Description
The Volkswagen Beetle has always been great transportation, but cars like this 1970 example are quickly gaining traction as great collectables, too. If you're looking for an inexpensive way to have some fun in an old car, the quirky air-cooled Vee-Dub is just about the best choice you can make.
This particular Beetle has a rather interesting story to tell. The first owner apparently loved to drive, because he put 50,000 miles on the clock in just the first two years. Then, for reasons not altogether clear, he suddenly stopped driving and parked it in his garage for the next 33 years. In 2005, it was purchased at auction and recommissioned, including new paint in the original light yellow color, Vintage Air A/C, and some structural improvements underneath. Today, it has that wonderful VW patina that the best cars get, a gentle shine that looks great and suggests a long life of fascinating journeys. Well, OK, maybe not, but this one sure is in great condition. The body has never been wrecked, so the doors fit tightly and show the typically even and tight gaps for which the high-quality Beetle was justifiably famous. All the chrome was shined up and given a new lease on life, including the bumpers and stainless splash shields on the fenders. For VW fans, you'll also note it has a flat windshield and small taillights, two endearing qualities that seem to separate the good Bugs from the great ones.
An almost entirely original interior is the happy by-product of all those years of storage, and it's in excellent shape. The woven vinyl seat covers wear like granite, and only the driver's chair shows signs of use with light stretching of the material on the lower cushion. Black carpets are protected by a set of stylish sisal mats that really work with the playful VW's personality. Instrumentation is basic, with a big, round dial that holds both the speedometer and fuel gauge, but not much else. A modern AM/FM/CD stereo was fitted into the dash, along with the aforementioned A/C system that blows colder than any factory system ever could. The front trunk is tidy with a rubber mat and what might very well be the original spare tire. How cool is that?
Given how long these little guys last, the 1600 cc flat-four under the rear deck is only just now getting broken in. Aside from the brand new Vintage Air A/C compressor, the engine bay is wonderfully original and in excellent order. From the factory air cleaner and single carburetor up top, to the complete set of manifolds and heater boxes underneath, it's just the way it left the factory all those years ago. Heck, there's still a generator making the electricity! Driving through a 4-speed manual transmission, performance is entertaining if not supercar fast, but isn't that the point of owning an old car? Four original steel wheels in outstanding condition wear shiny hubcaps and recent 165R15 radials that look right in the old Bug's rounded fenders.
Parts and knowledge are plentiful, it's economical to own and operate, insurance is cheap, and it's a heck of a lot of fun to drive. Is there a better way to get started in the hobby than that? Call today!
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Features
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AM/FM Radio
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Air Conditioning
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CD Player
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Defrost
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Heat
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Numbers Matching
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Seatbelts
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Vinyl Interior
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