1978 SP Beetle Project

Herbie · Post by **Herbie** » Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:55 pm

This was a good weekend...my fingers are sore but the progress was good. I stripped off the old stickers on the roof and replaced it with a new set. At the same time I replaced the window rubbers of both the rear quarter windows...next time I will do it in summer

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Eugene · Post by **Eugene** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:14 am

The car is really not looking very pretty. I am looking for a car to build a Baja.....this will be a nice base. Let me know if you want to swop vor Cortina v6 engine

Riaan.N · Post by **Riaan.N** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 8:16 pm

Looks very nice...Good job!

The thing that pats my back, is when I look at my beetle and know/remember all the things/work I have done on it

...and it never gets old

Post by **Bugger** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 8:26 pm

Good progress made

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Herbie · Post by **Herbie** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 9:43 pm

Made Some good progress over the last few weeks. I cleaned out the wiring in the nose and fitted a new headlight relay. I also had the 14” Rostyles repainted and added a set of fresh rubber. I drilled holes in the front fenders that someone closed off very meticulously, in order to fit new round reflectors. I also fitted an original SP radio. I had to build modified brackets as someone cut the dash hole bigger at some stage.

Herbie · Post by **Herbie** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:43 am

The mystery of the colour of my SP is solved. When I bought the car it had some parts missing...after some research, and speaking to some experts I gathered enough info on SPs to write a complete article, including a method to “read” the VIN plate. My newfound wisdom unfortunately revealed that my red car in fact was not supposed to be red...the paint code for the Calypso Coral red for the SP is 14 and my car's paint code is 40.

Thanks to IMPI I now have a colour card of the code 40...Topaz Metallic Gold!

So I guess a respray is on the cards for the future. I still have one mystery to solve and that is why there would be gold on a SP. so far John Lemon and IMPI's combined theory makes the most sense...my car is a 78, one of the last SPs and someone with deep enough pockets, and maybe a connection at a dealer, ordered one in a special colour...who knows? The truth is out there...

I have also finally managed to get the RWC and license...now I can finally drive my car around!!!

Haans · Post by **Haans** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:09 am

Go forth !! Enjoy ! Let the purists worry about the correct colour for a while

Haans

Post by **Tony Z** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 1:46 pm

good news on the RWC. Enjoy her and take more pictures

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Wed Oct 28, 2020 3:58 pm

Lovely SP.

What size tyres are you using on those Rostyles?

I'm busy with a 76 Beetle and thinking of going the SP look

Herbie · Post by **Herbie** » Wed Oct 28, 2020 8:57 pm

Hi. I fitted 185/70x14 and they do not look too bad.
N

Herbie · Post by **Herbie** » Mon Jan 25, 2021 7:35 pm

I am super excited about my recent change. When I got the car it had the linkage that came with the 44 Webers...the one that pushes from the top.

Not only was it too big and in the way so much so that I could not fit the rain catcher I sourced, it was a horrible drive.

I sourced another linkage through IMPI which is very much the same as the SP linkage and fitted it recently. I completed the job today and boy o boy...it makes a huge difference. The throttle response is excellent and feather lite. It fits the same way as the SP linkage, underneath the alternator. I am super stoked. I now need to fit a new pipe to the breather system until we can back to the original breather system. Slowly but steady we are getting there.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Post by **Tony Z** » Tue Jan 26, 2021 5:13 pm

Good move.
That looks like the old B.A.S style linkage - very good product

Post by **calooker** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 9:57 am

The centre linkage section looks like a China item that comes with the China carb kits?

Haans · Post by **Haans** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 8:11 am

Herbie boet,.....can you give me a closeup or two ofthis setup you have now,....sitting with an engine "links" on a Dellorto setup,.....but have no plan yet on how to get it to work without messing up the current cabling system.

Want to go this rout as above ,..but have no drawing or sketch,....take it the angles are important.

Regards Haans

Herbie · Post by **Herbie** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:19 am

Hi Haans

No worries. This is as I have it installed. We are still trying to figure out whether the block bracket must go in this way or turned around 180 degrees...same pudding, just another sauce. I twill offset the center to the right about 12mm if you turn it around.

Aircooled VW South Africa