Disappointing day looking at VWs

[jthw8]

So I drove down to MD yesterday to go check out a bug my dad was interested in.  Sounded like a good deal, according to the seller new pans, new heater channels, new brakes,  etc etc.

Well Im glad dad asked me to check it for him.  What a deceptive pile of junk. The body had a bad respray and obvious bondo but hey we arent looking for a beauty queen so that's ok.  Interior looked really nice.  Then I got under it.  At first it took me a minute to figure out what was wrong but something didnt look right...oh wait...yeah, I shouldnt be able to see the heater tubes inside the heater channels.  Thats right, they installed new channels but did not buy the bottom plates to close them off.  So if you know yer VWs then you are asking the obvious question...without the bottom plate how the heck did they bolt the body to the pan?  They ran bolts through the floor pans at a diagonal and through the side of the heater channel.  Bolts were only about 10mm too so not strong enough.  The new pans were pop rivited in place, one rivit every 12 inches...oi.  I didnt dig much further after that but I have to wonder, if they didnt know how to weld to put the pans in then exactly how were the new heater channels installed?  I almost made dad turn around so I could look at it just to satisfy my curiosity.   New brake line was run under the car and held up with zip ties.  The front beam was rotted away too.

It was very sad to see a car where someone had gone to the trouble to buy all the right parts and then just put it together so poorly.  For the right price (about $500) I'd have bought it to take it apart and redo it, but the seller thought it was a quality restoration and wasnt budging on the price.

Still on the hunt for a driver quality bug for dad, under $2000, no serious rust.  Please holler if you know of or see anything.

[Jack Kessel]

Just goes to show, you can never trust an ad. Always have someone with you that knows what to look for.

[jthw8]

Just goes to show, you can never trust an ad. Always have someone with you that knows what to look for.

Yeah, dad was disappointed but very happy he waited for me.  He'd have never spotted any of these issues.  The car looked nice and solid and seemed like a good driver candidate.  But even a minor accident and the body and pan would not have stayed together.