Vehicle Description
Cool VWs have been around as long as there have been hot rods, and
this 1963 Volkswagen Beetle has an awesome restomod look that's
instantly retro yet still deliciously contemporary. With a
strong-running 1641cc engine, a quick-shifting 4-speed gearbox, a
wicked stance, and all the charm that makes VWs so popular, this
slick little Beetle gets a lot of things right.
Silver-over-red has worked on European sports cars for years, so
why not employ that classic, slick, and incredibly sexy combination
on a sporty VW Beetle? The silver paint certainly gets attention
and makes the affordable Bug look a lot more expensive than it is,
in fact, when we had it parked next to a vintage Porsche it looked
totally in its weight class. Finished not long ago, it shows
incredibly well in person, although up close you might find a
blemish or two that's probably inevitable after a few years of
cruising. But that also means you can get in and drive without
worries, and that's the kind of car we like best. The curved shape
of the Beetle with a crease right down the beltline makes an ideal
candidate for a vivid paint job that really accentuates the
sheetmetal, and with those black steelies, bright chrome, and
luggage rack up top, the curb appeal is off-the-charts. Flashy
chrome bumpers are the perfect endcaps, while the brightwork around
the headlights, taillights, mirrors, and even the super-cool
antenna give it a fantastic look without erasing any of the
original design, and it's worth noting that all the fenders are
still steel. Pre-1965 Bugs are considered the real 'classic'
models, with their smaller windows, flatter windshields, and
teardrop boor lids, and when they're finished to a high level like
this '63, they always garner the most attention. Neat accessories
like the VW cowl emblem, the Deutschland license plate up front,
and those streamlined running boards complete with vinyl skid
coverings add to the look, and with that raked stance this baby
looks like it's going 80MPH just sitting still.
The interior takes traditional hot-rodding cues and applies them to
the tidy VW. Factory low-back buckets wear custom seat covers in
deep red, high-end vinyl, and matching door panels were stitched up
to complete the look and accented with billet handles for a very
cool steampunk look. Black carpets are protected with durable
floormats, the headliner is taut, and a red-rimmed steering wheel
with a chrome VW center cap all spice up the interior, which feels
far more luxurious than you'd ever expect out of a Beetle. A VDO
speedometer features a red trim ring and needle that matches the
theme, and it really pops inside the fully painted steel dash,
which also houses a fresh Pioneer AM/FM/CD/AUX head unit that
powers speakers below the seats. There's no A/C (although an
ice-chest A/C cooler comes with the sale and plugs right into one
of the two USB ports under the dash), but the heat/defrost unit
works great, while the coolest part of the entire cabin is probably
the custom shifter that's topped with a 'Vans' knob for a unique
spin. Up front, there's a very nicely finished trunk that shows off
how solid this Bug really is and it includes a new gas tank for
safety.
The engine is a crate 1641cc flat-four, air-cooled, of course.
There's a 110 Engle cam and 69mm counter-weight crank inside, dual
Weber carbs up top, and a lightweight flywheel, giving this VW some
genuine performance. It's nicely dressed with chrome and black
powdercoat throughout, including the air shroud and firewall cover
and to serve as the background. It starts easily thanks to a new
Painless wiring set-up and runs great with few miles on the build,
as you'd expect from an engine this well built. A robust custom
exhaust system that sounds aggressive without losing that
distinctive VW whistle and there's an auxiliary oil cooler to help
control temps. The close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission shifts
better than any VW in our recent memory and you can see that it's
quite clean underneath, with a nicely preserved pan and lots of new
components including the adjustable front beam suspension that sets
that wicked stance. Front disc brakes are quite welcome and the
powdercoated black steelies come adorned with Baby Moon hubs that
perfectly finish the look, wrapped with 175/55/15 front and
205/65/15 rear performance radials.
Great-looking and surprisingly fast, this custom Beetle delivers
big fun in a small package. Call today!
