Vehicle Description
1978 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
Is there really any other car that's captured the world's heart the
way the Beetle has? Especially coming from such hard and tyrannical
times. What started off as a brainchild of a dictator, only 2
decades later became the juxtaposed icon of the peace movement. The
Beetle really is a fantastic car for everyone, from the learners to
the elderly, it's so easy to maintain and great to drive. There
really is so much more to find out when it comes to the Beetle and
keep an eye out for them, from the original to the latest bug-eyed
beauty, you really never know where one will pop up.
For consignment, an iconic Beetle from Volkswagen that has low
original verified miles (27,025), a respray from 1991 that is still
holding strong, has spent some time in monitored climate controlled
storage, always mechanically looked after, and it's a convertible
version. The buyer can be confident to drive the car anywhere,
press it into parade duty, or just enjoy a Sunday drive in the
country.
Exterior
All curved steel panels on this bug are rust free and have survived
on a 1991 respray which remains nice and shiny. A few spots and
scratches have been acquired since its purchase from the original
owner in 1991, but nothing a quality retouch with a matching paint
cannot rectify in an afternoon. Standard flare out fenders with
headlights on front, the curved hood/trunk lid upfront and the
running boards which have become synonymous with the V-dub. On back
we have the elephant footprint taillights flanking the engine bay
hood. A white canvas top, believed to be original, is well
insulated, and comes with the top cover, and looks great in its
clean white canvas presentation. On each end 2 nicely curved
mirror-like chromed with a center rubber strip protect the front
and rear. Steel VW star pattern wheels with no covers are wrapped
with thin whites on all 4 corners.
Interior
Inside white vinyl takes over and is peppered with black accents.
On the doors it's the door handles, window cranks and armrest/door
pulls. Also, on the panels are a small storage pouch. For the
interior seating, we note white vinyl with tuck and roll inserts
and smooth bolsters, all covered with a light beige mini check
pattern, and white piping. These buckets and the rear bench are
nice and clean with no rips or tears. All this is floating in a sea
of black carpet also nice and fronted by the original simple dash.
This dash is more of a squared off design still with the single
round speedometer with an inserted fuel gauge within the bump up on
the black padded dash. The center has a wood applique running from
door to door, and sports an aftermarket radio, and various buttons
and knobs. Framing this wood strip below is more black vinyl molded
for more knobs and an ashtray. All looking just fine inside.
Drivetrain
A 1.6-liter engine sits in the rear engine bay, and has the look of
an unrestored original engine, but we cannot verify it is actual
numbers matching. Either way it is a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder, it has
Electronic Fuel Injection, and a 4-speed manual transmission.
Recently a complete tuneup, valve adjustments, and oil and filter
change.
Undercarriage
Some very slight surface rust on the rear suspension and structure,
but all is structurally sound. The floor pan tubs in the middle of
the car are newly coated with rustproofing, and not sure whether
there was a repair or just a respray, as the front suspension
matches the rear as to patina and surface rust. MacPherson struts
are the front suspension, and the rear includes a semi trailing
arm, and torsion bar setup. Drum brakes are on all 4 corners, and
exhaust is slightly aged.
Drive-Ability
I hopped in with my Flock of Seagulls cassette in hand, fired this
car up, popped the tape in and I was off to the test track. OH! I
forgot to mention I put the top down first! On track it handled
beautifully, accelerated strongly, and stopped on a dime. Cruising
at highway speed there was no noticeable drifting, vibrations or
ill behavior, giving this car a commendable thumbs up on the cruise
and drive.
A wonderful example, very low miles, 2 owner car, convertible top,
older white respray, and mechanically regularly refreshed, even
though it was in storage it was still utilized on any opportunity
the owner had to get it out. Sometimes he just made up an
excuse!
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.