need vw resources

[mountaingoatgruff]

my sister in law just bought a 72 super beetle and needs help with it. she wants me to teach her how to work on it herself but since she's in texas and i'm in cali i can't help much. i need some good online resources to email her. i already had her buy htkyva. anything is appreciated.

 

in particular she needs to find out what engine she has (year, solid or hydro lifters, etc.), what carb she has (her mechanic said its not factory) and how the heat sheilds & cooling shrouds should be setup.

[Virrdog]

http://www.vwvortex.com

[davebugs]

Look for an old copy of the idiots book - try and find one with the ring binder kinda thing. It lays flatter when you're working on the car. Quite good precedures for adjusting valves, etc.

Hopefully this is the style of book that she bought. The newer ones don't lay flat.

 

It was updated in the later years - but not by John Muir if I recall - somewhere along the line he killed himself. An attempt but not as good as the original material.

 

There is a site (now that I rarely work on them) and it's not vwvortex - that seems to be mainly kids and watercooled VW's.

 

http://www.thesamba.com is the site. Appears to be good for buying/selling but I don't know about good info.

 

I haven't done anything I didn't already know how to do in years. If you do find a good site please post the link here.

 

Even a lot of the parts catalogs will help tell you which carb was stock, etc.

 

Gotta remember - they were very simple Lego cars. Hardly any left that are virginal. A lot of those catalogs you can look things up by engine#.

 

Keep the valves adjusted. Keep oil level constant - almost 3 quarts - I use 30 straight weight. I know it's obvious but the oil both lubricates and does some of the cooling as well.

 

That car should be pre-emissions which is good. Unfortunately it has the McPhearson strut setup. Just more expensive with no benefit that I can see.

 

One other suggestion. By now the rear is probably starting to sag. Best solution is JC Whitney(I'm not joking). Most of their stuff is crap but they are the only ones that seem to have the old VW listing for Gabriel air shocks. Makes a whole lot more sense than killing yourself adjusting the torsion bars.

 

Places that handle Gabriels locally have always been unable (or incompetent) to look them up so I always get them from Whitney. I used to have the part# but one time someone thought they would "help" me and cleaned up some cardboard in the garage. Yep - the part of the Gariel air shock box was one of the things missing.

 

Keep it from sagging - it'll only get worse and you really do want to avoid the torsion bar fix.

 

Fun cars - I have several but only one Super Beetle because it's a last year convertible.

[subiemech85]

start here! http://www.partsplaceinc.com/catalog/vw-air-cooled-beetle-ghia-bentley-manuals135.shtml

 

http://www.partsplaceinc.com are good people

 

and for the diesels http://www.vwdieselparts.com/