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posted on January 12th, 2011 at 09:18 PM
which bug?
Hi all,
Just a bit about me & my vehiclular history...I have mostly been into frogs but i did have a golf mk II GTI a few years back
The reason why i registered is that about 10 years ago I saw a gorgeous white bug in a car yard in Dandenong (Melbourne). Cut a long story short, my
dad ended up buying it and selling it a few years later. I saw it for a few years more always parked outside Dandy Volks (someone that worked there
must have bought it i guess)
All those years later, the bug has bit me! I would love to buy exactly that one...but tracking it down...& wether the owner wants to part with it
may be a hard task. But if anyone can help..all i can remember it had the older sloping headlights, white duco, white mag weels & was pretty low.
A lot of the chrome was color coded white. The rear lights were the newer ones (not elephant paw) 68-72? So many hours spent on the spotters forum
Anyway, in order to work out which bug will initially suit as a starting point i have a few questions: earlier guards fit on later standard bugs (as i
have researched on the forum) but wont fit any superbugs? also whats the deal with 68-69 models having 1200 engines? Is this a retro fit?
Great site btw its a great resource & happy dubbing
waveman1500
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posted on January 12th, 2011 at 11:22 PM
G'day mate. It sounds like your search could be quite a mission.
In Europe they offered Beetles with 1200cc engines all the way through into the mid '70s and the production of the Golf. Over here in Australia there
were no more 1200s after 1968, only 1300cc, 1500cc and 1600cc. 1300s were the base model and were still offered until 1975, whilst the 1500cc Beetle
was offered from '68 to '71-ish. After that the Super Beetles were available with 1600cc engines.
You are correct that the old-style fenders will fit quite easily onto any model of Beetle except the Superbugs. The early bumpers are easily fitted as
well, so unless you had a chassis number or a fair few detailed photos it would be difficult to tell what year it is. The 'late model' style
tail-light lenses were only red/amber from '68-'71, then from some time in mid-'71 onwards they gained clear reversing lights at the bottom. Once
again though, tail-lights are very easily changed.
One of the easier ways to date a bodyshell is by whether or not it has the little plastic crescent-shaped vent behind the rear side windows. These
came in with the Super Beetle around 1971 and I believe that they were also used on the 1300s from then on.
A.k.a.: Lee Noonan
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posted on January 13th, 2011 at 12:52 AM
Quote:
Originally
posted by michelineister
Hi all,
Just a bit about me & my vehiclular history...I have mostly been into frogs but i did have a golf mk II GTI a few years back
The reason why i registered is that about 10 years ago I saw a gorgeous white bug in a car yard in Dandenong (Melbourne). Cut a long story short, my
dad ended up buying it and selling it a few years later. I saw it for a few years more always parked outside Dandy Volks (someone that worked there
must have bought it i guess)
[B]
Hi,
1200 engines finished in Australia in 1967 and most then were 1300..
the last beetle made in Germany was a standard Beetle with a 1200 engine.. in 1978
the 1200 standards were a big seller in Germany...
1200 & 1300 Beetles were also sold in the UK & Europe even in Super Beetle bodies...
The beetle You have described may have been a 1968-70 model... NON Super...
with early front guards and sloping headlamps...
seeing the chrome was painted it was modified somewhat...
and lowered etc...
most beetles in Australia are now 1600 cc or larger...
there are the odd 1500 - 1300 and very few 1200 engines...
cheers
LEE
All those years later, the bug has bit me! I would love to buy exactly that one...but tracking it down...& wether the owner wants to part with it
may be a hard task. But if anyone can help..all i can remember it had the older sloping headlights, white duco, white mag weels & was pretty low.
A lot of the chrome was color coded white. The rear lights were the newer ones (not elephant paw) 68-72? So many hours spent on the spotters forum
Anyway, in order to work out which bug will initially suit as a starting point i have a few questions: earlier guards fit on later standard bugs (as i
have researched on the forum) but wont fit any superbugs? also whats the deal with 68-69 models having 1200 engines? Is this a retro fit?
Great site btw its a great resource & happy dubbing
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- [size=4]Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY--- [/size]
michelineister
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posted on January 14th, 2011 at 02:39 PM
Quote:
Originally
posted by waveman1500
G'day mate. It sounds like your search could be quite a mission.
