Dream Come True

Let's hear about your 1966 VW Beetle - How long have you owned it? What attracted you to this specific model year? what makes it unique? PLEASE - NO TECHNICAL OR MECHANICAL QUESTIONS IN THIS FORUM - PLEASE POST THEM IN THE TECHNICAL/MECHANICAL SECTION. Thanks John
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SharkQueen
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Location: Howell, Michigan

Dream Come True

Post by SharkQueen »

I have wanted an old Beetle since I was a kid. I always loved the Herbie movies and always wanted one. I was about 8 years old when the "new" Beetle came out in 1998 or so. I remember telling my mom I wanted one, and asked her to buy me one when I got older. She always said no lol.

I am now 24 years old. I started reading up on Beetle and old Beetles. I came to learn a lot and started saving up some money for one. My boyfriend use to send me Craigslist links all the time with Beetles for sale, but they were never want I wanted and my dad told me when I show him the ones for sale that they looked like they were junk.

Recently my boyfriend emailed me a link to a 1966 Beetle for sale about an hour away. I fell in love with it. It was exactly what I wanted. It was everything I could have hoped for. And what was more exciting for me was that it was in RUNNING condition and wasn't all rotted out and didn't look too beat up. I showed it to my dad. He approved. So I jumped at the chance and it's MINE NOW!

I can't wait for Spring and Summer so I can get started on it. I plan on driving as it is for awhile while I work on getting all of the parts I need for it and then when I finally have everything I need I will restore it :)

It runs so amazing. I drove it around the storage place that I have it stored in for a few last weekend. It felt amazing. Inside the old manual I found that the original owner kept track of oil changes and maintenance. And there was a thing that said it came from Texas. And that someone had rebuilt the engine in 1974 or so. I thought that was a pretty neat thing to discover in the manual.

It needs a few things. The rockers are shot. But it came with new ones for me to weld in, so that's one less thing I will have to buy. The radio, headlights, turn signals, hazards, and dash lights don't work. I'm thinking maybe it's a fuse???

It's not the original color. I think the original color was tan/gray. When I pulled back the cover in the trunk area it was all tan/gray.

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darzoom
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Post by darzoom »

Looks in good shape! Drive it and enjoy.
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SharkQueen
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Post by SharkQueen »

That's what I plan on doing :D I have a bunch of car shows lined up for it in the Summer. It's not in the best shape but it's nice enough for me lol.
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Kevboy888
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Post by Kevboy888 »

The tan color for 1966 is called Sea Sand / Anamite. Here are notes from one of my friends:

If I was going to keep it stock looking more than custom I would go with the exact same color which yours is
Exterior paint- L 568 (37) Sea Sand
Leatherette Upholstery - 76 Black
If you want to go with a cloth interior then you have two choices,
Cloth Upholstery - 59 Mosaic Teak if your chassis # is before and including 116 232 890
or
Cloth Upholstery - 58 Mosaic Platinum if your chassis # is after 116 232 891
The Seat frames, steering column tube, gearshift and hand brake lever should be painted L 43 grey-black.
Hope this helps.

I am Kevboy888 and if you want to see your car in its original color look for my Frieda post.
Big Joe
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Post by Big Joe »

Who ever told you that non-sense Kevin! lol J/K :lol:

Looks like you have a nice score to start with. I can't wait for this weather to break so we can start enjoying them again. Looks like next week for warmer weather!
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SharkQueen
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Post by SharkQueen »

I might want to leave it original. I'm not really sure what I want to do. The paint and interior will be the last things I do. Right now I'm working on getting things I will need to "restore" it which isn't really a ton. That way when the time comes to fix it up I'll have everything I need. I plan on enjoying it as it is for awhile. I love the patina of it.

I have so many people telling me I should paint is this or paint it that or do this or do that and I'm so confused as to what to do lol. I'll probably get a ton more ideas if I go to shows and stuff. Lots of cool Beetles are always there. But an original color might be nice :D
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Kevboy888
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Post by Kevboy888 »

If you like it the way it is, keep it that way. You may want to make sure all the rust buggers are taken care of and then have them shoot clear coat over the patina. You mentioned you might want to take it back to its original color, that is why I sent the reply I did. If I have learned nothing else from restoring mine, do what you want to do, after all it is yours. Many of my friends at work tried to talk me into painting Frieda another color, and I have to admit when I first got her, I was not a big fan of the color, however, it has really grown on me, and I would not paint her any other color as a result. Have fun and enjoy your bug. Don't forget to name him(her) when you get the chance.
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