1987 VW CABRIOLET BEACH CRUISER W/ CUSTOM BIKE HITCH & SUN TOP SWEET!!!
1987 Volkswagen Cabrio Convertible
I never thought I would see the day that I would offer this car for sale. Throughout the fifteen years that I have owned her I have had at least seven offers. It almost seemed that every time I would pull into the gas station someone would ask if she was for sale. She always draws attention-so be ready for conversation constantly. The fact is I just don't have the time to tinker with her anymore. I figure now, while she is running and looking great, I'd finally let her go. She needs to be admired and shown off. And she loves her top down.
I purchased this car in 2004 as I needed another project. If you would like to know how I came to own it as well as my journey to coolness, you can see the story on my website - including original pics http://www.sheilashaw.com/vwrestoration.html. At the time of purchase I had no idea it was a "cult classic" and that I would fall deeply in love with this little bugger of a scoot.
I have receipts for all work I have done from the beginning of my ownership, which I will include.
ODOMETER: The odometer in the car is not the original; when I bought her the odometer/speedometer cluster stopped working at 130k. Michael (previous owner who was also my neighbor) did not bother to keep track and really didn't know the actual miles he put on it. However, based on her performance I would say less than 200k. Since this was not my main vehicle, I only drove to my office, which was approximately two miles from my home for a solid year plus knocking around town until I moved. After moving, I drove for the first two years to the beach about six miles round trip a couple times a week and to the bike trail as well, four miles round trip.
I had her stored for six years until I moved out of state. So, all together I can honestly say that I put at most 5k miles on her.
I did not want to show the odometer because I do not believe it reflects the actual miles. In the beginning Erick and I ran all over trying to find a working odometer. Of the seven or so VWs that we found, only two actually still had the odometers in them and neither one were working. So I turned to Ebay and purchased one that came out of an 86 Volkswagen GTI (I have receipt). So, the current odometer reads 277k. At the time I did not care as I just wanted to know how fast I was driving, so I settled on it.
ENGINE: The engine is sound and runs well. I just replaced the water pump & housing as well as had the exhaust leak fixed. I have replaced timing belt, alternator, fuel filter, spark plugs (platinum), cap and rotor, spark plug cables, battery, radiator, shocks and struts, front windshield, gas cap, head lamps, and door handles, steering wheel column, and starter. I'm pretty sure I had the clutch replaced (I can't remember) and the upholstery (twice).
After I returned home from a beach cruise, I pulled into my driveway with the top down (of course) and went into the house. About twenty minutes later I looked outside to find my cat in my car. I thought, "Oh, How cute" until I noticed him scratching the seat and shredding the upholstery. Ugh! This is why the upholstery was redone. I have extra material should this happen to you.
AIR CONDITIONER: The air conditioner was not working at the time of purchase. Since I did not need it, I could not justify spending the money to fix it.
ENGINE MAINTENANCE: In the beginning I used Castrol 20/50 along with Slick 50 engine treatment. I later switched from Slick 50 to ProLong after watching an infomercial on it, which proved to be excellent for older engines. I changed oil every 500 miles (a bit excessive, but I liked working on her. I did the same with my motorcycle).
TRANSMISSION: Shifts nicely and is pretty tight. At one point I was going to change the linkage but after having it inspected, it was decided it was not necessary. However, I do have the linkage kit, which will be included.
BODY & PAINT: The body is straight and has never been in an accident (including the bumpers). However there are some very minor dings that you have to really look to see. In the front behind the bumper there are some rock chips. On the passenger door there is a rust spot about the size of a penny. The paint is original and has no oxidation. I always kept her covered, rain or shine (car cover included). Side lights are showing some cracks, but I have a complete replacement set, which will be included.
BODY MOLDING: I forgot to clean the molding before taking pictures that's why it looks white in some places, overall it is in good condition and will clean up nicely.
TIP: The plastic moldings around the wheel well and the rear and front bumpers are faded (as old plastic does). The way that I got them to shine up so nicely is I used virgin olive oil. Works great- no alcohol or chemicals that will dry out the plastic.
CONVERTIBLE TOP: The top is in okay condition; while there are a few silicone patches, it is not an eye sore and has no dry rot. The top recently tore by the rear window from constantly putting the top up and down. If you do not want to replace it right away and won't be driving in heavy rain you should be okay. As shown in photo, I patched it with silicone which has worked well.
THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LINING by my standards is in bad shape. The only reason I kept it was if and when I replaced it I wanted the original template. Often times the aftermarket ones do not fit correctly. My father owned an upholstery shop and told me to always keep the original template when possible.
TIRES: The tires are in like new conditions, no dry rot at all. I purchased them in 2014. Probably have less than 300 miles on them
INTERIOR: The interior is good condition. The upholstery is in excellent condition. The carpet is original and in good condition as well - with the exception of the rubbed hole on driver side and coming detached on passenger side. When I first got her, I took the carpet out and pressure washed it.
DASH & CLUSTER: The dash is in good condition with a few small areas of peel back and the cluster as you know is not the original, but is in nice condition cosmetically. However it is seated just a tad bit crooked which I do not remember why I never tried to reset it. You have to be in the drivers seat to notice it.
There are no funny smells and neither Michael nor I smoked.
SEATS: Both seats do not function properly. The cables inside need to be adjusted perhaps. Also, I cannot find the passenger seat handle/knob. See photo (If I find it, I will send it to you.)
CUSTOM BICYCLE HITCH:I had a hitch installed so I could carry my bicycles. It is in sound, solid condition. Note: This is not a towing hitch and cannot be used as a trailer hitch!
SUN TOP: After cruising around for a few months in the summer, I soon realized that the sun beats down on my head so bad that it's hardly bearable, especially when sitting in traffic or traffic lights. So, I headed over to my father's shop and found this awesome heavy duty fabric and made this top. I cannot tell you what a difference it makes. Now you are truly cool when cruising.
PASSENGER EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE: It's an aftermarket replacement. When I first put it in, two years ago, and seems to have shifted. It won't open the door. I have included the original broken ones that you may be able to salvage and re-piece it to working condition.
ANTENNA The antenna is broken.
Overall, this car is in excellent condition. I would trust her driving long distances.
This car is perfect if you want a nice beach cruiser to put your bikes on and go. And it's perfect for the tinkerer as well. While the paint looks nice, it will shine up even more with a good buffing and high quality wax.
If you buy this car and something is wrong with it other than what I have mentioned here, then I did not know about it. I truly believe my starting price of $3,200.00 is a fair price for this nostalgic car that is running sound.
I know this car intimately and have tried to describe it at best and accurately as possible. There may be something I have forgotten to mention, so please- do not hesitate to ask me questions.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL SO, PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE BIDDING!
- Condition: Used
- Make: Volkswagen
- Model: Cabrio
- SubModel: Rabbit
- Type: Convertible
- Trim: Convertible
- Year: 1987
- Mileage: 165000
- VIN: WVWCA0159HK032515
- Color: Red
- Engine size: 1.8
- Number of cylinders: 4
- Fuel: Gasoline
- Transmission: Manual
- Drive type: FWD
- Interior color: Black
- Drive side: Left-hand drive
- Vehicle Title: Clean Want to buy? Contact seller!
