Hi!! I am looking at purchasing an old beetle - around the 1966-1967 region. Does anyone have any advice as to anything particular i should take note of before purchasing? I will have my hubby in tow, he is pretty good with cars and things, but its always good to know if there are things specific to a paricular car that need to be looked at a little more carefully!
Thanks!!! Lisa

Lisa,

there are significant changes from a 67 to a 68 beetle. 6volt to 12 volt, disk brake front end introduced, different styling, etc.
Some people prefer the earlier style. Others others prefer the later look and like the 'mod-cons' that help you start and stop better that started from 68.

Most cars that age have done heaps of miles so it may not be the original engine. The main thing I would be looking for is rust.
In particular along the heater channel that runs along under the door area.
Also under the back seat where the battery is.

But it would be worth checking what state the front beam is in by giving the front wheels a good shake.

Usually mechanical things will be easier to fix than rust in the main frame of the car.

There are plenty of smart people on here who can give plenty of advice once you have purchased something.
Are there are usually some good cars for sale on here too.
My most recent beetle was purchased after seeing it advertised here.

David

Have read your reply to my husband and he has stored that all in his memory bank!! Interesting about the changes around 68' although i have to say it really is the older features that have me wanting to sell my 1 year old car with seat heaters!!!!
Thanks so much for your reply!!!

when looking at old VW's, anything that is made of metal is prone to rust. I've never seen a car with a rusthole in the middle of the roof, you dont need to look there, just everywhere else. bottoms of quarter panels, bottoms of doors, bottom of boot and bonnet, around windows, the rain gutters on the roof, around the metal lip that holds the bonnet boot seals, where guards and body meet. spare tyre well, floors and the heater channels. Check heater channels along inside, underneath running boards, at the base of door pillars, and inner front guards. Everything else is largely cosmetic even if rta say otherwise. If the bottom of the engine is spotless clean, then its been washed. Most of us have an oil leak or two. If changing into second gear is nice, gearbox will be good in 99% of cases. 2nd is always first to go. There is very little to the rear suspension. you wont find anything wrong there. Front is a bit different. Apart from wear, check where the frame attaches to body for any indication of accident damage. Check wiring under the bonnet and rear seat. If its a real birdnest, use it as a bargaining point. Electrical gremlins arent anything you would knock back a good car on, but they can waste a lot of weekend hours tracing faults.

RUST is the BIG killer wilth all Bugs

if its clear then its good

Rust is the killer. If it has too much rust to fix, it is a crusher. It can take 300, 400, 500, 600 hours to fully restore a car that has bad rust and repainting. At $70-80 per hour, that can be up to $48,000 restoration. Much more economical to get a really good condition car to start with.

You can pay $2000 for a crappy old car and then $10,000+ restoring it, or pay about $6000-8000 for a good clean example that has service history, well looked after and been cared for, not driven into the ground as someone's cheap transport.


take a magnet with you and check the bodywork, look at the joins in the panels, make sure they are even, can indicate it has been smashed and poorly repaired.

Check the colour of the oil, should be fresh.

check how easily it starts, should turn over very easily and settle down into a smooth idle without you needing to hold your foot on the gas.


rev the motor up when it is cold and look for smoke out the back, better yet get your husband to stand behind it while you rev it up and check for smoke,

check the gear changes, the down shifts, from 4th to 3rd, to 2nd, so there are no crunches in the gearbox


if you can drive over some speed humps, listen for groans or creaks in the suspension etc..


check the pan under the car carefully, make sure it is not rusted.

hey
yep rust is the killer as all else can be replaced
for me anything pre 67 is sweet
but what ever you get as long as you are stoked with it is all that matters at the end of the day
look forward to seeing what you get
cheers h

I love the look of the post 67 beetles. Also, you should know what the difference between a superbeetle and a standard bettle is before buying. Drive a few before making a choice, i have a 73L, but id much rather own a 70 1300 or 1500. Take someone with you that has owned a beetle, or works on them OFTEN. research as much as you can and drive as many as you can before you buy.

rev the motor up when it is cold and look for smoke out the back, better yet get your husband to stand behind it while you rev it up and check for smoke,

LOL EXCELLENT THANKS!!!!!

