Extremely Rare Steel-Bodied Dune Buggy: 1963 National Refuse VWEEP

(This image and the one below were found on TheSamba.com, since this particular eBay auction wouldn't let me save pictures, but this is the same car.)

UPDATE, 1-14-2010: This VWEEP failed to sell, with zero bids and a starting price of $1,295, with no reserve. Keep posted to StreetShots & More for possible updates!




This oddity was apparently manufactured by National Refuse Company in Tucson, Arizona (possibly a manufacturer of garbage-truck bodies?), with few made and even fewer around today. While the engine is missing and it is in rough condition, it is still restorable, and with the original decal (shown above) preserved, or better yet, reproduced, a new coat of refrigerator-white paint, some original low-back VW bug seats in plain black vinyl, a stock VW flat-four of 1500cc or 1600cc displacement and a quality restoration, this would be a great conversation piece among VW and off-road vehicle enthusiasts alike. A clear Wisconsin title is included with the vehicle.

If I had the money and time for a proper restoration, I'd be all over this one.

Find it here, in South Beloit, Illinois: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Volkswagen-Thing-WVEEP-1963-VOLKSWAGEN-VWEEP-REAL-RARE-EVER-SEEN-ONE-NOT-ME_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem35a62b517eQQitemZ230421123454QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks#ht_500wt_1182

Side Street Find: Manx-Style Buggy

This Manx-style dune buggy was found on a side street in an unincorporated neighborhood of Eugene, Oregon in July 2009. It appears to have sat in the driveway for years, and to be a partly-finished project. Unfortunately, I can't say whether it's VW, Porsche or Corvair-based, or what kind of engine it has, because it sat on private property. I'm going to venture a guess and say Corvair, due to the fact that it had 5-lug wheels, the left-side fuel cap and a hint of coil springs peeking out from the left side.