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

Volkswagen Baja Bug (1972 Body On 1965 Chassis) on 2040-cars

Year:1965 Mileage:100127 Color: White /
 Black
Location:

Burbank, California, United States

Burbank, California, United States
Transmission:Manual 4-Speed
Body Type:Coupe
Engine:1600
Vehicle Title:Clear
Fuel Type:Gasoline
For Sale By:Private Seller
VIN: 115855890 Year: 1965
Interior Color: Black
Make: Volkswagen
Number of Cylinders: 4
Model: Beetle - Classic
Trim: Baja
Drive Type: RWD
Options: CD Player
Mileage: 100,127
Sub Model: Baja
Exterior Color: White
Condition: Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ... 

Bitter-sweetly saying farewell to this 1965 VW Baja Bug


If you're familiar with the classic beetles, you'll notice the body is post-1965. It is a 1972. The chassis is a 1965, and the car is registered as such. The VIN is based as an ORV identification. It took me forever to figure that out when I was working through the registration process after this ride came to be in my hands. 

I'll be as forthcoming and honest in detailing what you're looking at. I have a 100% positive feedback, and aim to keep it that way, so please feel free to ask any questions you have. 

I've done a lot to this car, but there is plenty left to do, depending on what you'd want it for. It has its good, its bad and its OK. Because of that, I'm setting the reserve at less than what I would if I put another 20 hours into working with it. 

To briefly state it: I'm selling it because I don't have space to work on it at my current residence. When I purchased it a year ago, I planned to take it to the next level. Not a month later, a huge career project began to take shape and grow some wings, and my Baja project just became a fun car to tool around in. So, it's time to clear some space, and offer this bug to a new owner. 

This is a street legal bug with a clear CA Title. The valid CA registration is good for another 11 months, through 2013. I kept wrestling with selling it, so I have kept the registration current. 

The benefit of owning a 1972 or earlier model year car in CA is that it's SMOG EXEMPT under current law. 

The car is a bit of a rat-rod, but a fun drive. No bells and whistles...No horn. (Seriously, the horn is disconnected.) For moms and pops looking for a great first car for their 16 year old...? This is probably not it. For those who know the air-cooled beetles, and love them cut to baja style, this little bug has wonderful potential. 

The Good

  • This car is a strong runner. I've put a measly 3,000 miles on it over the past 12 month period. Before I purchased it, a complete tune-up was offered. New plugs, distributor, etc. It could use a good valve adjustment. I had them adjusted with an oil changes 100 miles back, but it's popping/backfiring a bit on throttle deceleration...it could be that it's running a little rich, too. I wanted a little more low end power zipping around the streets, so adjusted the carb. These are all minor, routine maintenance things that I'd suggest when buying any car. 
  • 95% of the body is in solid shape. Very workable. The nose was backed into by a not-so-friendly neighbor. I patched the fiberglass with 3 layers on the inside, so it is solid, but it could use another couple on the outside, and a sand-down. (Pictured) A new fiberglass nose would cost around $80. 
  • Interior: As shown, headliner is in good shape. The same perforated material was used in the rear storage area, and it's a little rough. Needs to be re-glued. (Pictured)
    Seats are in great shape. Front two, and rear bench are without tears and comfortable. (Pictured)
  • Floor pans: The pans have some spots of surface rust, but no holes or weaknesses. They're solid, even near the battery box. The passenger side was cut and replaced beneath the seat before I purchased the car. It was riveted, and sealed. It's not beautiful, but it's functional, and has presented no issues. 
  • Kenwood, Detchable Face CD Player and Four Kenwood speakers. 
  • I've been running good ole, 87 octane, 20/50 oil, with Lucas-Oil oil conditioner and stop leak. It's the best stuff out there, and I find that this bug leaks less oil, and runs with better compression than any other air-cooled, push-rod operated vehicle I've ever driven/ridden...even on cold (for California) mornings. 
  • 8x15s in the front, 10" wide in the rear - running good rubber. Lots of miles to be enjoyed on the tires. 
  • Full size spare. (Pictured)
  • Glass is good. Front pop-out windows are awesome for air-circulation. 
  • Parts are CHEAP and ACCESSIBLE. Working on this car has been fun and therapeutic -- though an interesting introduction to the air-cooled VW. If you're unaware, I can provide you with some great parts suppliers. 
  • Added new rear drums/brakes: less than 700 miles. 
  • Changed clutch cable: less than 1,000 miles
  • Don't know the actual mileage, though the odometer just rolled over. Obviously, this car being a cut of two different cars, I don't know what to guesstimate for the mileage. I know that I took it to a mechanic, who I didn't think wanted to give it back. He drove it around the block four or five times. Said what I've felt and feel to be true. It runs strong. It's fun. 
  • It is painted white...this kind of falls in the so-so category. The paint ins't good. There are chips, mismatch spray jobs, etc. What you'd expect on something that was used for outdoor fun. 
  • I'm including a tire iron with the car. 
The Bad (which isn't so bad)

