We’ve seen the scenario more than once of a car undergoing some major phase of work or restoration, only to be left to sit shortly thereafter. Sometimes, it’s truly a tragedy, where the owner had a life-altering event after years spent restoring a vehicle. More often than not, it’s a simple case of a major repair gone wrong and the owner losing patience and/or interest in the project going any further. In the case of this 1974 Volkswagen Beetle convertible, the engine was rebuilt in 2007 and then the Bug was parked that same year until being dragged out just recently. Fortunately, this one still runs and drives, so the rebuild was presumably done to a fair standard. Find the Beetle here on craigslist for $5,500.
The Beetle has some telltale signs of being a well-loved project at one time, most notable these desirable period seats which are almost certainly Recaros or Flo-Fits. The duct tape is a shame, but at least the previous owner tried to keep the seat foam from spilling out. If this Beetle had some attractive, period-correct wheels and was lowered a bit, it’d look absolutely killer, with these seats the finishing touch. Of course, if you wanted to bring this Beetle back to 100 percent factory spec, selling the seats makes good sense, especially since intact Recaros and other period sport seats are trading in the neighborhood of $800 for a good set of restorable buckets. Sadly, the seller notes the interior needs cleaning as it smells like “…field mice,” so the seats may not be as desirable as once thought.
Seeing as the Beetle still runs and drives after sitting since 2007 may indicate the engine rebuild was done to a fair standard. It appears complete with no major components missing, but the seller doesn’t disclose whether it remains numbers matching. The brakes and transmission apparently all still work as well, with no other issues disclosed pertaining to operating condition. The Beetle is one of those cars that almost instantly drives more interest for being a convertible, despite it being the opposite scenario for most other cars. Perhaps being a fairly non-sporting vehicle has a lot to do with it, as you’re not missing out on any performance advantages for the lack of a roof.
The orange paint is a wonderful shade for a Beetle, and like the 914 we featured a short time ago, it absolutely make a difference in terms of desirability. Air-cooled VW fans love a car in the right colors, as the more sedate tones tend to be written off as a vehicle you can find at practically any point if you decide you need a Bug or a Bus in your life. An orange Beetle convertible, lowered on some polished steel wheels with Porsche hubcaps, is my idea of a very good time. Assuming the mouse smell isn’t too potent, this looks like a fun project to bring back to life. Would you clean it up and drive it, or restore it back to factory specs?
Nothing smells better than farm fresh mice droppings in a car. It makes the wretch a perfect sate car even with top down.
I say yank out interior and bleach it down.
Check heater channels, clean around engine under hood etc etc
I remember my dads old convertible stored inna pole barn and man was it nasty with lil pellets from mice. I disassembled the inside and trunk and finally wiped up the mice spread / smear and lil poop everywhere. It was rough….
This was a weekend choir… then lil sections for the next two weeks….
Looks like s nice punch buggy to restore.
Too much for what it is. And getting rid of the mouse smell probably means gutting the interior. Ask me how I know….
On second thought, please don’t ask me. It was disgusting and expensive.
Shame nobody cares about the Beetle Bug anymore. There was one last summer in my little town, just like this, only much nicer, they had $17g’s on the window, and I think it sold. Before I had this Jeep thing a going, and considered traveling around Colorado, I thought of a VW Bug, and a ragtop would be nice. We have like 287 days of sunshine here a year. But, driving in this under-highwayed state, where dually Rams are on your tail almost from the get-go, I decided, see one mountain, seen them all, a VW would be lost and I’m sticking close to home with a Jeep. Nice find, I think one of the most refined old style Bugs.
Some of us still care, Howard. Just not for this one for $5500. The pans appear ok, but it’ll need a complete interior redo, heat exchangers, and a total top replacement. Then there’s the rot in the quarters. A weekend ACVW guy can get a lot of that done himself, but the top’s a pro job, as there should be a headliner as well. Also, if any of the *wooden* bows are shot, we’re talking bucks. Then the talk about the suspension. Lowering these cars (Supers) the right way isn’t all that easy, or cheap. I’m thinking $2500-3000 to start, plus at least $5000 more to get her acceptably nice.
Add up what it would cost to make it nice. Spend that on a nice one. Done. There is no shortage of Super beetles. They are not a strong investment.
I wonder why these cars didn’t get 13″ wheels like many other small cars back then – even the mustang originally got 13″ wheels & even with the v8!
I still can’t believe they got 15″ wheels! Don’t they add a lot of weight?
I would think a 13″ would speed up the car from a standing start, if such a wheel can be fitted.
Not a good fit between the 2 side windows.
I could just cry when I think of the ’74 S. Beetle convertible I had in 2014, it was absolutely rust free and solid as a rock. I had owned it since 1998. It did need an engine rebuild, but I was moving from a single family house to an apartment and had 3 other cars, including an ’85 Westfalia Vanagon, and something had to go. I let that Beetle go for $2200.00. Damn!
Was the duct tape driver’s seat an option in ’76? Anybody know?
$5 large for this? I’m thinking good luck with that idea.
I let a bay window bus go for £500 to a mate, saying he would sell back to me for the same money if he ever sold… he did sell, for the same money, to someone else… got it for a song. Later sold on eBay for £14000.
You can see mine on the day I got it, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-24291571 the blue n while one Paul Anderson.
To many negative comments. Put a dish of raw cut unions in the car for a week with windows closed and the rat smell is gone. The interior needs to be redone regardless so get rid of that first. Restore to original and watch it appreciate.