1962 VW Beetle Ragtop Sedan
SOLD!!
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I have always loved the story behind the cars as much as the cars themselves, and this little blue ragtop
has a very wonderful past. It has been owned by one family since new, the most recent family member
owning it from 1966 up until his passing last year. The family contacted us to see if we could find the
beloved Beetle a new home, and of course, I jumped at the chance.
The car has always been there, like a member of the family, and the owners children
that I have been dealing with spoke lovingly, not only about the car but about the hands that held the wheel.
The car is really very original an untouched, save for one repaint in the original Gulf blue
and a set of slip on seat covers over the original upholstery at some point.
The carpet, floor mats, door panels and interior paint appears to be all original,
The factory sunroof of course is one of the most important features of the car and it opens and closes
smoothly and its white vinyl cover is in nice shape.
There is really nothing quite like these big ragtop sunroofs on a nice day.
The car appears to have all its original body panels and I found no signs of notable body damage or repair.
Also absent is any significant rust of any sort, which is fantastic with an un-restored sunroof model like this.
The paint does hold a shine but is aging.
A deeper polish or perhaps color sand and buff could improve it further perhaps
but it looks very respectable just as it is.
There are assorted chips and scratches and a few dings here and there, but all of that adds up to
a pleasing patina and character that personally I prefer over a restored example.
Super cool
There are a couple scratches that at some sort were touched up (not a great match)
Here is a light scuff on the drivers front fender
A scratch down the passenger side door
And a small dent/scratch on the passenger rear fender.
The window rubber on the car is aging and getting hard, the worst of it being the window scrapers.
The tires are very old and will need replacement for safety.
The car sat in storage for many years, but in preparation for sale, it was gone through
mechanically, with fluid changes, new battery, new fuel hoses, valve adjustment and tune as well as all new
hydraulic brake parts including the mater cylinder, all four wheel cylinders and rubber brake lines.
It runs and drives very nice and the little engine fires to life with amazing ease.
It has only been driven test miles since the work was done, but it feels like a very happy little Beetle
that is ready to hit the road again and make more memories for a new family.
Very solid in the door jams and rockers,
Original carpets and rubber mats are in quite nice shape.
These were simply wiped off after storage, not treated with "armor all" or anything.
Further detailing in and out will make it even better.
The fun part about a nice original car like this is that the more you do to clean, polish and preserve,
the better it looks. Every effort brings further satisfaction...the more you give it, the more it gives you.
No matter how much you clean and polish though, it will not be perfect.
Age has left its mark on the machine. Some might see this as needing restoration,
others will leave it as it is. Either way it is a rare find to see one so stock and un-molested.
Some pitting in the chrome here and there.
But the underside appears rock solid and no signs ever of any welding or repair.
Wow
The body is very very straight and as mentioned before, all the fenders, doors, hood and decklid all appear
to be the originals and it is quite possible the running boards and bumpers are the ones it left the factory with.
Still has the block off plate behind the passenger side horn grill.
How many times have you seen this detail? Very commonly lost in restoration.
A bit of surface rust and the original undercoating has flaked off in spots,
but a life of living in a dry climate and being garaged for many years has preserved the metal well.
The car has primarily remained in California since new.
At one point however it did travel to Hawaii with its owner while he was stationed there in the late 70's.
Everything fits so well, door gaps are excellent, hood gap as well,
bumper brackets and supports are tight and straight through the aprons...its dreamy.
The wheels at some point were swapped for chrome plated Porsche 356 rims.
These are genuine KPZ German wheels, date coded to the early 60's,
not some sort of reproduction or Brazilian or Chinese fakes!
The chrome does show its age, but the wheels seem straight and true.
Original paint under the hood and engine lid, still quite clean.
The bone stock 40hp engine still retains 6 volt electrics, the large cap
distributor and all the proper tins and oil bath filter.
It fires off with just a flick of the key and idles like a sewing machine.
There is a slight exhaust leak and the little exhaust tips are due for replacement, so it its not
"perfect" but it sure runs well and the clutch and transmission feel good, as does the steering.
The brakes as mentioned are all new when it comes to the hydraulics.
The shows and drums were retained.
Very clean original door panels
Odometer shows 13,992 miles , but it has most certainly turned over at some point.
Still original carpets and mats!
Drivers side is in amazing shape!!
Some old registration slips are in the papers that show the family ownership chain.
This is one of those cars with a fanatical owner that jotted down every tank of gas and service!
I truly love seeing this sort of thing as it gives such a great peek into how well the car
was cared for during its ownership. Someone that does this sort of logging is someone that is paying attention
and takes care of issues quickly when they come up.
More details...I just love it.
Original owners manual and all the log books come with the car.
Tire pressure gauge as well...
The car has a locking steering column/ignition which works great.
Blaupunkt AM/FM radio.
Amazingly clean original paint on the dash and interior.
57 year old carpet and rubber mats....still looking surprisingly nice!
Super curious as to what might be underneath these covers!
Im sure they were covered for a reason...but could the original upholstery be saved?
Cool period service tag in the door jam
Original seat belts are still here and functional
The headliner looks to b]me to have been replaced at some point, perhaps when the sunroof cover was done as well.
Its in good shape with no holes or damage, but there is some aging and yellowing to the material in spots.
No attempt was made to clean the headliner, but I bet it would respond well to some careful efforts.
The sunroof cover itself is in really nice shape and scrubbed up nice.
Minimal wear on the steering wheel and the horn ring is all there and un-cracked.
Wolfsburg crest is in very nice shape.
Some US Navy department parking passes.
The owner obviously worked for the Navy and had a wonderful career that included
working with dolphins in surveillance and at the famed China Lake weapons center at some point.
Spare tire well looks very very straight and solid!!!
Underside of the hood is original paint and looks amazing.
Spare wheel looks like it even has and original German Continental tire!
Tool roll and jack are still with the car as well.
Even the original trunk liner and wiring cover are here and in fairly nice shape.
In closing this is a wonderful survivor car with a known 1 family ownership its whole life.
Never wrecked, never rusted, never restored and always well kept by a detail oriented owner.
Its far from flawless, but it still stands proud and is ready for a new home...will it be yours?
SOLD!!
(Click HERE for all Current Listings!)
For More Info...CALL
951 767 1600
or email oldbug@earthlink.net