This 1965 Volkswagen Beetle is an optical illusion. It appears to be an unfinished project, and that is partially true. However, it is far closer to completion than this photo suggests, leaving scope for its new owner to personalize their ride. It’s worth taking a close look to decide which path you would take. The seller has listed the Beetle here on eBay in Leesburg, Florida. The solitary bid of $3,000 sits below the reserve, although there is plenty of time remaining for the situation to change.
The seller located this Beetle on the dry plains of Colorado. They indicate that it sat exposed to the elements for forty years, developing a weathered, baked appearance. They dragged the car home, dismantling it to perform a meticulous restoration. As can be seen in the images, the car’s underside received plenty of TLC, and any panel rust was eliminated utilising as much Volkswagen steel as possible. With new floor pans installed and the rest of the metalwork complete, they had to decide how to complete the exterior. They decided to forego fresh paint, protecting the Beetle’s weathered look beneath a coat of epoxy sealer. However, they replaced the running boards, seals, rubbers, and other perishable items. Most of the trim is original, but the wheels wear sparkling new hubcaps. The winning bidder could preserve the VW as-is, but there is scope to repaint it to recapture its factory appearance.
The seller didn’t focus exclusively on the body when undertaking this build. They handed the 1,600cc air-cooled flat-four and the four-speed manual transmission to a renowned Florida specialist, who rebuilt both. The motor would have produced approximately 52hp in its prime, and this fresh powerplant should match that figure. The electrical system is now 12-volt, while the Beetle also features an adjustable front end, new hubs, brakes, and tires. That leaves no work for the buyer to undertake, because everything is refreshed. That means that this Beetle is a turnkey proposition that will provide immediate motoring pleasure.
The theme set by the exterior continues inside this Beetle. The steel carries various shades of aged paint, which adds to its inherent character. However, the build included a complete retrim in the correct Black leatherette. There are a couple of dirty marks that would wipe away, but that’s as bad as it gets. The upholstery looks perfect, there is no carpet wear, and I believe the wheel may also be new. There’s no doubt that refreshing the paint would return the interior to a pristine state, and even if the buyer leaves the exterior untouched, that path would provide a striking contrast.
In its current form, this 1965 Volkswagen Beetle is dripping with character. It has generated enormous interest since hitting the market, and I believe the bidding action will intensify in the coming days. The seller has brought it to a point where the winning bidder could enjoy this classic in its current form for decades. However, the lure of fresh paint to recapture its former glory may prove irresistible to some. That prospect sounds tempting, but this Beetle is guaranteed to draw crowds in its current form. That’s why I probably wouldn’t change a thing. Do you agree?
“Left with beautiful patina”..translated: “Too cheap to finish the body and give it a paint job”. Seriously, if you’re going to restore the insides on one of these, do the outside! A VW Bug is the perfect “starter” project to see if you have what it takes to restore a car. I like what they’ve done to this car, as far as they went.
100 % I agree, if I were looking for a V-Dub this would be it.
While the shell was off the pan would have been the time to do the body and paint work. The degree of difficulty goes up drastically after the interior is installed.
The 1600 cc engine and 12 volt upgrade are selling points. The car’s appearance may not be one.
The seller states he has around fifty thousand in the build and says he knows he will not get that back curious as to what he is looking to get. The work that has been done is to a high standard just an odd car to invest that much money and not have the car painted is puzzling.
How do you spend $50 grand on an unfinished VW unless he paid too much for the car in the first place and paid someone else to do the work? As my mother would say, “I hope you learned your lesson”.
I found this strange in the ad as well. How does it cost $50,000 to bring it where it is? I don’t think this car will be sold as seller will not accept anything less than half. Kind of crazy.
The more i thought about just not seeing anything close to $50,000. Back in the early 80s everyone wanted a VW bug did a lot of complete new floors along with repair kits welded in front axles. These parts were cheap and still are not that expensive still not coming close to $50,000. There is a 1968 Bug for sale on E-Bay now for 55,000 crazy money but the build and paint is stunning but you can see were that money went in that build.
Not only upgraded to 12 volt. But also upgraded to an alternator. Very well done base car. It deserves a like paint job.
Also, in addition to being 1600cc, it is also a dual-port engine.
I totaly agree – would’nt change a thing
Fun car. However, the money spent would buy low mileage original and have $20k left to spare. Regarding the interior, black weave was the original color and pattern on many later versions (pattern varied a bit), but not on a 1965. This car from the factory would have a salt and pepper patten on the seating surfaces for most exterior colors (other colors were possible, but the pattern remains the same). The rest of the seat would be one color vinyl. The door interiors would be the striped versions found in all beetles in the early 60’s. Wolfsburg West sells a relatively authentic reproduction. So, nice car for the money if the money is unfortunately relatively low.
I sure would love a Bug, regardless of who designed it. We all know $50 grand seems like a bit much, maybe in Florida, but they did a nice job. Again, all the painters must have left the planet, that patina crap is getting powerfully old, and if anything has a shred of a chance of selling, it should look nice, no? 11 bids indicates stale bidding, nowhere near what the seller wants, but newsflash, I’ve been checking Bug prices, and EVERY,,,SINGLE,,,ONE, has the price slashed, of maybe a dozen, sometimes in half. Sam ‘ting, anyone that would have any want or connection to a VW, is up at 4 am blabbing on car sites, but buyers? Pfft, I’d be certain to say, a VW Bug is probably the last thing on peoples minds today. I saw 1, on FB, same vintage, price slashed from $4grand to $2, was this gals dads, and she couldn’t drive a stick, and had no intention of learning how. That’s believable testimony.
Exactly! Supply and demand. They literally made millions! If ya want to sell one for a lot, ya better make it veryyyyyy special!
a big part of that 50,000 might be the divorce settlement
I have a rust-free, unrestored 1963 Beetle that still has its original paint. Although the rims have been repainted, I will never repaint the body. Don’t get me wrong, the paint is faded and worn down to primer in some areas, but it is in much better shape than this car. You can tell this car does not have it’s original paint, as it’s painted three different colors, and it’s had metal work done. If a car is rust-free and has its original paint, don’t repaint it. But if it has rust and doesn’t have it’s original paint anymore, go ahead and repaint it!
The hard work has been done. Great point to pick up someone’s project.
I totally understand that he got it to a saleable point but did not want to spend the money to paint it and then sell it to someone who wants a different color.
And fresh paint hides bodywork.