Exceptionally solid1971 model, 1300 Beetle, RHD. This car was shipped directly from the factory in Germany to the mediterranean island of Malta where it spent the next 33 years in the sunshine, rust free. The car now has accumulated a total of 217,000km with 97,000 km accumulated since the major overhauls described below. In 2004, the car was shipped in original condition (other than paint colour) to the UK where I bought it within days of its arrival having spotted it on the internet. I immediately had the car professionally steam cleaned and undersealed and then started an intensive programme of mechanical inspection and overhaul where strictly needed using NOS or OEM parts. My philosophy has been to mostly replace only worn parts rather than replacing the original components to keep the car as original as possible while making it a practical and reliable everyday driving vehicle rather than a show car. Where I have replaced original components e.g. distributor, inlet manifold, ignition, steering wheel, gearshift, shocks and front seats to make a very driveable car, I have taken care to retain and restore where needed all the original components so that the car can be returned to full original factory specification quickly and easily. In this way, the the original engine and gearbox were professionally inspected and overhauled only as needed to replace any worn parts. As regards the bodywork, I have taken great care to maintain it in solid condition and of tidy appearance but have deliberately resisted the temptation to carry out a full body restoration and re-spray keeping in mind that the car was always intended to be driven and enjoyed as much as possible. Indeed, in 2004 this car was driven by my son from the UK to Norway via Denmark and back and was presented at the Bore Strand treff where it was awarded the "Longest Distance Travelled to the Show Award". Finally in 2008, my family and I moved to Stavanger and registered the car here where my wife has since been the main user of the car for local journeys. She loves the reliability and character of the car. Why are we selling her? Well, we are are about to emigrate to the USA for work reasons in the near future and it is sadly not practical to take her with us. So we are looking for a good home for this gem either someone who wants to drive her every day for years to come or someone who is looking for an outstanding opportunity to restore the car to her original glory.
The car is presently garaged in Forsand Kommune in Rogaland, about an hour's drive from Stavanger. Anyone interested in seeing the car can call me on 40550657 or contact me via the forum. Many other NOS, and OEM spare parts are also available too numerous to mention here. I have also included an example photo of the car to whet your appetite. Last time I tried to post this message I lost an hour's work due to adding too many photos and the whole post vanished into hyperspace ! Many more photos available. Also a complete record of every spare part and service / repair carried out on the car since I have owned it. There is also some documentation that relates to its prior life. Tony Scott.