Are the front guards from a 1970 standard Beetle the same as a 72 S Beetle? Will they interchange?

nah your outta luck there brad
S bug and Lbug are the same but standards are different

shame your not closer i have a pair of Sbug fronts
theyre rust free but both have been bumped in that spot next to the headligts where they all seem to get hit

Damn, what about the rears?

Thanks Joel, Lee.
That helps me heaps.

just to elaborate abit more on lees comments

68 to early 73 rears are identical regardless of what they come off and 73 on are all the same the only difference is the they have mounts for elephants feet tail lights instead
but the bolt pattern on the body is the same tho

if u really wanted to make something ugly u could put Lbug rears on a splitty
altho someone in forsale section has an early 60s bug with them....... a rear end only a mother could love