71 VW Convertible / 40 Ford Speedster

1971 Volkswagen Beetle - Classic 1940 Ford Speedster Description

​I purchased a small collection of antique automobiles from an estate in West Virginia with this 1971 Volkswagen/40 Ford Convertible being one of them. ​It was explained to me that their father was an old car hobbyist who took the family on their summer vacation in 1980 to Wisconsin and purchased from BGW a kit to convert a low mileage, rust free Beetle Coupe he had purchased specifically for this project. He did the conversion and all of the work by himself and for an amateur did a very good job. He drove it sparingly for several years and then parked it in his garage where it has been stored indoors for the past 35 years. ​We brought the car out of hibernation and thoroughly washed it's reddish orange body and gave it a wax. It cleaned up better than I thought and is in driver quality or better condition. Even though the old acrylic enamel paint is bright & shiny, there are chips & scratches and numerous drip marks. From 10' away it looks just fine, but the closer you get the more imperfections you can see. ​We changed the oil & screen and did a Bosch electrical tune-up on the 1600 CC dual-port motor. Installed a new battery, cleaned the gas tank and added a new screen & in-line filter and the motor fired right up. It starts at the turn of a key and doesn't smoke, tick or knock and idles nice. The4 speed manual transmission shifts smoothly through the gears and the clutch engages correctly. I have driven this car around my neighborhood but because of the age and dry cracking to the tires, and for the fact that it still needs a complete brake job I have not taken it out on the highway. It can be stopped & safely parked with the emergency brake. ​The body & floor pan are rock solid with the bottom of the spare tire well being the exception. The doors, hood & trunk lid open, close & latch correctly. This Volkswagen still retains it's metal cowl, fenders & doors with the hood, engine lid, and rear body tub being fiberglass. The original kit he purchased consisted of the hood & grill, windshield frame, folding convertible top assembly and the rear body tub with engine lid. The speedster folding top assembly is unique for a kit car conversion. It is professionally constructed, folds easily up & down and latches tightly to the windshield frame. In my opinion the car looks much better with the top up than it does down, but that is up for the next owner to decide. The chrome plating on the car is also bright & shiny and in driver quality condition or better. All of the clear PPG window glass is in excellent condition and the door windows roll up & down easily. The red & black vinyl interior is still very nice and presentable and is not ripped, stained or moldy. It still retains it's vintage 1980's red shag carpeting that is also in nice condition. It appears that he used mid 1960'slow back bucket seats but left everything else from the 1971 alone. You will note that behind the passenger seat is a hinged wood grained door that swings open to access the battery and other electrical components. The lights, wipers and radio are in working condition but the horn does not blow and the fuel gauge does not register. ​Please understand you are bidding to buy, not to be the first one to look. This car is 46 years old and was just pulled outof a 35 year hibernation. There is still work to be done and some parts to be bought, like a new set of tires and a complete brake system rebuild. I am not trying to sell you a trailer queen or show car, just a very nice unique survivor. ​If you want to examine this VW during the auction you are more than welcome and I recommend that you do so. However if you need to speak with me concerning it's condition or to make shipping arrangements, please call 724 984 1659. I am not interested in any trades. This VW Speedster comes with a clean clear West Virgina Title. ​Alternate payment methods are highly recommended and gladly accepted as I will not accept Paypal on this vehicle. Thank you for spending the time to look and good luck bidding!