Volkswagen Beetle

[Supra_Natural]

The Volkswagen Beetle (A.K.A. Type 1, KDF-Wagen, bug....) is probably THE most recognised car on the face of the earth.... production of the beetle finaly ended in 2003 in Mexico, by which time a little over 22 Million (NOT a misprint) of these fine cars had been built in a career that lasted for almost 60 years, making it far and away, the vehicle with the highest ever production figures.

the basic design stemmed from Adolf Hitler's idea in the mid 30's to prduce cheap transport for all citizens in Germany, and the basic design (first produced in 1937) was so right that it lasted with minor modificatons and upgrades, all the way until 2003.

the beetle was initially produced in the VW Factory in Wolfsburg, Germany.... production there ended in 1978, when production shifted to Brazil and Mexico, and continued till its eventual death in 2003.

this link provides an in depth article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VW_Beetle

moving on, of the 22 million cars produced, according to various sources, just over 2000 Beetles are running on the roads in Sri Lanka.... apparently the very first car being brought down in 1948!! so the choice is wide.

for those who are contemplating buying a beetle.... several factors need to be kept in mind..

First: which model to choose...

the beetle has gone through an amazing number of variants and variations on the basic theme from day one, and a detailed analysis of all of them will take an entire book, so i'll simply break them down into the basic models that we are likely to find in numbers in Sri Lanka..

1. Split Window - 1949-1952 - earliest (and of collector value) identified by the small rear window divided by a centre bar, very basic specification, 6V electrics and cable operated brakes. not really suitable for day to day running anymore, and also very rare. Generally found on Pre "Sri" Licence plates. Engines - 1100cc, 1200cc

2. Oval window 1952-1958 - identified by the lack of a central bar in the rear window, slightly more numerous than oval window cars, still with 6V electrics, Hydraulic brakes introduced by the early 50's.. signal lights moved to the tops of the front wings (Semaphore, a.k.a "Hand Signal" indicators used before). later models are more practical. Engines - Most are 1200CC, may have had engines replaced with 1300's

3. Large rear window 1959 - 1967 - Small oval back window replaced by large one, progressive improvements over the years in interior and exterior, still with 6V electrics, Engines - 1200CC (most common) 1300CC

4. Post 1967... Beetles made after 1967 are the most practical choices if frequent usage is an objective, improvements to the braking system, rear axles and clutch, as well as fitment of things such as two-speed wipers, better door locks and most importantly, a 12v electrial system, make it fairly practical compared to it's predecessors. esiest method of identifying is that post 1967 beetles have headlights that stand vertically. earlier cars have sloping headlights. Engines : 1200CC 1300CC (Most Common), 1500CC

5. Super Beetle (1302, 1302S, 1303) - really a different car in some ways, also known as the "Pregnant Beetle", it is longer by several inches (mainly in the nose), looks somewhat ill proportioned, but has better luggage space and a much bigger fuel tank. also has a more advanced front suspension system which gives a much smoother ride but at the expense of parts being more expensive and harder to find... (engines, 1300CC, 1600CC)... the later cars came with a padded dashboard and also a curved windscreen... generally much rarer in sl

Tech specs (general) along with a list of model year changes (note: mainly for the American market, could be different here)

http://home.hiwaay.net/~jfrohwei/vwac/home.html

Some General info (Dealing with post 1967 beetles)

"Kane Mile" - reffers to beetles which have crescent shaped air intake vents behind the side rear windows, this came generaly in addition to a engine lid cover which had slats / vents (all beetles have a set of intake vents below the back window, these extra vents are on the ENGINE LID... however, these vents CAN be incorporated into earlier engine lids as well...)

interiors : standard beetles came with a metal dashboard that was painted the same coulor as the exterior until the mid 1970's, later cars had plstic covering but still a flat dash... the LAST super beetles came with a entirely different padded dashboard.

Tail Lights, small triangles with brake, signal, park and reverse until mid 70's wen they became the big round "Elephant foot lights"

Alternator/Dynamo - dynamo cars have slower battery charging, slightly dimmer headlights and a slight reluctance to start... alternator conversion can be done on most dynamo cars

(End of Part 1)

Note: the above secton was written entirely by myself to assist potential buyers of a beetle. t is lkely to have various mistakes in relation to specs etc, so please feel free to correct me if im wrong, or ask any questions.... the following post will deal with the buying part...

