Comments: 1-15, 16-24
Rear engine seal leaked.
Carburetor needed to be replaced.
Ignition switch needed to be replaced.
My 1970 Beetle was a "Wunderbug" by Leifring Industries. This was a standard Beetle that had a replica of a 1937 Ford nose grafted on.
I believe a previous owner installed the kit rather than repair a dent in
one of the quarter panels. (The fiberglass panels covered the dented sheet metal).
I am unsure of the exact mileage of the vehicle. The odometer read 51,000 miles,
but I didn't know if it had been around once or twice. So it could have been 151K or 251K. The engine, I was told came from a 1972 Super Beetle. Reportedly it had 60,000 miles on it.
The Wunderbug was a fun project car. Over the ten years that I owned it, it seems I replaced virtually everything on the vehicle.
Even the interior was completely done over.
Once you looked past the nose job, it was quite a nice looking vehicle. Actually with the '37 Ford nose, it kind of looked like a PT Cruisers grandfather!
I drove the VW year round. Even during New England winters. The heater was mediocre at best, the defroster virtually non-existant.
The rear main seal developed a serious
leak, and over the past few years I owned the car I had to carry a quart of two of oil on board. At times oil dripped down like it was coming from a faucet that needed a washer.
My Beetle at times ran like a new car, other times it refused to hold idle in damp or rainy weather. It was a typical older Beetle; temperamental, but filled with charm and personality.
I knew the vehicle well enough to drive it anywhere, even on interstate trips.
I kept a well stocked toolbox, complete with any parts that I might need in the vehicle at all times.
Many evenings far from home where interrupted while I replaced that part, re-set the timing, rewired this or adjusted that. However I knew the Beetle would never leave me stranded, and it never did.
It was slow. It was loud. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
The cockpit seemed to almost always be filled with the faint smell of gasoline.
Your nose almost touched the windshield and your fingers hit the dash as you drove. Instead of an airbag, you had a ten-gallon gas tank mounted in front of you in the trunk.
It drew a crowd wherever I parked.
Motorists followed me for miles to ask if I would consider selling it.
Everyone had a story about their old Beetle, and lamented selling it, asking "Why did they stop making these anyway?"
Driving the Beetle always brought me back to a simpler time. The wonderful sounds took me back to my teenage years
when I owned my first Beetle (a 1967 model).
The Volkswagen Beetle-It was basic transportation with the emphasis on basic. It was a personal amusement park ride. It was easy to work on, and cheap to fix. It was a time machine. It was arguably the most significant vehicle of the 20th century.
Why DID they stop making these?
Bravo!!!
Thank you for a wonderful trip down memory lane!
This review is as entertaining as an Andy Rooney commentary, and reads like a Saturday Evening Post article. Thanks for the fun look back at a true classic-The VW Beetle!
Didn't they have a Rolls Royce and a '40 Ford nose as well as the '37 Ford nose for Beetles?
Either of the Ford noses looked pretty good on the Beetle, especially since it was a '30's design to begin with.
Yes they did. The good thing about these kits is that they were easily removed so that you could quickly put your Bug
back in original condition.
The same cannot be said of the dune buggy craze which
claimed far too many classic 60s Bugs.
I think I may have a wunderbug I had a square back and well it went up in flames... anyway my dad found a 1973 beetle said it had a 40 ford deluxe hood on it I bought it for 750 but the hood is cracked and I need to find another if any one has info on how I can get another that would be great.
Does anyone know if the kits for the VWs are still available? I have a bug that I would like to convert to the 37 Ford front end, but have been unable to locate the company that originally made them. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
The "Wunderbug" kits were made by Leifring Industries of Kansas City Missouri. These were the 1937 Ford nose kits, made of fiberglas. If you have a 1940 Ford nose on your bug, it is another very popular nose kit that was available at the same time, but it is not the "Wundrbug" kit. The '37 Ford kit included front side panels as well as the hood. If my memory is correct the '40 Ford kits were a simple bolt-on hood. However a continental tire kit for the rear as well as a woody look kit for the entire side of the vehicle.
Also some were made for only the 111 Sedan (Standard Beetle)
The Wunderbug kit was only for the 111. And others (at least one of the '40 Ford kits, was made for the 113 Sedan
(Super Beetle). Remember, there were also Rolls Royce kits available for Beetles during this time.
If you can provide me with a description of the kit as well as which model bug you have. I might be able to research it further and tell you exactly what you have.
As far as are they still available? I recall reading in "VW Trends" magazine back in the '90s that a company had bought the molds for the Wunderbug kit and were marketing them again, so they may be available still. Check in an enthusiast magazine such as VW Trends. I suspect you can still find them if you look.
If you do put a kit on your Bug, please be sure to save the original parts so that your Bug can easily be restored to its original condition. As classic VW's a vanishing jewels.
If I can be of any further help, please don't hesitate to leave another post in my review here.
I know of a company that sells these hoods I think they may have bought out wunderbug try www.bgwspectre.com I have had luck there finding my 1940 ford deluxe hood good luck to you.
I believe that is the correct company.
Remember, the "Wunderbug" kit is the '37 Ford nose kit.
I don't recall if the '40 Ford nose had a special name.
It makes sense that one company would be marketing more than one kit now.
It's good to see people who actually know something about
cars converse in this forum.
Very entertaining review.
I just acquired a 71 VW with a Wunderbug kit from Leifring Industries last week, primer gray, but I looking forward to the restoration process. I'll keep you posted.
I saw a Wunderbug at a local used car lot. It had the Rolls Royce front. I thought it was adorable and would have loved to own it, but it was sold before I saved up enough money. What years/makes were they made for? I am also interested in buying one if anyone has one for sale. Preferably in black.
The Rolls Royce nose was not a "Wunderbug". The Wunderbug was the '37 Ford nose manufactured by Liefring Industries. These were made to fit standard (not Super) Beetles.
There were Rolls Royce kits and 40 Ford kits made by other manufacturers. Some were made to fit Super Beetles.
If you are looking for a daily driver and live in a warm climate, either the Standard Beetle or Super beetle will do.
If you live in a colder climate, I suggest you look for a later model Super Beetle. As they were equipped with heater fans and distibuted warm air through the cabin more efficiently than the Beetles that relied on engine speed
to distribute heat.
If you are looking for a car as a weekend good weather vehicle, you can't beat an older vintage Beetle or even a
Beetle Convertible.
Even more hard to find and very collectible is the Karmann Ghia, especially the convertible.
Perhaps someday... I'll own one.
My father designed and built the Wunderbug front end kits for VW beetles. There were 2 versions the 37 kit for beetles, and a 40 Ford kit for super beetles. the super beetle kit replaced the hood only. the 37 had side panels that bolted on under the fenders. Our kits were fiberglass with an extruded aluminum grille. We were able to defend the copy rite on the 37 kit and stopped several companies from making fakes, but the 40 kit was copied by a company that used vacuum formed ABS and got around the copy rite. We never made any of the Rolls Royce kits. When VW no longer imported beetles to the USA market sales dropped off and we sold the tooling to a company in Washington state that I think makes bicycle accessories now.
Al Lieffring.
Al.
It great to hear the details from someone who knows.
I am the original reviewer & I enjoyed my "Wunderbug" for 10 years. The kit was a high quality product!