Dare we PURSUE this classic VW BEETLE ??

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: CKN
This is the "econo car" where you can't carry on a conversation because the motor is so loud? Right?


And it has no heat, awful brakes, similar acceleration to a loaded dump truck, and knife in the back handling. Aside from "cute", a VW does nothing well. You're probably better off with a Yugo.

 

[DuckRyder]

Originally Posted By: dnastrau
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
...
Also it is in fact a Beetle and not a Super Beetle right?

...

If it is a '70 it won't be a Super Beetle - they started with the '71 model year as a model that was available alongside the standard Beetle. The Super Beetle had a MacPherson strut front suspension rather than the standard Beetle's torsion bar setup.



Yep you’re right, I’m rusty on my bugs. I was thinking the flat windshield super beetle we had was a 70 must have been a 71, though it was outside of the US so I guess anything is possible.

As for the car in question.

Are the front fenders fiberglass as well? I hate those running boards and wide rear fenders and I don’t like the wheels. The bottom of the hinge pillar looks questionable and there is no telling what is under that paint.

I would lot rather have one not messed with, I suppose there may be a market for those fenders and running boards though. At least whoever did it skipped the square headlight fenders.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: CKN
This is the "econo car" where you can't carry on a conversation because the motor is so loud? Right?


And it has no heat, awful brakes, similar acceleration to a loaded dump truck, and knife in the back handling. Aside from "cute", a VW does nothing well. You're probably better off with a Yugo.


THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Other than being cheap to acquire and maintain. They were TERRIBLE cars......

 

[Ben Boyle]

You have to buy one and understand you're buying an old car. Having said this, if I bought one to actually use the first thing I would do is buy disc brakes for all 4 corners. My car stops amazing.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: CKN
This is the "econo car" where you can't carry on a conversation because the motor is so loud? Right?


And it has no heat, awful brakes, similar acceleration to a loaded dump truck, and knife in the back handling. Aside from "cute", a VW does nothing well. You're probably better off with a Yugo.
Like that Mirage your father in law just bought?

The heat in the 1970 Beetle I drive and maintain will cook you out of it and stomping on the brakes skids all 4 tires, stops pretty good.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: CKN
This is the "econo car" where you can't carry on a conversation because the motor is so loud? Right?


And it has no heat, awful brakes, similar acceleration to a loaded dump truck, and knife in the back handling. Aside from "cute", a VW does nothing well. You're probably better off with a Yugo.
Like that Mirage your father in law just bought?

The heat in the 1970 Beetle I drive and maintain will cook you out of it and stomping on the brakes skids all 4 tires, stops pretty good.



Respectfully-the Mirage is the better car.....

Beetles were very poor cars. Noise-Vibration-Harshness-unsafe-ergonomically poor-it hit all the "very bad check marks".

This nonsense rates right up there with the "Crown Vic Syndrome" here on BITOG.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Duplicate

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: CKN
This is the "econo car" where you can't carry on a conversation because the motor is so loud? Right?


And it has no heat, awful brakes, similar acceleration to a loaded dump truck, and knife in the back handling. Aside from "cute", a VW does nothing well. You're probably better off with a Yugo.
Like that Mirage your father in law just bought?

The heat in the 1970 Beetle I drive and maintain will cook you out of it and stomping on the brakes skids all 4 tires, stops pretty good.



Respectfully-the Mirage is the better car.....

Beetles were very poor cars. Noise-Vibration-Harshness-unsafe-ergonomically poor-it hit all the "very bad check marks".

This nonsense rates right up there with the "Crown Vic Syndrome" here on BITOG.


Tbey didn't even get great mileage...deep gears and always pushing the engine just to keep up with traffic meant they really sucked down gas.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: CKN
This is the "econo car" where you can't carry on a conversation because the motor is so loud? Right?


And it has no heat, awful brakes, similar acceleration to a loaded dump truck, and knife in the back handling. Aside from "cute", a VW does nothing well. You're probably better off with a Yugo.
Like that Mirage your father in law just bought?

The heat in the 1970 Beetle I drive and maintain will cook you out of it and stomping on the brakes skids all 4 tires, stops pretty good.


Naah, not really. After about 2 years, the heat tubes rusted out...no heat! (My mother kept a scraper in hers.) Even before they did, turning the defroster on often resulted in instant fog-over. Acceleration was glacial...her brother's car would easily dust her VW, from any speed, even with the AC on. He drove a 4000+ lb Plymouth Fury, with a fire-breathing...slant six. Here's an idea: next time you drive the VW, go into a corner with the pedal down, and get off tbe gas mid-corner. The car will probably go into an instant, unrecoverable spin! The Bug was a relic from the 30s, and should probably have been euthanized 15 years before it actually was.

