Project Advice

[James B]

OK, the mrs has been on and on for ages about her "dream" car. Despite every effort on my part to make her see sense, this still remains a convertable old skool beetle. She wants it in a minty green colour with white wheels and white leather trim with green piping. Thats her rather technical spec.

Despite previously being a mechanic for a few years before leaving the industry, I somehow never actually managed to work on one of the old Beetle, but have been re-assured that they are pretty simple.

Now call me ignorant, (I couldn't give a crap about the horrible cars is more like it) but i don't know a thing about them really. Did they come as convertables back in the day or will this have to be a conversion I set about doing. And even if they did come in soft top form, would it be cheaper anyway to do the conversion rather than source and then fork out for the topless job.

Also, what year did they STOP becoming tax - exempt, just out of interest?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm just putting my feelers out at the moment but this would make an awesome Xmas present for her if I pull my finger out my arse and get cracking.

Cheers in advance

James

[James B]

bugger, also forgot to ask if anyone knew of a novaload esque website for the beetle, would be very handy indeed :+:

James

[James B]

JESUS CHRIST just been doing a little research on my own, there seems to be two types of beetle cab, one which is effectively a hard top with a big sunroof, then a proper soft top version. Found a couple of examples of what I'm after. This for example would be ideal as a base:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/londoner_2001/beetlecab.bmp

however, this is ?7500 :o and thats the cheapest I've found too. Would be taking an angle grinder to the roof be an acceptable alternative, as long as relevant additional strengthening is added and no sharp edges left either lol

James

[ANDYRACER]

There's a guy near me who is really into the beetle he's got about 6 and there all shitters :lol: Well basically they have the same engine as the vw campers (hippy vans) the engines are slow and air cooled and tend to over heat esp. in traffic jams. If u go to view one make sure the chassis is good there the same as novas really all the panels can be bought again and im sure there is a club for them. There is also a mag called Vw World (i think) that is just for the beetles and the campers. And y not build a buggy? There is all so a vw specialist place where my dad used to get his bit for his camper near trafford park. I hope this helps

[burgo]

the beetle you want is the wizard. my cousin has got a mat black one with a fucked cream hood but it still looks the mutts nuts

[Riggy]

lol cant help you with the beatle but my girlfriend is wanting a project at the min aswell

a mk2 xr2 :lol:

[burgo]

if it were a mk1 xr2 id let her off

plus check this minter
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9873&item=4539636819&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

[epo]

theres a lad on here called chris w iirc he's into his bettles

http://www.novaload.net/forums/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=305

[ANDYRACER]

Yeah i rem him bt wasnt sure if he still came on here.

[NovaloadedAgain]

Lol your all wrong but have some correct info.

Ok, They made convertibles later then the first produced hard top beetle.

I think the first one was around 1949. The first Beetles were split oval rear windowed versions.
The later models came with different front wings & rear lights like the popes nose rear lenses, The elephant foot rear lenses being the last models. probably 1970+

They still maked em until around 2000 the old shape, In Spain & you could import em over here as RHD or LHD.
Still with no technology! Lol.

The model your missus is on about is a Model known as the Karmann convertible-I hate to say this but she has expensive taste my friend! Around 5.5k upto 10k! Its definately best to but a convertible already factory made. Much easy to sell & look better.

The Wizard roadster, Now these look very cool, But you need to chop up a beetle & do alot of bodywork to look good, Not always good, But you can buy em already done alot cheaper then a Karmann! probably 2k plus.

Try & get one of the rarer models like the 1302 they were about the best for the 70's, They had nice positioned headlights, 1303 was a good common nice shaped one.the Beetle had many face lifts-Mostly the angles of the headlights.

Beetles are prone to rot & floor pans etc, there are various engine specs from 1200cc (maybe even 1100cc)-1600cc. All air cooled. You can put a porsche speedster lump in one! Or even better a 911 in it, But you will spend about 15k! Lol.

I like the Karmann Ghia aswell its more like a coupe, Very expensive though.
If you do get one it needs to be before 1975 to be tax exempt. Need any more info let me know, I know too much on these, I used to work for a garage that specialised in restoring all VW's. Fastbacks, Split screen campers etc.

