1972 Volkswagen Beetle (Pre-1980) lifted buggy

According to the seller, this wide-eyed 1972 Volkswagen Baja Bug was constructed about seven years ago, when it underwent body modifications, suspension lift, engine rebuild, and paint. The seller adds that it sat for about five years, and has only been driven a bit over 1,000 miles since the work was completed.

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POWERTRAIN

The seller notes that the engine was bored out and had a performance cam installed during the engine work. The air-cooled 1.6-liter flat-four engine retains its fuel injection, and the seller reports that the Beetle “starts with a turn of the key only.” The seller provides a video showing a cold start, and the vehicle moving under its own power. The seller notes that the four-speed manual transmission was rebuilt while the engine was out, and then filled with fresh gear lube. He adds that the vehicle “cruises nicely on the highway.”

EXTERIOR

There's no data about where the Baja kit was sourced, but the thicker fiberglass on the front fenders makes it look like it may have come from Mark V Fiberglass. The kit consists of the Baja nose with a recessed point for a license plate, hood, front fenders, rear fenders, and abbreviated engine cover. The seller points out two cracks in the passenger's-side rear fender, which is detailed with a photograph. The paintwork appears to be in good condition, with the exception of the visible fiberglass damage. The seller notes that the glass and window seals are all in “good” condition. The chrome around the vent windows is visibly rusted and the chrome is pitted.

INTERIOR

Inside, it's almost 100-percent stock 1972 Beetle, per the seller. The front seats, upholstered in putty-colored basketweave vinyl, appear to be in good condition, although the seat foam on the driver's side appears to be collapsed a bit. The rear seat has a visible stain and some minor damage on the seatback. There's some separation of the headliner around the rear window. The door panels both appear to be in good condition with no visible damage, but some cleaning may be needed. The dash appears to be in good condition, with no cracks visible in the photos. The VDO gauges all appear to be in good condition, and the seller states that they all work. The original audio system has been replaced with a Sony CDX-GT56UIW AM/FM/CD head unit with a USB input and an aux-in jack. The head unit is connected to a subwoofer in the rear.

CHASSIS

The seller has provided several photos showing the undercarriage. The floors and sills appear to be in good shape with no visible corrosion other than some light surface rust. The steering is manual and the seller notes that it's been adjusted to remove any play. The seller suggests that the suspension was new when the Beetle was built seven years ago, and that it's all operable today. There are no specifics about the suspension, but it's clearly been lifted a bit from stock height. There's also no data on the history of the brakes, but the seller notes that the brakes are in functional condition. The Beetle rides on Centerline-style solid alloy wheels, which appear to need a polish but show no signs of significant damage. The tires are Kumho Road Venture ATs, sized 215/75R15 up front, and sized 30/9R15 in the rear. There are no visible date codes, but the seller comments that the tires are “like new.”

DOCUMENTATION AND EXTRAS

The seller states that this vehicle will be sold on a bill of sale. Additional paperwork includes some receipts from the service required when it was refreshed after storage. The video provided shows that this 1972 Volkswagen Baja Bug appears to run strong. With a bit of cleanup and some repair to the slight fiberglass damage, you could be having fun in the dunes with a successful bid.

Also published at eBay.com

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