Hi everyone,
I posted here a while a go now about my '73 superbug I owned for about 3 months. I sold her mainly due to engine noise, oil leakage, and some strange black smoke coming from the exhaust (which was pointing down) that dirtied the drive way everytime I started the car.
After I sold my bug I started looking at other cars and decided on a mid 90s golf. Now for some reason I want another bug again... even after all the trouble she put me through!
If I decide on another bug, it will be a restored one. I spent too much time and money welding rust etc on my old bug, I might aswell go for a fully restored one with a rebuilt engine etc. The engine on this one has never been touched really... which is why I think it never seemed to run 100%, it always ran like it was cold, and also contributed to road noise and oil leaks. I have never owned another beetle before so I wouldnt know, but I would imagine that this is not how beetles are supposed to run.
Anyway my questions are:
do all beetles leak oil? are they all that noisy? I know they arent the most quiet cars on the road but I couldn't even listen to music without having it turned up so loud that ther was a competition between the engine and the music.... resulting in a headache! can you have any other kinds of extra insulation installed?
and how much does a restored beetle go for? i want a 1600, with new, clean interior and no rust.
thanks for any advice...
No - my beetle does not leak oil
Yes - my kombi leaves a few spots. Mainly cause i havent bothered to get round to fixing it.
My present beetle has gone for over a year with only tune ups being performed.
It is a 1975 L bug with a 1916 "stock" motor that gets driven every day.
My opinion is you would be looking at $7kish for a car that you can hop in and drive for a year that has been fully restored
[ Edited on 12-10-2005 by Bizarre ]
Futue te ipsum!!!
I sold a really nice L-Bug two weeks ago for $3500. Very nice - not pefect - condition. Quiet exhaust, no oil leaks.. they are out there! I was sorry to see mine go but head over-ruled heart...
Pay your debts, CxxT
Yes you can make them run relatively quiet using lots of sound deadening and having a mild exhaust - dual carbs (induction noise) and exhaust note will be hard to muffle though with a larger capacity engine.
Not all vw engines leak oil especially those that have been rebuilt but yes they are famous for "marking their spot".
How much a restored beetle will go for will depend on to what extent it has been "restored" - one individuals definition will vary from the next individuals. At a very rough guess it could be from $6K to $20K depending on model, how long ago it was restored, modifications etc etc.
If you are not in a hurry, stay tuned in the members ride section as a 70 beetle I have which has had full two pack respray, will be fully restored and will then be for sale. I am not going to go nuts and spend $20K though as no-one would be willing to shell out that much to buy it. It will give people an idea of whats involved though. It will have a 1916 engine with dual 40 dellorto carbs, new headliner and carpet, tidy interior, detailed pan etc etc.
hope this helps a little.
Alan
My beetle leaked a tiny bit of oil, but nothing major. It was just due to the motors age, and some work i needed to do. I have friends that have bought new cars that seem to leak as much oil as any beetle might? As for noise, mine was really quite quiet before i took her off the road for her resto. Love the sound of a Dak Dak, once you have a beetle, you will feel lost without one.
My mum found that one out! She's always had beetles, and the day she sold her baby to get something else she regretted it. It always played on her mind, and she missed driving one. Until one night i heard that beautiful Dak Dak noise coming down our driveway, and there she was, a white 72 superbug my dad had bought for her! She was so happy to have a beetle again, they are an addiction you cant ignore!
There are different forms of sounds deadening materials you can buy, but if you get a bug that is in decent condition that has been maintained a noisy motor shouldn't be a problem at all!
Ash x
1963 Single Cab Ute: "El Concreto"
1962 Baja Beetle: "Peanut"
1968 Porsche 912 SWB: "Pip"
1972 Kombi Snail: "The Snail"
2012 Skoda Octavia Scout: "Scout"
2016 Scirocco R: "Rocco"
Mike_Elke have a good bug, lots of bits and need to shift it for the room.....done all the hard yards, well worth the price, comes with a ton of good parts......it's in the for sales....
Loves a lolcat
no they dont all leak. you get the odd drop if youve given them a good run. even my lil 58 runs smooth quiet and happily. you probably had something other than standard exhaust on your old one, and a leak or two to make it noisier.
Simply Cruzin'...
