This week, we were allowed the bittersweet pleasure of saying goodbye to two Primrose yellow Bugeyes, as Barney and 552 were sent on their way to their new residences in Florida and Kentucky, respectively. These are two Bugeyes that share an exterior paint color, but otherwise could not be more different from each other.
Barney first came to us from Idaho a few years ago, and already had a ton of upgrades done to it, including a 1275 engine with roller rockers for improved performance, rib case transmission, front disc brakes, minilite wheels, rear tube shocks, and of course, the cockpit roll bar. In the time since it first came here, Barney also received a full re-wire, a custom dashboard with white stitching, new tires, new fuel system including a new fuel pump, tank, sender, and lines, improved reinforcement of the forward flip bonnet, and so much more.
Then, Mark purchased the car and had us put a few finishing touches on it, including a removable steering wheel kit with a wood-rim steering wheel, new rear brakes, seat repairs including new base foams, a custom white bikini top, aluminum radiator, LED lights, an air horn, and more in order to make it into the machine it is today. Barney is a mechanically well-sorted driver that Mark will be able to enjoy for a long time!
552, in contrast, is a Bugeye that was restored with Concours accuracy in mind. 552 was nationally judged in 2015 and was certified Concours gold at that time. Every detail on this car is correct to how the Austin Healey factory would have had it roll off the assembly line, down to the correct fasteners for the windshield stanchions, and even original Lucas sealed beam headlights! Before we sold the car, we even corrected some of the items we received points off for, and some correct items that had been undone by the previous owner for the sake of drivability, like swapping back to the correct bias ply whitewall tires.
After Michael purcased 552, he had us change a few things that will favor reliability and drivability, but can easily be undone in the event he wishes to return the car to its concours gold state. Among these are removing the bias ply whitewalls for radial whitewalls, changing out the original helmet-style battery cables for new modern-type cables, and adding LED tail and turn signal light bulbs. All of the parts we changed out were sent with the car upon departure, so its concours state can easily be restored should Michael wish to do so!
Both Barney and 552, despite their differences, share one thing in common: both cars have been upgraded, serviced, and vetted by Bugeyeguys, so both new owners can rest assured that their cars were done right. Looking for a Bugeye to add to your collection? Give us a call or check out our cars for sale by clicking here. Click the photos below to view a couple of Bugeyes in our current inventory, Pedro and Sage!