The Mirage, unlike any Bug, does many things well. Mostly: interior space, spectacular mileage (the Bug didn't even do well there, due to the overworked, underpowered lump from the 1930s), and very low ownership cost.

 

[DuckRyder]

Back to the seal, the seal between the case halves is originally a what looks about like waxed dental floss. People use all sorts of things when putting them back together though.

The fact it only leaks when running would point away from the cases to me though. (oil cooler seals maybe)

Of course you don’t buy a classic beetle because it is a paragon of NVH refinement. You buy one because it is NOT a paragon of NVH refinement. In fact it isn’t a paragon of any kind of refinement save perhaps simplicity.

 

[Silverado12]

There is some sort of aviation sealer that should be used for the case halves. FWIW I had two of these "back in the day" and was glad to get rid of them. Back then they were cheap transportation.

 

[SeaJay]

Gasoline was in the 30 cent per gallon range in 1970, gas mileage was not a concern. And those beetles were downright cheap compared to almost anything else being sold those days. Toyotas, Datsun and Honda had not made much if any inroad back then.

There were quite a few bugs on the roads in 1970, that is for sure. Their engines didn't always last, but it was cheap to replace.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
Originally Posted By: SumpChump
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
$2300 sounds pretty good; there's no air-cooled tax there.

If the case needs split for a reseal, well, you're in for a fun weekend.


UPDATE: he says..

"Every seal other than that one has been replaced, every single one"

"it only leaks when it runs and if I leave it running for like 10 minutes there will be like a 3" spot on the ground"
3"? That's a big oil leak. If you buy it the engine will need to be torn down right away if you plan on driving it anywhere.


+1

It really depends on if you plan to use this car as a fun project before you plan on really driving it anywhere.

 

[vintageant]

Now that I've the ad and the car, I'm changing my recommendation from:

"Why are you procrastinating? Just buy it!"

to:

"Run away from it as fast as you can."

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Back to the seal, the seal between the case halves is originally a what looks about like waxed dental floss. People use all sorts of things when putting them back together though.

The fact it only leaks when running would point away from the cases to me though. (oil cooler seals maybe)

Of course you don’t buy a classic beetle because it is a paragon of NVH refinement. You buy one because it is NOT a paragon of NVH refinement. In fact it isn’t a paragon of any kind of refinement save perhaps simplicity.


This is great. Even tho there is nothing good about it-other than it's simple- buy it.

 

[DuckRyder]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Back to the seal, the seal between the case halves is originally a what looks about like waxed dental floss. People use all sorts of things when putting them back together though.

The fact it only leaks when running would point away from the cases to me though. (oil cooler seals maybe)

Of course you don’t buy a classic beetle because it is a paragon of NVH refinement. You buy one because it is NOT a paragon of NVH refinement. In fact it isn’t a paragon of any kind of refinement save perhaps simplicity.


This is great. Even tho there is nothing good about it-other than it’s simple- buy it.


You are kind of slow aren’t you?

First of all I already said it wasn’t for him if he was worried about oil leaks. Obviously it isn’t for you either.

Second there is plenty of good about them, like they aren’t soulless appliances.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Back to the seal, the seal between the case halves is originally a what looks about like waxed dental floss. People use all sorts of things when putting them back together though.

The fact it only leaks when running would point away from the cases to me though. (oil cooler seals maybe)

Of course you don’t buy a classic beetle because it is a paragon of NVH refinement. You buy one because it is NOT a paragon of NVH refinement. In fact it isn’t a paragon of any kind of refinement save perhaps simplicity.


This is great. Even tho there is nothing good about it-other than it’s simple- buy it.


You are kind of slow aren’t you?

First of all I already said it wasn’t for him if he was worried about oil leaks. Obviously it isn’t for you either.

Second there is plenty of good about them, like they aren’t soulless appliances.



My feelings are hurt............................

 

[andyd]

I had bugs for nearly 20 yrs. Last was a franken bug. It was a culmination of 'good stuff" Any way as mentioned, the rear main seal was a problem. The gland nut holding on the flywheel required 325 foot lbs to torque it to spec. No torque wrench to that spec. I used a 1 7/16 slugging wrench and a mini sledge. And the seal still leaked . Just like the current Caddy, "its not a car, its a VW" Cheap to run, easy to fix, constant maintenance. They were a 30s design and did fine on poor/no roads. The Super beetle's struts were tender compared to the torsion bar front axles. The brakes were fine for a 2000lb car. Yah they were cold, and noisy. But like a many small, low powered cars they were a blast to drive. In this day and age, they are death traps compared to a modern car. I used Aviation forma gasket to seal the case halfs. If you split the case, be gentle with the studs. Over torquing will pull the studs out of the case.