  • The wiring is a bit sketchy. It's there. It works. But it's temperamental. (I've noticed humidity and temp have a lot to do with it.) One thing I planned to do was rewire the entire vehicle, and install a new fuse box. Unfortunately, no time. I've got all of the front lights, signals, etc. working (Pictured), and the rear turn signals are working; however, I've only got one taillight working on one side, and the brake light working on the opposite. I WILL continue to fiddle with this, as I've made some progress over the last couple of days, but I believe it to be a bad relay or wire, so please bid knowing they may not work without your own effort. 
  • Subsequently, the stereo stopped pumping out sound. I checked all fuses--they're good. The receiver is getting power, but somewhere in the mix, no signal is being pushed to the speakers. I'm not a car stereo guy, but I'm looking into it. Again, please bid with this understanding. I just don't have time to deal with these issues, and that will be reflected in the reserve price. 
  • Needs a front bumper. These range in size, scope and price. A good steel tube bumper can be found for less than $70. Or you could drive it around without, as I have. Just know that the front end will very much appreciate some protection. 
  • Very slow leak (I believe it's a valve leak, never goes flat) on a front tire. I add air every couple of weeks. 
  • Trim pieces/seals could use some TLC. E.g. Fender beads for the front. Door seal foam is worn. Window seals. 
  • Driver side window/door handle works rolling window up and down, but is working toward its final days -- I've got it set with some JB Weld, and I help the window up with my hand. Rolls down rapidly and with no issues. 
  • Passenger side sun visor is missing its clip. 
  • Windshield  wipers are operated by a toggle switch. And original is probably available somewhere. At present I have the wipers disconnected, while working on some of the other electrical. Can be reconnected. They do work...frenetically, I might add. 
She's no show car, but she does get up and go. If you're looking for a great foundation to get off the pavement and onto trails, this may be the right option for you. Best wishes in the bid.  

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Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-Up: Tesla, CarCharging and the EPA

Sat, Aug 23 2014

Credit Suisse analysts are bullish on Tesla. The group gives the electric car company's stock an "outperform" rating with a target price of $325. For its continued success, Credit Suisse cites the vehicles' superior technology, in turn offering more torque, roominess and reliability. Says analyst Dan Galves said of Tesla's competition with ICEs, "If Tesla can get to cost-parity with Internal Combustion vehicles and still offer $1,400 to $2,500 per year fuel savings to the consumer, it won't be a fair fight." Read more at Yahoo Finance or at Business Insider. In other Tesla news, Tesla Model S owners will be able to unlock and start their car using an iPhone. The Tesla app is adding this functionality soon, perhaps with the update to iOS 8. It's not yet clear how this function will work, but it's one more innovative convenience feature that Model S owners can enjoy. That means drivers will have less to carry in their pockets or purses when they go for a drive. Read more at 9 to 5 Mac. CarCharging Group has remotely lowered the amperage on some of its residential users' Blink charging stations to 24 amps. This will slow down the charging time for affected customers with 6.6-kilowatt charging by about 15 percent. The company cited safety reasons for the move, with concerns about overheating. The amperage reduction is temporary, until CarCharging is able to provide replacement parts for the chargers. Some are concerned about the delayed action, as well as the fact that the reduction was handled without owner permission. Read more at Plugin Cars. Ford is halting test drives and sales of certain C-Max hybrid and Focus models due to a safety concern. Cars made during a single week this month at a Michigan factory may not have enough ball bearings in the steering gear assembly, which could lead to loss of control. None of the affected cars have been sold, Ford says, and about 50 units are currently at dealerships. Just over 600 will need to be recalled. Dealerships have been notified of the problem. Read more at Reuters and the The Detroit News. A new EPA report shows that urban air in the US is becoming less toxic since the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The report shows a 66-percent reduction in benzene, almost 60 percent reduction in mercury from man-made sources, 84 percent less lead and more.

