What to know about buying a bug

Turkeyss Seriously Crusin Dubber

132 posts · joined Jun 2007 · 6 Sep 2007, 4:23 pm

#610584

Hello, On saturday i will be going to look at a '74 superbug and im wondering what i especially need to look out for? Bad rust areas? back pillar vents i know but how ca ni tell if they have rust? any info will be handy...Cheers

MISS VDUB Administrator Mrs KOMBIBOB

2,565 posts · joined Sep 2005 · 6 Sep 2007, 4:27 pm

#610585

Usually with the back pillar vents you will often see bubbling through the paint, making it an obvious sign. Another one is the heater channels. Have a good look under the pan!

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"

OZ Towdster Keen to finish some projects

1,921 posts · joined Dec 2003 · 6 Sep 2007, 4:52 pm

#610589

Body ~ Take a fridge magnet with you to check for rust in the rear pillars as if there is any filler in this area it wont stick and as Ash said have a good look at the underside of the pan,and the bottom of the A pillars under the bottom hinges.
Apart from the body i would also give the mechanicals a good check out also as a dodgy gearbox alone will soon set you back a $1000 +
Gear box ~ They will always wine in reverse as they have straight cut teeth but if it pops out of reverse or any other gear its buggered
Motor ~ Being a 74 it should be fitted with a 1600 twin port but buy now it could be anything , so here are a couple of simple little tests once warm let it idle and remove the oil filler cap if it smokes exsesivly again its buggered and will cost $1500 + to rebuild to basic specs .Next turn it off and grab hold of the bottom fan belt pulley and give it a good pull back and forth and you should feel very close to no movement so know if thats good and it does not breath heavily i would now check for bad oil leaks which if it is a few years old will more than likely be leaking from the pushrod tubes which are under the cylinders and while looking in this area look up between the cylinder and cylinderhead which should be nice and dry but if it looks wet and oily it could posiibly have a compresion leak and another common bad leak will be the rear main seal which if stuffed will be leaking out between the gearbox and the motor at the bottom of the bellhousing.
Last of all have good look at the ball joints , tie rod ends and what the brakes feel like.
Now what have you found .

[ Edited on 6-9-07 by A Westwood ]

Don't let body work get in the way of real suspension travel

blutopless2 DAMSLO

2,457 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 6 Sep 2007, 5:12 pm

#610594

ooooo.. do tell... :bounce

see.... air and water do mix 😉

1974 1300
1997 MK3 Golf GL
2003 NB Cabrio
2012 Golf VI GTI
2014 Audi A4 Quattro

Turkeyss Seriously Crusin Dubber

132 posts · joined Jun 2007 · 6 Sep 2007, 5:28 pm

#610596

Awesome info guys. Thanks alot and ill let you know how it goes. Cheers

Spellbound Seriously Crusin Dubber

151 posts · joined Nov 2005 · 7 Sep 2007, 9:29 am

#610753

A Westwood wrote:Body ~ Take a fridge magnet with you to check for rust in the rear pillars as if there is any filler in this area it wont stick and as Ash said have a good look at the underside of the pan,and the bottom of the A pillars under the bottom hinges.
Apart from the body i would also give the mechanicals a good check out also as a dodgy gearbox alone will soon set you back a $1000 +
Gear box ~ They will always wine in reverse as they have straight cut teeth but if it pops out of reverse or any other gear its buggered
Motor ~ Being a 74 it should be fitted with a 1600 twin port but buy now it could be anything , so here are a couple of simple little tests once warm let it idle and remove the oil filler cap if it smokes exsesivly again its buggered and will cost $1500 + to rebuild to basic specs .Next turn it off and grab hold of the bottom fan belt pulley and give it a good pull back and forth and you should feel very close to no movement so know if thats good and it does not breath heavily i would now check for bad oil leaks which if it is a few years old will more than likely be leaking from the pushrod tubes which are under the cylinders and while looking in this area look up between the cylinder and cylinderhead which should be nice and dry but if it looks wet and oily it could posiibly have a compresion leak and another common bad leak will be the rear main seal which if stuffed will be leaking out between the gearbox and the motor at the bottom of the bellhousing.
Last of all have good look at the ball joints , tie rod ends and what the brakes feel like.
Now what have you found .

[ Edited on 6-9-07 by A Westwood ]

Wish i had all that info before I bought my Bug. The pillars and pan I knew about, but the engine checks probably would have been a good idea.

Still, guess I was lucky on the day. 🙂

Turkeyss Seriously Crusin Dubber

132 posts · joined Jun 2007 · 8 Sep 2007, 2:04 pm

#610989

superbug looked really good. drove it and was fine. checked everything i was supposed to and it was fine. Its on ebay white superbug in parkville. Good car for $4500. said he'd mayb go 4000.

LukeV85 P Master

154 posts · joined Sep 2007 · 10 Sep 2007, 12:28 pm

#611229

Hey mate,

Ive had bout 4 bugs before, the 1st one i bought was a real bugger, i was young and didnt know what to look for. Over the years ive sorta picked up what to look for.

Being a 74 Superbug you will need to look under the back window. They are known for rusting there due to the foam that Vw packed in the rear air vents.

Another is the pillers, water channels, heating channels and floor pan. I had a bug with a massive hole and only found it after i brough the car. Look under the back seat when the battery is, with these cars due to battery acid leak the really rust there.

As you can tell by my post, the main issue is the rust. If you find a straight bug with absolutly no rust (THEY ARE OUT THERE) jump at it. If they look like they have been treated like gold THEY ARE!!

Good luck

1962.5 VW Beetle 1200
2002 VW Oettinger Bora - Statutory Write Off

Turkeyss Seriously Crusin Dubber

132 posts · joined Jun 2007 · 10 Sep 2007, 4:56 pm

#611265

cool. thanks for the info. I didn't look under the back seat. i was just really having a look at it cos i haven't been around too many. prob woulda never bought it. from what i saw it was pretty nice. Im no expert tho. hopefully will be one day......Cheers

LukeV85 P Master

154 posts · joined Sep 2007 · 11 Sep 2007, 12:35 am

#611367

best of luck

1962.5 VW Beetle 1200
2002 VW Oettinger Bora - Statutory Write Off