https://sacramento.craigslist.org/ct...620732755.html

HI everyone
brand new to this forum, i have been a old vw guy most of my life having built a couple magazine featured ones

since high school have always wanted an 68/69 442 convertible
i am not looking for perfection as i know it's not a stock colour (i do like it though)
i was wondering if any body had any thoughts on the car for sale?
better yet if anyone is in the sacramento area and wants to check it out for me (i'm a thousand miles away and before flying in i would love an unbiased opinion on it)
if any one is close message me and i will be happy to buy your lunch and gas?
thanks for any thoughts or help
russ
a pic of one of the beetles i built

 

Great looking 55. While I was finishing up my degree I drove a 57 small window that had the sliding sunroof. It also had an 1800, dual port heads, twin carbs, header exhaust, and was yellow with black interior. Loved it and shut down many a street racers with it.

 

 

Ad claims 30,000 dollars spent, and I am not sure where. 68 442s are easier to authenticate then some other years, the 442 is a model with its own vin, and the engine derivative will match it, as will the transmission.



Considering how awful the engine looks, my first concern would be a whole lot of bondo under that orange. If the body is straight and the undercarriage is not rusty and it hasn't been wrecked, then 15k for a condition 3 car 442 convertible seems ok, but it seems ok enough that I strongly suspect some malarkey, somewhere.

 

I think I'd spend a little more & get a better car! Lots wrong with this one!!He has no vin posted to prove it's a real 442, although it does have a "G" block 400 in it(love the sparkplug stuffed in the heater hose nipple on the water pump!). It's missing all the pricey upper stainless moldings & all the trim on the deck lid(that doesn't fit too well!).The 442 badges are in the wrong place, the side stripe is hideous! The way the tail pipes are hanging it doesn't appear to have the correct notched bumper but it's hard to tell by his pics. The "leather" seat covers aren't correct either! It's your money but like I said I'd spend a little more & get a more correct car! There's always a quite a selection of 68-69 442 converts for sale.Nice VWs by the way!!!

 

Don't let Joe P. see those W-36 stripes, he'll have a heart attack

 

Hey, at least the emblems are in the right place!



$15K isn't stupid money for that car. Obviously value depends on the condition of the metal under what appears to be Ford Tangerine paint from the 1970s.



Aftermarket intake, different year Qjet, Generic disc brake kit with what looks like a small-ish power booster. Generic HEI distributor. The bench seat was a credit option on these cars. They are "rare" because no one wanted them. Rarity doesn't equal value. Creative use of a spark plug to plug the heater port in the water pump. Makes you wonder how badly the heater core leaks. At least it's an AC plug.



Clearly the tail pipes don't line up with the notches in the bumper - you can't even tell if it has a correct 442 back bumper in these photos (could they have included photos that were any less useful?). Obviously the VIN needs to start 344678...

 

 

This is exactly what I thought when I saw that car. Take a magnet when you go to see it.

 

thank you everyone i really appreciate the feedback
in talking with him he has only owned it for 6 months and honestly i prefer someone who has owned a car for a long time.
he has answered some questions but been reluctant with pics (he did send a pic of the vin )
at this point i am going to pass as a flight there to find out it's not great would not be fun

as a few who have posted i think i'll try and spend a bit more for a better car
thanks everyone
Russ

 

Just out of curiosity, did it begin with 344 ...?

 

 

It sometimes surprises me how many Olds enthusiasts are also VW owners and/or fans. Your '55 looks fantastic!


I did a full restoration on this '57 in 1991 and have driven it hard ever since...almost time for it to get another full rebuild. 2165cc, '69 transaxle, buckets of fun!

 

One 3476 442 automatic verts is nice. If this car is California rust free and it hasn't ever been hit hard Id say 10K tops. 7500-8500 would leave you some room to correct most of the hack and track down some of the OEM parts if that is your goal. 68 is more or less a one year wonder some of the parts can be hard to find.

If the engine block numbers and trans pan rail numbers match the VIN derivative that's worth a little more.

Definitely worth a look if you want into the 442 world cheap...at 7-8-9K. For 20K you could find something less customized? For 25-30 you could find one needing little work.

 

 

 

"only owned it 6 months" would make me wonder. He either bought it for a quick profit or HE FOUND something bad after he bought it. There is a reason why he is trying to get rid of it quickly.

 

 

 

I live in Sacramento if you decide want someone to look at it PM me.
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HI DG65
really appreciate the offer, at this point the feedback seems yo be there are better cars to be had so my plan is to keep looking and spend a few more bucks

67supreeme you have a few of them kicking around they look great, love the double cab

 

I'd take DG65 up on his offer. You never know ...

 

sproat lake as on the island? when I was a kid we had a cabin there long long time ago

 

That's right. Smack in the middle of Vancouver Island, midway between Port Alberni and Tofino. Hell, for all we know we may be living in your old cabin.