1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

Description

For those of you contemplating a Volkswagen Beetle restoration, this is how you do it. Yes, building a car like this costs a lot of money, but the results are worth it. This 1974 Super Beetle is perhaps the nicest VW we've ever featured and includes sensible upgrades that transform it from a pleasant, if anachronistic old VW to a legitimate car with daily driver abilities.

The beautiful Polo White paint job is understated and it doesn't hit you over the head with how good it is. However, even up close you'll find that the paint is quite good and as with most well-maintained VWs, build quality is impressive. The doors and hood fit well and close with a secure feeling that is quite reassuring in the diminutive Beetle. The finish has a nice gloss, not too hard like modern cars, but just about right for a vintage machine that's about to celebrate its 40th birthday. A few chrome bits, plus the stainless trim that was part of the Super Beetle redesign gives it a bright, cheerful look, and even details like the running boards were freshened during the restoration.

Open the door and be prepared to be pleasantly surprised, because the bright red interior is fully restored and a wonderful contrast to the usual black vinyl. Correct textured seat covers over high-back buckets match the new door panels for a very clean, professional look. A heavy-duty gray carpets keep it looking like it should and reduce maintenance, and the lovely woodgrained steering wheel adds some upscale elegance to a car that usually doesn't see anything like that. You'll note there's under-dash A/C, which was a rather rare option and is fully functional here thanks to R134a refrigerant, and the original radio is long gone, replaced by an AM/FM/CD stereo head unit with nicely integrated speakers in the kick panels. An aftermarket consolette around the 4-speed shifter makes it practical with a pair of cup holders, and the original gauges are really nice. The forward-mounted trunk is in good order and doesn't exhibit any of the VW trouble spots.

This VW was really built to drive, and the 2110 cc flat-four gives it good power that's quite noticeable on the open road. Fitted with a Dellatoro carburetor and Pertronix electronic ignition, it starts easily and runs superbly, with a characteristic whistling exhaust note that can't help but make you smile. The engine bay is extremely clean and tidy, with lots of new components and everything in working order, including the duct work for the heater system. It is also fitted with a 4-speed "Freeway Flyer" transmission with gear ratios that are a lot more favorable to today's traffic conditions, and it happily buzzes along at speeds that would ordinarily be stressful for a Beetle. The underside is very nicely finished and you can see evidence of the high-quality restoration everywhere you look, including the floor pans and rear suspension. 4-wheel disc brakes give it very impressive stopping power and the exhaust manifolds were modified to give it two outlets under the rear valence. Painted steel wheels with proper chrome hubcaps look authentic and carry tall 165R15 whitewall radials for a period-perfect look.

I guess you could call this VW a resto-mod, but it works so well and looks so authentic that it'll be easy to forget they aren't all this nice. Call today!