My new Project DD

[brian2sun]

My new Project DD Superbeetle

About a year ago, my Dad bought this old VW for really cheap as a little project for him to tinker on, get it running and eventually restore it. Nothing has happened with it in the last year so he passed the project down to me and of course, I accepted!

Today I rebuilt the carb, gave it a tune up, changed the fluids and filters and cleaned up the inside! It had 1 blown tire which wasn't easy to find a used replacement, but after calling about 15 tire shops, I found one for $25 mounted and balanced with ~50% tread. I still need a to do a couple little things like fix the antenna, get a new throttle cable. Then I gotta get it registered and get some liability insurance on it. After that I will have a new "fuel efficient" DD! Oh, and it's smog exempt too!

So without further ado, my (new) 1973 VW Super Beetle..

 

[t4r4life]

Nice dude these will get 38 mph all-day

 

[Dezert4Runner]

Nice dude these will get 38 mph all-day

With a tail wind :lmao:

 

[Rix]

OOh OOh OOh
Put a 3.4 in it.

lol

 

[brian2sun]

Yeah, I won't be getting any speeding tickets in this! A 3.4 would be awesome! Too bad the Super Beetles don't baja too well.

 

[JohnsD90]

Looks good, but watch out, i hear they leak coolant like no other.

 

[Trevloc]

this kind of makes me want to buy an old beater geo metro again, and use it as a dd...

 

[Offroader5]

Aaahhhhh, a Super....it hurts the eyes :lmao:

 

[Dezert4Runner]

Yeah, I won't be getting any speeding tickets in this! A 3.4 would be awesome! Too bad the Super Beetles don't baja too well.

What's the difference between a Super Beetle and the ones that are made into Baja Beetles down here in SoCal?

 

[brian2sun]

Looks good, but watch out, i hear they leak coolant like no other.

Yip! Lolz.

this kind of makes me want to buy an old beater geo metro again, and use it as a dd...

Might as well. Little cars like these can be found for so cheap!

Aaahhhhh, a Super....it hurts the eyes :lmao:

I know, but I have <$100 into this car for everything so I'm not complaining.

What's the difference between a Super Beetle and the ones that are made into Baja Beetles down here in SoCal?

The standard Beetles used torsion bar suspension which you can crank on for lift. The Supers have McPherson struts up from and IRS in back which handles better on road, but the struts aren't strong enough for real off road use. I don't plan to off road this thing so it doesn't matter to me, but the standard Beetle seem to go for a little higher $$ because the whole baja thing.

 

[Offroader5]

What's the difference between a Super Beetle and the ones that are made into Baja Beetles down here in SoCal?

Not sure on this (forgot alot of what I knew about VW's :nono but it may have struts up front which makes it only a bit tougher to deal with. Could swap out the front beam with an earlier model though if that was the case.

Is it an auto-stick?

 

[Offroader5]

The standard Beetles used torsion bar suspension which you can crank on for lift. The Supers have McPherson struts up from and IRS in back which handles better on road, but the struts aren't strong enough for real off road use. I don't plan to off road this thing so it doesn't matter to me, but the standard Beetle seem to go for a little higher $$ because the whole baja thing.

Have been out of the VW stuff for a while so I'm unsure of what parts are going for now...but it shouldn't be that expensive to swap the front beam out for an older style torsion leaf with the adjusters already welded in. Buy a drum to drum complete front end and bolt it in. :thumb3:

Rear is easy...unbolt the spring plates, pull out the torsion, rotate and re-insert a couple of notches higher and you have a rear lift.

 

[brian2sun]

Yeah, I'm sure I'll get more into it as it goes. Having a baja would be awesome. This one's just a normal 4 speed. I've never driven the auto-stick, but the idea is cool.

 

[Uneek]

Looks good, but watch out, i hear they leak coolant like no other.

Wasn't the Beetle air cooled?

 

[Offroader5]

Wasn't the Beetle air cooled?

That would be the joke

 

[Thai]

this kind of makes me want to buy an old beater geo metro again, and use it as a dd...

Hell no!! I had the Metro's grandfather...chevy sprint while in college. That thing was a tin can on wheels. My son's Hot Wheels would crush it in a head-on collision! Cheap transportation is one thing...but i rather spend a bit more for my safety!

 

[ran]

Wish I had my VW again. 1967 (12v) with 1500cc, I had a 1680cc in it. 34MPG. I can remember fog lites on it, can't picture where the switch was.
____________
'07 SE V6 Titanium 4x

 

[prospectator]

Watch out for the Baja "Bug". It's worse than the 4runner Bug. Once your bit, you won't know where your money went.......... Here's a picture of my old '65

Here's an old video we made before there was such a thing as a Go Pro HD.......

Click Here to view the Video

 

[brian2sun]

Watch out for the Baja "Bug". It's worse than the 4runner Bug. Once your bit, you won't know where your money went.......... Here's a picture of my old '65

Here's an old video we made before there was such a thing as a Go Pro HD.......

Click Here to view the Video

WOW! That thing is beautiful! I'm drooling on my keyboard, haha. I like the slo mo jump shot on the video!

 

[GForce_4Runner]

I'm in the same boat. Here's my baja that I built a couple of years ago. Bajas (and VW's in general) are definitely addicting.