Worth the Price?

Beetle, Karmann Ghia, Thing.

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vwlover77
IAC Addict!
Location: North Canton, Ohio
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Worth the Price?

Post by vwlover77 » Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:59 am

I looked at this 1978 Super Beetle Convertible on Wednesday evening:

https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/ ... 07312.html
Image
Pros:
- Solid, original pans, no rust in any of the usual places. Heat exchangers in good shape, new muffler.
- Shiny paint, appears to be factory original, with a few chips, dings, and scratches here and there (was the factory fender beading black in '78?)
- L-Jet FI in place
- Current owner replaced the fuel tank, filter, and pump due to varnish / sludge issues when he bought the car a few years back.
- Drove reasonably well on a short test drive, but there seemed to be some hesitation / missing during acceleration, and the cold-start idle speed was way too high (~2500rpm). It settled down after warming up.
- Interior in good condition. Front seat cushions replaced, but not the typical overstuffing seen on so many

Cons:
- No significant history on the vehicle. Apparently it was inherited somewhere along the line and the original title was lost, so although the odometer reads 58K, the new title says "true mileage unknown". It does appear like it could be a 58K mile car.
- Round patch on the convertible top behind the passenger side rear window
- Headliner somewhat dirty/yellowed
- 5.60 x 15 Firestone whitewall tires are claimed to be brand new, but look like NOS bias-ply tires. Reproductions maybe?
- FI hoses cracked and definitely in need of replacement

It seemed like it could be an excellent car with a little TLC, and perhaps some itinerant ministrations.

But is it worth $10K ???
Don

---------------------------
78 Westy
71 Super Beetle Convertible Autostick

"When we let our compassion go, we let go of whatever claim we have to the divine." - Bruce Springsteen

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Amskeptic
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Re: Worth the Price?

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Mar 15, 2019 7:54 am

vwlover77 wrote:
Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:59 am
I looked at this 1978 Super Beetle Convertible on Wednesday evening:
But is it worth $10K ???

Yes. They are annoying little pills to work on, especially around the dash/instruments/fresh air plenum and ducts, and the fuel injected engine is a tight environment.

But, as you know, driving down the road is a singularly irreplaceable experience. \
The market is only going up.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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vwlover77
IAC Addict!
Location: North Canton, Ohio
Status: Offline

Re: Worth the Price?

Post by vwlover77 » Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:21 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
Fri Mar 15, 2019 7:54 am
The market is only going up.
Yes... The seller informed me that they've signed a letter of intent with a buyer, who is sending a cashier's check from California....... Sounds a little fishy; we shall see.

Ah well, I have a box of goodies waiting for installation on the '71
- New fuel line
- New intake manifold to head gaskets
- New intake manifold boots
(All of the above in an attempt to eradicate the gas smell from the engine compartment after driving.)
- Urethane front suspension bushings
- New spark plug wire boots
Don

---------------------------
78 Westy
71 Super Beetle Convertible Autostick

"When we let our compassion go, we let go of whatever claim we have to the divine." - Bruce Springsteen

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