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Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:50 pm

sold it, thanks for your input everyone.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:56 pm

Looks like a '66 based on the defrost vent in the middle of the dash and the headlights.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:57 pm

Looks like a '65 or 66.. It doesn't look too bad, but that thing was restored earlier in its life, thus the bondo bulges.. For a couple hudred bucks, it may not be a bad deal considering what he's asking.. It's got original bumpers that look decent, and overall, its not too bad. At worst, you could get it, take a DA sander to all suspicious spots, and see if it's rust, or body damage hiding under the body filler. You never know, could be a good score. How about the trunk area, has it ever been hit-- my guess right now would be no..

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:01 pm

Buy it very cheap if you think you'd have fun going over it completely, searching for replacement parts & glass, and if youre sure you wont get bummed out when you start dealing with rust and body rot.
All beatles look cute sitting in a field, but not so much when theyre sitting at your house, waiting for expensive and time consuming repair.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:07 pm

Dang.

Those bumpers alone are worth close to $400!

The body looks to be in good shape, the wheels and tires, etc.

Interior work is the (well... you know, you've had bus's before) easier part of an old VW.

I'd definitely go for it for $400... Thats not much to spend on a pretty complete car such as this... if you don't want it, I'll buy it from ya!

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:12 pm

deleted

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:17 pm

Worst comes to worst, you can part it out and recoup your losses. Be warned though, once you get it home and start working on it, it may need more than just cleaning up....

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:24 pm

Gratsoy wrote: Worst comes to worst, you can part it out and recoup your losses. Be warned though, once you get it home and start working on it, it may need more than just cleaning up....

Here's what I figure at minimum:

Carb
Fuel lines, filter
Battery
Glass and seals (fairly cheap on a bug correct?)
Exterior lights all around
Tank cleaning
Brakes gone through
Pans cleaned (possibly patched, we will see) and POR-15'd
Other rust areas addressed, at least to stop the rust
Tune up
Electrical checked

If the motor's bad, running bug motors can be had fairly cheap so I still wouldn't be too disappointed.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:33 pm

To park a car that is whole, not wrecked most likely means the engine went bad. They didn't want to, or didn't have the money or time to fix it and in old farmer fashion parked it back in the woods.

Count on an engine being needed.

Dave

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:33 pm

Thanks for the responsed everyone, keep them coming. I didn't check the numbers, does that look like a 1300 engine?

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:40 pm

stuco wrote:
It needs a lot of interior work due to sitting out in the rain for a couple years. Surprisingly there is not too much rust from what I can see. It's hard to look under at the pans but I took one good shot shown below from the passenger side. It's not wearing the original paint. I know of at least one spot with thick bondo. I think I could salvage a lot of the interior. The owner is asking $400 (firm). I don't know if it has a title or even a key. What do you guys think?
stuco wrote:
Here's what I figure at minium:

Carb, Fuel lines, filter, Battery, Glass and seals (fairly cheap on a bug correct?), Exterior lights all around, Tank cleaning, Brakes gone through, Pans cleaned (possibly patched, we will see) and POR-15'd, Other rust areas addressed, at least to stop the rust, Tune up,
Electrical checked

If the motors bad, running bug motors can be had fairly cheap so I still wouldn't be too disappointed.
Do you know exactly how long it's been sitting? Two years, three, more? You may want to add tires to the list of things to buy in order to get it road worthy. As for the $400 price tag, if there's no title and it hasn't been registered for a number of years, don't forget to take those costs into consideration.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:45 pm

Buy it. You can make $$ parting it on here if you decide its too big a rustbucket or too big a project. For 400 you cant lose, Ive paid double for worse and always made money.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:46 pm

MANNAXMAN wrote: stuco wrote:

If the motors bad, running bug motors can be had fairly cheap so I still wouldn't be too disappointed.
Do you know exactly how long it's been sitting? Two years, three, more? You may want to add tires to the list of things to buy in order to get it road worthy. As for the $400 price tag, if there's no title and it hasn't been registered for a number of years, don't forget to take those costs into consideration.

I know it's been parked there "a couple years" according to folks living there. I take that to mean around 2-3 years. I don't know how long the glass has been shot out. Tires are in really good shape with no dry rot that I can see. I know they aren't supposed to be more than 6 years old but if they are not too old and for driving around town, they will be fine for awhile. It may have a title, I don't know. I will get a bill of sale which is all I need if it doesn't.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:57 pm

It's not the initial cost of $400.00. If the car is a total wreck, which it is not, the most you've lost is $400.00. That's not a lot of money. What you have to ask yourself is, where do you want this car to be when you are finished? Are you willing to put in the time and the money to get it there? It can be a very enjoyable and satisfying experience to bring a car back from the dead. VW parts are available and for the most part not expensive. It's a great hobby. What's your fix up budget? Get a parts catalog and see what you may be up against in terms of cost.
If it were me, I'd scoop that car up in a minute and start ordering parts from Wolfsburg West.
Of course, I may be risking a divorce in the process.
Bob

Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:31 pm

I think that it would be neat to see it running again - it definitely needs a rescue. It's a 1966 and if the motor turns freely and is still a "1300" then you have a pretty good find.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:46 pm

teuton wrote: I think that it would be neat to see it running again - it definitely needs a rescue. It's a 1966 and if the motor turns freely and is still a "1300" then you have a pretty good find.

Yeah, I hate to see it sit there and rot with the windows open like that. It really is pretty rust free considering they are missing. I've been eyeing it for awhile. I ran my finger on the bottom side of the driver's side door and I didn't feel and rusted through spots. To me that makes me think it hasn't been there all that long like that. Since with the window missing rain most certainly will go down the door window channel and rust through. Also the lips where the glass is missing are not rusted at all (on any windows). To look at some of the bugs people bring back from the grave that are WAY rustier than this makes me think I should save it. Plus, I just sold my buses so I have no vw's. This is a way I could get into a classic beetle for a low entry fee.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:46 pm

For $400- can't go wrong with that one-year-only car. But if the owner says "parked just a couplea years" and the plates expired 6 ago- that is not the only white lie... check the plates.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:50 pm

hitest wrote: For $400- can't go wrong with that one-year-only car. But if the owner says "parked just a couplea years" and the plates expired 6 ago- that is not the only white lie... check the plates.

Well, it is a neighbor with no financial interest that told me that. I forgot to check the plate. When I look at it next time, I will look in the glovebox for a registration and check the plate.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:58 pm

stuco wrote: ...If I do buy this bug, it would be cleaned up, and made to drive. I'm not planning a serious restoration...

If this is your plan buy it, I'm sure that looking for parts here and there you will have a daily driver spending no more than a grand in parts...

Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:05 pm

dip into your beer money and get her...... :D