Hi all
Here is my pride and joy - Olive.
She is a 1975 Martini Olive rack and pinion Superbug L. I am the 3rd owner. I bought her in Victoria, where she had not been driven for 3.5 years. Had her transported to Wollongong where she was slowly restored.
Body was in good shape (solid pan) and the rust repairs (minor) were attended to. Need to have rear passenger pillar resprayed (colour mismatch) but otherwise she is in original condition.
New rubbers, chrome windows strips, brakes, hoodlining, vidors, mirrors, bumpers, hubcaps, SAAS steering wheel, EMPI trigger shifter, new speedo, 1916 cc engine with twin kadrons , kennedy clutch and pressure plate, extractors running off a mexican exhaust which comes out of the original position. Mudflaps at rear really show her off nicely.
Plans going forward include carpet, re-pad and reupholster the seats, new door cards etc. Building a 10inch sub box for the rear to be run off a Pioneer headunit and pioneer amp. Front speakers are a pair of Boston Pro 60's which really sing.
Bought Olive to take my mind off my divorce, and she has been a great and pleasant distraction. Fantastic to drive..so much power as I overtake BMWs and Audis up Mt Ousley road when I drive from Wollongong to Sydney where I work.
It is great to have a Beetle again.
Lovely! Nice to be friends with the right people 🙂 Do you have any pics of the engine?
Just getting the hang of attaching pics.
Here is a pic of the engine.
looks sweet man. very sharp.
Lovely tidy looking engine.
Hi
Nice car. Love the black & white shots.
IMHO you have the best model bug ever built.
May the struts be with you, Steve
top stuff... the rack cars drive real nice
Pay your debts, CxxT
That's a very clean looking little car,
good find!
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Kind Regards
Des
1303Steve wrote:IMHO you have the best model bug ever built.
May the struts be with you, Steve
what he said.
🤓Thanks all for the nice comments. It is wonderful to be part of the great VW community. I look forward to hopefully meeting forum members at events during 2009.
1303Steve - I agree with you of course. I have owned a 60, 68 semi-auto, 71, 2 73 and 1 74 Beetle - and now Olive. Had my heart set on a Rack model - I can't express just how much better it feels on the road.
BTW, I also had 2 1977 Golfs, and a 1973 Type 3 Wagon, and so have truly caught the VW 'bug'.
I hope to lower it this year, and put Empi 8 spokes on her. Just trying to work out how to do it. Then swaybars front and rear, and in 3-5 years time may turbocharge it.
Couple more pics of the interior - my next project.
Cheers to all.
Looks like a nice sleeper.
izac wrote:looks sweet man. very sharp.
What he said! Go the strutters!!! You running kadrons there?
Very similar car to my 75L bug. It is also martini olive and has a 1916, but doesn't have a rack. Is it possible to change over to one?
From your ole' mate Jeff
SNAP
Futue te ipsum!!!
God I hate you and Bizaar. Its nice TOOOOO NICE !
Happy bugging
Oops. I didn't realise it was a photo fight. OK, here is my photo. lol.
From your ole' mate Jeff
Bizarre wrote:SNAP
I love the front! With the indicators in the bumpers/not on the top of the guards. That will be happening with mine when paint time comes around. also will be changing from elephant lights at the back to the nice looking ones.....
Actually, I have a question. Since they are S bug lights, will the guards fit on the rear of an L-bug.... straight bolt on????
Hate u 2 Jeff
Mine must be a slightly earlier 75, because it originally came with the front blinkers on the guards. I added the later bumper later. I reckon the more that people can see what my intentiions are, the less chance that they will run into me.
Interestingly, I actually prefere the elephant feet rear lights. I reckon they look a bit bigger and tougher. I guess they also slightly fit into the bigger and more easily seen catagory as well.
From your ole' mate Jeff
TruebelieverVW wrote:I hope to lower it this year, and put Empi 8 spokes on her. Just trying to work out how to do it.
Just be a little carefull with 8 spokes
They can stick out a bit at the front - especially with R&P
You car looks VERY nice
As you can se i am bias though
Futue te ipsum!!!
beetleboyjeff wrote:Mine must be a slightly earlier 75, because it originally came with the front blinkers on the guards. I added the later bumper later. I reckon the more that people can see what my intentiions are, the less chance that they will run into me.
Interestingly, I actually prefere the elephant feet rear lights. I reckon they look a bit bigger and tougher. I guess they also slightly fit into the bigger and more easily seen catagory as well.
Hi Jeff
Check your chassis number, it could be a 1974 model, don't pay attention to the month/year markings on the ADR plate as they do not indicate the actual model year, only the time when the plate was attached.
Steve
I had a similar problem with my 10 spoke Performance mags. I can remember going on holidays with the bug loaded up with the family and gear, and braking going around a right hand bend and having smoke pouring off the left hand front tire. It wore a small groove in the outside edge of the tread.
I later had the front guards widened by having the inside edge cut off where the guard bolts to the car (but comming out past the bumber braket hole at the front and the running board hole at the back), and having about 25mm added to the width of the guard. This way, they look standard, but don't rub on the wider tires.
I know of another car up this way that had a similar thing done after they saw mine.
From your ole' mate Jeff
mines a 9/74 build date but on the original bill of sale it was bought new on 17th jan 75 so VW classed it as a 1975 model
2 bolt suspension has more offset than 3 bolt so nearly all 4 lug mag wheels stick out passed the gaurd
My chassis No. is 1342796988, so what year does this make it? It was originally sold to its' first owner by Muller & Muller on 27-5-75.
From your ole' mate Jeff
jeff thats after mine its 134270 and its a september build
so its probably around nov-dec
it would have the 3 point runner front seats ??
they started 11/74
will say on your compliance plate
My compliance plate says 5/75, so it must have been sold almost imediatly
From your ole' mate Jeff
seems strange
especiallly when beetle sales were slowing right down at that time
usually they were sold atleast a few months after compliancing
my 2/71 super sold in april, 8/74 1300 sold in november and as i put above my Lbug sold 5 months later
Yeah, but yours wasn't Martini Olive (babyshit green). lol.
From your ole' mate Jeff
Hi Jeff
From a VW parts perspective your car is a 74 model, 3rd digit is the year model. **4 is a 74 model
In 1975 VW sold 1974 Passats as 1975 models, they were often loose with the manufacture date. I worked in VW parts at the time, it made it difficult to work out models, you had to go by the actual chassis/vin number, not the year model stamped.
Steve
beetleboyjeff wrote:Yeah, but yours wasn't Martini Olive (babyshit green). lol.
hehe yea gotta love the 70s
i guess martini olive bugs were selling like hot cakes
