NGC, 1973 VW Beetle

[bobrebos]

I started tearing into my 1973 VW Beetle today (Need to replace gas tank, brake line, and do some electrical (Lighting, gauge work etc).

Anybody else on here into the Air Cooled VW's?  Just curious.  Its a strange hobby I guess.  LOL

[Furbo]

Oh yeah.

Have a '70 Ghia Vert and a '79 Westy.

Great place to spend your kids inheritance!

[AJ Huff]

No,.but I'd like to. Maybe some day.

-AJ

[Beowulf]

I Had a 1970 type 3 fastback(stolen). I had a 1971 karmann ghia a 66 beetle and a 68 beetle. Loved them all. If the opportunity came id buy another.

[Sheepdog]

I'm getting ready to move a '63 Type I to my shop. It's a sweet canvas top model and came with two original roof racks. Restorations are starting to back up...

[JC85]

My oldest friend loves these machines. He founded a classic bug club in Salina, KS and has a restoration and customization shop that specializes in classic VWs. Here's a baja style custom job he did for a client, recently.











He also sells parts and does mail order refurbishment. Engine or body parts, you ship it, he fixes it and ships it back. If you ever need anything, shoot me a PM, and I'll send you his card and info. Or if you just want some more VW eye candy, I can give you the link to his business Facebook.

[Cdn850T5NT]

'79 Kombi (bare window van, fixed panes of glass).  2 litre, fuel injected, tallest final drive gear.

I have jalousie windows in hand, plus the tilt-out glass assemblies - for both RHS and LHS of the van.  In fact, I plan to install the tilt-outs in both RHS and LHS rear positions (to aid ventilation) - realizing that the rear RHS position will foul the sliding door if left open (wide).

Very low miles (~ 40,000) but hasn't been run in much time... so a full-on resto is needed.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Lots of VW's here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/98421140@N05/albums/72157710605713526

I've owned: '56, '58, '60 and '62 Beetles, a '65 21-window sunroof van, '70 Karmann Ghia and a '73 Super Beetle. I'd love to have another Beetle at some point.

[Matt Story]

Related article about VW partnering with E-vehicle retrofit company to electrify original bugs.

https://jalopnik.com/volkswagen-will-now-convert-classic-beetles-to-electric-1837900039?_ga=2.233286684.380860006.1567637712-1960045622.1556999148

[fossil]

Great forum: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/ . And the absolute best (and longest) thread of them all: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=340552&highlight=vw+38

[blackcat]

I owned a 73 Sports Bug, like this one. Bought it new and within a week the plastic reverse gear went south. Why they thought this was a good idea is a mystery but I didn’t have any problems with the transmission for as long as I owned the car. Loved that bug, and then it was stolen.  Now they are worth quite a bit money given their limited production numbers. My only problem with the car is that the yellow attracted bumble bees.

[Dilliw]

My dad bought a '73 from Gibbs VW in Columbia, SC.  He drove, gave it my sister, and then she gave it to me.  Sold it 10 years later for more than we paid for it 

If I were to buy one I'd target  a '72 just to get the better looking lights, but that's just nit picking. 

[Furbo]

My dad bought a '73 from Gibbs VW in Columbia, SC.  He drove, gave it my sister, and then she gave it to me.  Sold it 10 years later for more than we paid for it 

If I were to buy one I'd target  a '72 just to get the better looking lights, but that's just nit picking.

Had a '72 Super Beetle. Best of both worlds: you get the upgraded suspension and space up front, but maintain the original flat dash & windshield.

[janguzzi]

Wouldn´t it makes sense if Beetle owns a Beetle? 

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Had a '72 Super Beetle. Best of both worlds: you get the upgraded suspension and space up front, but maintain the original flat dash & windshield.

I preferred the '73 with curved windshield and "real" dash, but still before the 5 mph bumpers. Unfortunately, mine was a "Stick-O-Matic".

[Guzzistajohn]

.   If you guys need a motor built, I got this buddy......

[Chuck in Indiana]

^^^^^ I can blow up an engine without resorting to twin turbos..

[bobrebos]

.   If you guys need a motor built, I got this buddy......