Buy a new beetle its quiet and doesn't leak oil ........
🤘
mscabrio wrote:Buy a new beetle its quiet and doesn't leak oil ........
just water!!! :P
but seriously... there are top quality cars out there.. just have to have the persistence to find them..
they dont all leak oil (and really they shouldn't)
they aren't all deafeningly loud... just get the right exhaust fitted to quieten it down.
good luck with the search.
see.... air and water do mix 😉
1974 1300
1997 MK3 Golf GL
2003 NB Cabrio
2012 Golf VI GTI
2014 Audi A4 Quattro
blutopless2 wrote:mscabrio wrote:Buy a new beetle its quiet and doesn't leak oil ........
just water!!! :P
but seriously... there are top quality cars out there.. just have to have the persistence to find them..
they dont all leak oil (and really they shouldn't)
they aren't all deafeningly loud... just get the right exhaust fitted to quieten it down.
good luck with the search.
Mine doesn't leak water you dingbat !!!!!
I think that you should tell our neighbours that they aren't supposed to be deafingly loud. I think that their ears are still ringing from you firing up your bug !
🤘
Mine don't leak oil and my 62 is as quit as a mouse. But my oval is noisey as hell.
I only bought my 62 a couple of months ago all original no leaks and very quiet and very tidy inside and out.
Good luck in the hunting we have been looking for ages for a good one. And now we have two good ones.
O by the way the mark on the drive in front of the green beetle is from my sisters falcon not the bug.
[ Edited on 13-10-2005 by rose ]
My 56 is totally original running the 36 hp engine, she is quiet and dosent leak hardly at all.
Rob...
Boxer Power
Member of DMLRK.....Die Mittler Lebuns Resto Komeradschaft
Mine leaks oil like a sieve. But it can all be fixed. I've gotten used to the noise and it's only been 2 weeks. Mine also blows black smoke but that's something else to tinker with. It all depends if you don't mind fixing things on the car or let someone else do the servicing.
Spare the Duct tape, spoil the job - Red Green
hey rose, that is a beautiful beetle you got there! do you mind me asking how much u picked that one up for?
i've found this website:
http://www.shagadelic.org/VW/info/gmbulley-soundproof/index.html , it teaches you how to insulate, prevent rust and get the heater working properly (didn't work properly in my '73, heat just kept pooring out, i couldnt stop it! got very hot, especially in summer!) has anybody tried doing any of the stuff this website says?
i have actually just read that the kombi that was used for this project is now a rust bucket.. anybody know more about this? what sort of noise proofing should I use that is safe, effective and will not promote rust?
when i say restored i want, no rust or bog, rebuilt engine, and a new interior. if the interior is no good it wouldn't bother me, in fact i'd like to buy brand new interior and choose the colours, but if the engine is rebuilt and no rust i'd imagine that the owner would have gone the extra mile and given it a new interior.
i want a 1600cc bug from any era, whichever is cheapest i guess, with no black plastic dash (i think these are found on the super bugs) and a heater. vinyl interior no cloth, and no brown either... how much do u think i'd be looking at spending? know of any buisnesses that specialize in restorations of aircooled veedubs??
[ Edited on 14-10-2005 by dj_daniel88 ]
... anybody??
"i want a 1600cc bug from any era, whichever is cheapest i guess, with no black plastic dash (i think these are found on the super bugs) and a heater. vinyl interior no cloth, and no brown either... "
Then go for a 1971-72 Super. 1600. Supers are generally cheaper. Steel dash.
"how much do u think i'd be looking at spending?"
$5k should get a good one.
but..............
A new recoed motor is worth $2-3k
A spray job $4k
Propper interior - $2k
Wheels $1k
Base car, no rust $3k
So over $10k for what you really want is not out of the question
How much do you want to spend??
" know of any buisnesses that specialize in restorations of aircooled veedubs??"
Several ...but what state are you in??
Barry
Futue te ipsum!!!
so is there any reason why supers are less sought after? i thought they were the only ones with heaters... are the indicators on the wings or on the bumper on supers? i prefer them on the wing...
i was actually hoping to get one for about 7k, so for what i want my budget is too low?
i'm located in melb, vic. any air cooled vw specialists around here?
and regarding insulation, i'm thinking of buying heat and fire proof sound insulation and install it in the back where the motor sits, and then paint sound deadener over the floor pan and inside the doors. do you think this would be effective enough? i'd be concerned about rust.