In Europe they offered Beetles with 1200cc engines all the way through into the mid '70s and the production of the Golf. Over here in Australia there
were no more 1200s after 1968, only 1300cc, 1500cc and 1600cc. 1300s were the base model and were still offered until 1975, whilst the 1500cc Beetle
was offered from '68 to '71-ish. After that the Super Beetles were available with 1600cc engines.
You are correct that the old-style fenders will fit quite easily onto any model of Beetle except the Superbugs. The early bumpers are easily fitted as
well, so unless you had a chassis number or a fair few detailed photos it would be difficult to tell what year it is. The 'late model' style
tail-light lenses were only red/amber from '68-'71, then from some time in mid-'71 onwards they gained clear reversing lights at the bottom. Once
again though, tail-lights are very easily changed.
One of the easier ways to date a bodyshell is by whether or not it has the little plastic crescent-shaped vent behind the rear side windows. These
came in with the Super Beetle around 1971 and I believe that they were also used on the 1300s from then on.
Welcome to the forum and good luck!
Thanks for the replies
Just a couple more newb questions...is the assumption that a '72 semi auto must be a super s correct? would it be possible to change the whole front
(forward of door hinges) end of such a bug to accomodate the earlier sloping headlights?
& just to clarify, earlier guards could easily fit say a 74 bug as long as its the 1300 & not a super?
68autobug> a 68 with 71-74 lights?
68AutoBug
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posted on January 14th, 2011 at 03:15 PM
HI again,
the vertical headlamps appeared in 1968 beetles in AUstralia..
and Yes, any automatic beetle after 1970 would be a Super...
You can buy fibreglass front guards to fit SUPERS with the sloping headlamps...
but as You know the original early guards will just bolt onto a NON Super beetle...
a 1300 from 1968 to 1974 or a 1500 beetle from 1968 to 1970.. were non supers..
IF You read any books on VWs.... You will find many differences between Australian and overseas beetles..
I have seen a 1968 standard beetle that had very little chrome on it , it had been delivered to a Dealer in Sydney from a Ship... that was going to
New Zealand...
it was a German made white beetle with sloping headlamps
and the normally chromed parts were all painted white..
and early bumpers etc... I think it was a 1300 engine..
a 1976 beetle was NOT a super...
it was very similar to My 1968 beetle.... same rear suspension
but has the crescent shaped ventilation piece on the side behind the side windows...
Mexican beetles didn't have these bits on the side but had the shape there but it wasn't cut out...
cheers
LEE
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Just a couple more newb questions...is the assumption that a '72 semi auto must be a super s correct? would it be possible to change the whole front
(forward of door hinges) end of such a bug to accomodate the earlier sloping headlights?
& just to clarify, earlier guards could easily fit say a 74 bug as long as its the 1300 & not a super?
there's no easy way to do that and besides it's not worth spending 1000s to make a car look early when you can spend that money and just buy an
early car.
You can put early guards on any late standard beelte but without putting an early apron and hood it too they just look stupid.
my 70 bug had early gaurds when i first bought it, the late hood and decklid does not match early gaurds
Just to clear somthing else up 65 was the last year of 1200 engines in Oz, that blue bug your talking about has just had a 40hp 1200 fitted to keep it
going it was a 1500 originally.
Not unheard of, all the engines can be swapped, I had a 75 1300 beetle that was fitted with a 61 model stale air 1200.
michelineister
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posted on January 14th, 2011 at 04:44 PM
Quote:
Originally
posted by 68AutoBug HI again,
the vertical headlamps appeared in 1968 beetles in AUstralia..
and Yes, any automatic beetle after 1970 would be a Super...
You can buy fibreglass front guards to fit SUPERS with the sloping headlamps...
but as You know the original early guards will just bolt onto a NON Super beetle...
a 1300 from 1968 to 1974 or a 1500 beetle from 1968 to 1970.. were non supers..
IF You read any books on VWs.... You will find many differences between Australian and overseas beetles..
I have seen a 1968 standard beetle that had very little chrome on it , it had been delivered to a Dealer in Sydney from a Ship... that was going to
New Zealand...
it was a German made white beetle with sloping headlamps
and the normally chromed parts were all painted white..
and early bumpers etc... I think it was a 1300 engine..
a 1976 beetle was NOT a super...
it was very similar to My 1968 beetle.... same rear suspension
but has the crescent shaped ventilation piece on the side behind the side windows...
