beetle buying advice

[MarshallGTi]

hey guys, i know i'm new to the forum so pls forgive the questions.
i'm in the market to buy a beetle, gonna need a daily for a few months til my mk2 is sorted and back on the road. i'v seen plenty with prices from R10k-R20k. i know forkall about AC dubs, i cut my teeth in an audi worshop. so what are the main things to look for when going to view a beetle? where are the major rust spots? what should i check motor wise (12v altenator conversion etc)? basically what are the signs that i should walk away or that i should grease the guys palm?
many thanks...

[Sambabus]

Im no beetle expert,but I do believe that they rust really badly under the battery tray,(under the back seat on the passenger side of the car.) Also,check the pan for any rust,and then get a good idea of how bad it is. Like any car,give it a thourough once over,take your time,and chech it in GOOD DAYLIGHT,dont check it at night or early in the morning. Listen to the engine,listen for rattles,knocks or anything else that doesnt sound like it should. The tappets do make a bit of noise,but youre a machie,you should know this. Check for rust around the windows,and under the rubbers,chech the doors where the hinges are attached,sometimes they rust through and need to be welded or replaced. Fenders arent to much of an issue,they can be replaced fairly easily,depending on model of course (obviously early bug parts are difficult to find) Check the wiring,usually its a disaster and looks like a rats nest,but if it works,its fine for the time being. Check brake lines and fuel lines for cracks.

Dont be fooled into thinking beetles are cheep run arounds that just go and go,people think that AC dubs run on karma and need no maintainance. If you get the bug running 100% then it will be a reliable daily driver,if you dont,you might pick up shit.

Any one else care to give some advice,maybe a beetle driver?

[Retrobug]

strange things these Bug's!
I looked at a few until I found one that spoke to me!
Yup, saw a few better ones and worse ones but only one stuck in my mind and haunted me!
Your Bug will find you, not the other way around!

[MINCE]

Check the flywheel for play. Check for oil leaks around the cylinder heads.
Look for evidence of leaking brake cylinders. check gears if they stay in, especially 4th gear.
check for obvious signs of respray.
Test drive it thoroughly. If it feels unsafe at first impression, walk away.

[fig]

Look for rust in the heater channels (where the body joins the pan), and also each side of the rear window.
Look for signs of collision damage in front and rear.
Pull back and forth on the crank pulley (end float). If there is any detectable movement the engine needs a rebuild and the case may even be scrap. Maximum end float is 0.006 inch.
Are there any major oil leaks, especially from around the flywheel or around the oil cooler inside the fan housing.
Is the engine clean? Dirty engines run hot and imply neglected maintenance.
Do the brakes work well and does the car stop in a straight line?
Jack up the front and check for lateral play on the front wheels, which may mean worn king & link pins. Is there uneven tyre wear?
Does the car shift up and down through all the gears without crunching or difficulty. Is there excessive noise/whining coming from the transmission?

In general I would recommend finding the most original car you can. The more things have been changed, the more likely you are to run into trouble.

[fig]

Another thing: take your time. I recommend budgeting at least six weeks for your search. Whatever you do, don't fall in love with the first car you see. Even if you don't know Beetles, you will soon get a feel for the good and the bad after checking out a few of them. There are lots of Beetles for sale, so take your time and find the best one.

[Klaus]

Good advice above.

My advice is to find a forum member in the know in your area and take them along. A second opinion and clear eyes will help.

[MarshallGTi]

thanks for the input guys... i'll write it all down and takes notes on the ones i view. i get that they arent perfect run-arounds, but i'm not gonna spend twice as much cash on a 1.3 citi. theres just something about a beetle that draws me in every time i see one.

what are the main issues with wiring? how expensive would it be to sort King+links? *noob question* heater channels?

as for time, i'm looking at maybe 2 weeks. out of necessity, not by choice... i have a mate i used to work with, he had a beetle for many years so he's willing to come along.

[MINCE]

Good advice above.

My advice is to find a forum member in the know in your area and take them along. A second opinion and clear eyes will help.

That is a good piece of advice

[Klaus]

I cost a few beers if you need help

[MarshallGTi]

beers are never in short supply Klaus... what area u in?

[Klaus]

Fourways area.... But will travel for beer

[fig]

what are the main issues with wiring? how expensive would it be to sort King+links? *noob question* heater channels?

Main issue with wiring is auto electricians. They never take the time to identify the fault; they just add a bypass cable. After a few of these the wiring looks like a rat's nest. One of the first things I do when I get a new ACVW home is to strip out ALL the non-stock wiring and then reconnect all the original cables correctly, while cleaning all contacts, especially at the fuse box and earths. This usually gets everything working as it should.

I think the parts for a Beetle K&L job are under R1,000, but it's a big job that requires a hydraulic press and some care, especially on reassembly. Caster and camber on a Beetle are set by moving around spacers on the K&L pins, which requires careful and precise measurement.

Rust repair usually means taking the car off the road for some time and is very expensive unless you have the welding skills to do it yourself. Properly repairing heater channels usually means removing the body from the pan. We live in a dry climate inland; there's really no need to buy a car with cancer rust unless it's an especially rare model or configuration.

[MarshallGTi]

if i have a quality wiring diagram i could do it myself. as for the welding, i could if i needed to but i'd rather not but i wont buy it if its rotting. suspension on a beetle worries me. is it possible to fit coilovers front and rear?

[fig]

suspension on a beetle worries me. is it possible to fit coilovers front and rear?

Anything can be done with enough time, money and skills. I can't see the benefit of coilovers in a Beetle. Torsion bar springing is an excellent system; the only reason why it's not much used these days is because it takes up more space and is more expensive to manufacture than Mcpherson struts.

Changing the springing won't dispense with K&L pins though. You could use a post-66 German front end with ball joints instead of K&L pins. I doubt a Beetle K&L job would cost more than R2k. Maybe someone who's done it recently can let us know what they paid.