newbie

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Hi im new at this. and i'm 14 years old and im going to get my license in two years and i am looking at buying a "73 super beetle to work on. this car needs full restoration, its a junkward car. i need some tips to customize it. im lookin at dropping, shaving the handles, maybe air ride suspension, and any other ideas you may be able to give me to get a custom car that will win at shows. if your able to also give me web sites to buy cheap parts and accesories. the help would be appreciated Thanks!!

[fknbrkn]

do you know the differences between a super beetle and a standard?

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honestly, no. but i have an uncle who is a VW know all and he says that the super beetles are a bad thing and that you should stick with the normal ones because there are more parts available for the normals than the super beetles, and so on. he says to get a 65 beetle, honestly since this is my fist VW i don know the diff. and i guees if you could tell me that would be a good start. and have you FKNBRKN ever customized a super beetle before, or fo rhtat matter anyone else ever customize one, like i want to,before? because i don know where to start and could use some pointers, also do you know of a way to revese the doors so they open suicide style?

[great_american_desert@yah]

with the '73 and up Supers, the windshield is curved as opposed to the flat ones of the '71 and '72 Supers, and all standards.
what makes them "Super" (different) is the struts in place of shocks.

and it's all a matter of taste, my friend. there's no rule that makes Supers bad cars...they're beetles just like standards. air-cooled, eye-catching, badass vehicles. they're spoken ill of so often because they're newer and different than the cult cars. but as i said, it's all in taste.

[great_american_desert@yah]

http://www.superbeetlesonly.com/
if you get your Super, swing by this website/message board.

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since this is my first i don't really have any taste

[great_american_desert@yah]

you mean, you can't look at a car and decide that you like the way it looks? just buy the car, fix it up, and be proud of it. don't be so concerned about Super vs. Standard. it's ridiculous.

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yeah i mean i can't tell the diff. in the looks

[Aussiebug]

For a newcommer, there is one simple way of telling a superbug from a standard bug.

The spare tyre in a standard bug is almost upright.

The spare tyre in a superbug lies flat.

That's because the front suspension changed - the standards have two horizontal tubes under the front with torsion bars inside them. All the suspension is mounted on the flaoor pan with these - you can remove the body and roll the chassis around on it's wheels.

The superbugs have vertical coil springs (Mc Pherson struts) inside of the wheels. The top of the struts mounts to the body - so now the body takes part of the running suspension loads.

The standard bugs are very tough in the front end.

The superbugs ride a little smoother, but need more attention - any wearing parts and they tend to get the "super shimmies". That doesn't make them bad - it just makes them need a little extra care, and don't bash them into pot holes and curbs.

The superbugs were made from 71 to 75 inclusive - 71 and 72 have flat windcreens like a standard bugs and 73-75 have curved windscreens.

The standard bugs continued to be sold during this period too - and after the supers were stopped (standards never stopped production through this period).

There are several "groups" of beetles varieties (mostly body changes).... the really old pre-53s for the split rear window - the later 50s for the "small oval" rear window, the "towel rail bumpers" from 62 to 66, the "one year only" 67 (part later style, part older style), the 68-72 style with flat bottom lights (my favourite body style) and the 73+ with the round elephant foot lights.

Take your pick - they are all good in their own way.

When selecting a bug for the first time - ALWAYS look for body rust - it's the major killer of old bugs and is much more expensive to fix than mechanical parts.

Check all over (and under) the floor pan, especially under the battery (under the back seat). The line of bolts where the wings join the body, around the bottom of the wondscreen and just under the front hood - stuff like that.

Then of course you can check the running gear - does it start easy and run smoothly, change gears without "graunching", brake in a straight line, all the electrics work?

For a first timer - my suggestion is to get a stock bug on the road, enjoy it for a while and THEN if you still feel like it, you can drop it to the deck, get a fancy paint scene, a LOUD stereo, a hot engine and such.

Have fun with them - they are more than just a car :-)

Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.geocities.com/aussiebug1970/

[j.pickens]

Geez Rob,
Have a little extra time today did ya'?
You have posted some epic responses today.
Great info, where do you find the time?

[solman 69]

if you are only 14, you are most likley heading into high school, correct? having just finished my freshmann year, i would advise against doing a full resto as you are heading into one of the largest homework loads you will ever have. i would recomend getting something that has a solid body and chassis, but needs engine and interior work. thats what i did, and i am puting the finishing touches on my 69. as tempting as a full resto is, you may want to wait for senior year when you can take less classes to do a full resto. also, please dont do all of that coustom stuff to anything older than '73.
good luck!