VW Super Beetle

Depending on your carb, distributor and transmission, you have from zero to two vacuum hoses. If you have an Autostick transmission, there's a vacuum hose running from a port in the intake manifold to the control valve on the left side wall of the engine bay. (Hint: if you've got a car that came with Autostick and that someone's converted to manual transmission, the bracket for the control valve is the perfect place for your coil.) Most people don't have this transmission even if their car came with it--it's only a three-speed and it's hard to find parts for it, so most of those cars have been converted to manual transmission. The other hose you might have is for your distributor. The port is on the left side of the carb, and a hose runs between it and the metal vacuum advance can on the side of the distributor. If you have a 009 distributor or an aftermarket distributor like an MSD you don't have the vacuum advance can; if you have an aftermarket carb like a Weber you don't have the port. Therefore...you probably don't have any vacuum lines on your engine.

your kidding right. they're air cooled

you unscrew the bracket and then you unscrew the thermostat it pulls out

I wouldn't. You are talking about a MAJOR engineering project and, if you don't do it exactly right, the car will be unsafe.

My recommendation is to search Craigslist for a 1969-later Bug that needs an engine and transmission, and put the ones from your car in it.

There may be a recommended tire pressure from the factory in 1973. However, I don't think you have the original tires from 1973, so this is what you look for-

1) Look at the side wall of your tire

2) Find the tire size information (example 195/70/13)

3) Below or after that their will be a psi setting (max cold psi 32)

4) Most tires are set between 28-32 psi cold.

A 1973 Volkswagen beetle weighs under 2000 lbs so the recommended tire pressure is only around 20 psi in the front and 25 psi in the rear. It's actually a little less. Visit classicvwbugs.com for additional information.

It depnds on condition. A 1971 Standard Beetle in excellent condition could bring up to $12000.00 USD. Where as a Beetle in poor but drivable condition could go for as little as $800.00 USD.

The drain and fill plugs need a 17mm allen wrench. There are some VW parts houses online that sell a special transmission drain/fill plug socket: it's a 17mm socket with about an inch of 17mm allen wrench stock welded into it.

There's really no way. They're all a bit heavy steering while maneuvering fairly slow.

Make sure the tires have the recommended amount of air. Low tires can make it hard to turn while stopped or moving slow.

Also if you have the wider aftermarket type wheels that means you have more rubber contacting the ground so it's harder to turn at slower speeds. Stock tires were 165r 15.

Jack up the front of the car so _both_ wheels can move side to side. If you can pivot the wheels, by hand, all the way left to right without any obstructions then everything should be fine.

The later Supers, '74(?) on up, got independent McPhearson strut suspensions so it made it easier to turn.

Absolutely. It will go right in. The only thing you want to be careful of is the alternator--if there's a Motorola alternator on the donor car, make sure to take the Motorola voltage regulator from under the back seat and the wiring that runs between them unless you want to swap the alternators, which isn't hard. If there's a Bosch on both cars, you're golden.

There are a few things to look at, look at the windshield first, in a super beetle it will be curved, also on a super beetle if you look at the front suspension you will see struts (springs instead of shocks) and if you open the hood you will see a circular depression for the spare tire to lay down, and the last way to tell is to look at that dashboard, a super beetle has a dashboard that is big enough to throw a pack of cigarettes on to whereas a standard bug has no dashboard.


Actually, in a 1971 and 1972 beetle you can get a super beetle with a flat window and a flat dash. I own a 1971 Super beetle. It looks like a standard beetle in every way but it is slightly larger. The only way to tell is by looking for a spare tire that lays flat (only true in the Super) and the suspension. I suggest looking at the spare. If it is angled vertically it is standard - laying flat means it's a super.