[Supra_Natural]

umm.. i tried to add pics to illustrate the article but it says "too many pics"

i'll post the rest of the guide in a bit

[Pericles]

I think Madz might be willing to give u an article linking to the main page for this, instead of playing around with the forum.

[Ripper]

this is a super idea

I'm sure Madz will render the necessary support for such a worthy cause

[Supra_Natural]

okay, now to the important part, BUYING

first decide

which model you want - personal reccomendation would be post 1967 1300... best combination of features... Super beetles are More comfortable, but wont be as economical runners as the standard cars (maintainence-wise) while the 1300 engine has the best power/economy compromise.. the 1200 is a bit slow, bigger ones are thirstier and rarer

the next step is to find the right car..... a trawl through the major papers (esp sinhala ones) which have classifieds will provide several prospective buys... even the AL classifieds have a few up at the moment

an early one(oval window)

http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=1800

a 50/60's example with the large rear window

http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2126

a supposedly 1970 car with alloy wheels

http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=1710

a modded 1967 car

http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=1616

a couple of super beetles

http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2845

http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2808

.. as you can see from the above, the price range is HUGE... basically, realistic running cars can be got from around 150k-200k up, although at that price there will be a lot of sorting out to do.... a decent runner with nothing major to sort will be around 350,000-375,000, while near Mint standard cars will be in the 400-450,000 range.

Super beetles being rarer will cost more, and one that has been done up (AC CAN be fitted) will be priced around 500,000

additionally, some people will go totally over the edge with their pricing.... a 1970 1302 advertised recently wih "Alloys, sports exhaust and Racing Seats", as well as a "herbie" paint job was being quoted at 900,000!!!

incidentally, outstation provides a better chance of getting good cars at lower prices than the colombo area.

it is adviseable to look at several cars before making the final decision, preferably take a mechanic who knows beetles along with you.... even that is no guarantee of getting a good car, i myself looked at 27 (yes 27!) and still bought one that needed some major work, so use good judgement.

Next, what to check... the biggest problem with beetles is corrosion.... the car comes in two basic sections, the bodyshell

and the Chassis/Floorpan section, which holds all the mechanicals,

the car can rot so bad that the ENTRE chassis will have to be rebuilt, which is what happened to mine.... and even if the seller says that the corrosion has been repaired,even that is nt a guarantee of success, as to do the job properly, the two sections have to be completely separated as above..... most garages just dont bother because of the difficulty involved.... they fix it by just raising the body a little, which doesnt work entirely.... so this needs to be checked...

corrosion repair is a messy business, so it is best to get a car that is in good nick and avoid it altogether,

Areas to inspect

Body

check under carpets, get underneath the car (or put it on a hoist if you can), check around the edges of the bonnet and engine lid. check the heater channels (the bit under where the door closes) as well as the fit of the doors themselves. see the floorboards, light surface corrosion on the surface is ok(but cars without are even better), any more and just walk away, dont be afraid to poke into areas that look rusty, if it gives to the pressure, leave the car alone.

also check all door and window rubers for possibility of leaks, sorting them out is a NIGHTMARE!!

one area that is important to check is the CHASSIS HEAD where the body and chassis connects... if this corrodes, it compromises the entire structure, this can be noticed by a "wandering" feelng in the steering. the only sure way to check this from above is to remove the fuel tank, as that is impractical, you will have to crawl under the car to take a look..

Beetle engines are basically bombproof, but do check for oil leaks, a drop or two is normal, any more can be a problem.... remember that the beetle relies on oil for cooling as well so ensure that the oil level is topped up!

Also, check that equipment such as lights, wipers etc is fully functional.... sourcing replacements is increasingly difficult. additionally, MAKE SURE THAT ANY ADDITONAL EQUIPMENT SUCH AS RADIOS AND FOGLIGHTS HAVE BEEN PROPERLY WIRED, as the wiring sytem AND the fuel tank are in the front bay, an electrical fire can have catastrophic consequences!!

on the test drive, listen for any abnormal noises from gearbox, engine and suspension.... the engine has a unique (and loud) note but excess noise/smoke/backfring indicates an issue. Ensure that the gearbox shifts smoothly (and that the reverse selector works) check to see that the steering has no "dead zone" (where when the steering is moved slightly left to right the wheels dont move). After the test drive check for leaking engine oil or hydraulic fluid.

that covers the major areas, but one thing you should keep in mind is BUY THE BEST CAR YOU CAN AFFORD..... sorting a halfway good car out will always cost more than the original estimate..... speaking from experience

most importantly, there are plenty of beetles to be found so DONT RUSH..

