Gumby is off to be painted now, and here is the car departing with welding complete. We flat-towed the car to the paint shop with an old fashioned tow bar. This is the car I have owned since 1979, that ultimately inspired bugeyeguy.com. I last restored it in 1980, so it’s due for new paint and interior as well as a fuel injection conversion so we can develop a long term test of that new innovation.
Of note is the original yellow crayon marking of Gumby’s BAE body number (BAE 14586) on the rear cargo shelf behind the passenger seat. Most cars have long since lost this original crayon, but it is nice to see it present on this car. This is the same number you see in the passenger door jamb, although it’s a bit hard to read because of old paint on the plate. I have covered over the crayon so it will live on under the new carpet after the repaint. Gumby was originally cherry red and will be repainted Aston Martin green.
Bugeye numbers can be confusing. There is a chassis number (for Gumby, it’s AN5L 14908) mounted under the carbs with the VIN number, as well as the stamping number in the left door jamb and the body number on the right jamb. We’ve seen cars titled with any one of these numbers! The correct number for your title is the chassis plate in the engine bay. We’ve also seen cars titled with the engine number from the block!
With modern cars, all these numbers match. But with Bugeyes, they are all in range. A British Motor Trust Heritage Certificate can help confirm the correct numbers for your car.
