This 1956 Volkswagen Beetle is a desirable oval window example that remains surprisingly solid despite years of being off the road. The oval window Beetles are among the earliest cars found in the U.S. with the split rear windows being the oldest and most sought-after. The seller’s car has supposedly been in storage for nearly 50 years and thankfully, the storage arrangements appear to have been quite dry. The engine is not original and the interior will need restoration but it looks like the bodywork needs won’t be too overbearing. Find the Beetle here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $18,995 and the option to submit a best offer.
The back window makes all the difference when it comes to assigning values for air-cooled Volkswagens, and while it may seem like a small detail, you quickly realize how few of these are left if you ever set out to find one. The seller’s car looks largely original, and while there’s no way of knowing for sure if this is factory paint, it at least looks the part from a condition standpoint. It’s not too clean or shiny, but also not so far gone you’d be embarrassed to drive it as-is. The seller claims the only real rust to worry about is at the ends of the heater channels and in the battery tray, both of which are common fault areas.
The engine does run, with the listing noting that once the Beetle was extracted, a new battery and gas tank were installed along with fresh brakes and it was able to start up and drive under its own power. Obviously, this does not mean it’s ready yet for the open road, but it’s a very encouraging sign for a car that’s sat as long as this one has. The engine is not original with the seller noting the date coding indicates it’s from the 1960s. The engine bay is clean and it certainly appears that the replacement engine was installed cleanly. The pan and body, however, are numbers matching.
The interior isn’t bad but I can see why the seller recommends restoring it if you’re looking for a near-mint cockpit when all is said and done. To me, I’d leave the exterior alone and focus on refreshing the interior with cardinal red seating surfaces and matching door panels. However, the smart money is on keeping the colors the same and simply putting in new carpeting and fresh upholstery and leaving the rest alone. The one thing I would spend money on? The original bullet-style turn signals have been removed and filled on, and I’d spend the dough to bring those back in a hurry.
Nice car. I’d be surprised if most Beetles those days had their original engines as it was cheaper to just buy another engine than have one rebuilt.
Only lasting 40-70,000 miles depending on highway or town driving. Over heating of ? Number 3 cylinder? Because of the oil cooler. If you pulled that and hid one behoove the cooling fan intake the oil is cooler and the heat is more displaced. Cloud get many more miles.
Heck, you could get those engines right from the Montgomery Ward catalog (and probably pick it up at your local M-W store)!
You could go right to the Montgomery Ward catalog and get an engine, and then likely as not pick it up at your local M-W store!
We’ve dragged every VW story out of our pasts, but can anyone here actually say, they don’t get a smile when one is posted. It’s because, at one time, they were a big part of our lives. Sadly, you’ll never see one on the road today, and for good reason. It’s not 1956 anymore.
Nice find, wrong front turn signals ( moved to top of fender in ’58) and I’m pretty confident in saying, most of us never in our wildest dream, thought one would go for $20gs, but here we are.
Now, I simply can’t resist, but a ’56 Packard, or a ’56 VW, same price. See how silly this is?
While most folks don’t see many Bugs anymore to begin with, Once a year down here in Mexico they have a BugFest, in Nogales, MX they line the main drag with beetles from type 1’s to type 3’s and everything in between. kubelwagens to ones made in the 21st century. A big part of Mexican culture.
When I googled “BugFest Nogales” I only saw festivals for INSECTS.
When is it?
We see a few Beatles out here on the left coast. I will have the Museum’s 61 out tomorrow taking folks for rides. For the younger crowd they just don’t get the whole engine in the back layout. For the rest of us it is great Nostalgia.
There’s a Bug Invasion held every year in Boulder City, NV with around 200-300 examples showing up
Still see a few in Oregon. In fact I saw a baby blue ‘56 cloth sunroof bug just the other day. I’ve been drooling over that one for many years. But you’re right, sightings have dropped precipitously.
Need to get a bolt in the left rear cylinder intake manifold before a big problem develops!
Heat riser. No big deal.
