Description
Welcome to the sale of my ‘71 VW Beetle. This is a great custom classic with a number of performance and comfort modifications throughout. I’d like to pass it on to someone to cherish.
Originally a 1200, it is now powered by a Supercharged 1776cc engine coupled to a reconditioned transmission with extended 3rd and 4th gears- making for smoother motorway cruising at lower revs.
A recent tune up by Rawspeed in Plymouth saw new idle jets fitted for a reliable on completion of a few pumps of the throttle. It’s fitted with an electronic ’Ignition123’ distributor and Pertronix Flamethrower HT Ignition Leads with iridium plugs. (Rawspeed did a quick rolling road test and revealed it’s running approximately 94bhp at the wheel (~115bhp)- she is no slouch!). Further tuning advised to take advantage of the Bluetooth mappable distributor to ensure efficient running through the rev range, but she certainly pulls well as is.
Alongside the engine and transmission mods, the front beam has been lowered,
fully adjustable and fitted with an Evo Resto skid plate for protection. Wilwood brake calipers with new discs and pads at the front result in a modern feel to braking (a huge improvement on standard and something that enables the extra power and nicely offsets the fitment of the supercharger in the eyes of car insurance companies!). The rear drums have been recently serviced and hand brake is effective with short engagement.
A quality Webasto diesel heater is fitted under the hood with the remote hidden in the glovebox. This is fitted in favour of heater boxes so no heater rail corrosion to worry about, and the replacement stainless steel Vintage Speed J Tubes feed into a beautiful stainless steel, Vintage Speed twin tip exhaust- you get an excellent, air cooled burble at idle, and strong raspy note at higher revs coupled with the supercharged whine!
I understand the Beetle was off the road between early 2008 and 2017. It has been in the possession of its current keeper for the past 4 years, following a 5 year owner who fully rebuilt the vehicle. On completion, it sailed through an MOT in 2018 at 27, 197 miles. It is of course exempt from mandatory MOT testing (and road tax) on the basis of age. The odometer currently indicates 29k miles, though this is not accurate (slight over read throughout current ownership) and unlikely to be representative of the life of the vehicle.
The bodywork of this Beetle presents with flush shut lines, smooth panels and no suggestion of any prior damage, although the front and rear bumpers have been removed in favour of ‘Cal-Look’ T-bars. The condition of the Marina Blue paintwork is overall good, but presents minor blemishes on the roof seen under bright light and minor bubbles on roof rail/ door seems- see photos. The worst area is a small section (4cm x 1. 5cm) on top of the drivers door, which remains solid. The engine (deck) lid has a bespoke ‘bulge’ fitted to accommodate the horizontal DCOE carburettor air filter set up- painted to blend in.
The Beetle rides on a set of BRM four-spoke wheels, which are in good order as are the tyres. Underneath there is no visible corrosion- it’s been in dry storage throughout current ownership, but note surface rust on the shock absorbers, steering rack and hubs which presents no concern for functionality. Suspension ball joints were replaced by Volksparts and they also added a plastic fuel line at the standard exit point into the engine bay to replace the perishable rubber type. The fuel tank filler and associated hoses have all been replaced to ethanol resistant standard, but the Beetle is run on E5. Whilst the electronic fuel pump is mounted with inline metal fuel filter in the front, a Blaze Cut fire suppressor is fitted to the inside the engine hood just in case.
The cabin benefits from a plush grey carpet and matching ‘fat biscuit’ upholstered rear seat. There are a choice of front seats: custom fabricated steel ‘bomber style’, or- as currently fitted- very rare 1982 Porsche 911 Targa brown leather seats. Both styles fit to a fully electrically adjustable seat mount, with individual hand controllers- another surprise bit of luxury fitted!
A Momo ‘California’ steering wheel is fitted with removable boss that provides additional security when parked up. The Vintage Speed Black Mamba gear shifter gives an accurate, short throw and polished exterior blends well with the custom fabricated dashboard that features bespoke, matching gauges and buttons. This includes Tachometer, Oil Pressure and Oil Temp and Boost Pressure, as well as air horns and full beam lights. The original headlamps are fitted with H4 LEDs for enhanced vision at night.
Hidden in the glove box is a modern Sony DAB stereo with Bluetooth and USB connectivity, which is connected to speakers mounted in wooden inserts under the rear bench seats, as well as in the parcel shelf. The storage area behind the rear seats is lined with a single layer of soundproofing. The last routine maintenance has just been carried out by the current owner in preparation for sale, including new Evo Resto performance oil, oil filter, rocker cover gaskets as well as recent iridium spark plugs.
Accompanying the vehicle is a Haynes manual, excellent service history from the initial owner covering around the first 25 years of its life, and some documentation of the most recent work described. A build sheet for the engine is not available, but was noted by the previous owner as being conducted by Arnie Levics to include a Joe Blow supercharger kit, full flow case with deep sump and remote oil filter, forged pistons, thicker heads, Weber DCOE carburettor and Eagle 110 cam.
The car will also come with spare belts for the dynamo and supercharger, as well as the heater boxes, spare T-bars, and other bits including original white steering wheel.
Overall, the Beetle has been a real pride and joy for me, but the lack of use (I’ve spent most of the time adding things rather than driving and it hasn’t been out properly this year!) forces a regrettable sale.
She provides an intoxicating supercharged air cooled experience and has significantly more power and the ability to stop than a standard car. If you are after a classic vehicle with eye-catching looks (she makes people smile as you go along) with a really fun, old-school driving experience then she’s ideal. It would make a great purchase for collector of custom classics, or someone looking for a cool runaround that stands out from the crowd.
Whilst she is worth more in parts, I appreciate she isn’t a show car yet. I have an agreed car insurance valuation of £9500, but looking for £9250 ono. The car is located near Glasgow. Many thanks!
