I bought my Bugeyed Sprite, a 1960 model, in 1961. Why, I don't know! Mine had the fairly rare fibreglas hardtop which greatly improved the looks and warmth in Illinois winters. I worked in a small office only a few miles from home. Great little car for getting to work and back, even though central Illinois winters were not the best for such a little car.

I was already messing with old American cars, mostly attempting restoration and mild hot rodding so I did have a back up when the snow was headlight high! My first job but it didn't last more than six years. When the company moved to NY I refused to move. So I decided I'd sell life insurance. In reality I couldn't sell beer at a baseball game in July.

I soon realized those little 4-cyl high reving engines were not built for stop and go city driving. Had that poor little Sprite engine rebuilt twice. Still it didn't last. Ford was putting the new 289 in a small sports car. If they could do it I could too in my drive way using a large chisel, hammer, and hacksaw. Even back in the mid 60's I was a Chevy guy. So I bought a rebuilt 327/powerglide with 2-4 barrel carbs. A friend's dad had a portable welder so using masking tape, wooden shims. etc. I mocked up a square tube frame and in no time I was driving my little Chevy V-8 Sprite.
I swapped the 2-4 barrel set up for 3-2 barrels and drove the wheeels off that little maroon Sprite for several years before trading it for a 1933 Chevy.
Life was good in the 60's.

These were always 'frog-eye' Sprites on this side of the Atlantic...