1971 Cape Cod Shantung Yellow Super Beetle

[60vwnewengland]

Back in May 2025 I grabbed this 71 Shantung Yellow Super Beetle off of Craigslist in Fitchburg for $1200. Didn’t run, but was complete, floors were recently replaced and had a new gas tank. Seemed like a good deal so I pulled the trigger. The seller also made me buy a 1970 beetle, so this was a buy 1, get one deal.

I’ve spent the summer working on it and getting it back to running status. I will add more photos and updates later. Just starting this build thread to get the ball rolling
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77 Westy - Cape Cod Sage
70 Beetle
71 Super Beetle
RIP TheWalrus (Big Jack) 1988-2024

[viiking]

I hope those skid marks on the road aren't from that powerful 1600.
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1968 1500 RHD Lotus White Beetle since birth. In the hospital for major surgery
1966 Lancia Flavia Pininfarina Coupe - in the waiting room
Discharged: 1983 Vanagon, 1974 1800 Microbus,1968 Low Light,1968 Type 3

[60vwnewengland]

So I started with the basics and got it running upon delivery. It was easy to figure out why it wasn’t running, had the push rod for the fuel pump for an alternator, not generator. It sounded ok, so I pulled it into the garage to get the brakes sorted.

So I removed the OG rear suspension and pounded out the rear bearings. Easy enough to do with a BFH and large flat head. The old backing plates were wasted, so I got some new ones of those.

Everything on this bug is wore the f*ck out. The spacers between the fire wall and the master cylinder were gone, so I replaced those. Ordered about 90% of the brake components from RockAuto, was surprised to see a VW part number on the $45 rebuilt master cylinder.

All in all, every brake component was replaced. Had a hard time bleeding and getting any pressure at the pedal. I needed up adjusting the shoes all the way out, stomping on the brakes, bleeding again, the adjusting off 2-3 clicks and finally got pedal pressure….
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77 Westy - Cape Cod Sage
70 Beetle
71 Super Beetle
RIP TheWalrus (Big Jack) 1988-2024

[60vwnewengland]

After brakes, I moved onto taking out the motor for cleaning assessment…

The 3/4 side had inserts on the spark plugs. I couldn’t remove the 1/2 cylinder head from the piston sleeves, I soaked and hit with a dead blow hammer for 2-weeks and I could never get it to come off. The fins of the cylinder sleeves were caked with mouse poop and piss, the pistons looks caked with carbon. So I decided to just do a quick top end rebuild. I got some Mexican cast piston and cylinders and local Massachusetts Samba member APPLEGREENVW hooked me up with a set of decent heads he had on his shelf for 20 year.

Put it all back together and I was making some progress. New seals throughout, push rod tubes, etc. spared no expense

Tore out the sound deadening, spray painted, replaced seal, was getting closer.

Moved onto some transmission retreat. The return spring was broken, R/R that. The mounts fell apart when I was removing them, like I said, this bug has seen some miles.

You can get a lot done when your furloughed during the longest shutdown in history
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77 Westy - Cape Cod Sage
70 Beetle
71 Super Beetle
RIP TheWalrus (Big Jack) 1988-2024

[Bobs67vwagen]

Hi nice purchase good luck with it. Did you bench bleed the master before installing? When replacing multiple brake components I have found the bench bleeding makes the wheel bleeding a bit easier. Rock auto can sometimes surprise you with quality parts.

[Glenn]

You've been a busy boy.

BTW, gland you joined the Beetle crowd.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[60vwnewengland]

[60vwnewengland]

[60vwnewengland]

A couple weeks ago, got the engine off the bench, checked endplay, adjusted endplay with shims, and installed it with help from a fellow samba member (Allyn), set timing, etc. and it sounds good.


Link


I spent time this week replacing the evap lines in the trunk, and the line that go under the vehicle to the charcoal canister, I need to replace and also get a new canister. The car stinks of fuel. Never had a car smell this gassy.

Any tips for the gasket between the fuel gauge floaties? I have a new filler neck rubber tube on order too. I used windshield washer tubing for the small evap lines, I think I need to switch those over to fuel vapor lines? Hopefully that will calm down the fuel smells.

I’m also fine tuning the carb. No change in idle when I adjust the volume control screw (small screw). Following procedure in Bentley, but no change when I adjust the small screw. So I’m waiting for my rebuild kit so that I can refresh the o-rings. Etc.
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77 Westy - Cape Cod Sage
70 Beetle
71 Super Beetle
RIP TheWalrus (Big Jack) 1988-2024

[mrbugs]

I live in Sandwich if you ever need local parts.

Yes, all other readers can go ahead & laugh at the name.

[60vwnewengland]

[APPLEGREENVW]

[vamram]

For the gas smell make sure that you also replace the vacuum lines that go from the expansion canister to the gas tank. Any old dried out and cracked rubber vacuum hose will allow fumes to escape.

Btw, the metal chatrcoal canister can also be rebuilt but it's more problematic because the lid can't just be popped off. It's more like a sealed can.
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"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...we hardly knew ye. Sold 2025 for peanuts.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Jhp212]

$1,200 for the 2 cars? That's a steal! That 71 looks pretty good for a northeast car too. I'm partial to the shantung yellow as I restored my 71 super. I didn't want to change the original color since the inner trunk and interior areas were that color and thought it wouldn't make sense to paint exterior a different color but that particular yellow really grew on me. I used a fuel grade line (1/4" maybe? and was orange transparent) from lowes or home depot for the fuel evap. that travels under the passenger side to the rear. Like vamram said replace all of the evap gas hoses (green and black hoses). I did all gas lines complete but never got to the charcoal canister so the line ends by back wheel. Interested in seeing what you do for that. Good luck and keep posting!
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1971 Super Beetle