Beth Leverman’s L282 Lotus White ’67 Beetle

Some time ago, 1967beetle.com featured Beth Leverman’s 1967 Beetle. The car had been neglected, spending some years for all practical purposes abandoned in a backyard.

Herr Schmidt (his temporary nomer) was about to be rescued and taken on an extraordinary journey. His new owner—an unlikely lady, in Dallas, Texas, who spends her daytime hours in a lab coat behind a microscope. On the weekends, she is transformed into “the gal with the cutting torch at the body shop”!

Today, after a morning at the shop doing the latest body work, Beth came by the house to fetch some missing parts. Neva and I eagerly went out to see Herr Schmidt, camera in hand. It was our first glimpse of the car in some time.

Wow! A new engine! Wow! The damaged passenger’s cowling excised and original German sheet metal grafted into place. What—two genuine German front fenders also have replaced the earlier fenders which someone had used to cover up the old accident damage.

The apron had come from Don’s Bug Barn in Athen’s Texas. The hood, from yet another source.

Beth had serviced the speedometer. A correct Sapphire V radio with the coveted rubber knobs adorns the dash. Decals and other parts from Lane Russell.

We discussed the progress and the possibilities. It IS slow, working only on weekends, but all things are positive. Herr Schmidt’s future is looking up these days.

My congratulations to Beth for her bold initiative with this car, seeing the potential which is there. As a person who has rescued ‘67s himself, I get really excited when I see people take the reins, give them a snap and fast-pace down the road to restoration.

Happy Motoring, Beth!

Posted by Jay Salser

My wife, Neva, and I have been driving and working on VWs since 1976. In fact, we raised our family in these cars. Now, we are retired and enjoy VWs as a hobby. The ’67 Beetle always has been our favorite year. We own a '67 Beetle and a '68 Karmann Ghia.

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