VW recalls 220,000 Atlases, Atlas Cross Sports for airbag defect [Updated]

Thu, Mar 31 2022

[Update: Audi of America has confirmed that no U.S. models are among the recall population for plug-in hybrid fire issue.] Volkswagen has issued yet another recall for its Atlas SUV, this time for side airbags that may not deploy correctly in an accident due to a problematic connection in one of the vehicle's wiring harnesses. The campaign covers 222,892 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport models built for the 2019-2023 model years.  The issue stems from a connection with the wiring harness that runs from the A-pillar into the door. VW says that harnesses produced by one of its suppliers were not built with additional measures to prevent movement at the connection point. Small movements can cause abrasion of the metal contacts which could lead to a whole host of electronic misadventures, including the potential for airbag deployment to be delayed in a crash.  "Micro-movement of the wire harness (terminal A-Pillar to front door) can result in damage to the wire terminal surface. Damage to the surface can [result] in fretting corrosion which may cause sporadic interruption in the electrical connection to the components of the front door," VW said in its defect notice. "The airbag warning light may illuminate if a malfunction is detected. Other symptoms of a sporadic interruption of the affected electrical connection can be: inadvertent rolling down windows, inadvertent park brake engagement at low speeds (below approx. 3km/h or 1.8mph), warning regarding faulty door sensor," VW said.  Not every model built within the range defined above is subject to the recall; terminals from other suppliers were manufactured with the necessary safeguards in place. If you own a 2019-2023 Atlas or Atlas Cross Sport, keep your eyes peeled for a notification from VW regarding the campaign, likely some time in early-mid May.  PHEV problems Across the Atlantic, the VW Group mothership confirmed that it will recall more than 100,000 plug-in hybrid models worldwide to address a fire risk. The recall was launched in response to 16 reported incidents of fires stemming from insufficient insulation of the PHEV battery pack that allows the engine cover to make contact if it is not completely secure. If that happens, the heat from the battery can ignite the engine cover. The recall will cover PHEVs build by VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda, Reuters reports, including the VW Passat, Golf, Tiguan and Arteon — plug-in variants of which are not sold in the United States.

VW bringing fuel cell concept to LA Auto Show

Mon, Nov 17 2014

Amid the flurry of hydrogen announcements from Toyota and Honda last night, Volkwagen has something to add: a new hydrogen fuel cell concept vehicle. This will be the first VW hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in many years – remember the Tiguan Hy-Motion back in 2008? – and it comes as a bit of a surprise. First written up by the German publication Wirtschaft Woche, VW is going to have the prototype car (not pictured) available at the ride and drive at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this week. We don't yet know what kind of vehicle will sport the hydrogen powertrain, but our money's on a Golf variant. We'll see soon enough when we get to Los Angeles. What's interesting is that there have been a number of not-so-mixed messages out of the VW executive ranks when it comes to hydrogen vehicles. VW's Japanese president, Shigeru Shoji, said in September that, hydrogen fuel cells, "may fly within Japan, but not globally." Last year, VW's electrification head Rudolf Krebs said that "hydrogen mobility only makes sense if you use green energy." Also last year, VW CEO Martin Winterkorn said it's basically impossible to build hydrogen vehicles at a "reasonable cost." Nonetheless, we're going to see a new VW H2 concept soon. Thoughts?