VW was justly famous for its advertising campaigns back in the days of the air-cooled cars, though they still seem to live in the shadow of those successful commercials today. Most were self-deprecatingly funny, or poked fun at the folly of driving a larger car, but in advertising the Type 3 Squareback, VW could be considered a little vain – clearly they were trying to avoid the uncool “station wagon” designation by referring to their long-roof car with extra side windows and a rear hatch as a “Squareback sedan”. Hmm. Today, we’ll settle for saying these are a cool little two-door wagon – an extinct species in the genus “station wagon”. Check out this 1973 VW Squareback Type 3 for sale for $2000 in Tukwila, WA.
So beige is not the most exciting color for these, but there’s a lot else this car appears to have going for it. While the car is said to need new paint, the current coat looks serviceable, and doesn’t show any rust-through. The motor, which Dustin Hoffman couldn’t find in a period commercial, has been rebuilt by the seller, who will provide receipts as supporting evidence. Beyond that, the brake system has had a full service, with new master cylinder, front hoses, pads, rebuilt calipers, and a new line leading to the back of the car.
Everything is said to work (not that there’s much there), excepting the horn. The car also has new steering gear, which must mean the steering box – no word on whether tie rod ends were replaced at the same time. All the hubcaps and trim are present, which is nice to see on a budget-priced older car. In fact, it’s nice to see this one completely stock with no headlight eyelids, too-early luggage rack, or other accessories – the only thing that is a cause for concern is the black paint on the sills, although the seller says the car is sound.
The three-pod cluster is a classic, recalling much more sporting cars. Things inside look pretty good, though VW interiors are known to be hard-wearing. A picture of the frunk shows snow tires and a Colorado license plate, so this has not always been a Washington state car. Some extra pieces are shown up front, including a floor jack and what looks to be a valve cover.
The rear trunk hides the engine – apparently the seller was not able to find it again after doing the rebuild, as a picture is not included in the listing. Things look surprisingly tidy in the trunk, and the only visible flaw is the disappearance of the “Volk” on the hatch badge, making this car a Swagen. If you’ve been looking for an entree into the air-cooled VW world, but don’t want a station wagon, maybe this is your car!
Tags: Feature, german, squareback, station wagon, type 3, volkswagen, vw
Rusty But Trusty 
July 23, 2014 at 9:55 am |
Gone! that looked like a deal.