First Beetle Post - It's a Great Day!!!!

ChapinBusDude

I've been restoring buses since 1982. So my 13 year old daughter says, "Daddy, I want a Beetle instead of a bus". Crap, I don't know how to work on Beatles!!! I thought that was a rock group from England!

Come on guys, I'm just KIDDING...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

But really now, I bought my first Beetle, a 1970, and I absolutely love it. Been tinkering here and there for about a month. No freaking key but those Germans designed the Beetle so you could get the tumbler out easier than the bus. GOOD DEAL!

The gas tank is in the front (did you know that) and you don't have to take the freaking engine out to take out the gas tank!!! So mine is all restored and I never even looked at the back of the car.

One day I'll be asking how the heck you get the front seats out. Looked all over under there but could not find a release mech of any sort. I'm sure that is because the guy that designed the Beetle was not working on the Transporter T2. And I'm sure I will be searching the Beetle site for all kinds of things I need to figure out, but today....

It's COOL to own a Beetle!!

So I know all the guys and nicknames on the T2 side of this forum, but probably no one on this Beetle side. So..... greetings, and I'm sorry my login name is Bus Dude rather than Beetle Dude. It's just one of those things that happens when a bus guy discovers Beetles for the first time. I don't know what I'm gonna do about that yet. Pretty low tech actually. Almost a Luddite (anyone other than me know what that means?).

Let's see, I need to ask some sort of question to kick off my first post to this side of the site, right........................

............................................

Hmmm..........

OK, I know, here's my question: What was Volkswagen's very best Beetle model (which model year)? ... And why do you say this?

It seems like I remember having a real question to ask when I logged onto Samba, but I can't remember anymore... I'll think of something later.

Greetings from South Carolina from "Frank".

Mr.Duncan · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 2:23 pm Post subject:

Awesome dude.

Glad to see it!

To remove the seat, look for this tab, bend it down.

Cheers-

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(Owner) www.vintagecarleds.com

Red 1971 Squareback Thread
Red 1966 Beetle Thread
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1966 Java Green Std Beetle (sold)
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cletus_zuber

Tim Donahoe · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 5:45 pm Post subject:

You'll find the Beetle is amazingly similar to the Bus. I've owned two Busses and a single-cab, so I pretty much know.

The bus has bigger this and that, but the upright engines are the same--and that's half the battle.

A good Luddite would be more apt to destroy the beetle, rather than restore it. Hopefully--for your daughter's sake--you're not really all that "orthodox". Wink

Later, Frank.

Tim

jlex · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 7:19 pm Post subject:

Simple answer: the '70's the best year because that's what I have! Does it have the original SP engine?

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jlex.
'70 std. "Elsie"
'88 Carrera

Dwayne1m · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 7:38 pm Post subject:

They are all wonderful. Just like your kids. They all have their good points and bad points but you still love 'um

IFVandal · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 7:42 pm Post subject:

Awesome ride. I am sure it will be a blast. I would love to have a split beetle but overall i would love a nice old double cab. Here is my wife's 70 project we just picked up and my 72 I am also working on.
Good luck and have fun with the beetle.

ChapinBusDude · Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2014 7:24 am Post subject:

Mine has a single port but I don't know much about it yet. The girl I bought it from says it hasn't run since 2011. And that it smoked. I didn't see any cigarette butts though. I'm gonna crank it up as soon as I get the fuel tank in and get a battery hooked up. My backup plan is the engine on the floor in front of my bus. It's a 1776 all ready to go in something.

I can't really say that I picked this car - it sortof picked me. Been looking for a '70 for some time now but never worked out. I was usually a day late. This one was owned by a girl in her twenties. She loved the idea of "dad" restoring a VW for his daughter to drive when she is older.

I had a buddy tell me he thought probably '70 was the best year. Parts easy to find, easy to work on. Mine has almost no rust. I do my own body work but really don't like replacing floor panels (does anyone though).

Headed to the garage now. Need to do some sanding and painting before I put the tank back in.... Zoom!

Zacharysayre · Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2014 11:42 am Post subject:

Welcome to the '70 club. I love mine. It even came with a factory sun roof. links to my projects below.

