Pondering '67 Beetle

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:25 pm

So while down in Eureka, a friend's neighbor asked if I might help him sell his '67 Beetle that's been in his family since his Dad bought it used in April of '69. Complete records since then. Every fill, oil change, etc. etc.

Bad news is that it has spent it's life on the coast, Santa Cruz and Eureka, California.

The battery was dead so I didn't hear it run or give it a test spin, as I wasn't there long enough. The engine did turn over smoothly by hand, and it is a high mileage engine. It comes with a laundry list of spare parts he will be sending me. He mentioned new drums specifically, but was fuzzy on the rest.

He asked if I might help him sell it, because we met a couple years ago and he knows my penchant for VWs and wants it to go to a loving home rather than parted out and scrapped. Sentimental reasons.

And his asking price is token.

Here are a few bad photos.

No problems there. But...rust hasn't been sleeping.

This is where the pan meets the body on the passenger side. On the driver's side, there is rivetted sheet aluminum at the corner of the door that was done at some point.

A puddle of brackish water behind the driver's seat. It leaks. He's not sure where.

The worst visible from the exterior.

All the bits and pieces are still there.

It just needs a loving home.

So what do folks feel would be a price in the "token" range?

neal

justgimmecoffee · Post by **justgimmecoffee** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:01 am

$400 to $800ish. How bad is the rust, i.e are major parts going to be fall ing off soon? or can you run it for a few years?

nice color, kind of an electric blue.

daninghram · Post by **daninghram** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:45 am

Is an other car and ALL the money you need to spend to use it in you budget?
Kinda playing the devils advocate.

Bookwus · Post by **Bookwus** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:08 am

Hiya Neal,

67 was the big transitional year for Bugs and is considered to be very desireable. That's a big plus if you are looking at flipping this beast. On the other hand, because 67 was a transitional year there are a number of one year only parts. A big minus in putting things "right".

I'd look at it this way though............the general rule of thumb I've always used is that a non-running VW is not worth anymore than $500 at best. If you can buy it for that you can easily get triple your original purchase price when you go to sell it if you get it running and cleaned up. You know, do the VDubtech thing.

midatlanticys · Post by **midatlanticys** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:41 pm

101 - If I wake up with big teeth marks in my throat and a stiff neck I am usually assured the universe is telling me to *Go Ahead* with these sorta things. If I hem and haw and try to *make a decision* on a quandry like yours, I'll usually make the wrong one. and I'm pretty sick of takin' wrong decisions . . . . . so, my MO now is to let things unfold, let them flow out in front of me . . . . ask my pillow and do a neck check first thing in the mornin'/every mornin'. If the '67's supposed to be yours, it will be!!

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 1:26 pm

daninghram wrote:Is an other car and ALL the money you need to spend to use it in you budget?
Kinda playing the devils advocet.

Of course not. Don't have the budget for the current fleet of four VWs and a Mercedes. Logic? Logic? No logic.

neal

satchmo · Post by **satchmo** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:13 pm

Check the heater channels with a poke of your screwdriver. If they are rusty, walk away. Also check the frame head that holds the front torsion bars. If that is rusty, run away.

Tim (see sig line below)

airkooledchris · Post by **airkooledchris** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 4:29 pm

I live in Eureka. Does that help anything?

heck I might even be someone interested in picking it up, but it looks to be destined as a driver, not a restoration candidate. looks like it needs a lot of work to be worth paying much for though.

if it actually runs and just needs a battery and/or charge, then the $500 range sounds about right. more than that and especially if it isn't running, you'd have to take a pass on, as there are runners around here in better shape for a little over $1k, and it would take more than that difference to make this as good as those are.

if you need someone to go over and have a look, hit me up, ill do what I can.

As for the model year, I do wish the headlights were the earlier models, but I do like the US spec overriders on it.

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 4:37 pm

I suspect the heater channels are in bad shape. On the driver's side, there is a rivetted patch at the corner of the pillar and channel, the front pillar where the hinges are. I forgot to take a look at the frame head, at this point, I suspect it also may be a major concern.

I'm told it runs, just that it's been sitting as he is enjoying his waterpumper VWs more at the moment. He plays with the parameters of the computer chip that runs the car.

neal

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:27 am

You don't need any more VWs. Especially a pretty basket case.

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 12:31 pm

It's true, I don't need a pretty little basket-case. Any takers. Somebody save me from myself.

rdkern@reninet.com

neal

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 10:30 pm

I've got this thing spread out all over.

Anyway, here's the deal. Richard is anxious to find a new home for his '67 Beetle, Werner. Of course, not near as much as his neighbors, who i just found out are putting the pressure on him, as they are even more anxious than Richard for him to find a new home for Werner.

So it's basically a pick-it-up price, would like to get $100, but he also mentioned $1. It's legal, it's titled.

The agonizing torments of these few weeks have been horrific, sitting on the fence as it shakes back and forth under me, pondering feasabilities, and I just can't do it, lo that I long and pine to. If Werner were closer, he would be on the other side of my raised garden beds from Betty Baja already, who is neglected, why add another I can realistically do nothing with but neglect.

Down in Eureka, CA. Richard would love to get an email from someone who would bring Werner back into the fold of the running.

Not a basket case. And very completely original. I don't think making it "right" would take much. The "right" is all there. Just normal wear and tear, patina of years.

neal

airkooledchris · Post by **airkooledchris** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:34 am

ill call Richard later today to see what's the current status.

was hoping to have more of the bus's needs list taken care of before taking on something else, and have half of my family flying out from the midwest in a few days...

so why wouldn't I tackle this now?
=)

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:55 am

And?

neal

airkooledchris · Post by **airkooledchris** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 12:54 pm

waiting on one last item before I can commit to the project.
ill post back just as soon as I know what is/can happen.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Pondering '67 Beetle

Buy?

Pondering '67 Beetle