After All This Suffering I Have Decided To Get My Midlife Crisis Out Of The Way....now

[Sludge]

Yup. I done gone and did it. I feel I have earned it. I have been talking about doing it for years. Seven to be precise. Well that and I had to rebuild the brake system to get it home. Poor thing sat in a garage unused and unloved the last 12 years...


Therefore I present to you, for the first time on the web, my new time sink. It aint no sports car, but it is read.

Without further blather I present to you the BeazleBug!

The BeazleBug is so named as the wife does not know I bought it, let alone it is in my garage right now. I am pretty sure I am going to hell when she discovers it. This is a 1958 Volkswagen Type 1, AKA VW 1200 Baujahr '58, or a Kafer, or a Beetle, or a Bug.

While not factory anymore, specifically due to the removal of the back windows and the Spirit of America EMPI-clone alloy wheels, it does have the original 1200 engine! The VIN, Body, and block numbers all check out.

It is in amazing shape for a bug that has been in Nebraska from day one. I have the original bill of sale and found it was purchased for $2195 off the lot and I am its 4th owner. It is in need of a bath and has a few minor dings, but only one spot on the original body has bondo. The paint is a mediocre DIY job that shall be replaced in the future.

It runs like a raped ape right now, although the FWEEEEEEEE is missing due to the aftermarket exhaust...which was installed half-assed by owner number 2. Gonna remedy that, me. Also going to do a complete engine and trans-axle rebuild/replacement. The trans-axle is slated for replacement, though there is nothing wrong with it. I'm going with a five speed freeway flyer built off the '70 bus trans-axle.

Why? Because the stock axles are getting replaced with longer ones! Why? Because the rear fenders are slated for replacement with Fatasses three inches wider. Need the width for the big ass tires. Why? To handle the soon to be finished 1900cc Dual Webber 41 IDF monster I have partially finished in my garage.


Yup, you got that right. This car has never in it's life gone faster than 50mph. By next spring it is gonna give those rice-rocket driving, Fast and Furious wanabes something to cry about.

Well that, and if I'm gonna die in a death trap like a Bug, it is going to be at a dangerously high rate of speed!


Just don't tell my wife. I'm curious how long it will take her to notice it in the garage....

:whistle:

 

[Spock]

How fun...that is awesome Sludge!!!

 

[Sarg]

Hey! Long time ago they used to have Gym Kanas (hey, spell check didn't know what to do with that one) in the college stadium parking lot. Some British, I think a BMW but what always was first? A good old Volks with a crazy driver named Eric. He'd.come around some of those pylons on only three wheels.

Congrats, Sludge!

Sarg

 

[JarHed]

Very nice Sludge.

I purchased a VW bug in 1970 for about $2200. Best car dollar for dollar that I've ever owned. Had the engine rebuilt a 100K by a guy that just worked on German cars. It ran better the second 100K. Sold it to a friend when it had over 230K on it and was still running well. Amazing little car. Except for my back being f*cked from driving it and the fact that the heat was always on it was a super little machine. Best of luck with yours.

Jar

 

[Sleeping Dragon]

Nice, very nice.

 

[Sludge]

Very nice Sludge.

I purchased a VW bug in 1970 for about $2200. Best car dollar for dollar that I've ever owned. Had the engine rebuilt a 100K by a guy that just worked on German cars. It ran better the second 100K. Sold it to a friend when it had over 230K on it and was still running well. Amazing little car. Except for my back being f*cked from driving it and the fact that the heat was always on it was a super little machine. Best of luck with yours.

Jar

I bought a 70 back in Norfolk in '98. For 500 bucks. Bought a carb rebuild kit and for retread tires for a total of 90 bucks, and then drove the little beast to San Diego. I miss that car. Fully restored it over the next year and sold it for 10 grand. Bought a 74 Super Beetle and restored that to factory. Traded it for a Baja 67 which I put an old school Porsche 4 banger in and then damn near killed myself in it when I blew the doors off a tricked out El Camino on the Pacific Coast Highway. Sold that one to a guy that died in it when he attempted to ass rape a semi on the 8 six months later. Then bought a fully restored factory, right hand drive 64, that I owned and loved until the Docs took away my license just after 9/11. That one was special- it had an all aluminum body and pan, not custom, but factory. Word on the street was it was one of if not the only surviving example of a few hundred built as German mail vehicles that were never used for mail delivery. By that time however I was deep into the Beast's mix of drugs and booze and dirty bar sluts. Not even sure what I did with the car. It just disappeared from my mind.Probably worth 100 grand. Dunno.

This new one however has been a dream of mine to own for quite some time. It needs some love, but the hard stuff is done or does not need done.


The fun part is that it has been in the garage for over 24 hours now and my wife still has not noticed. I loaded up the pugs and took them to the dog park in it this morning. That was a riot of hysterically funny proportions. I am not used to driving without a seat belt however. Haven't been in a car that never had them since I was a kid.

 

[Sludge]

Hey! Long time ago they used to have Gym Kanas (hey, spell check didn't know what to do with that one) in the college stadium parking lot. Some British, I think a BMW but what always was first? A good old Volks with a crazy driver named Eric. He'd.come around some of those pylons on only three wheels.

Congrats, Sludge!

Sarg

I did a few gymkhana back in San Diego in my previous Bugs. The Baja I had was built for it, and abuse in the desert when I bothered to put the off road tires on it. The air cooled V-dubs always had a leg up, it is just too simple and too cheap to do revoltingly fast modifications to them. Some where I have a picture of one of mine reared up like a stallion on a straight line run at UCSD....shoulda put wheelie bars on that one. Trashed the engine standing it up like that.

 

[Sarg]

When I lived in Germany, the police either ran four door Mercedes or bugs with Porsche engines! You'd be doing 85 mph on the Autobahn and they'd zip by like your were parked. Had a 48 with the little teardrop rear windows and machs nicht sticks! What a hoot!

Sarg

 

[Jimmy1]

Sludge's real car

 

[Sludge]

Sludge's real car

View attachment 1158

At least for once my ass is draggin' me!

 

[Fargo1]

Nice! I look forward to photos of the progress.

 

[Jimmy1]

At least for once my ass is draggin' me!

I am just jealous mate, maybe I need to do something like that.