1972 VW Beetle
1972 VW Beetle questions and answers
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Q: Does anyone have any idea on the cost of a full restore to a 1972 VW Beetle - Superbug?
The beetle has had a really bad spray job by a previous owner and we would like to restore it to the original colour along with a full restore of interior also - any help or pointing us in the right direction to find out would be very greatfully recieved!
A: ok..it depends upon how extensive you want to go.
Exterior.. (lets ignore the chrome since you only mentioned the paint)..
Sand and prep is pretty straighforward.. you pull all the chrome off and if you do it yourself or with help it should cost you about $300 to $400 in time, sandpaper, and primer. This assumes that the body is in good shape with no major Rust or holes. If you have a lot of those it its a bad candidate for a full restore.
Paint.. a good quality paint with light sandings between coats and at least two coats of protective, high quality clear .
This is best done at a shop with good dust control.. Figure about a grand.
Interior..
A hig quality interior will run you about $2000 if you do the seats (custom covers and rebuilding the padding and springs), the headliner, and the carpet. While the interior is stripped you will want to paint the parts that show and primer / rust stop the parts that don't. Special attention to the battery area with a high quality paint or epoxy that will resist the inevitable battery acid.
so.. you are looking at $3 to $4k..
How do I know?... I just finished my 72 super beetle..
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Q: Where to get seats for a 1972 VW Beetle?
My dad bought a beetle recently with no seats, and has since asked me to try to find them online. He has checked the nearby pick-a-part, but has not found any. Everytime I do searches online, I only get results for parts of the seat (like the seat belts) and never the whole seats. Does anyone know where I could get them either online or locally (in Riverside, CA)? Thanks to those who reply :)
A: Buying seats is one thing.. paying for the shipping from outside of your are is quite something else. That really makes it impractical unless they are something special and worth the 100 to $200 in shipping/freight.
Here are three local options for you
Start with Craigslist for the Riverside area. Under auto parts search for VW seats.
After that check the local parts dismantlers.. there should be a place with VW's and a seat selection.
Across the border in Mexico, there are LOTS of vws and parts. Take a weekend drive and find some there.
good luck....
Q: Should i buy a 1972 VW Beetle?
OK i just recently looked at a 1972 beetle great condition engine runs fine! transmission is ok too. Well my mother is trying to persuade me to get a new beetle because the older ones have a mnay of problems! please someone out there who knows about these cars give me advice!
A: Easy to fix even for someone who isn't a mechanic, it's air cooled no water, Unless its an auto stick they are pretty fun to drive, they get good gas mileage, not very roomy and if you are on the freeway alot it might not work out for you, they are pretty reliable cars, and easy to get parts for if you need them, If its what you want get it.
New beetles wish they were as cool as the originals. They look nice but in reality they are a 2.0 Jetta with a different body style, and there are better made cars that are more reliable like a Civic, Accord, Maxima, Corolla
Q: How many miles per tank can I get with a 1972 VW Super Beetle?
My Gas guage doesn't work so I have no Idea how much gas I have. I do record the miles each time I fill it up though.
A: fill it up, record the mileage, run it out of gas,
check the mileage there you go!
Oh yeah make sure you have a gallon in a can under the hood to get you to a station after you run out (probably a good idea to have a gallon can on reserve to get you out of trouble anyway!)
Q: Does anyone know what the left hand warning light is for on a 1972 VW Beetle dashboard please???
The right hand light of the two at the bottom of the speedometer is the oil light but we do not know what the right hand one is for. The symbol seems to be a G in a circle but we may be wrong on that!! Please help!!!
A: That would be "G" for Generator. You're not charging properly, or you've got a bad connection somewhere.
Q: 1972 vw beetle shifter pics?
need pictures of 1972 vw beetle shifter assy think my beetle has a shifter problem in the linkage i would appreciate any help at all. thank you
A: Try this link....