Looks like a great project you have there. Hopefully your daughter will help with it.
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If it ain't steel, it ain't real

ChapinBusDude · Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 6:54 am Post subject:

Nice looking projects Zach. My daughter usually does some of the work. She is pretty good at running a sander. And the best part is that she knows how to run a torque wrench!

I was looking at some of your pictures and it made me realize how very little I know about my '70. I've not even crawled under it yet. I finished up restoring the gas tank and have hooked the fuel line up between the bottom of the tank and the metal line that disappears down under. Is there a metal line that runs all the way to the back? Or is there a rubber line? I'm planning to try a crank this guy up today but the engine is probably not too good. I hope the fuel lines are solid!

ChapinBusDude · Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 7:02 am Post subject:

So I got the '70 driver's side seat out really easy, but not the passenger one. I used a big hammer and pounded the back support pipes on each side. Tap, tap, tap, and the seat moved forward little by little and came right out (driver's side). But the passenger went like this: tap, tap, tap (holding the release lever of course), on each side a little bit each side and the seat moved forward pretty far but then stopped moving forward. I'm sure this must be related to the retaining tab I keep hearing about and that Mr. Duncan posted a picture about. But I cannot see the picture clearly enough to ID the same thing on my seat. Anyone have some tips here?

Abscate · Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 7:30 am Post subject:

My favourite Beetle I ever owned was my 1965. Nice combination of that 1200 motor and a nice ride and cheap to maintain and run.

Splits have gotten horrifically expensive and the Ovals will be next.

Crying or Very sad

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.ssS!

ChapinBusDude · Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 8:23 am Post subject:

Here's a stack of pictures of the area underneath the passenger seat. First five are pointed toward the tunnel, and the next three are pointed toward the outside. Does anyone see the mystery tab that I'm missing? Which picture number?

Maybe it is possible to download the picture and you could circle it for me? It looks like people are always asking this question. I will post the right picture with an easy search term once done.

ChapinBusDude · Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:48 am Post subject:

Found it!!! Passenger seat's out now!

Just cranked this Beetle up. It's sat for about 3-4 years. Cranked with no real problems. The carb needs rebuild though - pours gas out the accelerator pump, arg!

jlex · Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:19 am Post subject:

What model carb is on it? My SP '70 has its original 30pict3. Paired up with the 205T distributor, it's the perfect factory match.
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jlex.
'70 std. "Elsie"
'88 Carrera

ChapinBusDude · Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 4:43 pm Post subject:

That's a cool carb. This one is a JB welded 31PICT3. Whatever that plugged hole is that is at the base of the carb blew out the plug somewhere along the way. To rebuild to replace... what a decision!

Today I succeeded in breaking the glass taking out the front windshield, but there's good news in that the frame is only surface rust (really)!!!

I removed the speedo, glove box and radio (original AM radio!) and pulled the dash board. I'm getting too old to be laying inside the trunk like that.

It was a good day!

EVfun · Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 5:29 pm Post subject:

Best Bug? I'd vote for the nearly identical 1958 and 1959, but they are getting to be hard to get parts the next day. That 36 hp engine is hard to kill, and that old gearbox is way stronger than needed for that little motor (it seems to survive a big bore 40hp too.)

In the more modern era (slightly) I think the 1961 to 1964 Bugs are where its at. They still have the small windows but you have to watch the door stops as they where a little longer and could beet out the body. They still have the same brakes (there was yearly changed from 1965 through 1968.) These Bugs do well with a 12 volt conversion and a 1600cc motor. A little lighter and lower geared than most later Bugs, a stock later engine feels pretty good.

P.S. I'm currently driving a 1979 and I love how smooth that F.I. motor is, but the late super vert is pretty portly.
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mikec4193 · Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 5:35 pm Post subject:

Cant wait to see how it turns out....my daughters dream car is VW Beetle...she would take either a air cool or a modern water pumper one...I prefer the older one like yours...hope your project goes along well..and maybe the daughter can help out too in the process...

Thanks for posting your project.....

MikeC
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Dad bought his first Beetle on Dec 17, 1953.

ChapinBusDude · Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 6:42 am Post subject:

Collapsible steering column? I too was once blind but now I can see - even the steering column!

bobnorman · Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 7:04 am Post subject:


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