One of the points I hope to never get to on my projects is to have a vehicle completely disassembled in the garage and then….give up. Not only is the frustration over an unfinished project fairly huge, but then stepping over its disheveled remains has got to get old really quick. The seller of this 1966 Volkswagen Beetle convertible here on eBay admits time and interest are gone, and the Beetle needs to find a new home. It’s listed with a $2,500 Buy-It-Now.
To his credit, the disassembly process happened within the confines of the garage, which must have been a challenge. That said, staring a project of this scale down every day and knowing you’re not going to finish it has to be a lousy feeling. The seller says it was found in a field several years ago, and then stripped down in hopes of a full restoration. If you’re looking for spares for a project like this, be sure to check out the large Georgia collection we’re helping to market – plenty of Beetle parts cars to choose from.
Of course, based on the listing details, the seller may not need the help: “Everything is included and organized, extra body panels, multiple engines, full drivetrain, etc.” While the extra parts are helpful, long-distance buyers have to consider the nuisance of shipping a body, pan, and tons of parts. The Subaru XT6 I sold last year was loaded to the gills with spare parts, including an entire transmission, in the limited trunk space and backseat. It was a bear to get that thing loaded for transport, so hopefully, the seller is motivated enough to pack it all up.
It would appear the floors need some work, and with plenty of good pans available, it may make more sense to swap everything over. Of course, if you’re handy with a welder, these are not terribly difficult vehicles to put new floors in. The price seems fair for the ask, and the earlier Beetle convertibles are so damn pretty when finished. I’d love to see it with a two-tone paint job; which color scheme would you choose?
The sharpest old Beetle I’ve ever seen had black fenders with a sort of putty colored body so maybe that or a pale yellow – pale green combination. 2 tone definitely, something a bit muted. Hopefully this little fella finds a home with someone familiar with the breed & has a future back on the road.
I always thought a beige body with glossy, dark brown fenders/accents/top would be amazing.
Nothing like a box of bolts and parts for a life size model kit.
It’s priced right at least
I have built VWs many times sbd they are a simple construct at least to build .
They are summer cars as the heat channels don’t work very well or defrost
I read somewhere that the heat exchangers and such were made out of wax coated cardboard – not very durable. So, after a few years, they’d be rotted away and the heat/defrost wouldn’t work unless you went through the measures to replace the cardboard. Based on your, or anyone else’s ACVW experience, is that true?
No, not even close. Channels and exchangers were sheet metal. The channel downfall was the humidity in the cooler weather – the farther from the engine, the more the water condensed on short trips, so they rotted from the inside out. The heaters actually worked pretty well if the system was kept up.. I was able to keep very warm in one of my cars.
Nope. Only car I ever owned (out of 150) with cardboard duct was a ’59 Mercedes!
Thanks for setting me straight! Knowledge spreads through experience!
Umm-VW’s do have a fibrous/cardboard flex tube which connects the heater channels to the dashboard..
Two tone paint? Small car like that, mauve and violet, black top and interior.