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Is this a sports bug?
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gumundertheseat
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:35 pm    Post subject: Is this a sports bug? Reply with quote

Hey so I came across this craigslist ad for a 73' beetle and kinda started to think that it could be a sports bug, or perhaps a clone. It looks like it has the correct rims and similar wheel and seats. And the color vaguely resembles Saturn yellow. What do you guys think?

http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4300264481.html
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cletus_zuber
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Find a nice golf cart and make the swap!
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mascrappo
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hard to tell. It has correct Sport seats and steering wheel, but those could have been donated from a wrecked/donor car. Only way to tell with certainty is pay VW Museum to generate VIN birth certificate.
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cletus_zuber
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And the only difference is the seats and the wheel, and the wheels. and the stickers are long gone.
1200 engine didn't come standard though
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Joel
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its not a 1200, it's dual port and has a 1600 intake and carb.

Has most of the signs of being one, right colour, et26 5.5s, seats, steering wheel.
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mascrappo
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joel wrote:
Its not a 1200, it's dual port and has a 1600 intake and carb.

Has most of the signs of being one, right colour, et26 5.5s, seats, steering wheel.


True, all signs look correct, but may have been added from another car. There is a samba guy that built an exact replica Sports Bug, down to the very last detail/option, but VIN/birth cert still not factory Sports Bug.

That being said, it could very well be a true Sports Bug. I wouldn't pay any extra for it without documentation, if Sports Bug package is specifically what the buyer is after.
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Glenn73
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can still sorta see the sticker on the driver rear quarter panel.
However the VIN will tell the tale.
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CWAVE
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like it may well be. Remember, any 1973 Super could be a "Sports Bug", and there isn't anything specific to the serial number that would indicate if it was a Sports Bug or not. The correct parts, color and year of manufacture could hint towards it being a factory Sports Bug though.

Let's see. It's a yellow 1973 Super, and it does have the correct steering wheel and seats. And from the rims, it looks like ET26's. You likely have a Sports Bug.

Technically speaking, besides the fact that the factory only made Sports bugs in Saturn Yellow and Marathon metalic Silver (blue) if you add those three components (the ET26 rims, the steering wheel and the seats) onto a 1973 Super, then you have a Sports Bug. Dealers did that back in the day as the Sports Bug package was an appearance package dealer option.
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mascrappo
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 7:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like it may well be. Remember, any 1973 Super could be a "Sports Bug", and there isn't anything specific to the serial number that would indicate if it was a Sports Bug or not. The correct parts, color and year of manufacture could hint towards it being a factory Sports Bug though.


VW birth certificate does distinguish the VIN, only way to tell for sure. After all, anyone can clone a Sports Bug with the right parts. But yes CWAVE, it does sure look like one!


Last edited by mascrappo on Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:15 am; edited 2 times in total
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djkeev
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Sportsbug black stripe was a stateside installed "extra" that Germany did not provide. The headlamp trim rings were US made plastic as well.

The Sportsbug generated so much showroom "excitement" and sales that VW ran out of Sportsbugs.

The US dealer network made their own version of the Sportsbugs Stateside. They were not true Sportsbugs and many still carried the telltale chrome trim, incorrect wheels and were Standards as well! They even varied from the yellow and blue palate as well.
Germany NEVER made a standard torsion bar Sportsbug........ But they were sold by dealers in the USA new.

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oasis
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you want to know about authenticity, you'd need to get a birth certificate.

An educated guess: Yes, it is. If the Sports Bug stuff were added on, the seller would have made some mention. The facts (1) the seller is clueless to the engine size and (2) what's left of the original paint is very likely Saturn Yellow make me think it was.

Unless you're after authenticity, you have at the very least a very good start to a Sports Bug. Let's face it, unless you were to restore it to concours condition for shows or for sale, it doesn't really matter that much how it started life.
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mascrappo
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="oasis"]If you want to know about authenticity, you'd need to get a birth certificate.

An educated guess: Yes, it is. If the Sports Bug stuff were added on, the seller would have made some mention. The facts (1) the seller is clueless to the engine size and (2) what's left of the original paint is very likely Saturn Yellow make me think it was."

Seller may have bought it that way and has no clue? But I agree, it probably is real, but would not buy it assuming it was a true Sports Bug (can confirm later). Rather, I would just buy it to fix up, have fun, and if it is found to be real, yeah!
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenn73 wrote:
You can still sorta see the sticker on the driver rear quarter panel.


I think this is the most telling part of the car. I'd lay money on it being a Sports Bug. If it is as solid as noted, I'd offer 2k and see if he bites. It would be a fun project to put back together.

