Beschreibung
Welcome to the sale of my ‘71 VW Beetle. This is a great custom classic with a number of tasteful performance and comfort modifications throughout, and 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 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!). The distributor is mappable via bluetooth to your phone to support further tuning if needed and provide an immobiliser function.
The front beam is fully adjustable and lowered with an Evo Resto skid plate for protection. Recent 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 offsets the extra power- even 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- no heater rail corrosion to worry about, and the replacement Vintage Speed J Tubes feed into a beautiful, matching 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 over 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 bodywork is good- flush shut lines, smooth panels and no suggestion of any prior damage with front and rear ‘Cal-Look’ T-bars fitted. The Marina Blue paintwork is good, with minor blemishes on the roof seen under bright light and very slight bubbling on roof rail/ door seams- see photos. The worst area is a small section (4cm x 1. 5cm) on top of the drivers door, but the whole area appears 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 present no concern for functionality. Suspension ball joints were replaced with good quality items 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 recently replaced to ethanol resistant standard, but the Beetle has always been run on E5. The electronic fuel pump is mounted with inline metal fuel filter in the front for improved safety on the original designs, and 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. The car is sold with 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 with removable boss provides additional security and a Vintage Speed Black Mamba gear shifter gives an accurate, short throw. Custom fabricated dashboard 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.
If you are after a classic vehicle with eye-catching looks, a more modern response on the throttle and under braking, with a fun old school, air-cooled 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.
I have an agreed car insurance valuation of £9500. Many thanks.
