65 Beetle, 47K miles.

That's right, average 1,000 miles a year from birth.

When found, it was in a garage at the bottom of a garden.


The garden belonged to the widow of the local VW Dealer here in Ely who'd retired many years ago. This was their runaround.


The old lady was very kind and sold it for a snip on condition we wouldn't "Cal-Look" it. So we got it out of the garage, pumped up the tyres and here he is outide the garage. Named Bob after the old chap who owned her.




He wouldn't start despite dragging down the road so we towed him to the workshop.


Look at the milage! All backed up by MOT's. They had a karmann Ghia too so I don't suppose Bob got much use in the summer...

 

i'm in love! x k+ for awesomeness....

 

Nothing much has been changed or repaired in the last 47 years apart from the addition of wing mirrors and a clever reverse light switch that fits in the speedo cable. When the cable goes backwards the lights come on, so you have to be actually moving backwards first. lol
Even the radio blanking panel is still fitted. Here's another pic from when we got him. Tartan seat covers!

 

I'd love to turn up to someone's garage and find something like that.

 

Bob was pretty good, but he'd sat for about 10 years. There was a test bulb with a crocodile clip still attached to a wire on the fuse board so I guess he had problems. I was soon to find out!
I put it in for an MOT and it failed on brakes mainly and the lights flashing in time to the indicators. The tyres passed but I replaced them anyway.
All the brake parts other than one steel pipe that runs through the tunnel were replaced - Everything from drums to M/C, pipes the lot.
Then the gearbox drive seals were replaced and I spent far to long trying to sort the indicators! Got there in the end though and since then he's been as good as gold.
Here he is out and about at Hunstanton Lifestyles festival a few years ago.

 

Since me and it's sort of proper owner split, Bob sat on the drive for nearly 2 years until last week when I got him a new battery and got him going again. It was smiles all the way to the mot near the workshop 12 miles away, I'd forgotten what a great car it is to drive - the suspension makes mincemeat of the bumpy fen roads riding effortlessly through bumps that have my head hitting the roof in the bus. Even the 1200 engine seems sprightly after the bus and the brakes are still tip-top. He failed the MOT on a sidelight bulb (I promised, then forgot to replace it last time so really he passed ) then passed 10 minutes later. There were a few warnings - one headlight a bit dim and some worn rubber bushes somewhere.

Bob's going to be up for sale in a week or two as the ex owes me and has agreed to pay by selling him. She has nowhere to keep him and only really got him after I said I'd only mend a beetle for her, not a moggie minor. lol I'd love to keep him, but I can't justify having a regular car, a bus and a beetle.

Bobs not perfect, but he's never been welded or mucked about with. He needs a teeny bit of welding to the heater channel where I think the drain for water from the bonnet has been blocked. I can't actually see a hole anywhere but the window steams up on that side if you go through a big puddle. Otherwise he's solid as a rock where they usually rot - like new. Bob senior used to spray the old engine oil on his undersides as old geezers did back in the day. I'll be sticking up lots more photos on the sale thread and put a link up on this one when I get around to it, so please don't PM me about Bob in the meantime.

 

Here's a pict to make Zebedee envious...


All original engine still got stickers here and there.

 

Awesome.

Well done for getting him to the MOT station.

 

This year is the best year for cal-looking/lowering blah. That's why the 70-80 year old lady said we mustn't - she knew her onions.
It was the last year for beetle king and link pin suspension I believe. The windows got bigger (or smaller or something) and lots of other stuff changed for the worse the next year. The chrome trim this year is just standard, next year it became a deluxe option.

 

Nice bug..... Go on then Zed put us out of our misery....... Wot are u going to put it up for?

 

where did this come from zed i ve never seen this before or was it just me slapp my face , owen nw :- : ;D

 

nice beetle zed are you selling it.... might look better than mine at the mo, part ex on this maybe

 

We've all got an old Beetle hanging about somewhere haven't we?

I found this one in the back of my garage today...

 

Time you put it back together Charlie. Looks like a cracker. I like what I can see of the rear seat.

 

Yep 1957 first year of the big back window, has all the hard work done including Porsche brakes upgrade, blasted and painted pan and body just needs a bit of time and effort.

The problem is the brewery comes first.

 

And chatting on here of course.