TheSamba.com :: View topic - Advice between standard I and late standard I

Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:39 pm

Im looking to buy my first bug and have found several 70's and 71's. Aside from the battery upgrade and body differences is there any reasons why a 70 would be a bad idea as opposed to the mid 60s models?

Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:50 pm

mid 60's would be more expencive and are more desirable. the 67+ cars are concidered fat chicks (1968 and onward) these are less desirable due to their body style. Everybody here in this fourm will tell you to buy the 70's and anybody in a early model 60's forum will tell you to buy the 60's beetle. Let me just tell you this, the suspentian and ride quality IS nicer in the later model cars. Its just all preference. Buy what you like and holdout if you cant find it.

Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:16 pm

That's a personal preference. Do you like early or late styling? There's quite a difference inside and out.

Do you prefer basic, bear mechanics or more bells and whistles?

It all comes down to whether you enjoy vanilla or chocolate ice cream best.

Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:18 pm

'69Custom wrote: That's a personal preference. Do you like early or late styling? There's quite a difference inside and out.

Do you prefer basic, bear mechanics or more bells and whistles?

It all comes down to whether you enjoy vanilla or chocolate ice cream best.

lol you know your an ACVW driver when you concider these things to have alot of "bells and whistles" :P

Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:58 pm

Thank you for your input guys. Patience is a virtue! Really excited to find MY perfect bug!

Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:33 pm

I prefer the earlier body style and dash, but the newer ball joint front end and IRS. I will stick with my fat chicks. Less expensive and I don't have to bastardize 2 cars to get what I want.
Supers are a taste all their own. I just like that mine is a Vert :)

Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:10 am

TjdTaylor wrote: '69Custom wrote: That's a personal preference. Do you like early or late styling? There's quite a difference inside and out.

Do you prefer basic, bear mechanics or more bells and whistles?

It all comes down to whether you enjoy vanilla or chocolate ice cream best.

lol you know your an ACVW driver when you concider these things to have alot of "bells and whistles" :P Damn straight! Comparatively speaking, of course.

Me, I can appreciate both and am building what I like to consider my perfect blend: Frankenbug!

Fri Feb 03, 2012 7:03 am

I'd buy whichever is the most original, unmolested and in the best condition. It wouldn't matter to me if pre/post 68. That's my .02.

Fri Feb 03, 2012 9:45 am

The later the model, the better the safety features.

Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:47 pm

SAFETY FEATURES ? the only difference between my 69 and 63 are the 69 has a colapseable steering shaft and dual master cylinder. Both, very simple to change.

Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:21 pm

bensherb wrote: SAFETY FEATURES ? the only difference between my 69 and 63 are the 69 has a colapseable steering shaft and dual master cylinder. Both, very simple to change.

The '69 also has:

-high-backed seats that can save the driver and front passenger from a lot of neck pain, if you are rearended.
-stronger bumper set-up.
-more visible taillights, that may prevent accidents.
-seat belts.
-outside door handle button recessed, so it won't pop open in a rollover.
-larger front brakes.
-larger rear brakes.
-soft dash knobs to lessen injury if you hit your head during a fender bender.

Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:23 pm

bensherb wrote: SAFETY FEATURES ? the only difference between my 69 and 63 are the 69 has a colapseable steering shaft and dual master cylinder. Both, very simple to change.
Like you say easy to change. 2 very important changes. These should be changed if your car does not have them. I would rather have some brakes and a deforming steering column than no brakes and a spear aimed at my chest in the event of a brake hose or line failure.

Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:25 pm

bensherb wrote: SAFETY FEATURES ? the only difference between my 69 and 63 are the 69 has a colapseable steering shaft and dual master cylinder. Both, very simple to change.

:roll: Jeez. High back seats, better seat belts, better seat anchoring, impact bumpers along with the rest that has already been listed. Compare a '61 to a '77 and it is a world of difference safety-wise.

Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:27 pm

neil68 wrote: bensherb wrote: SAFETY FEATURES ? the only difference between my 69 and 63 are the 69 has a colapseable steering shaft and dual master cylinder. Both, very simple to change.

The '69 also has:

-high-backed seats that can save the driver and front passenger from a lot of neck pain, if you are rearended.
-stronger bumper set-up.
-more visible taillights, that may prevent accidents.
-seat belts.
-outside door handle button recessed, so it won't pop open in a rollover.-larger front brakes.
-larger rear brakes.
-soft dash knobs to lessen injury if you hit your head during a fender bender.

All these years, and it never dawned on me that the door handle changes could've been safety features. Just never thought about it like that.
Hmmm....

Sat Feb 04, 2012 3:16 am

neil68 wrote: bensherb wrote: SAFETY FEATURES ? the only difference between my 69 and 63 are the 69 has a colapseable steering shaft and dual master cylinder. Both, very simple to change.

