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The Beetle Chirping Sound

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Oppressa Officially Full-On Dubber

367 posts · joined Oct 2002 ·

#66870
I have had 3 Beetle engines and none of them have had the distinctive chirp. What engine part(s) actually produce the sound?
1971 VW Beetle
Currently being restored - click here

geodon Wolfsburg Wizard

478 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#66943
As I understand it, the tail pipes are an integral part of the system- you only need to cut one open to see that!
I've been listening to beetle exhausts for quite a while & the chirping sound was def. not around in my youth when there were only German exhausts! So I can only agree with Hellbus!

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#67011
The chirp is apparently related to how far in and out the tail pipes sit.

The pipes are not just shoved in but need to go in a certain length.

What that is i have no idea 🙁
Futue te ipsum!!!

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#67028
I can remember reading somewhere lately about how far the tail pipes have to go inside the muffler... there are different length tail pipes.... maybe some Fweem and others don't.. I also like the sound...
the Noise is called "Fweeming" ... from North america (I think) ... How in the world can You describe a "Fweem" ??
Don't ask Me, I don't know... but it is a nice sound when You hear it....
:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

decked dubby Custom Title Time!

1,046 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#67046
The Brazillian tailpipes have a whiste, the german ones dont. The inside of the pipes must be different.
.

whatnow Custom Title Time!

1,000 posts · joined Jan 2003 ·

#67090
from living on a fairly buisy road and listening to the cars, plus spending too much time hanging out with vw's. i noticed that it was generally the earlier cars (with unmodified 36hp's, 12 & 1300's) that fweemed where as 1600tp didn't seem to do it.
as for if they used to fweem back in the day, i wasn't born back when you could buy anything but a superbug new, but a friends v.origional '58 with 36hp does fweem... (it sounds so so nice) so i assume that some did.
henry.

[Edited on 20-7-2003 by whatnow]

Grey 57 Old Grey Cruiser

2,937 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#67128
I must confess that I dont like that chirping sound. My 57 does it now that I have changed back to a standard exhaust.
Will be picking up a new set of Taper Tips (larger bore pea shooters) from VVDS later this week so hopefully the chirps will be gone.

Peter Leonard Moderator Volatile

1,456 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#67422
innit the tappets? if you change the length of the exhaust system (like by installing extractors, or wrapping it up under the guard) you can de-fweem. modern front engine cars have it running all the length of the vehicle, and thus make less noise (according to a muffler shop I went to) and it seems to make sense. also increasing the diameter of the tailpipe (hopefully not as far as the hatchback bandits do) changes the note. mine hums nicely, due to the extractors and wrapping under the guard trick, with minimal chirp, and much less noise. i've been thru many exhausts. I'm exhausted. also covered in black soot and stuff...
mebbe i'm thinking about a different chirp..
:alien
let sleeping dubs lie

fish Wolfsburg Wizard

584 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#67556
love the fweemin, just love it. tied a couple of different ways to get it but no luck as yet. ( on my split kombi)
Drink and drive your a bloody idiot!!! make it home you'r a legend !!!!