About my 1966 Beetle
On July 19th, 1997, I purchased my 1966 VW 1300 Beetle with the purpose of restoring it to original condition. I am sad to say I have also sold the beetle as of May 1999. However, it will live on through this website. It was made in the Wolfsburg, Germany factory. 1966 was the first year this particular model was produced. EVERYTHING on my Beetle is original except for the engine! It happens to be a rebuilt 1584cc engine which suits me fine since it has more power than the original 1300 engine.
I will be restoring the VW with the help of Local Paint and Body Shops and VW Aircooled Mechanics. The Paint and Body shop will repair the barely rusted pans, do all the body work, replace the weather seals, remove any rust, replace the hood, fenders and running boards, and repaint the car to the original color of pearl white. The local Aircooled Mechanics will repair the suspension and do the major engine work. I am going to do all the rest! This will entail re-installing the entire interior, recover the seats, and do most of the electrical. My goal is to get it to close as possible to the condition it was in when it rolled off the factory floor in 1966. I purchased my '66 from a guy that just got out the Marines and he took very good care of it. He was an aircooled Type 1 enthusiast like me.
Some may question why I am taking on this endeavor to restore a Beetle to its original condition. Undoubtedly, most of you visiting this sight will understand my quest. However, for those of you who do not, here is my reasoning: First off, beetles are just a lot of fun to drive! Second, I am fascinated with the concept of the Beetle, a vehicle that was to be the people's car, a true, no nonsense form of transportation that everyone could afford. Third, the ingenious, yet simple construction of the Beetle intrigues me and through restoring one I hope to learn more. And lastly, I am having a great time in the process! I am very lucky my new wife is cool with my hobby. In fact, she surprised me with a VERY COOL groom's cake with a toy beetle on top of it when we got married on June 21st of this year. Check It Out By Clicking Here!
I have never restored any sort of car before. This is a first time experience for me and through this site you will experience the challenges with me. I have done extensive research before I started this project and although I will be restoring the majority of the Beetle myself, I am also enlisting professionals to help me in areas that I feel are beyond my level of expertise in bringing the Kafer to "as new condition".
I hope you enjoy my site. Please be patient, the site was uploaded for the first time on 8/5/97. I plan on detailing the entire restoration project on this site with frequent updates. Enjoy!
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This site is under heavy construction