Early Model Pair: ’62 + ’63 VW Beetles

If my experience selling cars and trucks out of the large collection of vehicles in Georgia has taught me anything, it’s that old aircooled VWs still command a following, even in project form. This pair of Bugs includes a ’62 and ’63 model, desirable in their own right for being a bit older with some of the nicer details lost on the later models. You will need to figure out new how to make them move under their own power, but that’s half the fun. Find the project pair here on eBay with bidding just under $2K at the moment. 

The Bugs are far from complete, but details like the chrome bumpers, glass headlights and smaller rear taillights are all far prettier than the later models with their overall fatter proportions. The seller notes that despite what you see here, all four fenders are included. The Bugs are located in Arkansas, which I’d give a 50/50 chance at there not being any floor rot.

Both Beetles have transmissions; one has no engine and the other has “some” of an engine. Regardless, that one is probably a boat anchor, so best just to start anew with a freshly built motor. The interiors are rough and show signs of mold/mildew/or just an awful lot of dirt. The driver’s seat looks salvageable, but the door panels do not. Window seals are pretty well shot, but there’s likely a replacement parts source for those.

Aircooled fanatics will tell you even parts Bugs like these can offer up all sorts of desirable trim; at least that’s what I’ve heard with inquiries around the Bug parts cars in Georgia. While it may looks pretty rotten to some of us, I’m sure our Beetle experts can tell us if there’s good value in this sad pair of Bugs just in parts alone. At close to $2K, there’s some real money being spent for what looks like a pair of Beetles with their best years behind them.