Okay, so the story goes like this...
I've had a classic dub of some sort for most of my adult life and currently am lucky enough to have a fairly nice 62 split and have just commenced a major body-off resto of a '69 Karmann vert for the missus (at home).
Back last Spring a chap from the neighbourhood out walking his dogs stops for a chat and drops into the conversation that he has a beetle parked in the corner of his business unit that he bought at auction a few years ago with the intention of building a buggy for him/his son. He tells me it runs with fresh fuel and battery and "is not rotten". The latter apparently being the reason the buggy idea didn't go ahead "it's too good to chop up".
He then asks me if I'd be interested in it because it's now in his way and he could do with the space back. He searches out one terrible pic on his phone and all I can really make out is that it's a late model bug with elephant foot rear lights. I said I would be interested if cheap and we settle on a (low) figure which I thought was worth the risk, thinking at the very least I'd get a running engine out of the deal for the vert. The rest could be sold on or stripped for parts.
So many months on and I'd forgotten all about it when on Sunday he pops by again and says do I still want it, it's really getting in his way etc
Long story short he delivers it to my drive yesterday on the back of a hiab. Once home from work I have a poke around in the dark/rain and notice it's LHD but in fairly nice condition with very little rot (front bumper hangers only at first glance) but has no numberplates so I search out the VIN# and head inside to check the internet for its year of manufacture.
Turns out the VIN starts with WVWZZZ.... and the engine number starts with a D so it would appear I am now the owner of an '83 Mexican built beetle (for the European market) with a 1200 single port engine, velour seats with headrests, padded dash & some unusual 15x5.5" Ronal alloys marked made in West Germany (Dealer option perhaps?).
It has the remains of an NL sticker on the back so presume it was imported originally to the Netherlands before making its way here somehow.
Anyone know anything about these bugs and if they're any good?
I'm thinking it might make a nice little run about for the summer.
I've had a classic dub of some sort for most of my adult life and currently am lucky enough to have a fairly nice 62 split and have just commenced a major body-off resto of a '69 Karmann vert for the missus (at home).
Back last Spring a chap from the neighbourhood out walking his dogs stops for a chat and drops into the conversation that he has a beetle parked in the corner of his business unit that he bought at auction a few years ago with the intention of building a buggy for him/his son. He tells me it runs with fresh fuel and battery and "is not rotten". The latter apparently being the reason the buggy idea didn't go ahead "it's too good to chop up".
He then asks me if I'd be interested in it because it's now in his way and he could do with the space back. He searches out one terrible pic on his phone and all I can really make out is that it's a late model bug with elephant foot rear lights. I said I would be interested if cheap and we settle on a (low) figure which I thought was worth the risk, thinking at the very least I'd get a running engine out of the deal for the vert. The rest could be sold on or stripped for parts.
So many months on and I'd forgotten all about it when on Sunday he pops by again and says do I still want it, it's really getting in his way etc
Long story short he delivers it to my drive yesterday on the back of a hiab. Once home from work I have a poke around in the dark/rain and notice it's LHD but in fairly nice condition with very little rot (front bumper hangers only at first glance) but has no numberplates so I search out the VIN# and head inside to check the internet for its year of manufacture.
Turns out the VIN starts with WVWZZZ.... and the engine number starts with a D so it would appear I am now the owner of an '83 Mexican built beetle (for the European market) with a 1200 single port engine, velour seats with headrests, padded dash & some unusual 15x5.5" Ronal alloys marked made in West Germany (Dealer option perhaps?).
It has the remains of an NL sticker on the back so presume it was imported originally to the Netherlands before making its way here somehow.
Anyone know anything about these bugs and if they're any good?
I'm thinking it might make a nice little run about for the summer.