anyone here ever own an old beetle?

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hansj3

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A local ma and pa dealer has a half running, half basketcase 72 beetle cheap. I've always had an itch to scratch with one of these, and I'd like to buy it... if I can convince the other half...

Any thing in general I should look for? Anyone have any stories?
Any taller guys ever drive one?

And the most important question... what oil would you run in it if you bought it. It would be a year round daily driver to suppliment my wrangler and silvarado
 
Let's see, little or no heat, gas tank in your lap, little power, though the engine could be modded,your nose against the windshield, better on the Super Beetle, rear vision about like the new cars, wheel wells intruding on foot space, small pedals, rear engine dynamics...gotta keep the rear tire pressure up, number three cylinder having some of its airflow blocked by the oil cooler so it ran hot, no oil filter.
Good points, easy to work on once the tin work around the motor was removed. Straight 30 was the oil of choice back then. Dual carbs and a real exhaust system would pick up a few HP.
 
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My dad bought a 70 and a 74. Both went well over 100K with no issues running Pennzoil 10w40. I remember trips across az and nm in August. No ac,windows down but the beetles never missed a beat.
 
I've only ridden in a late 70's one, on the autobahn, and it was surprisingly good. Got up to 130kph and wasn't silly loud, drove well. It was in the summer so I didn't get a heater demonstration. I'm sure this particular one was maintained very well though, and it was mostly a summer toy.

I think MN, the heater/defroster issue would be the biggest obstacle to daily driving, but if you can lick that, then it would be fine IMO.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
I've only ridden in a late 70's one, on the autobahn, and it was surprisingly good. Got up to 130kph and wasn't silly loud, drove well. It was in the summer so I didn't get a heater demonstration. I'm sure this particular one was maintained very well though, and it was mostly a summer toy.

I think MN, the heater/defroster issue would be the biggest obstacle to daily driving, but if you can lick that, then it would be fine IMO.
After the bug I bought a used Volvo 122 and it had HEEEEEEEEAT!
 
I had a 74 Super 1600 with Dual 32PCT Webers, and a Gene Berg shifter.

It putted around like a bat outta. Was easy to work on, but you had to lift the engine decklid a lot.

If you don't convert to 009 electronic ignition, you're gonna have a bad time.

Things to look out for, front end shakes/wobbles. Poor shifter linkage. Battery tray rust (under the back seat). Door hinge sag. Heater vents not working/rusted away. Etc.

I ran 10w30 in mine, but if I had another one I would probably use Delo 400 15w40. Don't forget to adjust the valve lash every 30k miles.
 
I have always heard the heat sucked... so does the heat on lots of classic cars, so does the heat on my jeep, there are jackets for that
I've always liked cars with no power
I've always liked cars with an RR engine layout, and mr2s aren't cheap
I suppose there are kits to get airflow to cyl 3 and I know there are full flow oil filter kits.
Most of the rest of it can be chalked up to the charm of the original car...
If the car rusts out I can always pull the engine and build it for homebuilt aircraft use
 
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Let's see, little or no heat, gas tank in your lap, little power, though the engine could be modded,your nose against the windshield, better on the Super Beetle, rear vision about like the new cars, wheel wells intruding on foot space, small pedals, rear engine dynamics...gotta keep the rear tire pressure up, number three cylinder having some of its airflow blocked by the oil cooler so it ran hot, no oil filter.
Good points, easy to work on once the tin work around the motor was removed. Straight 30 was the oil of choice back then. Dual carbs and a real exhaust system would pick up a few HP.


^^^^^ All very true!

I had a '62 as my first car. Gawd, the things I used to do to my high school girlfriend in that thing....
laugh.gif


Then I moved up to a '70. Still much the same but also much improved. If I could magically buy a brand new '70, I'd do it. But they are total death traps!

Scott
 
My aunt has a 1970 Beetle that I maintain and drive often, actually she almost never drives it so I put probably 2,000 miles a year on it.

They're actually good cars. Handling is pretty good but on the highway in the wind it's interesting. They aren't fast but actually move around pretty good considering the low horsepower. I'm 6'2" and it has plenty more head room, more than a lot of newer cars. Shifter hits my knee but it isn't a big deal.

Look for rust, that was a MAJOR issue on these cars so don't drive it in the snow. It rusts under the back seat (where the battery is), in the heater channels, and pretty much everywhere else. The rust you see, multiply by 10x because the rest is hidden and you're probably not going to want to pull the body off and replace the floor pans. You don't need 009 ignition, often times the vacuum advance distributors are better but you need to pair it with what carburetor it has.

I've run 15w40 Rotella in it and currently have Mobil 1 5w40 Turbo Diesel Truck oil in it. Synthetic hasn't changed how much it leaks, it could be less actually. No need for a mono weight oil like SAE 30, that's too old school.

The best info is on www.thesamba.com, that's the best air cooled VW forum.

Also the heater works awesome, at least as hot as my Camry (which works great too)
 
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Is the beetle in question a regular or super?

Even though the super is technically superior in some ways, many VW nerds hate the super and love the regular.

I'm also interested in them. There are specific rust spots you'll need to check. If it's a super, be ready to rebuild the front end or risk the death wobble.
 
All good points. A friend of ours had a couple of air cooled VWs, a bus and a bug. Do check for rust in the floor pans, suspension, and heaters. The exhaust provides the (limited) heat, so rusty exhausts can mean exhaust getting inside.

Watch out for the battery compartment under the back seat. Rusty battery holder is no good, but having the back seat springs short out the battery terminals is really not good.

Check the valve lash and ignition timing regularly, if they get off it can start burning valves. Our friend eventually put aftermarket hydraulic valve lifters in, though I don't know how well they worked. There are kits available.

They are remarkably simple to work on though. Engine comes out with very little effort.

Check out the book: "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" by John Muir. Lots of good info in it, but it's also a fun read because it's written as a service manual for complete novices. Good for a few chuckles with the humorous anecdotes and cartoon illustrations.
 
Personally, I would look for a '66 or earlier. Low seatbacks, glass enclosed headlights, smaller turnsignals, cooler bumpers, etc...
 
I guess I don't know if its a regular or a super. Its yellow, they found it in an a barn, it was a failed father-son project, and the fenders are stuffed inside. I still have to go see it. Pictures can only tell me so much.

How would I tell the difference?
 
no heat, can't keep up on interstates that have hills, noisy windshield wiper motor gears wernk-wernk- wernk-
I put a gas heater in mine from VW oem, it worked great,
the car and the heater are really not safe, a sequoia could back over you and never notice
 
Not 100% true.

'71 and '72 Super Beetles had flat windshields.

Giveaway for Super Beetles is the MacPherson strut front suspension. Open trunk and see if it has horizontal positioned spare tire, rather than upright. If so, it's a Super Beetle.

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Super Beetle has semi wrap-around windscreen, the regulars were FLAT.
 
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Originally Posted By: mehullica
Hardest thing is getting the rear axle nuts loose if you're going to do any drivetrain work


3/4" breaker bar and socket set from HF is what I had to use. Also needed it for the flywheel nut if I remember correctly. You need to get the axle nut off for brake work as well. It was my son's car. Since I have a bad back and a bad knee I did not like working on the engine. On the other hand it was very easy to customize.
 
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