In neither the speedometer or odometer work, then the best place to look is the cable. Jack up the left front of the car so that the left front wheel is not touching the ground. Take off the hubcap if it hasn't already fallen off. Take a close look at the 'grease cap'...it is at the very center of the wheel/hub. In the very center of that grease cap is a small cable. That cable drives the speedometer. Inspect the connection where the cable runs through the grease cap. There should be a wire cotter pin running thru the end of the cable to hold it in place. If you don't see anything poking thru the hole in the greas cap, then you probalby found the problem. You will have to try to fish the speedo cable end thru the grease cap hole, and fasten it with a wire cotter pin. Give the wheel a quick spin...as fast as you can. Take a real close look at the center of the grease cap...where the cable attaches. Verify that the cable is rotating with the revolution of the wheel. A common thing to wear out is the grease cap. It has a square hole in the end that the cable fits into. A common scenario is for the square hole to get rounded out, and also for the cable to round out...or even both will wear. This is the easiest thing to check. If the cable is not moving with the wheel...then you found the problem. Replace the grease cap and/or speedo cable. If the cable DOES turn, then have a friend look at the speedo and verify it hasn't started working. The next place to look if you have verified the cable is being 'driven' by the wheel is to look where the cable hooks to the speedo. Leave the front jacked up for now. Pop the hook open, and remove the dash cover...usually a black cover attached by a couple small nuts. You will be able to spot where the speedo is right away. Don't bump any wires or anything while you are mucking around in there. Unhook the speedo cable from the speedo by unscrewing the cable from the speedo. Pull the cable away from the speedo, and have your friend spin the wheel. Verify that the cable is turning. If it isn't turning...and it was turning when you checked the grease cap connection...then that means the cable is broken. You would need to get a new cable in this case. But...if the cable is turning, then we can now deduce be elimination that the speedo internally is hosed up. Don't bother trying to fix it...you would need to replace it. Get a used one from a junk yard. Pay close attention to which wires go where. Take a piece of paper and draw out which color wires run to where. Draw it as you see it looking at the back of the odometer. The speedo is attached by 2 screws or bolts on the sides. Loosten them, but not all the way. Twist the speedo...counter clockwise if I remember correctly, and it will come unlatched. Putting it back in is straight forward. Just reverse the dissasembly process. Finally, be careful when working around a vehicle that is jacked into the air. Don't put any part of your body that you don't want smashed under the vehicle at any time.

firing order of a 1996 VW Golf?

0.016

On my 73 super beetle it is about 2100.Yours should be pretty close to that.

11.1 gallons

Remove the left rear wheel. The clutch cable runs along the left side of the transmission to a lever near the top of the bell housing, close to the engine/trans connection. There is a wing nut that adjusts the cable at that lever.

To replace the fuel pump, you must unhook the fuel lines from the fuel tank and remove the fuel tank from the vehicle. The fuel pump is actually inside the tank.

A 1976 beetle (super or standard) is a Type I.

Yes. But make sure you use the pressure plate made for your year car/tranny. The later cars used a different pressure plate.

If someone has cut out and welded in new steel over the air ventsit was done on a one time custom basis and the repair can either be difficult or easy depending on what they did. At the very least you would need a donor junkyard vehicle to cut out new vents to replace yours with. A qualified body shop would be the best bet if you don't do welding and body repair.

The brake light switches.

About 2200 LBS. Give or take a pound or two.

I have 1972 Super Beetle and my data plate says 990 lbs with no passengers

if both are bad, then you need to check fuses. above left knee.

if that is good, then your combo switch is bad (for head lights) and is real expensive

up to $900

so find a used one at the wreckers, if it is bad.

the switch can be tested by hot wiring it.

you need a schematic for that , so go to the library (public) and it is there

in the e-sources of the data base.

under chiltions and mitchels.

Ours is under the back seat, driver's side

For a 1973 Super Beetle the reservoir is located under the front hood on the drivers side. The two lines that exit the reservoir are for your dual master cylinder. One line fills the front and the other the rear brake lines.

Ask 10 different people and you'll get 10 different answers. Any name-brand to be safe.

The book says 30w but you can use the newer multi weight oils. 10w30 is fine or if you have a warmer climate most of the year then you could get away with 10w40.