BYE BYE BUGEYE?

Last week I got an email asking if I would sell my Portland-based Bugeye.   I don’t drive it much (although that applies to all my cars this year) and I own a second Bugeye garaged in Louisville, Kentucky, and I should probably go get it and bring it to Portland.  Therefore I named a price for the “Portland Bugeye” and the potential buyer is considering it.

I was meticulously detailed in describing all of the faults and less-than-great things about the car.  I know that goes completely against the culture of selling a car and that you’re supposed to withhold knowledge of faults – “under-disclose” them – and then after you’ve got the buyer’s money safely in your bank account and he complains, you’re supposed to pretend like you didn’t know about any imperfections.  At least that’s how it seems to work when I’m the buyer.

In photographing the car to show the potential buyer I was reminded of what a wonderful example it is.  The specs are great, too: 1275, 5-speed, factory hardtop, alternator, negative-ground, electric fuel pump, front discs.

The disclosure items are mostly the weird rasping noise that the gearbox makes for a moment when taking off in first gear, one leaf is broken on the driver’s side quarter elliptic spring, and the windscreen glass is only good.  After that, it’s pretty hard to fault.

In fully and accurately revealing the car’s faults I realize I have lost any chance of being inducted into the Lying Car Seller Club – I’ve dealt with plenty of them on cars I’ve bought – but I’ve been plagued with a conscience my whole life.   It’s a burden.