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=+beetle+shifter&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-web-t&x=wrt
Q: i need to know the price for a 1972 vw beetle engine?
ive looked but i dotn know if $2000 is for a realy nice engine or what...
A: I've found several for $600 or less...
Do this.... go to
www.car-part.com
Fill out the appropriate drop downs...
1972
Volkswagon
Beetle
Engine
Then... after if brings up the pages, along with the places and phone numbers, prices and mileage... scroll down to the page that has the * sign with it, click on that, and start working yourself backwards... thats the lowest price page... all pages after that are call for price and info... irreguardless the 1st page... highest price was $600... Shipping isn't that bad either... depending where you live, and how far away you are from them... you should be able to find someone close to you... good luck.
PS... I use www.car-part.com all of the time, we have a car lot.
Q: How much is a 1972 VW Super Beetle worth?
I added a new exhaust system, engine reconstructed. Same interior however.
It is yellow. Automatic (rare). Engine Reconstructed. Shiny almost original paint. Located In Orange County, CA
A: How much do you want? What color? Where ru located?
Q: Need to know how to lower a 1972 vw beetle?
need to actually know how many turns on inner or outer spline, as have allready lowered it, but it sits slightly lower one side (about 1/2")
A: Check out these links:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=143095
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=79656
From what heard they all most never completely line up 100%, but honestly not my style so I don't know. You can probably find better advice on that site. Good Luck.
Q: what mpg does a stock 1972 vw beetle 5 speed get?
i did not know that they were 4 speeds i have not seen the car the guy selling it told me it was a 5 speed i dont know anything about vw's i appreciate your guys answers thanks 2 more questions how reliable are they & are they easy to work on
A: First of all, they were 4 speed transmissions mounted to the air-cooled motor. Only the Porsche products had the 5 speed. I would guess they would get about the mid 20's overall. Maybe high 20's highway. Cars did not have the gearing like they do today.
Q: My tail lights are out in my 1972 VW Beetle. Does anyone know what the problem could and how to fix it.?
Here is a Video I made of my beetle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqF7ZxT5Lro
But not all is calm on the VW front!
Tonight I got pulled over by a police man because my tail lights were out. He was nice enought to let me go with a warning because he could tell I didn't know they were out.
But now I'm stuck and don't know whats wrong. I don't think its the bulbs because not long ago they both worked.
It could be a fuse but wouldn't other electrical items be out then.
Does anyone have any ideas?
A: inside the fuse panel, find the fuse for the tail lights. Have someone at the rear of the car. Gently massage the fuse with your fingers. You should see slight sparks. Many times the fuse's get corroded right there and the lights go out. Its a simple matter, make the contact and you're ready to ride again.
Q: I need advise on buying a 1972 VW Super Beetle?
I am considering buying a 1972 VW Super Beetle.
The specs are:
Has been in storage for past few years, runs great.
This year replaced brake lines, tie rod ends, pedal cluster, rebuilt carb, re-did floor.
EMPI Wheels and 4 new tires. New cap and wires.
1200cc Motor on Super Beetle chasis and shocks.
5 Speed standard tranny with aftermarket heating system for fall driving.
There are 41,000 miles on it.
It needs a bit of body work around rear fenders, but that is not a huge concern to me right now.
I am a total newbee when it comes to this stuff. I am not sure what would be a good price, nor do I know what I should be concerned about or looking for.
The owner is about 2 hours drive away so I want to make sure I ask the right questions before I make the trip to test drive the car.
Any help would be appreciated!
A: Interesting! How ARE the heater channels? Look on the outboard sides, inboard of the running boards and under the car. Don't neglect to look inside the car, under the carpets. Yeah, the flaps are spring loaded- but to closed position, not open. More often than not, the heater boxes will rust out or you'll get an exhaust leak mixing with you heater boxes' warm air output- definitely unsafe! Can you describe the aftermarket heating system? Is it just a booster fan?
