Hi all-
I have my eye on a 1966 Beetle. I have been a Mopar guy forever, but my kids are fascnated by "bug car!"s and I have been considering taking the plundge. The one I am eyeing was hit in the rear, tweaking the rear bumper and damaging the engine cover. There was also some damage to the front clip as it was pushed into the car ahead of it. The damage APPEARS to be limited to the bumpers and hood and decklid. The vehicle is a CA car with a salvage title and the seller is the 2nd owner(another family member being the first). Other than the damage, it seems to be unmolested and original. What do you guys think?
Considering buying a 66 VW
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jmartini
- Administrator
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- Location: Nevada, Texas
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Welcome to the Forum Acuda4me! Great to have you as a member - I am a big Mopar Fan as well - I've had a number of full size Dodge conversion vans, a Wrangler, Cherokee, and we still have a Durango (we need it for pulling our camper).
I'm not sure how your insurance company will view a salvage title. Some companies won't insure a car (comprehensive insurance) that has a salvage title, this may or may not be the case with your insurance company, and you may want to have that conversation with them before you proceed.
As far as the damage to the front and the rear - take a look at the link on the home page called "Inspection Tips When Buying". These are the things you want to look at to help you assess whether the car has structural damage you might want to steer clear of. If the damage is superficial (dents in the hood and deck lid plus some bumper damage) you might be ok. I say "might be" because when the bumpers are hit they often times cause more damage where they mount to the body.
Almost any bug can be brought back to great condition but it is always a matter of how much money and time you are willing to invest. There are still a lot of '66's out there in great shape for sale every day. If this car is a steal for the shape it is in, then perhaps it will be worth it - my suggestion is to go online and look at some of the 1966 models for sale at thesamba.com classifieds. This will do two things for you - 1) give you an idea of what is available in your area and 2) give you an idea of market value on comparable vehicles.
Good luck on your decision - and let us know what you decide - and feel free to come back with any questions after you look closely at the bug (please print out the tips page).
Once again Welcome! John
I'm not sure how your insurance company will view a salvage title. Some companies won't insure a car (comprehensive insurance) that has a salvage title, this may or may not be the case with your insurance company, and you may want to have that conversation with them before you proceed.
As far as the damage to the front and the rear - take a look at the link on the home page called "Inspection Tips When Buying". These are the things you want to look at to help you assess whether the car has structural damage you might want to steer clear of. If the damage is superficial (dents in the hood and deck lid plus some bumper damage) you might be ok. I say "might be" because when the bumpers are hit they often times cause more damage where they mount to the body.
Almost any bug can be brought back to great condition but it is always a matter of how much money and time you are willing to invest. There are still a lot of '66's out there in great shape for sale every day. If this car is a steal for the shape it is in, then perhaps it will be worth it - my suggestion is to go online and look at some of the 1966 models for sale at thesamba.com classifieds. This will do two things for you - 1) give you an idea of what is available in your area and 2) give you an idea of market value on comparable vehicles.
Good luck on your decision - and let us know what you decide - and feel free to come back with any questions after you look closely at the bug (please print out the tips page).
Once again Welcome! John
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fourcylinder
- Senior Member
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 7:28 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Welcome Acuda4me!!!
Kid's sure do love the old bugs!
Ditto to the advice above - make sure you get a good look at all the possible places there could be damage and then have a conversation with your insurance agent. It would be sad to put money into fixing it up and then not be able to insure it. Good luck and let us know what happens!
Kid's sure do love the old bugs!
Ditto to the advice above - make sure you get a good look at all the possible places there could be damage and then have a conversation with your insurance agent. It would be sad to put money into fixing it up and then not be able to insure it. Good luck and let us know what happens!
Phil
San Antonio
San Antonio