Sharp eye Harvey, but I’d change out that added fuel filter, and if you’re going to use one, put it before the fuel pump. I put out fires on two cars equipped with the filter between the pump and carb. The missing preheater bolt needs attention, at least a new gasket and bolt, as it’s an exhaust leak, sending exhaust to the cabin. The engine is a 1200cc 40hp, last used in ’65. German & Brazillian cylinder & piston kits were available to boost displacement to 1385cc.
The fender welting has been painted green, that’s usually a clue that the Bug has been repainted .
I spent many miles in the back seat of my dad’s ’56, sicker than a dog because the rear windows were stationary and the car reeked of gasoline.
I worked with a guy years ago at Otis AFB that had one with the gasoline fired heater. He would drive bug across stream to fishing.
My dad started his love affair with Bugs when bought a 56 in 63. Nova Scotia weather wasn’t kind to it and it was so beat up and rusted my brother would crouch down so his friends wouldn’t see him. Dad had that car til 68 when it finally collapsed from its own “excessive patina”.
Did this year have just 2 U-Joints per half shaft, like the first Corvairs? With that configuration, braking in a sharp corner would make the rear wheels go pigeon-toed, contributing to many rollovers. Ralph Nader condemned the Corvair, primarily for this fault, even after it had been corrected.
Correction: “Just 1 U-joint per half shaft – 2 total!
Maravilha este carro 1956 é uma raridade no Brasil, aqui a procura é muito grande por este carro, se fosse fácil trazer para o Brasil teria até interesse na compra.
Wonderful this 1956 car is a rarity in Brazil, here the demand is very high for this car, if it were easy to bring to Brazil I would even be interested in buying it.
Had a 65′ in the mid-70s. Bought it from an old woman on the block for $35. Put a front Fender and windshield in it tune up an oil change. Didn’t have $100 in it total. Used to take it camping and fishing, canoe on the roof that was probably 4 ft longer than the car. Road tripped with that car like crazy ! Great on gas ! Sometimes cold in the winter ! Sure miss that bug !!!
One of my earliest childhood memories is standing (!!!) in the back seat of dad’s ’57 Bug, peeking between the seats to watch him changing gears. I was about 4 years old and had no idea what he was doing, but it was fascinating trying to guess which way he would move it next!
I had a ’66 when I was a kid. my folks bought it new for me to go to high school. my dad didn’t believe in used cars. worst car I ever had and i’m in my 70s now. total junk. would swap ends in a heartbeat. slow. freezing cold in the winter. and very unreliable.
Hi Steve, you are sure you had a VW Beetle right ?
That was just part of their charm
I had two 56’s . . A guy ran a stop sign and totaled the first one . . After the insurance payed off I bought the second one . . It had the factory sun roof and Blauplunk radio . . A trick a lot of us did back then was turn the back wheels around to get a lot of positive offset . . Probably wasn’t the safest thing but , we got away with it . .
I remember doing that too. On one set of wheels I put the hubcap clips on the back of the wheels. The hubcaps looked great in the deep wheels.
The Volkswagen beetle hobby is very alive. Check out EMPI. There are many businesses that build high performance VW engines. As far as the handling, I had a few, including a small window (’57) and definitely drove a bit crazy. I actually did roll one over but that was from going off the road due to black ice, not and rear suspension design flaw. I still get thoughts of building another.
I have a 56 ragtop since 1974…in high school I used to drive my two neighbor freinds to high school and suddenly abruptly turn off the highway onto a rough dirt short cut to school..and with one arm cleverly placed on the outside of door..thump the door and with right hand coordinate a quick turn of the wheel
To assimilate a ” Rhino attach” ! Great fun to start the school day.
I pulled the body off the last 56 and sold it to a friend for 10 bucks . . I shortened the floor pan 14 1/2 inches and got a cheap Myers Manx knockoff body . . Knowing what they are worth now , I wouldn’t have done that ..
Yeah, but the dune buggies and pulling in big bucks now too, even the Manx knockoffs.
I always seem to be a day late and a dollar short . . After keeping the dune buggy a while , I replaced the 36 horse with a 40 horse . . Not satisfied , I went nuts and got a Hadley engineering kit and did the Corvair drive train thing . . The dune buggy craze finally tapered off . . When I sold it , I didn’t even break even . . Fun while it lasted, though . .