My '69 in '88

[Perkin]

This was my beetle.

Vauxhall China Blue, de-trimmed, one-piece windows, Mountney wheel, 5.5in bandies, taper exhaust tips and big surfin' sticker.



I should have kept it as it was; I took it with me when I was posted to Germany later that year and 'restored' it. I fitted early front wings and deck lid, lowered it & resprayed it in the original pale blue, but it was never quite as good. I had it for 12 years in the end before it became beyond economical repair...

[scotia]

nice! let me guess; rotted through under the passenger door?

[Perkin]

It was still reasonably solid when I sold it; it just needed loads doing and I didn't have the time.

I sold it mainly because it looked tatty on the drive. The bloke who bought it just needed the frame head, although it was too good to cut up, really.

He said he might put it back on the road; I wonder if there's any way of finding out?

[goodwin1995]

www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/application?origin=vehicleEnquiryInfo_en.jsp&event=bea.portal.framework.internal.portlet.event&pageid=Vehicle+Enquiry&portletid=VehicleEnquiry&portletns=VehicleEnquiry_en&wfevent=link.next

Have a look on there you write in the registration and the make of the vehicle and it will tell you if its still on the road ;D

[Perkin]

I'm frightened to look! So many memories...

[Perkin]

Looks like it's still on the road!

Colour is listed as yellow.

[bluebadge]

I've prolly owned about 20 vw's in the past 15 years, everything from a 120mph oval to a late super. I've always had a thing for em. I actually got into scoots through my last VW. I built a 2276cc engine for my 73 Ghia, but then gas prices went upwards of $5 a gallon, so a buddy of mine offered 3 vespa's in pieces for the motor. I said yes, dropped off the engine, picked up the scoots, pulled my girls boot outta my ass and rebuilt my '66 smallie in a mater of 2-3 months. Hooked ever since...

Gotta say it's always the first ones ya miss. My first Vw was a type 3 squareback. Wish I still had that one...

[Perkin]

Yeah. I had a '78 bus and an '88 type 25 hi-top (plus loads of watercooled VWs), but the 1500 was the best by a long way.

I currently have a Bora and we just bought a Touran. I'm quite badge-aligned, really...

[bluebadge]

I've never owned a watercooled vw. Not that I didn't want to, I just never found one I really liked. Except the Corrado, which can prove difficult to find in the states. I really don't like where VW has been headed the past few years. The new cars look like Corollas. Especially the Jetta, what you guys call the Bora over there. I don't know how the market is over there, but aircooled vw's have been soaring in price. What you use to be able to find for under $1000, like say a mid 60's sedan will ow run upwards of $2-3000 and sometimes without even being complete or running. It's rather crazy at the moment.
I'm not sure at right now whether I'm gonna hold out for the right VW or move on to American cars. I'm sure I'd take a bug if the price were right, but I've got my eye on a '49 Ford coupe at the moment... Would look nice on bags. Gotta keep the original flathead as well!

[bluebadge]

Forgot to ask, did you "cal-look" it or did it come that way? I see the one piece windows, solid window rubbers and filled trim holes? I know there were a few basic models without trim, but unsure which.

[Perkin]

I bought it from a work colleague roughly as it was in the pic, although I did the window mod.

After I'd 'restored' it, it was a more typical cal-look, being lowered with no bumpers. Wheels and interior remained stock, however...

Engine was standard, except I rebuilt it after it rattled a big end off (I ran out of oil on a motorway bridge... ) and balanced the rods to .2g- admittedly OTT for a standard Beetle engine!