1963 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible For Sale
SOLD! Please CLICK HERE
For All Current Listings
When you have been in the old car scene for a while and have worked on a variety of vehicles
in all sorts of different conditions, you start to learn that NOBODY built these cars as well as VW did
when they were rolling off the assembly line. The VW became one of the best selling cars of all time
because the quality was so fantastic. Oh sure, they were cute and cheap too, but if the quality was poor
like so many other foriegn cars of the day...it never would have sold as well as it did for so long.
With that being said, the dream find of any serious VW collector is a car that its totally original.
This "Poppy Red" 63 Convertible falls into the "Dream Find" catagory quite easily.
The paint on this car is all original...except one panel which will be explained shortly..
What is even more impressive is that this is a spotlessly solid example that somehow
escaped the ravages of the "Ferrous Demon Rust" which is simply an insane find
for an unrestored early convertible...even here in California!
It is a California car since new, always in the dry climate and well maintained.
The owner has written to VW for the Birth Certificate and this documents that all the original equipment is still with the car.
Original engine and everything.
Further research shows that the front axle and transmission and everything are original to the car as well.
The original window sticker from when the car sat on the dealer's lot is present as well and this wonderful original photo of the car when new.
This sort of stuff makes the car massively more attractive as it gives it the provenance that serious collectors hold so dear.
We all love these cars because of the history and the memories they get going from deep within us
and a car that is all original and unrestored and shows the age and passage of time with every little flaw
is a very powerful thing. You see, feel and smell the history...and it is cool.
Owners and service manuals are included...and original keys
Small Wold dealer magazines from the era were with the car when found and will remain with the car to the new owner.
Magazines and manuals all marked with the original selling dealer's info.
The original window sticker!!!
How often do you find this with a car today??
Registration tags from it's history...
Fantastic!!
Check out the San Francisco port ID tag...I have NEVER seen one of these before!!
Really incredible bit of paperwork with this car.
Even the antenna mounting instructions!
The mileage documented back to the early days...just fantastic.
And this shot just had to be shared...this Praying Mantis was discovered on the hood and posed for a perfect photo.
Check out how he is taking on the red color of the car...amazing...anyway, they say that the Praying Mantis
is a sign of good luck...so perhaps that is another sign that this car is a special one?
This car is not perfect...and that is a good thing.
If it was perfect, you would be afraid of it.
This is a car that you can care for and be proud of without freaking out about if it gets
nailed by a well aimed bird dropping or leaned on by your careless brother in law.
The car has had a life of that and it still looks sweet.
The car has all the details in the right spot...original glass, etc.
Chrome is very nice.
The top shows some age...as one would expect.
This top was replaced in 1967...so it has had a long bit of use!
Just a great aura to this car.
The owner brought it out to a recent VW event and showed it with mirrors underneath to show the cleanliness
and solidity of the chassis and all day long people stopped and stared!
Original details lost in restorations through the years such as the color matched top frame...
an original car like this is wildly valueable as a resource to others to show how it "should be".
The headliner looks original to the car and it is a bit grungy from age.
There is a split in the headliner above the rear window as well...
Rubber seals show their age a bit as well.
The top when folded down...it operates smoothly and is strong.
The windows roll up and down with amazing ease...everything really works so well on this car
it is a wonderful thing to experience.
A convertible at the beach...life cant get much better than this.
What a beauty!
OK...ready for the story on the one panel that has been resprayed?
Well...it is the front hood, but it was not done due to accident damage or anything nasty..
The second owner was a prominant Porsche collector /restorer that one Saturday was giving lessons on car polishing to his son.
They buffed up the Beetle's original finish beautifully but at one point the dad stepped in the house while the son continued with the buffer...
well...sonny boy burned through the paint on the front hood and started on the drivers side front fender before dad came out..
The hood was repainted and perfectly color matched ...if I didnt tell you, you probably wouldnt have figured it out!
The top of the drivers fender shows the wear through from the buffer...rather than repaint it, it was left as is.
I think it adds a little charm to it personally...but it remains the one area of most paint loss...the rest of the car is simply gorgeous.
As you can see in this photo it almost looks as if it was a fresh restoration...yet it is original!!
The body is super straight on the car...no wrecks ever.
A few little scratches here and there but that is it...so sweet.
Beautiful car...and a great color too.
The original top boot in place looks so nice on the car!
The dash is all original of course and in impressive un-modified state.
The drivers seat bottom does have some damage, and the carpet was replaced many many years ago
but the rest is all original and in nice shape.
Original finish on the wheels too...a VERY rare thing to see.
The trim rings too are normally long gone.
Under the seats you can see the original padding.
And inspection tags
Original panels in impressive shape.
The small vents in the seat backs are one of the long lost attributes in most restorations!!
This is the way it should be on a convertible of this era!
The condition of the car is wonderful but the most amazing part to me
is the solidity and cleanliness of the underside of the car!
Check out these solid door bottoms!
And the original paint on the fender wells.
More on this later...
So clean
Original belts
As solid as can be in the deep corners.
Here's the money shot to me...look how solid the support rails are and
with the original paint as well.
And that dreamy straight smooth floor pan...wonderful!
Impressive!
Original running boards, original color matched fender beading, the gravel guards too are original to the car.
Convertibles are notorious for rust in these areas...this one...WOW...solid!!
These detail shots show just how great this car is...everything fitting exactly as it should and all consistent and right
for such an original car.
Look how clean under the engine lid it is...and no damage or wear to the hinges or spring perch.
The original finish on the engine tins including this little original inspection stamp!
Check out the paint finish on the air cleaner!!
VW sure built amazing cars in these days.
Rain tray on the convertible decklid is super clean and solid and fitted as it should be.
Go look around at all the other convertibles and see if that little rubber bit is in place where this one is...
You just cant beat factory!
Turn signals show a little age but are totally untouched originals.
Little wear spots here and there...like a nice pair of jeans...the perfect sort of wear.
Date coded wheels all the way around.
Dreamily clean spare tire well.
Solid!!
No hits, no repairs...original paint code sticker in place.
Odometer reads 43,089 miles at the time of these photos.
Steering wheel is amazingly clean.
Original numbers matching engine.
Engine is super clean and runs fantastic.
This is one of those Beetles that drives so well it puts that silly smirk on your face...
so smooth, so tight, just as it should be, perfect harmony.
Black California plates have been on the car since new...dealer frame too.
So straight...so smooth.
So solid!!
Wow.
Fantastic...and the smoothness of the original finish is so soft...you will find yourself in the garage
rubbing this car for no apparant reason!
Cant get much nicer than this!
Original inspection stamp on the front beam...these fender wells cleaned up so amazingly well!!
In closing this is really a great find.
I have been around the VW scene a long time and I can say with all honesty that finding an early
Convertible like this that is as solid and untouched as this one is a wildly rare occurance.
Sure there are others out there of the same age that might be less money...but looking closely you will see that this gem
is far finer in the details that truly count. Pass on this one and you will spend your whole life looking for it's equal.
SOLD! Please CLICK HERE
For All Current Listings
For More Info...CALL
951-767-1600
or email oldbug@earthlink.net