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Hello dear members.
I'm looking for a road test about 1974 VW Fun Bug. Since this car is unique to South African market, it seems that no other car magazine has ever tested it except South African CAR magazine.
After lots of searching, I could only find the first page of the road test (the one in the attachment).
I was told you can help me to find the missing pages here.
Thanks in advance for your help.
There seems to be a few inaccuracy in this report.
The main one looks to be that it should read MPH and not KPH
The terminal speed of the beetles where about 120 KPH not 70 KPH (yes 70 MPH)
The tank range should also be about 420 Km (or 290 M)
Herman
1952 Split Beetle 1835cc
1968 Fastback 2Lt.type4
1972 Low Light Bay Panel Van 2Lt type 4
1975 Fleetline Panel Van 1914cc
2020 MeFusco Beetle Truck 2Lt type 4
1972 FT Hahn SP 1776 cc
The only thing I read wrong in the article was the fuel tank range.
They say it uses 7.3L/100kmm has a 40 liter tank and can only go 292km - by my maths, that should have been 545km
Anyway, coming back to your question.
The Fun bug was no different to any other bug of that era that was made by VW of SA. Maybe it had radial tyres when others didnt and maybe it had a unique rev counter. But the car itself was the same. The engine would have been the exact same unit as used in any other 1600 model (except the 1600SP which had twin solex carbs), brakes were the same.... everything mechanical would have been the same.
It was little more than a marketing ploy to get sales up again.
Similar things happened with vehicles like the Jeans Bug, Sun Bug and various others made across the world at the time that sales were dropping and the end of production started becoming a reality.
So if you cannot find the report unique to the Fun Bug, you could look at any report from the same era for a good reference.
Dawie wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 4:00 pmFound that test. There is 2 more pages.
Unfortunately no scanner connected to my computer and some software challenges. Will see what i can do.
Wooow!! That's amazing!! Could you please take some clear photos of the missing pages using your smartphone? I really need the data panel of the test!
Thanks a million for your collaboration my friend!
Last edited by VW 1302 S on Sat Mar 27, 2021 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tony Z wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 1:53 pm
So if you cannot find the report unique to the Fun Bug, you could look at any report from the same era for a good reference.
You are right but there is something that makes this special test important for me. The reason is that in this test, the bug has managed to hit 80 km/h in just 9.8 seconds! (0-80 km/h 9.8 s)
This is the fastest ever time I have ever seen for any production Beetle with 1600 engine. I have read others tests of the same magazine in which other 1600 Beetles have been tested like 1600 S (Super Beetle) and 1600 SP with 58 hp. Their 0-80 km/h times have been around 10.9 s and 0-100 km/h time of 16.8 s.
So, I can guess that this Fun Bug (with faster 0-80 km/h) has probably clocked a faster 0-100 km/h time too (along with faster 1 KM time).
Therefore, I think this test can be a good reference to the fastest ever stock Beetle 1600 in the world!!
Tony Z wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 5:55 pm
I dont think you are entirely correct about the fastest 0-80 time...
1600S, unique to South Africa, with twin Solex carbs - 0-80 in 8.2
That's not 0-80 km/h! That's 0-100 meters in 8.2 s! (8.1 s in the Fun Bug test)
I have this test. If you read acceleration data (not distance data) it is clear that 0-80 km/h = 10.9 s not 8.2 s (way slower than 9.8 s)
It seems that 1974 Fun Bug has achieved the fastest times ever. I also have some German magazine scans about VW 1302 S. They are also slower than Fun Bug.
I think this 1600 S is not twin Solex. It has 37 kw net power = 50 hp. So, it is probably single Solex not twin Solex with 58 hp.
It is interesting that in the test you posted, it has been mentioned that this Super Bug did not match the Fun Bug (1974 test!) in terms of acceleration.
Camera of my phone is below useless, so used a 20 year old Canon camera. Incompatible with newer operating systems, downloaded pics to an old XP computer. Which battled to resize to be acceptable size for forums...
But eventually,
Staying Aircooled is so much nicer.
Do'nt assume anything- (While doing fault-finding).
Source is a copy of that Car test, as found republished in the Brooklands series. Thats why page numbers differ. First page identical to yours marked P129 there.
Staying Aircooled is so much nicer.
Do'nt assume anything- (While doing fault-finding).
Dawie wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:40 pm
Source is a copy of that Car test, as found republished in the Brooklands series. Thats why page numbers differ. First page identical to yours marked P129 there.
Thanks a million for your effort my friend but I can't read the numbers correctly. Could you please tell me the following data of the test? 0-100 km/h = ? (Acceleration from rest)
60-80 km/h in 4th gear = ?
80-100 km/h in 4th gear = ?
Thanks again my friend!
What great times! 0-100 in under 16 s with the stock 50 hp 1.6L engine! I don't know how CAR has managed to achieve such extremely fast times with a stock Beetle!! That's Mind-blowingly fast!! I'm really impressed!
The best time I have seen for a stock VW 1302 S in German magazines is 18.3 s 0-100 km/h!
