What happened to my first Bugeye?

[bugimike]

I was going through old archives actually looking for Sprite literature for the Sprite Poject when I found a copy of the Pa. title for my first bugeye which I owned in 1966. The vin# is AN5L16691. It was a '58. The original factory color was black, but when I got rid of it, it was painted a Corvette bright metallic blue and had a broad, white racing stripe that flared aroung the grill. I sold it to a kid whose name was Dennis Pigg in a gas station in Terre Haute, Ind. in the summer of 1967 on the way home to Pa. from the SCCA Natls. that year at War Bonnet, OK. It was sold for a song due to massive engine failure! Cooked after running for hours on three cylinders. I have often wondered what ever happened to that car, and thought this would be the perfect place to try and track it down and see if someone knows the car and if it still survives.

 

[Atrus]

Can't you search DMV records for like $5 if you have the VIN? I thought you could, but I've never personally done it so I am not positive.

 

[jlaird]

The VIN lookups all require 17 didget numbers which of course we do not have.

 

[bugimike]

I was just hoping that since it was a bugeye, there was a long-shot chance that if it survived, the present owner might look here!

 

[Tim Hollister]

Mike,

Had a feeling of deja vu when I read your description above. I swear there was a Bugeye on eBay several months back (with pictures of it) that fits perfectly, ie., a bright blue with the wide white stripe flaring around the grill. I remember it because though I like racing stripes, the flare around the grill really didn't do anything for me.

I tried finding it on eBay by searching on closed listings but had no luck. The listings did not go back far enough.

Wish I could help more but this is all I know.

Tim

 

[msoylemez]

you sure it's a '58?

Mine is a confirmed '59 with VIN 13550
Mustafa

 

[bugimike]

I bought it off a car-lot in Jamestown, N.Y. in'65 and that's how they sold it to me. My '59 I presently have is AN5L13738, even though somewhere along the line, when registering it in N.J., where I purchased it some 20 years ago, the DVM person verifying documentation, read the rubbing off the ID plate wrong and my title, documents, registration etc. wound up with the # being ANL73738. According to my research, AN5 series only went to 50116!! It was easier to replace the ID plate rather than deal with the red tape trying to correct the error!!!

 

[Whitephrog]

For what it's worth. Bugeyes produced during 1959 had VIN numbers ranging from about AN5L 9000 to AN5L 30000. AN5L 16691 was produced in April or May 1959. AN5L 13550 was produced in April 1959. After January 1959 the factory colors available were Iris Blue, Leaf Green, Whitehall Beige, Old English White and Cherry Red. Prior to Feburary 1959 Speedwell Blue, Dark Green and Primrose Yellow had been available as factory colors as well.

 

[bugimike]

When was black offered as a color? I am pretty sure my first bugeye was black from the factory!

 

[ncbugeye]

My Bugeye AN5L8596 came off the line at Abingdon in Dec 1958, as confirmed by the British Heritage data. It was registered as a 1959 in the US.