Car Guys (and Gals)

by **joecool** December 17th 2023, 9:37 pm

I'm getting close to buying a modified 1962 VW convertible. It's been chopped a little and has a Ford 1940 rear end, so it's a bit unique and appeals to me. (I once had a stock beetle convertible, so I'm not a full-blown rookie on these things.) The tires are bigger, but the car has a 1776 cc engine, so it should still scoot along. It's a 9-hour drive away, and I don't want to waste a trip. Do you have any advice or danger warnings for me? If you can't post here, send your thoughts to yulluvmt2@msn.com. Thanks!

P.S. The "exotic cars" dealer has dropped the price from $16K to $13K, and that's before I showed any interest.

by **Phillip Gross** December 18th 2023, 8:16 pm

What happened to the sailboat?

by **joecool** December 18th 2023, 9:28 pm

Phillip Gross wrote:What happened to the sailboat?

I had a really, really bad day a few years back. Convinced me to decommission the boat. But it has a new life at a local preschool. The kids love playing on it.

by **Phillip Gross** December 19th 2023, 12:49 pm

Sounds like quite a story. Good material for a chapter in book two?

by **joecool** December 19th 2023, 1:45 pm

Phillip Gross wrote:Sounds like quite a story. Good material for a chapter in book two?

Okay, here's a teaser. It was July 4th on an exceptionally large lake. My brother was sailing with me on a mild day and we had turned around to return to our camping site. I dropped the sail and was coasting in to drop anchor, and I told my brother to stay seated. I was going towards the bow when he decided to help out. The boat heeled over about 50 degrees and I was partially in the water. To keep it from capsizing, I let go of the halyard and went swimming before finishing the anchoring. Unknown to me, the whip-lash effect did a number on the retractable keel.

The winds came up later and it was time to pull it out of the water. The trailer was in place, but the keel was jammed. We held up all the power boats that wanted out for about 20 minutes. Finally got the keel stowed and pulled the boat up on shore. And as I was putting things away, the wind went up to 60 mph-plus. I needed help from my son, but the sail still ripped.

"A man's gotta know his limitations."

by **Phillip Gross** December 19th 2023, 5:39 pm

I have an acquaintance who loves to sail and competes in races. He tells me how great it is, but I have never done it. Seems like a lot of work.

So what's the deal with this VW? Ford rear end?

by **joecool** December 19th 2023, 7:54 pm

Phillip Gross wrote: So what's the deal with this VW? Ford rear end?

It's from a kit and looks great. It's still the original VW length, but the back seat is overtaken. I just got a response from the dealer to my many detailed questions about the car. Essentially, he said "I'm short-handed and swamped with work. I'll take a thousand off if you take the car as-is." Nope.
thumb down

I wasn't born yesterday.

by **Phillip Gross** December 19th 2023, 8:01 pm

Is there a post you can link to so we can see it?

by **joecool** December 19th 2023, 8:39 pm

Phillip Gross wrote: Is there a post you can link to so we can see it?

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1191946/1962-volkswagen-beetle-for-sale-in-carnation-washington-98014

by **ccm2361** December 19th 2023, 9:00 pm

joecool wrote:"I'm short-handed and swamped with work. I'll take a thousand off if you take the car as-is." Nope.

I wasn't born yesterday.

Danger Will Robinson! RUN (dont walk) away from that one. Car Guys (and Gals) 3169784017

by **Phillip Gross** December 19th 2023, 10:30 pm

The paint appears to be in good shape. I see it was painted recently. Do they have any pics during the paint work? How much bondo was used, etc.? I like the running board accents. The rust underneath could possibly be concerning, but I don't know what a rust free variant goes for these days. I know I'm not a body guy, so body work issues scare me off a bit.

Is there documentation of the engine rebuild? Parts used, etc? Seems like a high performance engine build would be the majority of that asking price in itself. Same with the paint. So what's the deal? Is it the body mod that has people shying away because the majority of buyers want originality? If so, and you like the style, then it could be to your benefit.

What does a comparably built "original" style Beetle go for these days?

by **joecool** December 19th 2023, 11:10 pm

Phillip Gross wrote: Is there documentation of the engine rebuild? Parts used, etc? Seems like a high performance engine build would be the majority of that asking price in itself. Same with the paint. So what's the deal? Is it the body mod that has people shying away because the majority of buyers want originality? If so, and you like the style, then it could be to your benefit. What does a comparably built "original" style Beetle go for these days?

He has shared nothing that isn't already on the sale posting.

A standard Beetle convertible, in good shape, goes for $16-25K. I'm not sure how long this one has been for sale, but the price was dropped before I came across it. It seems people in the Seattle area have gotten a closer look at it and stayed away. Because of the recent answer I got from the dealer, I suspect that it has multiple electrical problems. But that would be right up your alley, eh?

I may take another look at it in the spring, after the recession hits. He might be willing to let it go for a price I can't resist. (And by then, there won't be snow and ice on the 4 mountain passes between us.)

by **Claymore** December 20th 2023, 4:09 am

joecool wrote: Because of the recent answer I got from the dealer, I suspect that it has multiple electrical problems. But that would be right up your alley, eh?

Road Trip! JoeCool's gonna go see Phillip!

by **Phillip Gross** December 20th 2023, 5:39 am

On older stuff it isn't bad. A good multi-meter and you can trace it all out. On older cars it's usually in the harness somewhere and often a new harness is the best longterm, least headache fix. Sometimes you can find the culprit(s), but after 60 yrs of vibration, oxidation and rodents it really should just be reinstalled. All doable with an interior removal.

by **joecool** December 20th 2023, 9:44 am

Phillip Gross wrote:On older stuff it isn't bad. A good multi-meter and you can trace it all out. On older cars it's usually in the harness somewhere and often a new harness is the best longterm, least headache fix. Sometimes you can find the culprit(s), but after 60 yrs of vibration, oxidation and rodents it really should just be reinstalled. All doable with an interior removal.

So...would a '62 be 6 or 12 volt? I suppose if you had to change the harness, might as well modernize, right? Maybe even slip in a back-up camera to help out with visibility and my neck, which doesn't swivel like it used to.

by **Phillip Gross** December 20th 2023, 5:34 pm

VW changed to 12v in '67. What type of electrical issues is it having? Surely nobody tried to put 12v components in a 6v car...?

But if you're wanting newer conveniences, then you would need to change up to a 12v system.

by **joecool** December 20th 2023, 6:12 pm

Phillip Gross wrote:VW changed to 12v in '67. What type of electrical issues is it having? Surely nobody tried to put 12v components in a 6v car...?

But if you're wanting newer conveniences, then you would need to change up to a 12v system.

Don't know if it's just mismatched components. He checked the first thing on my list...turn signals. "They don't work," and then he went to his "as - is" line, without addressing anything else.

I do know that they cracked the "lowered" windshield trying to install it, and had planned to put some kind of polycarbonate piece in place, until "as - is."

And thanks for your interest. Gives me more to think about.

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