Wow, thank you all so much for your replies!!! You are a friendly bunch arent you!!!!

Excellent advice much appreciated - lots of things for the hubby (Grant) to take note of........

I just know i love VW's with the white steering wheel and knobs.....(OK I am not mechanical at all and far more concerned with the pretty aspects!!!!)..........hence why will leave the important stuff to Grant! Surely this is a good deal though - I get the car I love and hubby gets a 'permission pass' to maintain an old car!!!!!!!?

.....will keep you posted!!!!

if u go to 68 to 70 model you will get 12v system and disc brakes much safer to drive

Where are you located??????

pay the money and buy one thats been restored , then service it like you would a new car and it will last you another 30 years.

Beetles with white knobs and steering wheel are 1967 and earlier. These have 6-volt electrics, drum brakes, king/link pin front end, and 1200 or 1300 engines originally. They look like the pink and green Beetles in Ian's post above. They were manufactured in Melbourne, from about 90% Australian-made parts, and exported to New Zealand from 1959 to 1967. In fact, for a short time in the 1960s, they were actually assembled in a factory in Auckland from Australian-made parts.

The 1968 Beetle was a complete change. Our ones were now assembled in Australia from German parts, so they updated to the new big-window body shell, 12-volt electrics, ball-joint front with discs, 1500 motor, and safety items like black squashy knobs and safety steering column. They have bigger square bumpers and vertical headlights, like the red one in Ians' post above. I am not sure if NZ-sold cars after this came from Australia, or direct from Germany.

Whichever style you go for, yes it is the body rust that is the limiting thing. Mechanical problems can be repaired more easily.

yep it is definately the pre 67 models i am most interested in.... love the styling and fittings inside just a little more. (yes they are white fittings!!
Currently looking at a 66, 1300cc model and a 67 model which has been converted to 12v.
It seems so that the rust is one of the biggest issues... My hubby is an electrician but raised in a very mechanically minded farming family, so I am confident that if we avoid major rust issues we should be rght......and there are a few good vw specalist mechanics around if all else fails.

While some of the technical info being given is going over my head a little my husband is following this thread with much more understanding and interest!!!!

THANKS!!!!

Not sure what part of the shaky isles you are from, but there are a couple of New Zealand VW clubs you could try to contact:

http://www.vwownersclub.co.nz/index.asp  (Auckland)

http://cantyvw.littleb.co.nz/  (Canterbury)

when I lived in NZ back in the 80's nobody cared about rust. Just as well for all those Zephyrs running around with flow thorugh ventilation.
I guess things might have progressed even in NZ.

LOL yes things have progressed slightly - rust is a no go for a warrant of fitness..... not allowed drain holes in the floor any more!
As advanced as we are I have not found a forum like this one locally!!!

Quote:

Originally posted by LisaR yep it is definately the pre 67 models i am most interested in.... love the styling and fittings inside just a little more. (yes they are white fittings!! Currently looking at a 66, 1300cc model and a 67 model which has been converted to 12v. It seems so that the rust is one of the biggest issues... My hubby is an electrician but raised in a very mechanically minded farming family, so I am confident that if we avoid major rust issues we should be rght......and there are a few good vw specalist mechanics around if all else fails. While some of the technical info being given is going over my head a little my husband is following this thread with much more understanding and interest!!!! THANKS!!!!

What you can look for too is a 6Volt Beetle that has a few small modern changes. Retaining the look of the older Beetle with the white steering wheel and knobs, and had some modern comforts like 12V electrics, better brakes, slightly bigger motor etc. It may take a long time to find the one you want.