_3972690311041071572_n.jpg

25348478_10212909870154665_2318958318126465013_n.jpg
 
Looks pretty darn correct to me, Rick, but what about the heater valve? :rolleyes: Not a concourse guy but that one doesn't look right somehow.

Kurt.
 
nomad said:
Looks pretty darn correct to me, Rick, but what about the heater valve? :rolleyes: Not a concourse guy but that one doesn't look right somehow.

Kurt.
Click to expand...

Good question, Kurt. I don't have my references nearby, but I've always seen them in natural brass. It could be they were painted black at the factory, which would've peeled off quite quickly as soon as hot water started passing through the valve and the brass began to expand and contract.
 
Rick,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! That is exactly what I’m looking for and it answers other questions I was getting ready to post.
Thanks, Rut
 
Jim_Gruber said:
My Generator on Bugsy IV is Black. New Alternator in Lucas Case is Black. Rut I also sent you a PM earlier today.
Click to expand...
Jim,
Thanks, I responded to your pm earlier today.
Rut
 
IIRC the engines were painted with ancillaries like the generator installed - just a pass with the spray.
 
I've encountered quite a few of the early heater valves and they all had hand wheels like the old water valves we grew up with. Not a knurled hand wheel like that one. Not worth the trouble to look but just nit picking!

Kurt.
 
nomad said:
I've encountered quite a few of the early heater valves and they all had hand wheels like the old water valves we grew up with. Not a knurled hand wheel like that one. Not worth the trouble to look but just nit picking!

Kurt.
Click to expand...

Kurt,

You're right, the early cars did have the garden faucet style wheel, but they later changed to the one you see here. I'd have to check my parts manual to see the change point but I'm too lazy. BTW, this bugeye is a gold level concours car and the interior is a knockout with original rubber floor mats:

25399091_10212909870074663_5734477810082394558_n.jpg
 
John Kuzman in Cincinnati has a very fine BE also with Leaf Green mats. Those seem to have survived better than the other colors.
 
nomad said:
I've encountered quite a few of the early heater valves and they all had hand wheels like the old water valves we grew up with. Not a knurled hand wheel like that one. Not worth the trouble to look but just nit picking!

Kurt.
Click to expand...
My original heater valve was like the one pictured and I had a few from parts cars that varied in minor things like the knob and height. I rebuilt the original including a new seat cut, packing, and washer, but alas, it went up in the fire with all of the other restored parts. It was no more than a puddle of melted brass.
Rut
 
Wow, Rut, takes a pretty hot fire to melt brass! Maybe that one is original.

Rick, those floor mats alone ought to win that car every concourse! Was that car at the Sprite 50th at LOTO? I didn't stay at the hotel but seem to remember a very nice Concourse BE in the lobby. Don't remember now if it was leaf green or not.

Kurt
 
The Sprite in the lobby was Miss Agatha. It belonged to Jack Laird. He sold it a while back. I believe it went to someone on the East coast. I remember that it was very well done but I don't recall the color.
 
Miss Agatha was purchased by Bill Mayer and trailered in a rather interesting adventure from FL to San Diego, which involved needing to purchase a different Tow Vehicle along the way. Bill subsequently sold Miss Agatha to a woman from TX IIRC. Not sure if he has heard anything about Miss Agatha lately.
 
nomad said:
Wow, Rut, takes a pretty hot fire to melt brass! Maybe that one is original.


Kurt
Click to expand...
Kurt,
We were at the end of a 3 Mo drought and the pool house/shop was all V groove pine paneling. When the power came back on from the outage it started a fire in an outlet, the best that the fire investigators could figure out, but since all of the copper, aluminum, and brass was melted they couldn’t be 100% sure. The fire was so hot that it broke windows in the house, melted gutters and roof shingles, blinds inside the garage, engine stands, carbs, manifolds, SS headers, transmissions, etc. When the oxygen cylinders exploded it shook windows in the neighborhood and blew out a side wall. I had 2 Lincoln mig welders and it melted both of them! Have you ever seen magnesium wheels burn?
Rut
 
Wow, Rut, oxygen cylinders would probably add to the heat. Haven't seen magnesium wheels burn but the local welding shop went to weld a lawn mower deck once not knowing it was magnesium so the locals got to chuckle about it for a while! :highly_amused:

Seems that my poor memory puts the LOTO Sprite at leaf green or blue. Nice car.
 
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