'73 Super Salvage Project

[vamram]

Almost three years ago I took delivery of this neglected puppy...

[kpf]

[Marinablau703]

Great inspiration!

[vamram]

Thanks, glad you guys are enjoying the ride as well!

Rome, if you're lurking...Putnam Valley bound Memorial Day weekend!
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Tim Donahoe]

I love the brown interior with the yellow. Perfect fit!

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[vamram]

Officially crossed 10k miles on the build today! Unofficially it's probably about 400+ more as the speedo that came with the car was busted during the initial break-in last year.

_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[OTTO 1303]

Nice build Vamram.

From where did you source the front spoiler?
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74 Super Sun Bug - OTTO
74 Super - DANZIG
74 Super - HERZOG

[vamram]

Thanks!
I picked it up from another Samba member. It's a knock off of a real Kamei, not quite as polished as the real thing he'd gotten ahold of.
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[vamram]

Here's what my plugs look like after the latest road trip. Mileage on these is over 10.7k. I was thinking of switching to NGK protruding tip plugs, but is there any value to that? Should I just ride w/these until they *don't * look this good? MPG is meh. Averages about 25.

And the mileage on the odometer after returning from NY on Monday. 300-400 miles fewer than actual on the engine.

_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[VW_Jimbo]

Plug looks good! Why go changing a good thing?
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Tim Donahoe]

X 2 with Jimbo.

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[vamram]

A friend of mine said the same, so that's 3 yays to keep, zero nays. Guess they stay on until I hit 12 k miles per the Bentley tune up interval.
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[vamram]

Ran into a regular maintenance issue on my road trip in Miami. I wouldn't categorize this under fear of running it as a daily driver. Anyway, I started hearing a squeek from one of the wheels as I was driving to and from Key Largo last Sunday. I determined it was coming from the left front wheel. Found a couple of things.

1. The drum/rotor bearing seal was toast, had almost come apart in the rotor. I went ahead and replaced the bearings on this side as well as the seal w/temporary cheapo ones from Advanced Auto. I have a full set of good FAG ones back in VA and will redo it when I return.

2. The source of the squeek wasn't the bearings or the bad seal. It's the caliper . Looks like the outer piston is not actuating and pushing the pad out, so that it's practically flush w/the edge of the caliper, thus the caliper was rubbing on the rotor. I went ahead and did a gravity bleed and it seems to not be rubbing now, but my money is on it starting again when I actually take it for a drive next time. I can replace the caliper w/this one from AutoZone I think, listed for a '74 Ghia. But it shows a looped pin rather than two pins. My current caliper has two pins for holding down the pads. The pads look good.

https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and-traction-contr...779284_0_0

They can deliver it tomorrow. Question is, can I use this caliper with my existing pads? And are the ones I have for a dual-pin caliper correct for this one?

Of course, the front disk brakes and bearings are about the only part I kept, still as they were when I bought the car. So the calipers are likely 5-6 years old.

This is what's there now (old pictures).

_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Paul Windisch]

If I remember correctly, these things were rated at 27 mpg, so 25 isn't too bad real world!

Also remember, when these cars were in their heyday, Detroit iron was ranging between 6 and 18 mpg, so Bugs were true to their mission statement, for the time.
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*ASE Recertified Master Automotive Tech*

1984 Mexican Beetle
-1914cc
-L3 Heads 35x32 valves 52cc chambers
-0.040" deck for about 9.1:1 Compression
-Engle W110 cam
-CB Super Stock 1.1:1 Rockers
-Stock Heat Exchangers w/ Tri-Mil Muffler
-Dual Weber IDF 40s w/ 26mm venturis
-034 SVDA Distributor

2013 Chevrolet Volt DD
2005 Pontiac Montana SV6

MAHLE Service Solutions
Applications Engineer

[Tim Donahoe]

Victor, try your pads. If they don’t work, hopefully Autozone has the correct pads for the caliper they sell.

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[vamram]

Spoke too soon - they list it but when I add it to the cart it's out of stock and no longer sold.
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[vamram]

Update - Turns out that there was nothing wrong w/the caliper. After replacing the left front bearings and seal and taking it for a drive, the squeak returned but worse than before. I pulled the tire to 2x check the bearings...I may not have properly tightened the spindle lock down nut as there was in-out play on the rotor. Fixed it, squeal gone, put another 450+ miles on the car mostly highway miles since, brakes work perfectly fine. Happy day....
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[VW_Jimbo]

Good to read a good outcome! Keep enjoying it and sharing it with us all!
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[vamram]

Hate to admit it but I've given up on the Solex 34-4 that I bought from Tim. He fixed the stripped idle-cutoff solenoid threads so there's no more vacuum leak. No dead spots or stuttering on acceleration, but i can't get it to idle well. Only way to get a smooth idle is to open the volume screw a gazillian turns out, at which point the big idle air screw does almost nothing. I can close it completely, car doesn't die.

I ran w/the Bocar from an early-80's Mexi-Beetle, ran well with this and starts on a dime. Now I have to confess, you guys will hate me, but I've switched (for now) to a new no-name ebay 34-3 that was recommended by someone on a thread here, forget which one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273836145763

I put it on for today's road trip, first use. MPG improved to just over 28 highway in today's 300-mile journey, and it idles super smooth and is responsive to small adjustments to the volume and idle screws. Oil temps were from 190-210*.
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[chicagovw]

Great to hear that you are enjoying the VW after all the hard work! The carbureted 1970s Beetles with the stock 1584cc engine were advertised as getting about 25mpg overall. In the contemporary road tests, VWs were at or near the top of their class even against far newer designs. Things became more efficient with the introduction of fuel injection and engine management later on.