{"id":6870,"date":"2020-07-02T08:36:45","date_gmt":"2020-07-02T08:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=6870"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:20:28","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:20:28","slug":"1972-bond-bug-project-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1972-bond-bug-project-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"1972 Bond Bug – Project Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plastic, as they say, is fantastic. Or at least it was in the 1970s UK car market. Okay, not plastic per se, as we are of course talking about fibreglass. But whatever, we wanted to use that opening line. Anyway, we digress. Let\u2019s get back to the car at hand, namely a 1972 Bond Bug.<\/p>\n

Project Profile<\/a> is apparently doubling up on the fibreglass content, as just last week we were doing our best to schmooze you into buying a rather lovely and incredibly brown Scimitar GTE<\/a>. But why wouldn\u2019t we, as classic car enthusiasts, be enthusiastic about the use of resin and shredded glass fibres? It doesn\u2019t rust. It\u2019s reasonably strong and as is evidenced by the quirky lines of the Bond Bug, you can mould it into all manner of unconventional shapes. It\u2019s a wonderful medium from which to build a car.<\/p>\n

\"Bond,<\/a><\/p>\n

Fibreglass was good enough for the legendary Chevrolet Corvette, the Lotus Elan, myriad TVRs, the Noble M12, the Talbot Matra Rancho and, um, the Renault Espace. All cars that have proven, time after time, that fibreglass is just as good as tin. So don\u2019t shirk away from the resin, embrace it. But don\u2019t go for one of those \u2018obvious\u2019 cars listed above. No, do it with this Bond Bug.<\/p>\n

What is it?<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s a 1972 Bond Bug is what it is. It\u2019s the car that Reliant wanted to make for a long time. Bosses were sure they needed a sporty, more youthful car in the model range. As such, they asked Ogle Design to pen something to fit the bill. This was back in the \u201860s. What Ogle came up with was the Rouge, a strange but bold little wedge of fibreglass that would utilise traditional Reliant mechanicals in a new and vibrant way.<\/p>\n

Sadly, the top brass at Reliant thought it was a little too strange and worried that such a car would damage the image of the Reliant brand. Honestly, we\u2019re not making this up. And because it was deemed too strange, the design was shelved. Until that is, Reliant bought out Bond in 1969. With this purchase, Reliant could build the Rouge, but under another name, thus distancing any risk from Reliant. They called in Tom Karen of Ogle Design to freshen up the lines, and the Bond Bug was born.<\/p>\n

Originally launched with a 700cc engine, this was later upped to 750cc. However, this particular Bond Bug is a veritable dragster, as it comes with an 850cc engine. This one would have been a 750cc when new, as it\u2019s a top of the line ES model. That means extra padding around the engine cowl, better seats, an ashtray, rubber front bumper, twin mud flaps and a spare wheel. Such dazzling luxury.<\/p>\n

Why is it a project?<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Well, as you can see from the pictures there is a level of reassembly required. This is a restoration that was started, but has a long way to go before it\u2019s to be considered finished. However, it\u2019s now in the refurbish and rebuild phase. The body has been separated from the replacement galvanized chassis, the Bug has been completely stripped and now it\u2019s ready for some love.<\/p>\n

The first thing it needs is paint. The original Reliant Tangerine Orange has long since seen better days, so a new coat is a must. Looking on the forums, it can be a hard colour to find. However, Ford\u2019s Vista Orange is more readily available and is a very close match. You\u2019d only notice the difference if you parked next to an original one, which is\u2026 unlikely.<\/p>\n

\"Bond,<\/a><\/p>\n

The interior needs to be fitted out again. The seller states the Bug comes with most of the fittings including the seat covers. However, they\u2019re more for use as templates than as something to be refitted. You\u2019re going to need an automotive trimmer to sort this. Though that said, the Bug is a simple design, so it could be worth having a go at yourself. What do you have to lose?<\/p>\n

The glass is all present, though the screen is cracked. Don\u2019t panic though, as it\u2019s just a flat piece of glass, so any decent glass supplier should be able to cut one for you.<\/p>\n

Then of course there are the mechanics and the electrics. You\u2019re more than likely going to have to build a new wiring loom, but given the car\u2019s simplicity, this should be no more complicated than wiring a plug. The body needs to be fixed to the chassis, the engine needs to be serviced and put back into commission and then, after all that, you\u2019re good to go. Oh, and you\u2019re probably going to have to join every Bond Bug club going to ensure you can get hold of any missing bits, but they\u2019re a helpful lot, so you\u2019ll be in good hands.<\/p>\n

Five things to look for:<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

1) Body<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Fibreglass doesn\u2019t rust, which is great. However, it can crack and break, which isn\u2019t good. Check for any damage of that sort, and also check for any aggressive surface cracking or blistering from sun damage, as you\u2019ll need a fibreglass specialist to sort it out.<\/p>\n

2) Trim<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The seller states that the Bond Bug is 90% there. However, before you commit, it\u2019s worth knowing what that 10% is. Is it going to be something that seriously holds up the project? Something incredibly rare or expensive?<\/p>\n

3) Chassis<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The seller says that this Bond Bug comes with a replacement chassis which is galvanized. This is of course good news. But even so, still check the condition of it. The body isn\u2019t bolted to it, so it\u2019ll be an easy inspection.<\/p>\n

4) Gearbox<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

There is no mention in the advert of a gearbox. Does it come with one, or is this something you\u2019re going to have to source?<\/p>\n

5) Engine<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The 850cc engine isn\u2019t original, so if that\u2019s what you\u2019re going for you\u2019ll need to find a 750cc unit. If you want the 850cc engine, check the condition of it, find out where it came from and how many miles it has done.<\/p>\n

What should you do with it?<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Bond Bugs<\/a> aren\u2019t exactly the last word in popularity, as such it would be a shame if it wasn\u2019t restored back to standard condition. It\u2019s one of those classics that was a bit bonkers and a bit off the wall, so really doesn\u2019t need to be changed too much from the designer\u2019s vision. If it were our money, we would build it back up to original specification, including a 750cc engine, and then enjoy it as is.<\/p>\n

\"Bond,<\/a><\/p>\n

If you wanted to think outside of the box though, the world is your oyster. The Bug is light, so it would make for a brilliant EV conversion, and its futuristic looks would certainly support such a powertrain. If you want to stick with internal combustion, it\u2019s not unheard of to put a high performance motorcycle engine under the nose. A Hayabusa engine, for example, would transform a Bond Bug<\/a> into a Bond Bullet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plastic, as they say, is fantastic. Or at least it was in the 1970s UK car market. Okay, not plastic per se, as we are of course talking about fibreglass….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":6871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[322],"tags":[15,110,43,1986,1122,12,13,11,2147,14,325,1699,2146,108,16],"yoast_head":"\n1972 Bond Bug - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fancy something cool and something very, very orange? How about something with only three wheels? 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