The '69 also has:

-high-backed seats that can save the driver and front passenger from a lot of neck pain, if you are rearended.
-stronger bumper set-up.
-more visible taillights, that may prevent accidents.
-seat belts.
-outside door handle button recessed, so it won't pop open in a rollover.
-larger front brakes.
-larger rear brakes.
-soft dash knobs to lessen injury if you hit your head during a fender bender.

Ok, I agree with you on the hi back seats, the tiny bit larger tail lights, and the "soft" dash knobs, but the bumpers are still tin foil chrome trim, the 63 has seat belts too, but you had to order them, and the brakes are the same crappy drums that were on the '65'. The door handle? Really? At least the earlier style can be opened without the hand strenth of a gorilla. They changed the latch to a better type less likely to come open in an accident in '66'. Forgot about that one. I think the handle change was more of a style thing. It changed in '60' to the push button from the refer door type that you had to pull out to open, which would have been safer in a roll over too. You forgot the dash pad too. Unfortunetly all this junk will be of virtually no solice in a real accident. Like the commercial says, if you want safety buy a 2012.

Sat Feb 04, 2012 6:53 am

Buy a 68 and newer Beetle (not a Super or Water Cooled :D ) as they are easier to find, and usually cheaper.
Clean it up and enjoy it. There is nothing "wrong" with them.
BUT
If you like the older styling, put 66 and older fenders, lights, and bumpers on it.
Older fenders bolt right on, and bumpers can be added fairly easily.
A few steps further.
Change the front and rear aprons, add an older hood and decklid, weld up the gas door, add a 67 and older tank, Yank the padded dash, Add the wide body molding.
In the end you pretty much have a car that looks like a 65/66.

Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:52 am

bensherb wrote: neil68 wrote: bensherb wrote: SAFETY FEATURES ? the only difference between my 69 and 63 are the 69 has a colapseable steering shaft and dual master cylinder. Both, very simple to change.

The '69 also has:

-high-backed seats that can save the driver and front passenger from a lot of neck pain, if you are rearended.
-stronger bumper set-up.
-more visible taillights, that may prevent accidents.
-seat belts.
-outside door handle button recessed, so it won't pop open in a rollover.
-larger front brakes.
-larger rear brakes.
-soft dash knobs to lessen injury if you hit your head during a fender bender.

Ok, I agree with you on the hi back seats, the tiny bit larger tail lights, and the "soft" dash knobs, but the bumpers are still tin foil chrome trim, the 63 has seat belts too, but you had to order them, and the brakes are the same crappy drums that were on the '65'. The door handle? Really? At least the earlier style can be opened without the hand strenth of a gorilla. They changed the latch to a better type less likely to come open in an accident in '66'. Forgot about that one. I think the handle change was more of a style thing. It changed in '60' to the push button from the refer door type that you had to pull out to open, which would have been safer in a roll over too. You forgot the dash pad too. Unfortunetly all this junk will be of virtually no solice in a real accident. Like the commercial says, if you want safety buy a 2012.

Without beating the topic to death, the '68+ bumpers are much stronger than the -'67, and are also positioned higher, and are definitely not tin foil chrome. The '68+ bumper material and design is much stronger...there is really no comparison. Also, the '68+ brakes are significantly larger, I've forgotten the exact percentage increase in shoe size (stock drums are good enough to stop my '68 at the drag strip at 100 MPH+). '67's still had the pop open door latches if you roll the Beetle...'68 was the first safety latch year. Agreed, if you want air bags, you need a 2012 model, but that wasn't the OP's comparison request...

Sat Feb 04, 2012 5:18 pm

I guess you're right about the bumper itself, the problem is it's still bolted to thin sheet metal that folds up at the slightest impact .

Front brakes '61'-'77' are 40mm wide x 230mm diameter
'71'- up super beetle are 40mm wide x 248mm diameter

Rear brakes '58'-'67' are 30mm wide x 230mm diameter
'68'-'77' are 40mm wide x 230mm diameter
'71-up super beetle are 45mm wide x 230mm diameter

None of them are of the self energising type

Door latch is the same from mid '66' -'79'

I've never been into drag racing, I'm prefer autocross and road racing; even properly adjusted all new stock drums just couldn't hack it, so I changed to 4 wheel disks. I can't even describe the improvement, it'll stop like the new cars do now, so I guess I'm spoiled.

Sat Feb 04, 2012 6:46 pm

TjdTaylor wrote: . the 67+ cars are concidered fat chicks (1968 and onward) these are less desirable due to their body style. .

Fat Chicks are only the Superbeetles, not the standards

Sat Feb 04, 2012 7:47 pm

flyboat wrote: TjdTaylor wrote: . the 67+ cars are concidered fat chicks (1968 and onward) these are less desirable due to their body style. .

Fat Chicks are only the Superbeetles, not the standards

here we go again :roll: