Starting our Bugeye Sprite reassembly with the rear end first

Update by Tim Suddard to the Austin-Healey Sprite project car
May 8, 2023 | Austin-Healey, Sprite, bugeye, Bugeye Sprite, Austin-Healey Sprite, Winner's Circle, Apple Hydraulics

Photography by Tim Suddard

We started reassembling our Bugeye at the back of the car. First thing to fit: the rear end.

Installation is quite simple. We just bolted our newly restored quarter-elliptic springs in place with new Grade 8 hardware sourced from B&B Fastener, our local fastener store.

Then we slid in our custom shims.

[How to make lowering wedges for a Bugeye Sprite]

While using a floor jack, we positioned our rear end into place and bolted it onto the trailing arms.

We then bolted our rebuilt heavy-duty shocks from Apple Hydraulics to the rear end.

We would still need to install the Panhard bar we sourced from The Winner’s Circle but we decided this would be easier once the car rolled and was on the lift.