 

[Cdn850T5NT]

The problem with most vw engines (when hot-rodded) is inadequate head- and (cylinder) barrel cooling. You can add all the oil cooling you want; but the engine cooling is still mostly by forced air. Serious builds apply a Porsche style axial fan (i.e. ditch the doghouse cooler) and go to aluminum/nicasil barrels, and "worked" heads with specially dealt-with valve seats, possibly more fins, etc. Heat is the enemy.

[Cdn850T5NT]

I preferred the '73 with curved windshield and "real" dash, but still before the 5 mph bumpers. Unfortunately, mine was a "Stick-O-Matic".

100%. The classic beetle crowd seems to like the torsion bar/pure trailing arm frt susp/flat windshield cars - but for me, the '73 Super Beetle is primo. Harder to sort out the frt susp. though, re alignment, wheel balance, etc. effects though, I'm told...

Having said the above, the original torsion bar/pure trailing arm frt susp is h*ll-for-strong, durable.  Zero camber change is poor as h*ll in side winds, though.

[Guzzistajohn]

^^^^^ I can blow up an engine without resorting to twin turbos..

. Steve has it figured out pretty well, probably 30 yrs of bug ‘spereience

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Too much horsepower and the transaxle goes BOOM! 

[Sheepdog]

The VW Type I is the SlashTwo of the automotive world; anybody with opposing thumbs can work on them. That's my main complaint with the Super Beetles: they became unnecessarily complex. The Type 3s and 4s were similarly complicated...at least compared to the original concept of a "people's car." Improved? Well, only when judged with a narrower view. They were still not as good as sporty cars of the time, yet gave up the charm of simplicity. When these changes arrived, I knew the air-cooled classic I loved was on its way out.

Don't get me started on Autostick or AC in Bugs, either!

[Guzzistajohn]

share images


just saw this in a clients shop for sale $2500.00

[Cdn850T5NT]

The VW Type I is the SlashTwo of the automotive world; anybody with opposing thumbs can work on them. That's my main complaint with the Super Beetles: they became unnecessarily complex. The Type 3s and 4s were similarly complicated...at least compared to the original concept of a "people's car." Improved? Well, only when judged with a narrower view.

I am not familiar enuf with Super Beetles (I just like the looks of the '73)... Kindly explain where the're more complex?

[bobrebos]

share images


just saw this in a clients shop for sale $2500.00

That's a good deal in my opinion!   

[Burkslaw]

I started cutting on a wrecked Super Beetle and threw away everything that didn't look like a motorcycle.

[bobrebos]

I started cutting on a wrecked Super Beetle and threw away everything that didn't look like a motorcycle.

Looks awesome!   

[Sheepdog]

I am not familiar enuf with Super Beetles (I just like the looks of the '73)... Kindly explain where the're more complex?

The curved windshield, McPhearson Strut suspension, and the padded dash for starters. Many purists felt VW was just trying to get VW drivers to get service at their dealer at the time. That was about the time pollution control measures surfaced, also. Even the modern transaxles were more complicated than the old swing-axles. Heck, Type Is didn't get 12 volt batteries until 1967!

I rebuilt my '60 R60 and my '72 Type II the same year. They both required frequent maintenance, but if you stayed on top of it and didn't overheat it, the Type II (as well as the R60) was a reliable ride. Add in the fun factor and the neighborhood notoriety and those pragmatic heaps make great transportation. By '73, Beetles had become icons of fashion, but a shadow of what they were at their best: practical and easily owner-maintained transportation.

[blackcat]

Every bug,squareback,fastback and bus I owned including my 73 bus broke their accelerator & heater-box cables. And they all had engine trouble with four blown engines except for my 73 bug.  Yeah, the McPherson struts at that time required a pro to replace but eventually people figured that one out.

I was almost 30 years old before I finally purchased a vehicle with a radiator.  Quite frankly, I never looked back as I had way more trouble with VW’s then almost every car since those days except for a very brief experience with a Renault, which was a truly awful car.

It would be nice to have another bus, but not for any transportation reasons and I’m not spending $17K for a rusted,engineless pile of junk.