Thursday, November 17, 2016

1973 Super Beetle

showbug1
Up in my neck of the woods in southern New England, there have always been a few salvage yards on my radar in the Bridgewater, Massachusetts area. For some reason, I have never had any luck gaining access to them, as they all seem to be pretty strict on the “no yard admittance” policy. This 1973 Super Beetle here on eBay looks to reside in one of these no-access yards, and the seller claims it has show car roots. What do you think? 

showbug3
The seller has even gone so far as to repaint what the original graphics would have looked like, which seems like a lot of effort for this rusty Bug. Still, someone put some effort into it at one point with the aforementioned paint job, metal fender flares, wide Shelby-style mag wheels and a custom interior of questionable taste. It would be wild to see what this Bug looked like when it was fresh and new, as I’ll bet it was eye-catching in the streets.

showbug4
Interestingly, the engine lid is fiberglass. One of my favorite features is the period-correct rear ski rack that mounted over the engine cover to make the transport of skis and poles possible in a car with limited storage options. I can only imagine this thing with fresh paint and snow tires heading up to Vermont for a weekend – what a scene that must have been! The car’s location in Massachusetts indicates some ties to a Northern climate, so it’s not surprising there’s rust in the running boards and elsewhere.

showbug2
The interior sports custom seat covers, door panels, dashboard and more, and the rear seat has been replaced by a shelf with custom upholstery. The engine is said to have relatively low mileage and turn by hand, but the seller cannot locate the keys for the ignition. With a starting bid of $100 and no reserve, this could be an interesting project to restore back to period form. Would you revitalize the show car looks or keep it stock?

Source: barnfinds.com