Elite Dealer

1973 Volkswagen Beetle

Weaverville, California

$6,995

Vehicle Details

Make

Volkswagen

Model

Beetle

Year

1973

Mileage

28,842 miles

VIN

1333001581

Body Type

Sedan

Transmission

Manual

Fuel Type

Gasoline

Engine

1600 cc

Description

1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle California Car Documented Service History Running Three Years Ago Extra Parts Included

Few automobiles have earned the worldwide following of Volkswagen s iconic Beetle, and this 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle presents an outstanding opportunity to own an honest California survivor with documented history, extensive service records, and a large collection of spare parts. Offered on consignment by Platt Motors, this Super Beetle comes from long-term Northern California ownership and represents the kind of straightforward project enthusiasts love to bring back to life.

According to the owner, the Beetle was running and driving approximately three years ago before life took an unexpected turn. Following her husband s passing and a series of family health issues, the car was parked and has remained under a covered lean-to ever since. While it does not currently run, the seller believes it will simply require the normal recommissioning expected after several years in storage, including fresh fuel and routine servicing.

Unlike many project cars with unknown histories, this Beetle is accompanied by an impressive folder of maintenance records dating back more than a decade. Most recently, Wolfgang International, one of Northern California s best-known Volkswagen specialists, serviced the car in May 2023. Work performed included a Penn Grade oil service, new German fuel hose, fuel filter replacement, installation of a 12-volt hard-start relay, fuel system service, replacement vacuum caps, and a new oil sump plate with hardware. The invoice totaled more than $500 and was paid in full.

Additional documentation shows the ignition switch and door lock cylinder with matching key were replaced by Wolfgang International in 2014. A receipt from Cottonwood Upholstery documents professional headliner installation in 2011. Earlier records also show the car received professional body and paint work in 2010, including repairs to the front apron, hood, roof, front and rear fenders, rust repair, and repainting in its current orange finish.

Inside, the Beetle presents very well for its age. The upholstery remains attractive, the door panels retain good color, and the professionally installed headliner continues to present nicely. An aftermarket steering wheel adds a sporty touch while the interior remains largely complete and ready for the next owner to enjoy or restore to their personal taste.

The body appears to be a solid California example that has clearly benefited from its dry-climate life. The paint remains presentable, although some bubbling has begun to appear in several lower areas and should be addressed before it progresses further. The car has spent the past several years stored beneath a covered carport rather than fully exposed to the weather. One area near a body seal could benefit from adjustment, and the Wolfgang service records note that the right-front hood hinge weld will eventually require repair.

Adding significant value to the sale are several storage tubs filled with Volkswagen parts accumulated over years of ownership. Included are numerous original and replacement components such as a spare cylinder head, engine tin, carburetor and induction pieces, ignition and electrical components, distributor caps, tail lamp assemblies, trim pieces, hardware, gaskets, and many additional Volkswagen parts. While every item has not been individually inventoried, everything shown in the accompanying photos will be included with the vehicle, providing an excellent supply of spares for restoration or future maintenance.

Accompanied by a clean California title, extensive maintenance documentation, and a substantial collection of spare parts, this Super Beetle offers far more than the average project car. It presents an honest opportunity to recommission a documented California Volkswagen with known history rather than starting from scratch.

Highlights

* 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle * California car * Clean California title * Long-term Northern California ownership * Reportedly running approximately three years ago * Stored under covered carport since being parked * Documented Wolfgang International service in May 2023 * Penn Grade oil service * New German fuel hose * New fuel filter * 12-volt hard-start relay installed * Fuel system serviced * New oil sump plate and hardware * Ignition switch replaced (2014) * Door lock cylinder with matching key replaced (2014) * Professionally installed headliner (2011) * Documented professional body and paint work with rust repairs (2010) * Aftermarket steering wheel * Presentable interior with good upholstery and door panels * Extensive maintenance records included * Several tubs of original and replacement Volkswagen parts included * Spare cylinder head included * Engine, carburetor, ignition, electrical, lighting, trim, and miscellaneous spare parts included * Honest California survivor * Minor paint bubbling in several lower areas * Hood hinge weld noted for future repair * Excellent candidate for recommissioning or restoration * Offered on consignment by Platt Motors

This Super Beetle is being sold as an honest, well-documented project and is priced accordingly. With fresh fuel, routine recommissioning, and attention to a handful of age-related items, it has the potential to become an enjoyable weekend cruiser or a rewarding restoration project. The included service records and extensive collection of spare Volkswagen parts make this an especially appealing opportunity for enthusiasts.

