May I have an opinion please?

I decided to hold off on a VW Bug until the 911 is resolved, well that may take years.  I found this Bug 'vert for $10k with 58,000 miles.  SWMBO really, really likes it, cranks about the 914 and having to take her 93 year old mother somewhere and she doesn't fold up like that. Bug is white on white on white with white walls.  If we bought this, our son would get the 914, though he doesn't have a garage and probably never will.  Torn.  But once it goes away why should I be concerned, right?

Anyway, a Bug would be easier to get in and out of, present a larger face to oncoming traffic and still be comfy enough for Trish and a friend to go shopping and having lunch in Bennington, VT.  Tell me about draw backs of a 1200cc FI flat four 4-speed.  (We're used to 2.0 5-speed).  Can it be hopped without major rebuild?  The front end will have to be drawn down first.

Hagerty and NADA say $10 - $20,000.

That's a nice looking car and fair pricing from what I have seen. To me you can't loose on it. If that car fits the bill for what you and the family need then I say go for it. As for the 914, I understand the pain of watching something you have cared for leave and not receive the same care but you can't give with strings attached. 

Ian is pretty anal about car care, he just doesn't have the facilities (garage) and won't due to zoning.  He may end up renting something, dunno yet.

Air cooled people.  You guys are weird.

Why does it have the 1200cc?  Only engine options after about 1965 are the 1500 or 1600.

The 1200 is 36 hp.  The 4 speed (unless it has a flyer) is geared to match it.  Top speed is about 55 mph.  Fun tooling around back roads, but not a highway machine.

As far as hopping it up, don't start with a 1200, get a 1600 twin port.  You're at least starting with 60hp.  You'll be limited by the air cooling to about 80hp I'm told, but I'm no expert.  I'm not suggesting making it a hot rod, just having enough power so she can get up to speed in less than one week.

Agreed on the engine size, it should be a 1600.  It should also be fuel injected; that's good if it's left stock, I don't know what's involved with upgrading it as part of a performance rebuild.  Any Beetle is slow in stock form, but that one should be able to keep up with normal traffic.

That's a Super Beetle with a strut front suspension, they naturally look sort of nose high in the front.  I'm sure it can be lowered if desired, but it's different than the traditional Bug suspension.

There's a 1978 Super Beetle convertible brochure here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/78vert.php

I vote for big just 2300bus motor and bus trans to be able to pull the front wheels while driving Miss Daisy.  10k for a nice vert is a steal regardless of powertrain.  Drive it while you sort out replacement motor.  They are dumb simble to swap out.

Happy wife rhymes with happy life.

Nothing rhymes with happy husband. 

1965 was the last year for 1200cc 40hp motor in the USA,  with a 83mm big bore kit they run pretty good

Super Beetle.

Should be a 1600 dual port by then.

Will have mac strut suspension instead of the old torsion beam. Not sure which is really better for a daily driver.

Looks ok with the top up and hideous with the top down.  That pic with the top down is as far down as it will fold. The Germans never mastered a proper folding convertible top because they insisted on having a headliner and padding.

The visibility out the back with the top down is awful.

As others noted here it will be a 1600cc dual port, possibly FI.

As discussed in previous thread it will be mac strut which is a great suspension but can have moments of death wobble if everything isnt just right.

Ive driven 1600cc bugs stock both 'round town and cross country.  They'll keep up with traffic, 70-75 is the upper limit but they are happier in the 60-65 range.  No real need to bump them up, they arent necessarily funner when faster, but they are often less reliable.  I'd limit mods to an electroic ignition and leave it be.  There arent many very effective hop ups without tearing into the motor and again...reliability.    

Outside the scope of your use case but if I were to ever consider another VW for regular use I'd be getting a 2.2 subie motor and a kennedy adapter.  Its a well documented swap which gives more power than a bug should have even with just a stock 2.2 non turbo, and all the reliability you'll ever need.

That car never would have had a 1200 in it unless someone stole the original fuel inject 1600 dual port.

Rear decklid still says Fuel Injection and it looks like it has a single pipe exhaust. That's a fairly late Super Beetle. Probably the best choice given what she wants to do with it. It's worth looking at.

And if it does have a 1200 (which I doubt), value on those has gone way up because the supply is running out for restorers and Vintage FV guys.

Looks like it sold.  
 

The whitewall tires are almost $1000! The motor is probably a misprint, but might be a Mexican motor? (I don't know if they where generally smaller).  That should be one of the last Beatles sold in the US (last one made for US market was in 1977) and for that alone it likely has some increased value.

Yep, sold., the seller never did reply to me.   I got thinking; if it's fuel injected it has an ECU, performance chips available?  Superformance starts VWs at 1999

914Driver said:

Yep, sold., the seller never did reply to me.   I got thinking; if it's fuel injected it has an ECU, performance chips available?  Superformance starts VWs at 1999

way late in circling back around to this thread but no...no performance chips.  Its a very rudimentary FI system, barely electronic, somewhat mechanical.  The brain box is sealed and not upgradeable.  However if all the FI components are there then you have the pieces to start on and interesting megasquirt project.  A few others have done it so with a little googling you should turn up some inspiration.