Supers a less sought after because they have struts not torsion bars - not the pure breed. They have a rounder look.
L (1303) bugs have a dash - some dont like this. I do.
S (1302) bugs dont
All beetles have heaters
Personally i prefer supers. They handle MUCH better. They make much better daily drivers. Parts are plentiful.
No expensive rare parts (like heart tail lights on ovals)
the indicators are only in the bumpers on
* 1975 supers
* 1976 standards
All the others are on the wings - maybe a few REAL early ovals have the trafficalor/semiphore(sp??)
$7k is a good budget. Especially if you want standard wheels/motor/suspension
It is too low if you want to build one.
It is a good budget if you "can" find one already done
there are several shops in melbourne
VW performance centre is one
I will get a few addresses/web sites for you
Futue te ipsum!!!
No expensive rare parts......... except for steering boxes !!!!!
$7k is a realistic budget to buy a good clean beetle, of most years. Just make sure you either get it checked out by a good quality VW workshop or someone you know who knows beetles. Its pretty easy to buy a lemon if you have no idea what you are looking at.
I'd love to be in your position - looking for a bug with $7k in my pocket..... that would be fun 🙂
Yes and no Doug
Steering boxes for Supers are the worst thing. But for under $450 you can get one machined up.
I have seen heart tail lamps that aint far short of that, or W deck lids or bat wing steering wheels or semaphores.
😁
Futue te ipsum!!!
Hi there,
Check out my 67 for sale here
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewthread.php?tid=40543&page=1 it might be up your alley.
Greig
[ Edited on 19-10-2005 by Cal67 ]
<-- Click here to check out our new club site!
Supers are definitely better handlers - a lot more practical. Although a lot of people find them less aesthetically pleasing, and they tend to be a fair bit more common. The steel is also slightly thinner so they tend to be more susceptible to rust (like behind the rear window) - although realistically for all cars its more a consequence of how they are taken care of. Also pretty much any resto paint job these days will have body filler in it to some degree. There is nothing wrong with body filler, it is more about how it is used. With regards to actually getting a bug restored, there wont be many shops who will do it all for you for less than several times your budget - that is unless they are taking shortcuts. It is a lot of work, and a lot of labour - not many shops will do it.
The noise in a bug isnt that bad if you have the stock exhaust that is not leaking and you have some semblence of an interior with a bit of sound insulation. That website is a bit overboard and would definitely add a fair bit of weight.
Jon
Well in that case I will get another super. Yeah I know nearly all beetles will have some body filler, but some I have seen have got major rust problems and have just been covered up with body filler. I am concerned about that...
When I say restored, thats not quite what I want. It doesn't need to be restored. I want something clean, minimal rust with no mechanical problems (no oil leaks!)... A rebuilt engine would be a big plus... but maybe I wont find one in my budget?
I loved driving my old beetle alot but couldnt deal with the noise at 100km/h. But, I know the exhaust definately wasn't standard. She leaked oil, never started properly, had very cheap (thin) carpet (might of had another thing to do with noise) and a velour interior I didn't like much.
Just a few more questions:
- Do you think the noise level at 100km/h is comfortable? Can you listen to music without urning it up at high volumes?
- On my old beetle the speedo needle would shake around and wouldnt stay steady... is this normal?
- Petrol smells... each time I filled up, the bug stunk of petrol so bad inside it gave me a sore throat each time!
The more I think about it, I tink my old beetle was a lemon... fantastic body, but mechanics and interior wasnt the greatest.
So does anybody have links to air cooled vw specialists in Melbourne?
here are a couple of places to call and chat too
Dont be afraid of interstate. If it is THAT good jou can easily drive back from
*canberra (nice dry cars)
*adelaide (same)
*hobart
http://www.volkspower.com.au/
Australian VW Performance Centre
Lusher Rd Croydon
9725 5366
Volkomen
9543 7804
Futue te ipsum!!!
Barry I'll have to give you a call when I eventually get around to doing the box in my super. I've not heard of anyone over here that can do what you have suggested.