Additional photos, walk-around videos, copies of the maintenance records, and nationwide shipping assistance are available through Platt Motors. We are happy to answer questions, discuss the vehicle in detail, and assist with inspections prior to purchase.

Classic Volkswagen Beetle Buyer's Guide

Full guide

Emily Chen

JDM Classics

1949–1979

~5 min read

Updated Apr 2026

Definitive buyer's guide for classic Volkswagen Beetle 1949-1979. Year-specific identification, pan rust hotspots, air-cooled flat-four inspection, and current market pricing for survivors and restorations.

This guide covers

✓ 10-point inspection checklist

✓ Common issues & what to avoid

✓ In-person inspection guide

✓ Market pricing by year & condition

✓ 5 FAQs answered

✓ History & fun facts

Read the Full Beetle Buyer's Guide

Volkswagen Beetle Market Overview

Based on 85 Volkswagen Beetle listings currently on ClassicCarsArena.com

Listed Now

$21,197

Avg. Asking Price

1952–1979

Year Range

Price Position on Our Site - Below Average

This car: $6,995

Low: $5,500 High: $67,995

Transmission Distribution

Automatic 4%

Manual 82% ◄

Condition Distribution

Excellent 21%

Good 21%

Fair 5%

Data from ClassicCarsArena.com listings Browse all 85 listings →

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Classic Volkswagen Beetle Buyer's Guide

The Volkswagen Beetle is the single most-produced single-platform automobile in history, over 21.5 million units across more than 60 years of continuous production worldwide. Approached this with an engineer's eye, the Beetle represents one of the most fully-developed mass-market designs of the 20th century, with the basic air-cooled rear-engine layout remaining functionally unchanged from 1938 launch through Mexican production ending in 2003. For collectors entering the air-cooled VW market today, the Beetle offers exceptional parts support, an active international community, and pricing that has remained accessible across most variants. This guide covers what every buyer should verify before purchasing a US-market 1949-1979 Beetle, with particular attention to year-specific details that drive collector value.

What to Check Before Buying

✓

Verify chassis number against VW Identification Codes , Chassis number stamped on floor pan (visible from front trunk). Identifies model year via VW production sequence.

✓

Pull rear seat and inspect floor pan , Lifts out without tools. Floor pan rust is universal on driver-quality cars. Verify how much before purchase.

✓

Push down on body at running boards , Flex indicates rotten heater channels and structural compromise. Replacement = $1,200-$2,500 per side plus labor.

✓

Inspect lower fenders and rear quarters , Behind front and rear wheels. Standard rust zones on all production years.

✓

Check front trunk floor and battery box , Battery acid leaks plus rust = perforation. Battery box under rear seat commonly rotten.

✓

Verify engine and transaxle numbers , Engine on flat pad in front of generator pulley. Transaxle on case visible from underneath. Original numbers add 10-20% premium.

✓

For 6V cars, verify proper conversion if applicable , Pre-1967 cars original 6V positive-ground; many converted to 12V negative-ground. Verify done properly.

✓

Test all electrical and Solex carburetor , Carburetor synchronization critical. Out-of-sync carb causes running issues that disguise mechanical condition.

✓

Compression test all four cylinders , Should read 100-130 PSI uniformly across air-cooled flat-four. Variance >15% = head gasket or worn rings.

✓

For split-window/oval-window claims, verify body details , Specialist authentication required. Replicas built from later-year bodies exist in collector market.

Common Issues

Beetle rust follows predictable patterns across all production years. The floor pan (a flat steel platform that supports the entire body and unibody) is the structural killer, rust through the floor pan compromises chassis integrity and requires either replacement ($1,500-$3,500 in parts plus 20-40 hours labor) or complete chassis swap. The heater channels (longitudinal box-section structures running under the doors that route heat from the engine forward to the cabin) are similarly critical and similarly prone to rust through. Other rust zones include the lower fenders behind the front wheels, the rear quarter panels (lower section, behind the rear wheels), the running boards, the front trunk floor, the battery box (under the rear seat), and the spare tire well. Documented every nut and bolt during inspection, the unibody construction means each rust point compounds with others. Mechanically, the air-cooled flat-four (1131cc, 1192cc, 1285cc, 1493cc, 1584cc across various years) is exceptionally durable but has known weak points. Common issues include leaky pushrod tubes (every Beetle leaks oil to some degree, universal characteristic), worn valve guides causing oil consumption, broken valve springs on cars run hard, and worn timing gears. The transaxle (combining transmission and differential) is robust but the synchros wear on cars driven with poor technique. The 4-speed manual is standard; the rare semi-automatic stick-shift (1968+, optional) requires specialist knowledge to maintain. Electrical issues vary by era. Pre-1967 cars used 6-volt positive-ground systems, original 6V components are increasingly difficult to source. From 1967 forward, 12V negative-ground systems became standard. Many 6V cars have been converted to 12V, verify the conversion was done properly.