(end of Part 2)

Edited July 5, 2007 by Supra_Natural

[Supra_Natural]

okay well, as i said above, the best option is to spend a bit more and buy a car which has had all the work done on it.... but if for whatever reason, you want to do a restoration...

firstly, with beetles, there are no "Partial Rebuilds", if the car is taken apart, everything is going to have to be done, and rest assured that if there is visible corrosion on the floorpan (or, as in my case, Holes), then the whole thing will have to be redone. So if you are intending to rebuild, best to buy a fairlyy cheap, running car... and work from there.

the rough cost estimate for mine is as follows

230,000 - cost of Car

150,000 - repairs. included complete rebuild of floorpan and chassis rails, re-fitting of doors, numerous mechanical repairs including overhaul of the braking system, and paint and polish. (note that this was not a complete paint job)

22,000 - Additional parts. included new Brake Master Pump, Entire set of door and window rubbers (beadings) plus various bits of trim.

27, 000 = 5 Roadstone 165/70 R15 Radials plus tubes.

Total cost - 429,000 Approx

as you can see, buying a "halfway" car is not the greatest option if you're going to have to rebuild. best bet would be to buy a 150,000 ish runner and start from there..

most parts are available in a few places in panchikawatte, but some take time to be brought down.... if you have relatives abroad, shipping it down will prove cheaper for smaller items.

runing costs are pretty low once everything is sorted, properly tuned cars will do around 10KM/l in colombo, insurance on a value of 300,000 comes to around 12,000 comprehensive.... and you dont have Radiator repairs to worry about !!

that about covers it..... i dont claim that this is a comprehensive guide... but it should provide a starting point. feel free to ask any questions

do read everything possible about the car before buying one, a Manual like Haynes (from Vijitha Yapa) will provide some good insight. use judgement and dont rush and you should be fine...

Cheers S_N

below are some links that might be useful

the discussion i initiated when loking for my beetle

http://forum.autolanka.com/index.php?showtopic=3017

Wikipedia Article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Beetle

Several beetle links

http://www.maggiolinoweb.it/uk_links.html

A Site Containing Owners manuals

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/type1.php

A Californian parts site (Mods if this is not allowed, please delete)

http://www2.cip1.com/

A general Info Site

http://home.hiwaay.net/~jfrohwei/vwac/home.html

and last but not least, pictures of my own rebuild..

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5759...mp;id=506251059

Good Hunting!!

[MADZ]

  Supra_Natural said:

umm.. i tried to add pics to illustrate the article but it says "too many pics"

i'll post the rest of the guide in a bit

good stuff mate....i'll put this as an article in the front page itself. will contact you for more details. thanks bro !

[Supra_Natural]

  MADZ said:

good stuff mate....i'll put this as an article in the front page itself. will contact you for more details. thanks bro !

no probs.... glad to be of service...

Cheers

[madmax]

Supra_Natural,

What is the going price of a good running condition VW Bus?

I remember the ambulance variants being in service until the late 90s', were those auctioned off? Some were in pretty decent condtion until they were decommisioned..

[lakshank]

Excellent post supra....It will be comprehensive if you add about VW varient...

I have seen some varients but they arent as common as the beetles.

I dont know much about them, but it appears to be a sports type coupe. Machan,if you have any details about varient please add them on.

we were once about to buy a VW Varient for 25000 Rs.it was in athurugitiya(2001 i think)..we were schooling those days and for some reason we couldnt make it a reality. but i think i have some VW taste left in me

cheers,

[Supra_Natural]

  madmax said:

Supra_Natural,

What is the going price of a good running condition VW Bus?

I remember the ambulance variants being in service until the late 90s', were those auctioned off? Some were in pretty decent condtion until they were decommisioned..

Im not too sure about the current Microbus market.... but i CAN tell you that a few examples were up recently in the papers for around 3-350,000, in "good condition" according to the ads... still with VW engines (dunno if they were the originals though...

Milindu might be able to give you some more detailed info..

[Rily]

Good bit of infor S/N

[milindu]

  Supra_Natural said:

Im not too sure about the current Microbus market.... but i CAN tell you that a few examples were up recently in the papers for around 3-350,000, in "good condition" according to the ads... still with VW engines (dunno if they were the originals though...

