TheSamba.com :: View topic - Mr. Bean the 1973 Superbeetle that I've had since I was 12.

Mon Aug 29, 2022 8:39 am

I guess it's time I started a thread on the beloved 73 that I've had for the majority of my life. It all started back in 91 or 92 when my dad came home from work and excitedly announced that he'd found mom's old car's twin! He was referring to her old Sumatra green with tan interior 72 Super, the very car I'd ridden home from the hospital as a newborn in! His discovery was a 73 model, but it was green with a tan interior. That weekend we bought it and had it dragged home. I named it Mr. Bean because it's green and I was 12. It's crazy to think that when we first got this car it was still too new to qualify for antique plates!

Dad and I would then spend the next few years fixing it up and getting it roadworthy in time for my 16th birthday. We'd met the goal, but it was still very much a work in progress throughout high school. Every Friday evening after school we'd tear into it to work on a different section, then Sunday evening button it up just enough to be driveable come Monday. A time or two I drove it with a missing rear fender, just a taillight attached with a bungee cord.

Finally in 96, my junior year of high school, we painted it the original L61B Sumatra Green in our home garage, and it's remained largely unchanged since then. I'm pleased that the mods I picked as a dorky teenager still look pretty tasteful to this day. This car is extra special to me, it's like a time capsule of my teenage years spent in the garage with my dad.

Anyway, I still have the car, but the past couple years it's just been sitting in the garage. It's an ordeal to get it out, so I pretty much just don't. I keep the dust wiped off and start it every few weeks, but I don't think it's had a real outing since I took it to a show in 2019. I just sold my 66 project though, and in doing so it's allowed me to rearrange the shop to make getting this one out much easier. Once it cools off this fall I plan to get it back out and start driving it again, I miss it!

Here's a couple pics, I'm starting this thread so I can keep track of progress from here on out. I'll dig through the archives and post some old ones as I find them too.

The night before the show I took it to in 2019:

At the show:

Thanks for reading, looking forward to getting back to the 68-up forums.

Mon Aug 29, 2022 8:54 am

Cool bug and great story/history to go with the car., do love that color..
I too have fond memories of working on my first car with my dad (1961 Intl Scout)... car is loooong gone but the memories are solid.

Our '74 Super Beetle was the car that brought my wife home from the hospital when she was born, so been in her family a looong time...

Look forward to your progress, know it'll be a flood of memories and fun when you get to drive her regularly again!

Ben

Mon Aug 29, 2022 2:49 pm

Nice color and nice wheels.

Tue Aug 30, 2022 8:39 am

Here's my parent's wedding procession in 1973: Mom's green 72, my dad's blue 71, and my uncle's orange 72

And here's my mom and dad with her 72 on their honeymoon road trip:

and here's some other random pics of my 73 from my gallery:

Tue Aug 30, 2022 11:17 am

polypetalous wrote: Our '74 Super Beetle was the car that brought my wife home from the hospital when she was born, so been in her family a looong time...

I'm second owner of my 1970, 50 years with it now. We brought our oldest home from the hospital in it back in 1988, all others in the group had new minivans....

Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:43 pm

vwuberalles wrote: Here's my parent's wedding procession in 1973: Mom's green 72, my dad's blue 71, and my uncle's orange 72

Awesome pic - three early (flat screen / 1302) Supers in a row!! 8)
Did the orange one have the "Super Bug" stripes above the running board too?

Wed Aug 31, 2022 6:39 am

I don't know if my uncle's had the same stripe, I'll have to look for more pics. I'm tempted to make some for mine though!

Wed Aug 31, 2022 8:18 am

Your Super has a good stance, & good looking also!

Wed Aug 31, 2022 1:59 pm

That is entirely awesome.

Wed Aug 31, 2022 2:08 pm

I've had this one since I was 14 or 15 and can't bring myself to get rid of it.

Wed Aug 31, 2022 7:04 pm

I love that color.

H20SB

Mon Sep 12, 2022 3:15 pm

Nice VW with a great history...I wish the 64 Sunroof that I drove to high school in the early 1990s. Good that you kept yours and that its in good condition. Also cool pics of your parents VWs!

Mon Jan 16, 2023 8:28 am

So last week as I was taking a walk through a park I was thinking about numbers and years as I tend to do. Suddenly I realized that my 73 VW is now 50 years old! Half a century!! It was several years too new for antique plates when we first dragged it home.

This newfangled dashboard and panoramic windshield was brand new 50 years ago. It still seems modern to me. :shock:

Sorry I'm just dumbfounded realizing that this car is now 50 years old.

Time marches on.

Mon Jan 16, 2023 9:04 am

My 1970 sedan and my 1971 Convertible each had birthday parties. I've owned the 1970 since 1972, and the 1971 since 1976 !!!!

Mon Jan 16, 2023 11:45 am

vwuberalles wrote: So last week as I was taking a walk through a park I was thinking about numbers and years as I tend to do.
Suddenly I realized that my 73 VW is now 50 years old! Half a century!! ... Time marches on.
Happy Birthday!

Mon Jan 16, 2023 7:28 pm

It doesn't look its age! Great Bug. I had one that color as a kid but you could see the ground whizzing by underneath driving along. Lots of memories triggered by that color. :D

Mon Jan 16, 2023 8:03 pm

Maddel wrote: vwuberalles wrote: So last week as I was taking a walk through a park I was thinking about numbers and years as I tend to do.
Suddenly I realized that my 73 VW is now 50 years old! Half a century!! ... Time marches on.
Happy Birthday!

Easy Bake oven Cake?
My sister had one many, many years ago. They actually make a good chocolate cake.

Happy 50th to the car!

Mon Mar 06, 2023 8:20 am

Finally shuffled stuff in the garage last week so I could easily get the bug out. I did an oil change and adjusted the rear brakes and took it to Cars & Coffee Saturday morning. It's running a little rough, it didn't want to idle at stop lights so that made for an annoying trip, but we made it there and back.

Garage rearranged:

party lights activated:

Maintenance:

Ready to go:

Twinning at C&C:

Fresh gas on the way home:

Mon May 15, 2023 2:48 pm

sweet that you got him out on the road!

Thu Mar 06, 2025 3:46 pm

Super nice. What size tires and any idea on what suspension setup it has? Looks killer!