-jeffrey
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pittwagen
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Originally there was some build information, in the form of 2 paper slips, attached to the rear tunnel adjacent to the battery that would indicate that the vehicle is a Sports Bug.

The key code is 133 714 indicating the GSR (Europe) and Sports Bug (North America). Model will show as 1330 41. That info should show up in the Birth Certificate as well. There may be some other info on the form about optional accessories like an Eberspacher gas heater (060) which was standard in Canada.

In addition to the items mentioned above, it is possible that a well preserved Sports Bug will have to dark hard foam blocks of material under the front trunk floor beside the tire. These were spacers to level the floor as the Sports Bug tire and rim were wider ( and thus taller sitting in the tire well) than the stock 600/15 tire and rim. I rather doubt that dealer created units would have had this. Kind of a long shot though after almost 41 years.

Owned this one since May 14, 1973. First new car we ever owned!

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
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mascrappo
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

pittwagen wrote:
Originally there was some build information, in the form of 2 paper slips, attached to the rear tunnel adjacent to the battery that would indicate that the vehicle is a Sports Bug.

The key code is 133 714 indicating the GSR (Europe) and Sports Bug (North America). Model will show as 1330 41. That info should show up in the Birth Certificate as well. There may be some other info on the form about optional accessories like an Eberspacher gas heater (060) which was standard in Canada.

In addition to the items mentioned above, it is possible that a well preserved Sports Bug will have to dark hard foam blocks of material under the front trunk floor beside the tire. These were spacers to level the floor as the Sports Bug tire and rim were wider ( and thus taller sitting in the tire well) than the stock 600/15 tire and rim. I rather doubt that dealer created units would have had this. Kind of a long shot though after almost 41 years.

Owned this one since May 14, 1973. First new car we ever owned!

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



That is a sharp bug! No stripe either, looks good. I am partial to blue version...lol. Thanks for the spacer info too, wondering what they did!? I would love some pics of your bug, it is set up just the way I want to restore mine someday.
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hopkin Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you haven't checked out this website yet, have a look. The site contains about many of the 'special edition' Beetles over the years. This link is specific to the Sport Beetle.

http://www.sebeetles.com/sport.htm
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mascrappo
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hopkin wrote:
If you haven't checked out this website yet, have a look. The site contains about many of the 'special edition' Beetles over the years. This link is specific to the Sport Beetle.

http://www.sebeetles.com/sport.htm


Thanks hopkin. I like pittwagen's car because it has no stripe, mine never did either, according to original owner---and it's blue. Yellow seems to be the most popular Sports Bug. Maybe one day I will get mine looking 1/2 as nice as pittwagen's.
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davidw99
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Saturn Yellow was only used on Sport Bugs. If you have Saturn Yellow in places where cars are usually not painted (behind the seats, behind the tar boards in the engine compartment, in the luggage compartment under the panel hiding the wiper motor, etc.) you most likely have a Sport Bug. Also, this car has black-trim vent windows. Again, very unlikely that these would be swapped out. If they were painted you will find chrome under the black paint.

I would call it a Sport Bug. Welcome to the club.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The stripe kit was a dealer installed item. It was part of the Sports Bug package, at no additional cost (at least at the dealership where I bought ours) and was in a box under the back seat. Maybe to avoid damage in transit. Don't know. Installation was no cost. I told the dealer to keep the stripe kit. I hated stripes then and I still do. Part of the package also included an anodized metal cover for the engine air intake. That was installed but unfortunately was stolen a few years later.

In addition, there were a number of Sports Bug available options (black trim) that were available at the parts counter. The bumperettes, gravel guards front and back, taper exhaust tips, headlight trim rings and turn signal housings. They had a whole list that they went through at the time of purchase. They installed an almost new S&S exhaust header that I already had. Nothing but S&S in 41 years. The original front bra was black and white checkers.. Some of you may remember those.


Last edited by pittwagen on Fri Jan 24, 2014 6:56 pm; edited 1 time in total
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mascrappo
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

pittwagen wrote:
The trim was a dealer installed item. It was part of the package and was in a box under the back seat. Maybe to avoid damage in transit. Don't know. I told the dealer to keep it. I hated stripes then and I still do.

In addition, there were a number of Sports Bug available options (black trim) that were available at the parts counter. The bumperettes, gravel guards front and back, taper exhaust tips and turn signal housings. They had a whole list that they went through at the time of purchase. They installed an almost new S&S exhaust header that I already had. Nothing but S&S in 41 years. The original front bra was black and white checkers.. Some of you may remember those.


That is good info to know. The lady that bought mine new purchased absolutley no extras, said she could not afford them. Hence, I have a bare bones Sports Bug. I like the no stripe look too!
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