Milindu might be able to give you some more detailed info..

Last month there was one for 350,000 with a gas conversion (domestic cylinder btw). It seemed a quick 'buy and sell' paint job. There was one advertised with apparently fully modified with A/C, P/S etc etc for 1.2 million in a local magazine. You should be able to pick up a 'running wreck' for 100-300k but it will cost another 200-300k for a proper restoration.

I'm yet to see one in brilliant shape.

Ours is still in the works as an on going restoration. Currenty the gearbox is undergoing repairs. Will post a pic one of these days. This is the older Combi van model and not the ITN/Rupavahini model which came later.

Edited July 6, 2007 by milindu

[albertho]

nice write up :-)

very informative .. always been an eye catcher, but didn't know this much in detail about it :-)

[GTAm]

There's was a 1303 with "Herbie" livery advertised a couple of Sundays ago. Anyone know anything about this car?

[luv2xlr8]

  GTAm said:

There's was a 1303 with "Herbie" livery advertised a couple of Sundays ago. Anyone know anything about this car?

hey yeah..its my uncle's car. Have no fear in laying ur hands on it if you have any interest as it has been properly rebuilt from Scratch. Engine, body, interior...awesome sound system. Original VDO gauges.

[GTAm]

  luv2xlr8 said:

hey yeah..its my uncle's car. Have no fear in laying ur hands on it if you have any interest as it has been properly rebuilt from Scratch. Engine, body, interior...awesome sound system. Original VDO gauges.

Really can't afford anything new these days, but out of curiosity how much would a car like that fetch? And why is your unc selling?

[terrance]

  GTAm said:

Really can't afford anything new these days, but out of curiosity how much would a car like that fetch? And why is your unc selling?

DOES ANY ONE KNOW OF A CONVERTABLE BUG FOR SALE?ARE THERE ANY IN SL?

[GTAm]

  terrance said:

DOES ANY ONE KNOW OF A CONVERTABLE BUG FOR SALE?ARE THERE ANY IN SL?

I know of one. Owned by a Sri Lankan motor sport legend. I doubt very much that it is for sale.

[luv2xlr8]

I dont know of a Convertible but I've heard of some original ones. There are plenty of stuff where the hood has been cut and modified.

The only original RagTop in Sri Lanka belongs .... tooo uhhh my dad...and no way we aint selling it

[Supra_Natural]

  luv2xlr8 said:

hey yeah..its my uncle's car. Have no fear in laying ur hands on it if you have any interest as it has been properly rebuilt from Scratch. Engine, body, interior...awesome sound system. Original VDO gauges.

ah yes, that was the one that was advertised in the Obs Classifieds some time ago as well ne? wording on the ad was the same.... I thought the asking price in that ad was just a Tad ridiculous, rebuilt or not.... has it come down even a bit?

[Supra_Natural]

  GTAm said:

Really can't afford anything new these days, but out of curiosity how much would a car like that fetch? And why is your unc selling?

sorry i didnt see this earler..... I guess it'll fetch whatever somebody is prepared to pay for it, but when i saw the first ad in the observer for this car, several weeks before, the asking price was 900,000..... subsequent ads dont mention price, so im hoping that was a misprint

[Croozer]

  Supra_Natural said:

sorry i didnt see this earler..... I guess it'll fetch whatever somebody is prepared to pay for it, but when i saw the first ad in the observer for this car, several weeks before, the asking price was 900,000..... subsequent ads dont mention price, so im hoping that was a misprint

Machang,

I met one of ur friends at Lionel's joint last Sunday. He was Anthony who had brought his VW Beetle for a complete job i guess. Anyways he wanted me to say a BIG thank you for you for the introduction to Lionel

Cheers

[Supra_Natural]

  EVO_Croozer said:

Machang,

I met one of ur friends at Lionel's joint last Sunday. He was Anthony who had brought his VW Beetle for a complete job i guess. Anyways he wanted me to say a BIG thank you for you for the introduction to Lionel

Cheers

ah yeah machan.... thanks for relaying the message... my car was there too, did you see it?

[Croozer]

  Supra_Natural said:

ah yeah machan.... thanks for relaying the message... my car was there too, did you see it?

Yep bro had a good look around ur ride, brilliant machang. In fact I saw only the pics after it was completed but physically saw it last Sunday, worth the effort machang. Even Anthony's VW is in pretty good condition I guess ah .

Cheers