We recently received a message from BF Auctions Alumni Tom B, also known as RedBaran, about his 1966 Volkswagen Beetle, which he won in September 2024. Reading his message put a massive smile on my face, so I just had to share it here on the site. I’ve included his message below in its entirety, so be sure to take a look!

Back in September of last year, I bid on and won a Barn Finds Auction for a 1966 Volkswagen Beetle.  After winning the auction, I arranged for the Beetle to be transported from Weehawken, NJ to Cary, NC, where I live.  The car arrived and was as advertised – very original, little rust, but definitely needing some love.

I started out by giving it a good wash, wax, and detailing.  Surprisingly, there is very little body rust, and the chassis is solid.  The seller told me the Beetle was originally from California, which undoubtedly contributed to its rust-free condition.  The car, as received, had been slammed, so I raised the rear suspension back to stock and started working on the front end before I realized the scope of work was beyond what I could do.  Luckily, there’s an air-cooled VW shop in my area, Hicks VW.  The owner, Bob Hicks, has worked on VWs for the last 50 years, and he runs the shop with his son and a couple of other individuals.  They were extremely patient and professional, and helped to bring my Beetle back to almost like-new condition.

The improvements made under my ownership include: updated front end (to restore the suspension to stock condition), rebuild/adjust all four drum brakes, adjust the parking break, replace shocks, replace the gas tank, replace the fuel line, add a generator (to convert to 12V), replace the heater boxes, tune the engine, replace the ignition switch, adjust the window mechanisms, perform a wheel alignment, and a host of other small items.

The Beetle runs extremely well and purrs like a cat!  I love how simple it is, there’s something unique and fun driving an old VW!  The car itself is very original and has a rare option of a mechanical sunroof.  I sent off to VW for a “birth certificate”, which revealed that the car was built on January 21st, 1966 in Emden, Germany, and delivered to a dealer in San Francisco on February 7th, 1966, which confirms what the seller told me.  The engine is the correct engine for the model year (1300cc), but I’m unable to determine for sure if it’s the original engine to the car. No matter, I love taking it out around town, and have enjoyed visiting my local cars and coffee meet-ups, and meeting other air-cooled VW enthusiasts. I’m also looking forward to tailgating in it at UNC Tarheel football games in the fall!

I was very happy with the entire Barn Finds Auction process and would recommend it to anyone interested in purchasing an old car.

Lastly, thanks for keeping Barn Finds fresh. I enjoy looking at your site daily.

Best regards,
Tom B

I want to personally thank Tom for sending us an update and for giving this Beetle a great home! The fact that Tom went to work and the expense of returning it to its original ride height suggest that he’s the right person for this Bug, and that’s our whole goal for Barn Finds Auctions. If you are a BF Alumni, we would love to see how your find is coming along.