1966 Volkswagen Sunroof Bug

For model year 1966, Volkswagen chose to leave the body mostly the same as in 1965. Still with 6 volt electrics, the interior was basically a carryover from 1965, with the addition of a new plastic defroster vent in the top center of the dash. The other big improvement in the interior, was the front seats which now had a locking latch on the sides to keep the seat back from flying forward during a sudden stop. But the big news for 1966 was the new 1300cc engine! This was essentially the standard 1200cc engine, with larger cylinders, which upped the output from 40 hp to 50hp - a 25% increase! New "1300" polished script on the engine lid (a one-year only feature) reminded everyone of this significant change. The other very visible change for the exterior was the introduction of a new "flatter" chrome hubcap, replacing the old "domed" hubcap which had adorned VW beetles for over a decade. This Classic 1966 Volkswagen Sunroof Bug started out life as a Java Green beauty. But time and neglect had taken their toll and by the time the current owner acquired this beetle, it needed everything. The body was pretty straight and almost completely rust-free, but numerous "parking lot" dings and bumps needed to be pounded out. The seats were intact, but came out of a '65 bug and the upholstery was shot. The headliner and door panels were long gone and the steel sunroof was frozen shut. Amazingly, the original 6 volt radio had survived and the motor was strong and started up reliably. The new owner had the body work done and then had this classic bug repainted in "Panama Beige" (L572), supplied by PPG. After color-sanding, the exterior looked factory fresh. The sunroof mechanism was rebuilt with NOS gears and new cables. Original '66 front seats were sourced from a donor bug and a new "stock" black interior was installed, along with a new headliner, carpeting and rubber floor mats.

   Click on an image to enlarge it
66 vw bug; orig condition
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Bug
66 vw bug; just painted
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Bug
66 vw bug; just painted
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Bug
66 vw bug; installing the rebuilt 1300
1966 Volkswagen
sunroof Bug
66 vw bug; 1300cc motor
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Beetle
66 vw bug front end
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Beetle
66 vw bug rear end
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Sedan
66 vw bug front end
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Sedan
'66 vw bug
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Beetle
'66 vw bug
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Beetle
'66 vw bug
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Sedan
'66 vw bug
1966 Volkswagen
Sunroof Sedan

Marketplace Ads
Reasonably priced and reliable classic car insurance for your vintage auto, truck, RV or boat

You Also Might Enjoy:








See more pictures of Volkswagen Bugs (1958-1967) here.
Return to the Gallery main page.
Return to the BusTopia home page.
Copyright © 2006- BusTopia.com - All content contained within this site is the property of BusTopia.com, and may not be copied
or reproduced by anyone for any purpose, without explicit permission from BusTopia.com. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Volkswagen Werk AG
or Volkswagen of North America. VW, VOLKSWAGEN, GHIA and BEETLE are Registered Trademarks of Volkswagen Werk AG and Volkswagen of North America.