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1965 VW March Hare: Rare Kit

1965 VW March Hare

To say the 70s saw a lot of different VW-based kit cars come to the market is a bit of an understatement. I’d never even heard of this one before Barn Finds reader Charles H. sent in the listing for a 1965 Volkswagen March Hare, listed on Hemmings for $15,995. It’s certainly a change of pace from your typical Meyers Manx, and this one at least has some engine goodies to give it some extra speed over your standard Beetle. Is it enough to deserve such a bold vanity plate? Only the driver will be able to verify that, but hopefully the aggressive staggered tire setup isn’t purely for show. This car appears to have been listed with a private seller earlier this year for under $12,000; now, it’s at a dealer with a slight cost adjustment. What would you pay for a rare kit car like the March Hare? And does it look like a Hot Wheels to you?

Comments

  1. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    I thought of the Rat Finks immediately when I saw this.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar AlphaRoaming.com

    A VW chassis shortened by 14 inches makes it the size of a Hot Wheels!

    Like 0
  3. Avatar VetteDude

    You know, if I had $15K I would buy this sucker in a heartbeat, so I could go out to the garage everday and say: “It looks like a…, It looks like a…, uh, a, uh…, uh…”
    Like Drew Barrymore in that picture where she wakes up everyday in a brand new world in Hawaii!
    Everyday, go out in the garage and well, it looks like a….

    Like 0
  4. Avatar JW454

    Now this is one cool little kit car. It looks like the build was done very well. I like it.

    Like 1
  5. Avatar William H

    Definitely an interesting kit car. If I could fit in it, I’d certainly drive it. I’m sure it’s a conversation starter at the very least.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Rick

    That had been listed on Samba for nearly a year at $12K. While relatively rare… doesn’t make it especially desirable. This particular one needs a thorough going over on the chassis. My god.. did they really hack the rear torsion plates off and just left the shocks? Shoddy welding on the floor pans.. what about the tunnel where all the strength is? Neat little car… start fresh with a pan that you know was done right.

    And gotta love the 6K redline for a VW engine… :-)

    Like 0
  7. Avatar JW454

    In the picture I saw, the torsion plates are there painted red. It still may need a going over but I believe they’re there.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Rick

    Just one, JW – it’s supporting the wheel hub assembly for the swing axle. There should be two; one next to the other. The mounting assembly for the outer plate looks like it’s been sawed or burned off… the absolute worst thing for a swingaxle VW…

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Imperialist1960

    This car beats a Bricklin at its own game of actually looking good in Orange.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar jim s

    at first glance it looks very nice but after looking at the pan i think it would need to be rebuilt using a new pan. either take this apart and start over or start from scratch. not sure which would be more costly. interesting find.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar francisco

    I wouldn’t want to spend too much time in those seats. They look cruel. No bolsters means lots of sliding around. No lumbar support means? – well, I guess I’m too old for this kind of fun.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Jim Edwards

    March Hare was designed, built, and manufactured by James B Edwards. There is a chapter about it in CABBAGES AND KINGS;carried by Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Rich Edwards

      I red line the tach at 5K, but it has slipped over that easily. The front beam and torsion springs were replaced, and it now has adjustable rear spring plates. The Chinese knock-off Webers were replaced with a kinda pricey EMPI kit. It isn’t as fast as my 455 cid Olds 442, but it is “quicker.”

      Like 0

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