International Vintage Volkswagen Forums

We are looking at buying a 67 beetle from a friend. He wants $1500US. The car starts and runs well. The brakes are all new, lines and everything. There is some rust on the floor and the front and rear aprons. Also the connecting metal between the upper and lower front axle bars on the right side is rusted thru. There is a repair part avalible for this. Do you folks think this is worth the money? It is a vrey rare car around here. I will need some help from you guys!

Hi there and welcome. I'm pretty new to this forum myself but already I have benefitted from some useful feedback so perhaps now is the chance to return the favor.
I have a 1500 1967 Beetle and, as you say, they are becoming quite rare but I have to say it is a wonderful car. With disc brakes up front and the additional power of a 1500cc engine I think it is possibly the best compromise between the old and the new. You don't say whether the model you are considering is a 1200, 1300 or 1500 so I don't know if the spec will be as mine - plus I'm not sure what the differences were for the USA spec models at that time.
That said I paid more in UK pounds than you are looking at in US dollars and whilst most of the hard work on mine has been done in terms of replacing the rot, I have still found a myriad of jobs to do that weren't apparent when I bought it.
At the end of the day I guess it all boils down to what you can afford financially in terms of restoration work, whether you will do it yourself, how long you plan to spend doing the work (and thus spreading the cost), and to what standard you want the work done - functional or concours.
In my experience all classic cars can eat money at an alarming rate if you let them. My plan has always been to write a list of all the work required and then priorotise it according to its importance for road-worthiness. I find this makes working to a budget much easier and gets the important jobs done first.
One thing is for sure - when the work is done you will have a really great Beetle that is cheap-ish to run, great fun to drive and that will not be depreciating like anything you drive out of a showroom these days.
Good luck whatever you decide.
Batton  8445.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

Hey thanks! That makes me feel better. I will have to find out about the engine size. I know it has drum breaks all around. I understand that was a US thing. I think we are going to go for it! 😃

Good luck and if you do decide to go for it why not post some details and pictures on the forum. It might spark some discussion and maybe some useful thoughts.
By the way I see you come from near Chicago. My company has an office in Chicago and I have visited quite a few times. It's a nice city (particularly when you're on business and someone else is paying!)
Cheers
Batton 😃

Heck yeah we're gonna pick it up tonight (hopefully!) I will definatly post some pics when we get to it. Gotta get it home n' such!!! Hows the heat in these things? Can I drive it tomarrow w/o worries of freezing? -5*F this morning... :?
Oh yeah, it is the 1500cc engine 😃

They take a while to warm up but if the heater channels, exchangers and pipes are in good condition and connected you won't freeze!

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...but don't be discouraged if you have no heating. Out of the seven beetles I've owned in the past, only my first Oval and my latest 59 have had working heating!
Sorry to be a party poop but carry some mittens and a scarf, just in case! :wink:

Yeah, of course! I just wanted to know what to expect. I belive the heat exchangers, channels ect are good. But I don't know. I have always heard bad stories about bug heat. We'll give it a shot! I think we are picking it up tomarrow 😃

Mine is fine getting heat to the feet but not so good on the screen. Best carry a rag to help de-mist the screen. Good luck and go easy on the drive back home.
Batton

A 67 is a wonderful car. I think you won't regret buying it. Good luck. And post some photos here 🙂

Hey we just picked it up!! We are totally in love with it and can't wait for the snow to melt to really take it out. Definitely made the right choice, my girlfriend has been sitting in the car in the garage since we got it...hehehehe!! :wink:
Here are some pictures!!  8527.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

Another of the 1967 Bug  8528.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

Another of the 1967 Bug  8529.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

Looks great! Congratulations 😃

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Your going to enjoy your 67. There are a lot of 67 only items so the more you have when you get the car the better off you'll be. As far as heat, yes you most likely will need a rag to keep the windshield clear on short trips. You might want to make sure the thermostat is hooked under the engine. Post some pictures when you can and welcome to the 67 Club.

Well, we charged the battery last night and she fired right up! Now we just have a few more things to tend to - Then we're off! Can't wait to take 'er out for a spin! 😃
I looked underneith it too... the heat channels look ok, but the tubes that connect the channels to the car are missing. And where is the heat controls? These little cessna looking black/red ball levers?

Yep, by the hand brake. one opens flaps on the heat exchangers at the engine to turn heat off and on, and the other opens and closes the flaps under the back seat to direct heat to the front or back of the car.

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