Talk about eternal, it’s hard to imagine a more universally recognized design than the Volkswagen Type I, also known colloquially, as the Beetle. Introduced in 1938 and produced through 2003, the VW Beetle had an immeasurable impact on worldwide motoring, an impact so significant that the “Bug” owns the pole position for production with 25M units produced over its 66-year run. Today’s Type 1 subject is located in Lutz, Florida and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $1,631 with fourteen bids tendered so far.
The seller states, “This was a project Bug that the previous owner started taking apart to do a full restore but never got to fully start it, so it was lightly put back together”. Lightly put back together, that’s a good one that I’ll have to remember. He further elaborates by stating that some parts like the front fenders are “lightly on“. It appears that somewhere in its past, this bug was repainted and the finish is afflicted with, “scratches, blemishes, nicks, rust, chips, etc.“. The headlight bezels are missing, along with the driver’s side running board and the wheels are a bit scruffy looking, but all in all, the exterior presents reasonably well. There are 144 images included in the listing, many of the underside, which looks sound and is without rust.
Under the bonnet is a non-running, 58 HP, 1600 CC, flat four-cylinder engine, connected to a four-speed manual transaxle. The seller states that the engine will turnover by hand so it doesn’t sound like it’s seized. The seller adds, “It does roll when pushed, but it does take two people to steer the front wheels as they are not connected together and neither is the steering” and the images of the underside bear out the seller’s claim. Some of the steering components look like non-OEM replacements, possibly purchased from EMPI based on the quarter window decal, and it is all, definitely, not connected.
The interior is a bit rough, specifically the seats. The covers look OK but what’s underneath doesn’t as they are pretty rumpy looking. The rubber floor mat(s) are missing, as is the radio, and the headliner has seen better days. The odometer reads 80K miles but that may or may not be the true mileage reading.
The beetle enjoyed significant production in ’73 as a total of 1,206,000 rolled off of various assembly lines with about 800K originating from Germany. It wasn’t a high water mark but it wasn’t far from it. The bad news is that tastes were changing and the Beetle, in spite of the ’71 introduction of the Super Beetle, was getting long in the tooth. Production dropped to 791K in ’74 and continued significantly downward from there. July of 2003 was the end of the road for the Beetle as production at their Puebla, Mexico assembly plant ceased then. Coincidentally, I was in Mexico that week and it was huge news all over the country, seemingly more so for the loss of the Bug than the loss of the jobs.
As the seller suggests, this is a project and will require an assemble-it-yourself effort. And that can be a challenge as you never know with certainty if you have everything that you need and, it what’s there such as the engine, is salvageable. Of course, at its current bid, it will probably be a pretty reasonable outlay. What do you think, worth taking a chance?
I like these, but I wouldn’t pay too much for a basket case.
I think I blew it a few days ago when a same year beetle appeared on local FB marketplace for 2K with one single picture of it sitting under a carport, complete and looking good in light blue. Came back to it a couple of hours later and it was “pending”. Pardon me while I kick myself.
How to make someone’s nightmare your own.
Body’s straight, you can get engines practically by the six-pack, at the asking price, I’d give it a go! At least get a tidy driver out of it.
Definitely. Would like to get another bug, but the cost of transportation from the sunshine state to the left coast would put the total amount to a decent driver. I’m going to put that several Ks into my Henry.
Looks like an easy project. Owner was probably going to “Cal-Look” it. If wife would let me, it’d be in my garage tomorrow.
Who hasn’t owned (or at least ridden in a Bug)? I had 2, one I bought for $300 and drove during my college years. My classmate whom I bought it from hated to sell it because he said it was a turd. 2 winters with no heat (did ANY of them have heat?) and a $50 Earl Scheib paint job to cover up the rust got me to and from every day. God, I miss that little ride.
I also had two. A 61 and later a new 71. Very cool and like nothing else.