Also, I'm not sure where you're writing from- but 72's had 1600 cc engines.
A bit of body work? Rust? Dents? I'd bet on rust... which requires cutting out the rusted metal and replacing it with new. Contrary to other replies here, you can get just about any part for these cars; Just Google and see.
Also of concern is the McPhereson Strut front end on Super Beettles. Make sure you take her out on the road at highway speeds to test for the "Super shimmies." Meaning that the front wheels will wobble alarmingly at highway cruising speeds. ANY Beetle in an front car accident's a candidate for parts unless you know what you're doing- though I've not seen many Super Beetle dune buggies.
If you'll be doing the work yourself or have a handy friend, this would be a cool car to get. All the repair info's available online and there's a huge community of VW enthusiasts always willing to help get your car on the road.
If you get the car, there are a few upgrades I always recommend- A good set of spark plug wires, Bosch distributor cap & rotor (forget all those pretty clear or colored ones- most suck!) a PerLux ignitor to get rid of your points and a good-quality quiet extractor system. You may be tempted to go with a fiberglass muffler but beware- they get louder with age. You may want to opt for the type of muffler that tucks up inside the wheel-well so you don't drag it on the curbs.
GOOD LUCK!!
Q: VW 1972 Beetle Headlamp Headlight Problem! :(?
Hi there,
I have a 72 Beetle. Just yesterday, one of my headlamps stopped working. Not a sausage from it. Its only one though! The other one still works fine.
Its not the bulb, and I need the car for work on Monday, so anyone got any suggestions please?????
Thanks!
A: most likely cause is the headlight relay. it is located in the front of the car. when you open the hood in the back right, behind the steering wheel there is a bunch of wires that go to the fuses. there is a strip with 3 or 4 boxes plugged into it. the second one over from the left is the headlight relay. you can get a replacement one for about $20 from mid-america. here is a link to the headlight relay.
http://www.mamotorworks.com/acvw?frame=1.4563
Q: Help.i need to no the weelbase on a 1972 vw.super beetle?
i am makeing a v8 bug.and i am useing a chevy s-10 frame.please help
A: sounds like its gonna be a cool bug. anyway......the wheelbase on a standard beetle is 94.5 inches and the super beetles wheelbase is .75 inches longer soooo.....
95.25 inches
Q: I have a 1972 VW super beetle convertible.?
I want to get all the power out of my 1300cc stock motor that I can without decreasing the reliability too awfully much. I realize exhaust is a big help and am considering dual carbs but I dont know a whole lot about air-cooled engines themselves so I'm a bit stumped as to the best route to take with the 1300cc motor. If you have any ideas please let me know. Also, as far as after market heaterboxes, d they really work that much better than the originals? Being a convertible it gets somewhat cold during these Colorado winters. Thanks in advance guys!! (And Girls)
Ok... so reading the first answer I feel really stupid. It is a 1600cc, mny last beetle was 1300... bleh.. so yeah. same question with a 1600cc..go me! hah
A: There is a lot you can do to a stock 1600cc engine to increase the power, although its not ever gonna be Porsche like without a lot of $$$, these parts will help make it more fun. Look around when shopping for parts because prices vary.
Oh yeah these are all bolt on parts
Tune up/oil change, Bosch platinum plugs, silicone wires, cap/rotor and synthetic oil
Get a Bosch 009 distributor with an electronic ignition or the new Mallory billet distributor, these give more reliable starting - $100 to $250
Weber progressive 2 bbl carb or dual Solex carbs, these have chokes on them for easy starts when cold $200 to $350
1.25:1 rockers and solid shafts less than $150
New Empi style exhaust $50. This muffler sounds good and fits in the stock location.
As far as heat goes there are electric fan kits that go in-line with the heater boxes and increase the CFM of air into the car. There are also gas heaters available and I have seen oil coolers used with the fan blowing air through the cooler into the car. hope this helps.
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