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Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:00 pm

hey guys, my names Earl, im 17 years old and am buying my first beetle tomorrow.

its a 1972 super beetle. im getting it for 1800. its got a rebuilt carborator, new wiring and bulbs all around, 57,000 original miles (its been stored for the past few years) and its got a good solid body. the only problem is the rot on the floor pan on the rear passenger side, where its most common because of the battery. but its a fairly easy fix so im not too worried about it.

i was wondering if i should have any heads up when i get it. are there any parts i should buy that may be worn out or in need of replacement? its going to be a daily driver.

i would also like to know what i can buy to improve the performance of the car without doing a complete engine swap. i want it to be fast. i was looking at this, and i would like to get a air filter like this little beauty has, where can i get one? any other info on making this baby go faster would help alot
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=435981

in the future, when i have enough money and a steady job, id like to do a engine swap. i cant wait for the day when i pull up to a rice burner, have him laugh at me, and just blow him away.

thanks for the help guys.

Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:35 pm

Earl, my advice would be to keep it stock and driving it a bit before you start dumping money into things that probably really won't make that much of a difference. Fix the rust, make sure the brakes and suspension are good, and if it currently runs well. Drive it for a year or so and enjoy it.

The motor in the ad you showed probably isn't much faster than yours. That chrome air cleaner probably does more harm than good. Keep the stock one. The fancy pulleys won't help it go any faster and depending on your carb, the 009 may again be more problems than it would be worth.

But if you got a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, probably the best bang for your buck will be a new exhaust system. A header with a single quite pack muffler will probably work best [look at S&S]. Your motor is basically an air pump, since you've helped the exhaling with the header, next would be some new carburetion [inhaling]. Maybe a set of dual solex carbs and a new distributor. If you install it all yourself, you could spend about $500-600 for those few extra ponies. Will it be fast.... no, but it will be fast-er.

If you want to reliably start smokin ricers, study hard, you'll need a good job to put together about 10-15k to build that ego fluffer you are lookin for.

-jeffrey

Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:08 pm

Please make sure that you check out the fuel lines. You don't want your investment to go up in smoke.

Sun Sep 09, 2007 1:11 am

www.cal-look.com

Sun Sep 09, 2007 2:00 pm

i bought it today. is the shifting supposed to feel really loose? or is it just me going from a 2002 sunfire to a 1971 super beetle?

the front brakes are also shot. when i press on the brakes the car jumps to the right. im thinking the left one is totally out or the right one is grabbing. have any of you guys had any experience with this?

thanks for the help

Sun Sep 09, 2007 2:22 pm

Check the brakes or get them checked#1. The sloppy shifting is normal but you can tighten that up some with a short-throw shifter which is cheap and very easy to install yourself. Personaly I like the nostalgic sloppy throw.

Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:25 pm

When buying replacement parts buy OEM German whenever possible. They cost more but are more than worth it.

Make the car SAFE to drive before (if) you start to modify it. Definitely replace the rubber fuel hoses.

Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:29 pm

brakes might just need adjustment, but it's a good idea to go through and replace the lines, calipers, pads, etc.

sloppy shifting is not normal. probably need to replace the shift rod bushing and coupler

Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:49 am

Sloppy shifting probably due to the shift rod bushing being "toast" as well as, possibly, the shift rod connector. Both are cheap fixes that aren't that difficult and will take about 2 hours total if you've never done before.

Other items to check (many people have already chimed-in):
1. Change all your rubber fuel lines.
2. Brakes - check pads, drums and rubber hoses. Change-out anything that is suspect.

3. On a super, see if you have the "super shimmy"...if so, you'll need to invest some $$ in the front suspension (bushings, steering dampener, tie rod ends, etc, etc).

Good luck and have fun! Welcome to the Samba.