Purchased
5th Dec. 2020
Loveland, CO.
The Purchase
This is a car that I spotted on The Samba, and was from a real nice guy that I had dealt with quite a few years back in another VW transaction. We talked for quite awhile, and this car was said to have been built from the inspiration of the car that I had drove to sell a few parts years earlier! I went to meet him in a 1964 VW Beetle Convertible that I have pictures of on this site. After looking the car over and coming to agreement on a purchase price, the car was loaded and making it’s move from Fort Collins, CO. to Parker, CO.
The car isn’t going to keep all the early items that were added for style, but I am sure it will still have it’s own style by the time it’s all done!
The Walk Around
Here is an initial walk around of what came with the car and where everything will start from.
Overall, the car doesn’t have much for rust and the body had nice alignment. The doors close easily and the gaps are all pretty decent. The dash vents have been smoothed over as well as the holes for the dash pad. There are still a few extra holes that will need to be welded in. At this point, it’s easier to keep going with the dash than to try to go back to a pad. The smooth dash will look better anyway!
The front beam has adjusters and has been narrowed 4″. All suspension and brake components look fairly new in the front, but it’s only rolling on drums in the rear. No brakes or backing plates!
The top is in decent shape, but the top skin has a couple of good size tears in it. I will be changing the vinyl top out for a black stay-fast canvas one! It moves freely, has all the components, and even has some new rubber in places.
The engine compartment has a rip in the drivers side shelf, and the wiring has seen better days. I was told that the transmission has a bad reverse syncronizer, and didn’t come with any backing plates, shocks, hardware, or axle nuts! (tie wire holding the drums on)
I am really glad that he was upfront in the condition and saved me the hassle of getting it back together and then realizing I needed another transmission. I have a real nice 1966 swing that I will be converting to fit this car.
The front end of the car is what will need the most attention. I am not going to cut out the front repair that has been done, but I will straighten things out so that the exterior lines are better. I will be doing some bodywork to the fuel tank frame, front body mount, apron, and both front quarters.
Both fenders will be changed back to the correct year and the holes in the front apron, as well as the holes in the sides of the tire carrier, will be repaired.
I knew that this was a bit of a basket case and came with another box of misc. parts, most all of the convertible parts were sold as the project stalled and missing upon inspection at sale. I have had a few convertibles and when I went through the vault, and found most everything that will be needed to compete the build.
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Der Kafer Haus ® 