While the Volkswagen is known in collector circles as one of the simplest vehicles ever made, the language used by VW enthusiasts to describe the myriad iterations of VW is complicated. Type 1 generally refers to the Beetle, Ghia, and Thing. Type 2’s are VW’s truck versions, including Transporters, Buses, and Pickups. There are Type 3’s and Type 4’s, and sub-types inside these larger categories! Worse, Type 1 engines were used in Type 2 vehicles. The array of combinations is dizzying for such a simple vehicle. None of this reduces the charm of a well-presented VW of almost any type. Here on eBay is a 1970 Volkswagen Single Cab pickup for sale, bid to $16,300, with no reserve. The pickup is located in Enid, Oklahoma. It’s a project, but likely an easy one for someone who speaks “Volkswagen”. The seller – an RV dealer – indicates that he acquired it in partial trade for an RV. He was told that the VW ran well, but it didn’t run at all by the time it was acquired, thanks to no battery or gas. Attempting to start it came to naught. Later he discovered it also had no brakes. Frustrated, he parked it and ignored it. Now the seller is relocating his business and the VW must be sold.

VW engines are air-cooled, flat-fours, arranged with opposing cast iron cylinders and aluminum cylinder heads and pistons. Displacements in the late 1960s and 1970s were typically 1500 or 1600 cc’s making about 50 to 60 bhp. The motors were rear-mounted. The engine in this pickup won’t start with starting fluid and power, though it does crank. The seller notes lots of new parts in the engine bay. The brakes don’t work, as noted. The pedal is frozen in place.

The interior looks nearly new. The headliner is clean, and even the edges of the windows and jambs are nicely painted. While the dash isn’t as quaint as the metal dashes of the early 1960s Type 2’s, it’s very presentable. The seller points out that the pickup has minor rust spots, the worst of which is the battery tray. Someone replaced the battery tray with a metal plate; the floorboards also have a few patches. The underside has surface rust.

The truck’s bed looks great; this photo shows off the folding gates that make the truck into a flatbed. The seller notes that the gates are original but somewhat dented. The ad reads as if the seller is annoyed at the VW – clearly he wants it gone so he can get on with business. This presents an opportunity for a VW aficionado. Nothing here seems too horrible to tackle. Does this seem like a reasonable project to you?