TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1973 Super Beetle

Tue Jun 24, 2025 5:47 am

Hey Everyone,

My wife and I just brought home a 1973 Super Beetle that her and her late-father were planning on restoring, had began to, but the project stalled and it sat for 20ish years. I'm looking for some advice on where to start.

It's a 1973 Super Beetle that was built around the mid-point of the super beetle production. I haven't had a chance to get the engine code or the M-plate info (that's next). It rolls, but doesn't run.

This is where things will get divisive, and that's fine. This isn't going to be a period-correct restoration. The car was bought probably 35 or so years ago and it already had some sort of European brand's Porsche 911 body kit installed. We're keeping the kit, I personally love the look, but I understand why that might irk some here.

So, at the end of the day, I'm kind of of looking for a simple checklist, or opinion on what should be the first main things to tackle. Also, if anyone has a list of YouTube accounts they find very helpful for maintenance, repair, and restoration for beetles, please share.

Looking forward to working on this car, and reading through the massive amounts of info on this site.

Tue Jun 24, 2025 7:56 am

While there are a lot of folks with a ton of knowledge about Supers on here, you should look into joining SuperBeetles Only! on Facebook, if anything, it'll give you more potential resources.

H2OSB

Tue Jun 24, 2025 7:57 am

Without more info, hard to say.

Cars need a charged battery, fuel, spark and compression. Start there. Bench test all the major components of each system.

Pick up the John Muir manual and flip to the back. There is a "wont start" flow chart. Go through it step by step.

Tue Jun 24, 2025 8:33 am

Will the engine spin with a wrench on the crankshaft pulley? If not you will need to try and free it up first by applying lots of penetrating oil thru the spark plugs holes. Leave this in there for a day or so to do its work before attempting to turn it. Once it's free you next have ignition to check, gas tank clean, and carb clean before you try to start it. Good luck

Tue Jun 24, 2025 8:57 am

Tridentine wrote: Without more info, hard to say.

Cars need a charged battery, fuel, spark and compression. Start there. Bench test all the major components of each system.

Pick up the John Muir manual and flip to the back. There is a "wont start" flow chart. Go through it step by step.

To confirm, this manual?

How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot

Tue Jun 24, 2025 8:57 am

H2OSB wrote: While there are a lot of folks with a ton of knowledge about Supers on here, you should look into joining SuperBeetles Only! on Facebook, if anything, it'll give you more potential resources.

H2OSB

Appreciate the suggestion, I'll get on that.

Tue Jun 24, 2025 9:38 am

73Grabber wrote: Tridentine wrote: Without more info, hard to say.

Cars need a charged battery, fuel, spark and compression. Start there. Bench test all the major components of each system.

Pick up the John Muir manual and flip to the back. There is a "wont start" flow chart. Go through it step by step.

To confirm, this manual?

How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot

Yes. That one. It's a great resource for a newb. Very cool illustrations as a benefit

Tue Jun 24, 2025 9:58 am

I will also say that 20 years is a long enough time of inactivity that you will have more to consider than usual if you're trying to get it running.

As other users asked, is the engine seized?

you'll want to drain the old gasoline

Immediately do an oil change because 20-year-old oil will be grodey.

Get a multimeter immediately and once you have a good battery in the car use the wiring diagrams on this site to help you. Your electrical connections are more than likely all nasty.

Fri Jun 27, 2025 3:39 pm

Would this year happen to use one key for both ignition and doors, or seperate keys for both?

Fri Jun 27, 2025 4:11 pm

I would suggest making sure the brakes, suspension, and steering are up to snuff first. Having a vehicle that fires up but is not safe to take anywhere is no fun.

Sat Jun 28, 2025 10:48 am

If the ignition switch and the door handles are the originals 1 key would do both. If not you can recode the door locks to match the ignition. You can have a locksmith do it, or there have been threads here on how to do it if you want to try it yourself. Try searching it on here-Good luck-Bob

Tue Jul 01, 2025 6:50 pm

73Grabber wrote: ...it already had some sort of European brand's Porsche 911 body kit installed. We're keeping the kit, I personally love the look...

I'm kind of of looking for a simple checklist, or opinion on what should be the first main things to tackle...

Item Number One: Post massive amounts of pictures right here. Starting with the body kit! :D

Pictures of the engine will generate specific advice pretty quickly. You will be amazed at the things these people can diagnose from pictures.

:popcorn:

Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:03 pm

At two decades of storage, all the rubber will be failing in short order. I like to replace the master cylinder, wheel cylinders and rubber brake hoses right out of the gate and fully flush the lines with fresh brake fluid as part of the bleeding process as the ancient fluid will have absorbed moisture. I use an air compressor bleeder from Harbor Freight that makes quick work of it.

There is a rubber fuel hose under the tank, and another at the rear between the pan and the engine tin, that is where the new metal fuel filter gets put down there under the car by the drivers rear wheel. The fuel filter does not get put in the engine compartment, because engine fires. I flush the metal fuel line with a stream of PB Blaster followed by a stream of WD40 followed by compressed air before fitting the new rubber fuel hoses back in place.

Might as well plan on a fuel pump and a carb rebuild kit because rubber.

I also go straight to a brand new gas tank if there is any rust at all in the old tank. Cry once and enjoy clean carburetor jets forever.

Tires, tread depth is irrelevant, age kills. So, tires.

Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:06 pm

Get the Bently orange service manual. There is no substitute. Other books and resources are great additions, but the cornerstone is the Bentley orange service manual. It's the official VWoA service manual and it is comprehensive and easy to follow.