Also the mag you wana get to see these like Total Vauxhall really, With classifieds & a how to section is called Volksworld. :)

[ANDYRACER]

Yeah its all coming back to me now my dad used to have one of the vans and his mate had a beetle i remember everything u just said its mad. U need to spend lots of time on them to restore one.

[James B]

The model your missus is on about is a Model known as the Karmann convertible-I hate to say this but she has expensive taste my friend!

tell me about it!!! Thanks very much for all the useful info mate - didnt catch your name though geezer, but much appreciated all the same, will start my google searching!!

James

[Chris_W]

99% of beetle convertibles from the factory were made by Karmann! The only other ones were made by Hebmuller, and if you can find an original one now, no matter what condition your talking ?30K plus, proper stupid money! The ones you will see most of are 1302 and 1303 convertibles, as these were produced in the later years. These have slightly more technology in that they have disc brakes on the front and macpherson strut suspension, as opposed to the earlier cars torsion beam front end and drums all round. The earlier cars look better and are far simpiler, but they cost a premium, to be honest any convertible old skool VW will. for a tatty one your probably looking at ?3.5K up to about ?12K for an out and out show winner. Beetles are fairly simple as their flat four air cooled design makes them a piece of piss to work on, and you can take the complete front end off a beam car with about 6 bolts and half an hour. They truly are a car you can take apart with a socket set and little else. Only thing is once you take it apart you find rust, then you buy a welder.... You can see where I'm going with it ;)
As for the Wizard kits, they did a few different styles, an out and out 2 seater, a 2 + 2 and a few others besides. Tjhey also did different kits, the really old ones used a complete new fibreglass bodyshell, the later cars just being a fibreglass panel to bond on, and strengthening plates to bolt/weld to the chassis.
All the above is just a rough outline, as it's late and i'm tired, so if the info isn't 100% don't flame me :)
As for a website, try www.volkszone.com they have a pretty active forum and most people are friendly, even if they are a little snobbish. Hey if you really eager you can always buy my beetle off me as thats going back up for sale shortly.

Chris

[Dave]

more advice AVOID volks dreams they are a place in ely they will do nothing but rip you off/cause damage to the car!
and Amr motors in newmarket do subaru engine conversions 1.8/2.0t/2.2 but i would be hard pushed to reccomend them as andy is a bit of a bodge it merchnat

[Chris_W]

Oh yeah, on the subject of projects/engines, you can put any engine in a beetle. Don't got for a Porsche engine as it's a flat 6 and won't fit the rear end without major agro. Your best of going for an Alfa or Subaru lump. My mate had an impreza turbo lump in his, completely standard apart from air filter and exhaust, and it would eat porsches for breaakfast. Wasn't too keen on being stopped by solid front discs and drums though!!! LOL

Chris

[Chris_W]

AMR a bit of a bodge? LMFAO!!!!!
We had to take their work out and start again after the car ate a gearbox in 80 miles. When we took it out we found the adapter plate they'd used was on the piss, so they clearanced the gearbox with a dremel/angle grinder and this made the gearbox bolts weak, so it snapped the gearbox case on a hard launch. The conversion is easy, you'd be better off doing it yourself, there's a few guides on how to do it on the internet if you look about. The adapter plates you want are made by Kennedy in the states, superb quality, unlike the shit AMR use.

Chris

[Chris_W]

Yup Volksdreams in Ely do have a bad rep, not had anything done by them mind. My mate has had a few issues though as he owns the registered company name Volksdreams, as he was going to do his own VW business as a side line to It contracting.

Chris

[~~joycey~~]

http://www.novaload.net/images/car_images/647big5.jpg

[James B]

that beetle is perfect in above pic ^^ saw a conversion on that Wizard site thing, hmm, perhaps i should just stick to what i know! nah sod it, this could be fun..

[Chris_W]

Wizards aren't bad with the roof down, but look damn hideious with the roof up!

Here's some nice examples:

Hebmuller
http://members.aol.com/cgearannex/BBHebRHSR.jpg

Early Beetle Convertible
http://members.aol.com/foxcraft/TM2004JackL6235rsz.JPG

Or have you considered a ragtop? Nice straight cheap example here: http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=155820

Chris