Mexican beetles didn't have these bits on the side but had the shape there but it wasn't cut out...
cheers
LEE
You can buy WHAAT?? where can i get myself some fibreglass guards?? I googled a search & look what came up...anyone for extra boot
ventilation?
Thanks for the reply, im starting to get the jist of the models..I'll confuse myself later with the overseas denominations
Interesting to hear about that white bug..definately going for that white color coded look...how does one paint on chrome and make the paint stick?
looking in the body forum..
Ive got my sight on a bug thats for sale...I might go for my first bug inspection on the weekend. What are the main things to look for mechanically
with air coolers?
Bizarre
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posted on January 14th, 2011 at 05:12 PM
"What are the main things to look for mechanically with air coolers?"
Joel - I just want the pre 67 look on the front of my bug...If i gotta change more parts than the guards so that it all lines up at the front...so be
it. Ive been looking around at bugs & there seems to be a hell of a lot of supers out there atm so if there are pre 67 fibreglass guards that will
fit on them it would open up my options
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posted on January 15th, 2011 at 07:57 PM
Quote:
Originally
posted by Joel
Quote:
Originally
posted by michelineister
Just a couple more newb questions...is the assumption that a '72 semi auto must be a super s correct? would it be possible to change the whole front
(forward of door hinges) end of such a bug to accomodate the earlier sloping headlights?
& just to clarify, earlier guards could easily fit say a 74 bug as long as its the 1300 & not a super?
there's no easy way to do that and besides it's not worth spending 1000s to make a car look early when you can spend that money and just buy an
early car.
You can put early guards on any late standard beelte but without putting an early apron and hood it too they just look stupid.
my 70 bug had early gaurds when i first bought it, the late hood and decklid does not match early gaurds
Just to clear somthing else up 65 was the last year of 1200 engines in Oz, that blue bug your talking about has just had a 40hp 1200 fitted to keep it
going it was a 1500 originally.
Not unheard of, all the engines can be swapped, I had a 75 1300 beetle that was fitted with a 61 model stale air 1200.
I agree with Joel, putting the sloped headlights and early bumpers on a late beetle would look Dicky, specially on a Super, that would look Horrific
with the wide bonnet and scary if it was a L bug with the curved windscreen...
If you want a pre '67 look, buy a bug from pre '67, may cost more but the other way your gonna end up spending even more trying to make it look like
an early bug
Look on eBay and Carsales.com (heaps on car sales)
Joel
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Originally
posted by jeremyluke
that would look Horrific with the wide bonnet and scary if it was a L bug with the curved windscreen...
Dont poopoo it till you've seen it
Although those are Porsche lights not VW which makes all the differnce
But yes usually they look bloody awefull
jeremyluke
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posted on January 15th, 2011 at 08:09 PM
Yeah the Porsche lights arnt too bad, but that lower one.... It looks quite strange. Take them back off and then i like where that person is going
with the car
Looks like he has the bumper brackets to put the early bumpers on aswell..
Joel
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posted on January 15th, 2011 at 08:17 PM
I was seriously thinking Down syndrome when i saw it, didnt wanna say it thoguh, in case it was insensitive to somebody on here...
michelineister
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posted on January 16th, 2011 at 02:27 AM
ang on a second..
Ill assume those pics r of bugs with guards that ACCOMODATE the sloping headlights for later models? definately dont want that....I want this (refer
pic) love the headlights btw
I would be open to geting a pre 68 for the desired front but but these seem to be scarce and would be waiting around for the right one for a while.
Also i wouldnt mind aquiring the perks off the later models & just do guard conversion
Do i cross superbugs off my short list then?
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posted on January 16th, 2011 at 06:51 AM
When I was looking for my bug i wanted a pre 67 but wanted 12 volts, disc brakes, I settled for a 69 that had those options and am pleased with my
decision.
In the end it comes down to what you really want the issue of course is how much are you prepared to pay?
Those pics I put up were superbugs fitted with wide fiberglass gaurds that have early model headlight buckets.
You can fit early guards to a late model if its not a superbug if its just the early 6volt headlights you want but they do look better if you fit the
early bumpers as well.
That red one has the fluted Porsche 911 lights as well but early bug lights just look a bit flatter
Like Paul was saying it's a trade off, early bugs have the "look" but they also have terrible brakes, suspension and electrics, where as the later
ones are abit on the plain side to look at (in stock form anyway) but are much nicer to drive.
posted on January 13th, 2011 at 12:52 AM
posted on January 14th, 2011 at 03:15 PM
