what\'s the difference between a 69 bug and an earlier bug (say 66)

battybat Seriously Crusin Dubber

127 posts · joined Mar 2004 · 22 Apr 2004, 1:37 pm

#165128

Help! i'm getting a bit bogged down here!

got a 69 sardine top beetle - 1500 (now 1600, or 1.7 or something - how to tell would be good - rego'd as 1.7, but the mechanic reckoned he put a stock recon 1600 into it several years ago)

back to my real question - got a bit sidetracked there!

I need to fix the floorpan, what years can I use? assuming I can get either a complete floorpan or a complete rust free car with a blown motor and swap the bodies and all the nice bits off mine

I can bolt bits together, but I can't weld, so getting a good floorpan is the best solution for me

I gather from my earlier post that a 66 is different

what are the differences?
can I use a later model?
is there a resource anywhere on the web that tells you the different models, and the variations?

ta

terry

http://www.dtsband.com - Rock and Roll is NOT dead

My other car is a scooter, and it's in even more bits than my beetle. One day they will both be back together.......

karmannghia60 Karmann Ghia Sucker

1,459 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 22 Apr 2004, 2:22 pm

#165148

The obvious difference is the wheels/drakes. '66 are large 5 studs drums all around while '69 are disks/drums 4 studs. As far as I know, the floor pans on chop-tops were re-inforced by welding steel channels to them. If you just find a floor pan from another "hard top" Beetle, it won't have the channels welded to it. I would say you are better off sourcing the floor pan halfs and getting them welded to your existing chassis
Raf

[Edited on 22-4-2004 by karmannghia60]

battybat Seriously Crusin Dubber

127 posts · joined Mar 2004 · 22 Apr 2004, 2:37 pm

#165154

so the rear suspension etc is the same?

no channels on the floorpan on mine that i've noticed, not that there's a whole lot of floorpan left on the drivers side!, probably not needed as the sides are still there (it's not a full convertible, just the roof, you can see it on the avatar) - has an engineers report to say it was safe when done, though that's about 7 years ago

think i'll get a quote for the welding then see what I can do - the floorpan halves are reasonable at around $130 per half

thanks for the info

http://www.dtsband.com - Rock and Roll is NOT dead

My other car is a scooter, and it's in even more bits than my beetle. One day they will both be back together.......

battybat Seriously Crusin Dubber

127 posts · joined Mar 2004 · 22 Apr 2004, 2:39 pm

#165156

just a thought....

so a 66 floorpan would be the same as a 69?

http://www.dtsband.com - Rock and Roll is NOT dead

My other car is a scooter, and it's in even more bits than my beetle. One day they will both be back together.......

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 22 Apr 2004, 3:10 pm

#165169

ahh....it would have the re inforcements if it was a karmann cab but as its a conversion its got a hardtop pan....i am with karmannghia60 though.....buy new floor pans and get them welded in it will work out cheaper

62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

karmannghia60 Karmann Ghia Sucker

1,459 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 22 Apr 2004, 3:21 pm

#165173

Suspension should be the same unless yours is/was a semi-auto. They had IRS

battybat Seriously Crusin Dubber

127 posts · joined Mar 2004 · 22 Apr 2004, 3:59 pm

#165187

the wheels are at a silly angle so I reckon it's standard swing axle stuff under there.

This is my first beetle, and I'm slowly coming to grips with some of the peculiarities of the breed

got a ballpark price of $500 a side to have new halves welded in, assuming the heater channels etc are OK - sounds reasonable to me

http://www.dtsband.com - Rock and Roll is NOT dead

My other car is a scooter, and it's in even more bits than my beetle. One day they will both be back together.......