Kirk, diagnosing noises over the internet is understandably difficult, but you might want to check that the axel nut (in the centre of the brake drum) it tight - it should also have a split pin through it (this is important!)
Other things that cause noises around the rear wheels are stones caught in the drum and brake shoes which are warn back to the metal backing...
Fuel guages in 60's bugs do tend to jump around, partucularly when driven over rough patches of road with an almost empty tank - its just the way they are, however if yours is jumping around all the time I would start by checking that the wires are all tight and the connections are clean...if this fails then it might be time to replace either the guage or the sender...
Hope this helps,
R 🙂
40hp, 6V and ...er... slowly making improvements
😂
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