What to Look For

Year-specific identification is the first stop. Beetle production saw constant minor revisions across 30+ years of US-market sales, and each year has its own collector character. The most desirable years are 1957 (final "oval window" cars before the larger rear glass), 1967 (last year of the 6V system, sloping headlights, bumper-mounted turn signals), and 1968 (first year of vertical headlights, 12V system, but retaining the smaller bumpers). Floor pan inspection is the second non-negotiable. Pull the rear seat (lifts out without tools) and inspect the floor pan from above. Lift the front carpet and inspect the front floor pan. Crawl underneath and probe the floor pan with a screwdriver. Solid steel resists; rotten metal flakes. Most cars on the market have at least some floor pan rust, verify how much before purchase. Heater channel inspection is the third non-negotiable. The heater channels run longitudinally under each door and are critical structural elements. Inspect from underneath the car with strong light. Push down on the body where it meets the running boards, flex indicates rotten heater channels and structural compromise. Replacement is $1,200-$2,500 per side in parts plus 15-25 hours of labor. Engine and transaxle verification: the engine number is stamped on a flat pad on the engine case (in front of the generator/alternator pulley). The transaxle number is stamped on the case, visible from underneath the car. Cross-reference both against original delivery records (where available). Many Beetles have replacement engines: Volkswagen produced and sold replacement engines as standard service items, and original numbers-matching cars carry 10-20% premium over equivalent replacement-engine cars. Document the car. Photograph every panel, every chassis number stamping, every engine bay component. Engineering-analytical inspection beats casual diligence at every price point in the Beetle market.

Price Guide

Beetle pricing varies dramatically by year and condition. Driver-quality 1968-1977 standard Beetles run $12,000-$22,000 today. 1978-1979 final-US-production-year Beetles (sold as Convertible only after 1977 sedan production ended in the US): $15,000-$28,000 for convertibles. Early Beetles command significant premium pricing. Driver-quality 1949-1953 split-window cars (the rarest production variant): $45,000-$120,000+ depending on condition and originality. 1953-1957 oval-window cars: $25,000-$55,000 for solid drivers. 1958-1964 cars: $15,000-$28,000. The 1965-1967 cars represent the optimum combination of pre-Federal-bumper styling with refined drivetrain. Driver-quality cars run $14,000-$25,000. The 1967-only configuration (with the unique sloping headlights, vertical-headlight successor in 1968, and 6V system) is increasingly collected. Convertibles add $5,000-$15,000 to equivalent sedan pricing across all years. Karmann-built convertibles (1949-1979) are dramatically more desirable than coachbuilt aftermarket conversions. Documented original-paint, low-mileage cars across all years command 25-40% premium over equivalent restorations. The unrestored survivor in original livery is consistently preferable to the freshly-restored car of unknown provenance from a documentation standpoint. Project Beetles remain extraordinarily affordable: $3,500-$10,000 for running but rough cars across most years. Stripped roller candidates: $1,500-$5,000. The strong parts support and active marque community mean Beetle restoration costs are dramatically lower than equivalent post-war American or European classic restoration, $10,000-$25,000 for proper driver-quality refresh on a complete car.

Did You Know?

The Beetle was developed under Ferdinand Porsche in 1934-1938 as the original "people's car" (Volkswagen) for Adolf Hitler's Germany. The first prototypes were tested in 1936-1937, and the Wolfsburg factory was completed in 1938. Civilian production was halted by World War II, only a handful of pre-war Beetles were actually delivered to customers. Mass production resumed in 1945 under British military oversight, and exports to the US began in 1949. The Beetle was the best-selling single-platform automobile in the world for nearly four decades. By 1972, total Beetle production had exceeded the Ford Model T's all-time production record. Production continued in Mexico through July 2003, with the final "Última Edición" Mexican Beetles selling for premium prices to collectors entering air-cooled VW ownership for the first time. The iconic 1957 Beetle commercial "Lemon", created by the Doyle Dane Bernbach advertising agency, is widely credited with launching modern automotive advertising. The campaign deliberately positioned the Beetle's plain styling, slow performance, and unusual design as virtues rather than weaknesses, and within five years the campaign had transformed the Beetle from quirky import to mainstream American transportation. The 1959 "Think Small" advertisement is now permanently displayed in the Museum of Modern Art.