Karmann built beetle

[Tim]

The owner has contacted me with a view to selling her beetle, so i offered to post some details here for anyone interested.
Its going to need a full body off resto as its been laying up for possibly 15 plus years. Its not for the faint hearted. I have not managed to get access to the front bonnet or the car or engine bay as the keys wont be available for a couple of weeks. I have some pictures and will post them presently. The owner has strong sentimental attachment to this car and would love to see it restored and back on the road, but understands that this may not be financially viable. I have had a very quick look at replacement parts, and on an initial quick look I would reckon that its parts alone could run to 8k-9k conservatively.

 

[wackerwacker]

Tim do they have price in mind?

 

[Tim]

Tim do they have price in mind?

At the moment until I get access to the rest of the car to see how extensive the rust is the price has not been finalised yet. She expects to be treated fairly for what the car is. She would be more inclined to deal with someone who would restore it and have it back on the road. So even as a parts vehicle I am advising her on what the cars worth. I put it here as I assured her she wouldn't be taken advantage of selling her vehicle here. When I get the keys I will take a good video of its entire condition and post here for anyone thats interested and they can PM me to note their interest. She has already had all sorts of callers and offers to her home and doesn't really have the time to deal with them.

 

[Tim]

At the moment until I get access to the rest of the car to see how extensive the rust is the price has not been finalised yet. She expects to be treated fairly for what the car is. She would be more inclined to deal with someone who would restore it and have it back on the road. So even as a parts vehicle I am advising her on what the cars worth. I put it here as I assured her she wouldn't be taken advantage of selling her vehicle here. When I get the keys I will take a good video of its entire condition and post here for anyone thats interested and they can PM me to note their interest. She has already had all sorts of callers and offers to her home and doesn't really have the time to deal with them.

 

[Tim]

I will add a video when i get more access to the car

 

[Tim]

Daisy.

 

[BLZEEDUB]

Doesn't look too horrendous rust wise.

 

[Tim]

Doesn't look too horrendous rust wise.

Not yet, but I have not had access to the front boot, engine,inside or heater channels of floor pan. Why are you interested, no one else seems to be?

 

[Tim]

The owner has had a couple of silly offers that wont get it, and I know one of them wanted to break it for parts.

 

[Tim]

Its had 135 views and no interest. So i think its fair to say no one here is interested.

 

[BLZEEDUB]

No room at the Inn, Tim.
I just commented that it didn't look 'too horrendous' as I got the impression it was hanging altogether from other reports of it... I spose I like air-cooled VW's the same as everyone else on here; be nice to see it saved 'watching from the sidelines' ...

It's got a few nice bits on it like the centre console n it's all there in terms of originality n the rust is apparent rather than the usual layers of slapped on patches...

Someone might save it; big undertaking with a few calendars being thrown over a shoulder for a hobbyist but par for the course with these old cars ye could say n it not a typewriters collectors group on here, I'll leave it at that....

 

[Tim]

No , its not horrendous by any means, and the parts are all available as well. Long term commitment not to be rushed. But I have a variant on the lift and a kombi waiting in the wings, and no place to store it anyway, and I dont have a shed to throw it into anyway. I couldn't even get a comment from the anyone here, let alone sell it here, but I suspected that. I see mossy is still gone missing like Jimmy Hoffa. Although some here know what the story is for sure. Maybe hes gone to cashel for the christmas ha,ha.

 

[trev]

Its had 135 views and no interest. So i think its fair to say no one here is interested.

No interest because there's no guide price. Therefore the assumption is it's going to be too expensive. "If you have to ask, you don't need to know" kind of thing.

Surely the seller has some idea of a price point where they'd be satisfied to let it go. If they know what too low an offer is, then they know what kind of offer they're happy to do business at, so why not just save everyone some hassle and just name that price point.

Otherwise the potential buyer is shooting in the dark, afraid they're going to offer too much and get rode while the seller is getting pissed off at the lowball offers they're receiving.

That and the fact that any offers are being filtered through a gatekeeper. Most would prefer to deal directly with the owner, not an agent.

Plus the whole story cannot be seen from the photos, again, it's one of those things where if you're going to lay your hard earned money on the table, you have to know what you're getting into. While everything might be available to repair the car, Karmann Cabrio parts are often multiples of the cost of the corresponding tin-top Beetle parts. And a full roof replacement could run into big money.

So it's not surprising there isn't much interest. It's a niche vehicle in need of serious work and serious investment, in terms of time, energy and money.

For the purposes of generating some interest, I'll put my money where my mouth is and offer €500. Not because I'm interested in restoring it. I'm offering that on the gamble that it has a usable 1600 engine under the lid. But that's the gamble. There could be cement blocks under there for all we know at the moment.

 

[Tim]

Fair point. But the owner asked me to make contact with the club to see if there is interest. And at the moment I am waiting for access with keys which are currently in Dublin but I should be able to get them to get more pics and a video of the condition inside the car as well as the front boot and engine bay. Thats all i can do. I am just doing what I was asked to help her out , thats it. I'm not a middleman in this that getting any money.

She has been offered lowball offers like 500 euro which she turned down, until we can find out if it has a useable engine, which is surely worth 500 and IRS another 500 and gearbox would probably be another 500. So I reckon for parts alone its worth 1500.

As for not a potential buyer offering too much and getting rode, i reckon it can work the other way around too by ripping off a seller for peanuts. I reckon if a potential buyer is considering buying it to restore it he would know what the cars worth to him, quicker than the woman knowing what she should be asking for it. I have been contacted here and offered 500 for her which I said no. I might as well buy it myself for the engine, but I dont want another project on top of my variant and kombi....I'm way too old for more hardship.

 

[Tim]

I think I have given a fair description of the condition of the car as I know it from a cursory inspection in my first post. Plus an outline of the work involved with a full body off resto, as well as a quick indication of parts that could run to 8k-9k when all is said and done. And until i get keys I cant do any more I am afraid.

 

[trev]

Unless they bully the seller into selling for too small money, which would be illegal and immoral I'd doubt anyone here is going to rip them off in buying. The seller doesn't have to agree to sell until they've gotten a price they're satisfied to sell at. So they're holding the power. And should name the price at which they're happy to let it go.

 

[Tim]

True, but like I said in an earlier post the price has not been finalised until I get the keys to see inside the car, front boot and back boot and engine. I cant do that yet until she returns from Dublin with them. And then they will name a price

 

[Tim]

Hey lads, anyone that might be interested can you pop us a pm and say so. I dont want to be wasting time messing about with a video if no one is interested, I'm not in the entertainment business and i'm knee deep in my resto and time is valuable. Hope you understand

 

[Tim]

Thanks to those that contacted me by pm, i will keep you posted.

 

[Tim]

I've just discovered that complete new pans were fitted to this car at some time by a vw specialist, so I will be there tomorrow for pics and will send to interested parties, thanks.