Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1977 Vw Beetle Rat Rod on 2040-cars

US $3,000.00
Year:1977 Mileage:100000
Location:

Oak Park, Illinois, United States

Oak Park, Illinois, United States
Advertising:

If i had a good place to store and work on this, I wouldn't be selling it... but I don't so I am.  This is a completely ridiculous VW rat rod.  It currently runs and drives fine, but the brake lights stopped working so I haven't driven it far in a couple of weeks.  About two months ago I grove around 500 miles in a weekend.  I'm not going to claim it was comfortable, but the car had zero problems.

If you're looking for a reasonable daily driver, you should absolutely not buy this car.  It has one seat, no interior, no heat, questionable wiring and really requires ear plugs for long drives.

If you're considering buying a bright yellow Lamborghini to drive slowly and get attention, I promise this will attract more (and more positive) looks.  You will get used to having your picture taken.  It literally caused an accident while parked as someone drifted across the road while looking at it.  I had an approving, positive conversation about it with a 1%'er at a gas station.

I bought the car mostly as is from a local guy who worked on it with his two sons.  It has so many unique touches I don't even know where to start.  Sanded down to bare metal, rusted, then sealed with epoxy.  Road sign fenders (and the beginning of an interior).  License plate inner fenders.  License plate dash.  Raised coil-over suspension and brand new all-terrain tires.  Headlights are apparently from some 1920's truck.  Chopped & snubbed nose front end. Trimmed engine cover.  Welded roof rack with snowboard bolted on. Stinger header.

Beyond the rat rod nature, major issues are: Floor is solid, but has some riveted in patches and could stand to be replaced.  I have a quote of $1400 including labor from a very reputable VW restoration shop.  Heat channels are solid & in good shape.
Boots on the axles are in rough shape and work but should be replaced eventually.  I have a quote of $490 to replace both axles including labor from the same shop.
The brake lights just stopped working.  It's been very cold, and it's possible one of the switches froze up.
The fuel gauge just stopped working but is likely just a bad connection.   Working on getting that fixed before it leaves.

Other than that, it runs strong, shifts fine, stops fine, and drives straight.

Additional Parts not yet installed:
1920's horn & chain pull switch.
Lots of additional road signs.
Miscellaneous mirrors and other bits that could be welded on.

If it doesn't sell in the next couple of days, I'm taking it in to get the floor, axles, and electrical issues addressed.  I just thought I'd see if someone was interested that might want to do the work themselves.

Auto Services in Illinois

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Auto blog

When Android Automotive goes in the dash, Google wins — and automakers lose data

Tue, May 22 2018

You've gotta hand it to Google for the way the Silicon Valley tech giant has made indelible inroads into the car on multiple fronts. The most obvious is with its pioneering self-driving car technology that's caused car companies to get their act together on autonomous vehicles — and also collaborate with Google. Google has more directly extended its influence and data-mining capabilities into the car with its Android Auto smartphone-projection platform that most major automakers have adopted along with Apple's CarPlay. And now it's preparing to dig even deeper into dashboards by deploying its open-source operating system, Android Automotive, beginning with Audi and Volvo. Volvo recently announced that its next-generation Sensus infotainment system will run Android Automotive as an OS and include Google's Play Store for cloud-based content, Maps for navigation and Google Assistant for voice recognition, which can even command a car's climate control. By embedding Google in the dash, Volvo says owners will get an improved connected experience. "Bringing Google services into Volvo cars will accelerate innovation in connectivity and boost our development in applications and connected services," Volvo senior vice president of R&D Henrik Green said in a statement. "Soon, Volvo drivers will have direct access to thousands of in-car apps that make daily life easier and the connected in-car experience more enjoyable." Having Android Automotive onboard could benefit drivers — and provide a big win for Google, since it opens a deep and lucrative new data-mining vein for the company. But it's a wave of a white flag for car companies when it comes to delivering their own cloud-based content and services. It also represents a massive data giveaway and, for Audi, a reversal of earlier reservations about letting Google get too much access to car data. Not long after Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were introduced in 2014 and most automakers eagerly embraced the technologies, several German automakers second-guessed their decision when they realized what was at stake: data. At a conference in Berlin in 2015, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said car owners "want to be in control of their data, and not subject to monitoring." A few months earlier, Stadler stated that "the data that we collect is our data and not Google's.

VW using other manufacturing locations as leverage in battle with TN [w/video]

Sat, 26 Apr 2014

We've reached a new step in the ongoing drama at Volkswagen's factory in Chattanooga, TN. The United Auto Workers recently dropped its opposition to the union vote and agreed that it wouldn't hold another ballot for at least a year. Now, the new question becomes where VW is going to build its forthcoming midsize SUV.
Earlier, it had been considered all but certain that the SUV, likely a production version of the CrossBlue concept (pictured above), would be built in Tennessee. However, it seems the Chattanooga factory might have competition to produce it. In emails obtained by The Detroit News, VW's lawyer wrote to the Tennessee economic development department in January saying, "While we understand there are some 'non-deal' issues that are causing a delay in the TN solution, VW has been successful in reaching agreement on terms at the alternative locations."
As previously reported, the state of Tennessee allegedly offered VW about $300 million in incentives to build the vehicle there and create an estimated 1,350 jobs, but it later rescinded the deal. Newly leaked documents from NewsChannel 5 (WTVF-TV) in Nashville allegedly show just how close that offer was to being completed. It appears that VW actually sent the government the first draft of a memorandum of understanding agreeing to the incentives, but the state removed the offer in late January.

VW confirms three-row Tiguan to be built in Mexico

Tue, Mar 10 2015

Volkswagen has been toying with the idea of a three-row crossover for some time – as evidenced by the CrossBlue concept in 2013 and the Magellan concept way back in 2002. But now the German automaker is bringing it to fruition, and it's doing so right in our back yard (or across the fence, anyway). In its latest announcement, VW confirmed recent reports that it will build a new three-row Tiguan at its plant in Puebla, Mexico. It will be made alongside the Golf and Jetta at the company's largest assembly plant outside of Germany, after a billion-dollar expansion program that will encompass nearly a million more square feet of space and employ some 2,000 workers. Once production of the new Tiguan comes on full steam in 2017, the plant will be pumping out 500 of them every day to be delivered in the Americas, but also exported to markets overseas (save for China and Europe). At that point, VW will be producing 90 percent of its products for North America locally. Of course this won't be the first time Volkswagen will be producing a Tiguan. The current model was introduced in 2007 and underwent a facelift in 2011, but includes only two rows of seating and is imported to North America from factories overseas. VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO TO PRODUCE THE NEW THREE-ROW TIGUAN IN ITS PUEBLA ASSEMBLY PLANT Mar 9, 2015 - Investment of $1 billion at Puebla plant - US-CEO Michael Horn: Localization key to safeguard our competitive position - Start of production end of 2016 Puebla/Herndon, March 9, 2015 – Volkswagen de Mexico announced today that a three-row version of the Tiguan will be produced at its plant in Puebla, Mexico. The car will be launched to the markets in 2017. The company will invest $1 billion for the expansion and modernization of its production facilities at the Puebla plant, as well as tooling to produce auto parts at suppliers. Volkswagen de Mexico's strategy of technological upgrading, which started with the production of the new Golf on the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) platform, goes to the next step with the new Tiguan. "Localization has become key to safeguarding our competitive position on the global market and manufacturing the Tiguan in Mexico will bring production closer to the U.S.-market," said Michael Horn, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. "It is another proof point that Volkswagen is committed to further growth in the U.S. and North American markets.