The seller of this heavily sunburnt 1957 VW Beetle here on eBay sees his vehicle as more of an art installation than a project car. No matter how you look at it, though, this is one of the more authentic forms of patina I’ve seen, and although we’ve all grown a little tired of the word, this is a deserving candidate for preservation. Plus, the Bug comes with some added OEM features that make it a unique find regardless of the exterior.
Amazingly, the interior has remained in very nice condition despite residing in a field for many years, taking in every ray the sun could throw at it. The seller claims what we see here is just the result of a solid cleaning and not any sort of restoration attempt. After sending his son out to inspect the car in person, he had it shipped back to Nevada where a more intimate inspection revealed options like factory-installed fuel and amp gauges, along with a reclining passenger seat and front seat belts.
The engine runs, but the seller is a bit coy on the details. They did tackle some deferred maintenance to get it to run, drive and stop, but he claims it feels weak. I’m not sure any engine with less than 75 b.h.p. will ever feel strong, but to his credit, the seller does offer up that the Bug returned compression numbers between 70 and 100 across the board. Given this is such an authentic oval window, I wouldn’t alter the engine much beyond stock – but that’s only if it can be confirmed that this is the numbers-matching unit.
The early Beetles were among my favorites, with the aforementioned rear window, slim tail lights, chrome bumper guards and covered headlights. This one is all there, right down to the optional chrome hubcaps. I would love to know the story behind this VW and how it came to slumber in a field for years while staying almost perfectly preserved. The only rust found was a rotten battery tray that has proactively been replaced. Bidding is already over $8,000 with the reserve unmet, but I guess that’s the price of patina today.
Source: barnfinds.com
