My baja has been out of commission for awhile because it needed a master cylinder, and exhaust. I didn't want to put any money into it so I quit driving it since summer is here. I kept going back and forth on whether to just scrap it out. That was my plan but I knew I wanted a driver for the winter. I was checking out KSL and came across this bug. It is in better shape than the baja and the heater channels are intact. Ellie and I loaded up the tow bar in the truck, we got a little cash and drove up to Kaysville where it was located. I was hoping I would find a rust free bug that had been garaged it's whole life and only driven on weekends. Well, that didn't happen. This is what I found. It is a decent bug especially for what I payed for it. The interior is in really good shape. There is some rust. It has the typical vent rust on the back quarters. The drivers side is really bad which made this bug not so sweet. It can be fixed and it's not affecting anything structural so I haggled a little and Ellie and I towed it home. The engine has a rod knock but I am not concerned with that because I have a good engine in the baja that will fit right in. Isaac liked it right away. Ellie wants to paint it pink, Steven says it's good and Dixie likes the fact that this one has carpet and the carpet is in good condition.
This bug has been painted and it was probably back in the 90's. It has some signs of being turned into a cal look bug. The cal look back in the 90's shaved all the chrome off and blacked out the window seals like this one is. My bug back in high school had no chrome and I even shaved off the door handle for a smooth look. This one was done OK and I will leave it like it is except I am going to add the pop out windows from the baja. This bug also has an adjustable beam in it. I promised Dixie that I wouldn't lower it though so I think I will just swap out the front beam with the baja's also.
This would of been the perfect car if it wasn't for that darn rust spot on the drivers side rear panel. It bugs me and I plan on cutting some pieces off the baja to patch in to that area when I get some time and can't stand it any longer.
So the good is:
1. The car looks pretty good just as it sits.
2. The heater channels are in great shape.
3. The interior is in really good shape which is unusual for my cars.
4. I have all the parts I need to get it running.
5. I really dig the hub caps on it.
6. The bumpers are in perfect shape.
7. The wiring looks to be fairly unmolested.
8. The doors shut great.
9. The fuel doesn't smell like it's varnished yet.
10. There is a second heater added to this bug that is electric and is suppose to work really good.
11. I haven't found any signs that it has been wrecked.
The bad is:
1. The rust under the crescent.
2. It needs front tires.
3. The front drivers seat is wobbly and looks smooshed.
4. I have another car in my driveway and I am afraid the neighbors are gonna call the city on me.
Soooo, I have pulled the baja into the garage and I am going to start stripping it tomorrow. I will sell any usable parts and take the rest to the scrap yard. I am positive I can get enough money from it to pay for this one. I REALLY hate to scrap out old cars. There just isn't a whole lot of them around anymore but the baja is rusted so bad that the drivers door doesn't shut right. In fact when you close it you can see the whole dashboard move. I also hated having the engine exposed to all the weather outside. I thought a baja was cool but as I watched my engine turn to rust it bugged me. Hopefully I can get this one up and running quickly, the baja disposed of quickly and keep the peace in the family and neighborhood in the process. Summer is cruising by quickly so check back and see if this is going to be ready for some winter driving. If you need any parts off a 1969 bug, let me know. I probably have what you need.
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