VW Classic Beetle E-Book

James Peene

• Herausgeber: The Crowood Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Maintenance and Upgrades Manual
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 280

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

VW Classic Beetle is the latest in the Maintenance and Upgrades Manual series which are based on real-life experience and written by expert authors. The original air-cooled VW Beetle is a hugely distinctive and popular classic car with over 21 million produced over a 65-year period. It is also an ideal starter classic for anyone looking to get their hands dirty. This new book includes: an illustrated timeline to the various models produced and a useful buyers' guide with a systematic approach. There is information on workshop tools and equipment and a service and maintenance schedule. How to maintain all aspects of the engine, transmission, brakes and bearings, suspension and electrics are covered. Information on modifications and upgrades for the engine, brakes and suspension including front beam, dropped spindles, spring plates, air ride, and wheels and tyres is included. Troubleshooting tips for when your car won't start or won't go into gear is given and finally, tips on restoration of the paint and bodywork, or respray. There are useful chapters on fitting an ISOFIX base for a child safety seat, as well as fire suppression.

Leseprobe

MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADES MANUAL

VW

Classic Beetle

MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADES MANUAL

VW

Classic Beetle

James Peene

First published in 2022 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR

[email protected]

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2022

© James Peene 2022

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7198 4014 2

Disclaimer Safety is of the utmost importance in every aspect of an automotive workshop. The practical procedures and the tools and equipment used in automotive workshops are potentially dangerous. Tools should be used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended procedures and current health and safety regulations. The author and publisher cannot accept responsibility for any accident or injury caused by following the advice given in this book.

Please note that things like timings, plug and points gaps and so on vary depending on year, model and engine size of the car. Those in this book are generic and correct for the car used throughout the book. They are also applicable to many, but not every, Beetle; the reader should consult a model-specific manual for their own vehicle.

Cover design by Blue Sunflower Creative

Contents

Acknowledgements and Image Credits

Introduction and a Brief History of VW

1 Where to Start?

2 Know Your Beetle: Year-by-Year Model Changes

3 Getting the Bug: Viewing and Buying Your Beetle

4 Tools: What You Need to Fix Your Bug’s Bugs

5 Service and Maintenance

6 Engine and Related Systems

6.1 Identifying and buying

6.2 Removal

6.3 Ancillaries, strip and clean

6.4 Carburettor

6.5 Electronic ignition

6.6 Starter motor

6.7 Troubleshooting/won’t start

6.8 Modifications/upgrades

7 Transmission

7.1 Axle gaiters

7.2 Gearbox removal

7.3 Clutch and flywheel

7.4 Shift rod

7.5 Troubleshooting

7.6 Modifications/upgrades

8 Brakes and Bearings

8.1 Front brakes

8.2 Front wheel bearings

8.3 Rear brakes, hubs and bearings

8.4 Handbrake

8.5 Modifications/upgrades

9 Suspension

9.1 Front suspension

9.2 Rear suspension

9.3 Modifications/upgrades

9.3.1 Front beam

9.3.2 Dropped spindles

9.3.3 Spring plates

9.3.4 Air ride

9.3.5 Wheels and tyres

10 Electrics

11 Paint and Bodywork

12 ISOFIX

13 Fire Suppression

Index

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Producing this book wouldn’t have been possible without a little help along the way. A number of trusted friends and specialists were called upon for advice, hints, tips and photographs of their work, so I would like to thank, in no particular order, Alan, Phil and Christine Sutton at Creative Coachworks, Max Edwards at EVA Resto, Alex Noel of Wolfsburg Restos, Georg Otto at CSP, Just Kampers, The VW Engine Company, Jon Gilbert, Steve Gosling, Mark Walker, Paul Knight, Jimbo Wallace, Jon Robinson-Pratt, Joe Dorsey and lastly, but most importantly, Sophie Pinder for putting up with it all.

IMAGE CREDITS

CSP, pages 89 (bottom), 90 (all), 113, 114 (top left, top right, bottom left), 115 (all), 135, 136 (top), 153 (bottom), 155 (bottom), 161 (all), 165 (top); EVA Resto, page 157 (bottom right), 158 (all three in left-hand column); Jimbo Wallace, pages 88 (top and bottom), 89 (top); Jon Gilbert, pages 114 (bottom right), 172, 173 (all); Jon Robinson-Pratt, cover image, pages 24 (bottom right), 60 (all), 61 (all), 62 (all), 154 (top and bottom), 155 (top left and top right); Just Kampers, pages 91 (bottom right), 175; Mark Walker, pages 101 (all), 102 (all), 103 (all), 104 (all), 105 (all); Paul Knight, pages 107 (top left and top right), 111; Steve Parsons, page 7.

Introduction and a Brief History of VW

Having decided to buy, restore or own a VW Beetle, you’re in luck. Volkswagen produced over 21million units of the model over the course of a 65-year production run. That’s a staggering achievement in anyone’s book and one that bodes especially well for the wannabe Beetle owner, as it means there are plenty to choose from and parts availability is absolutely second to none. Forget the likes of your Minis and MGs; if you are looking for a classic car for which you can truly get everything you need to build one from the ground up, a Beetle is the car for you.

German production began in 1938 and officially came to an end in January 1978, when VW switched over to building Golfs, but such was the demand for affordable, reliable transportation in countries like Mexico and Brazil, where countless examples were used as taxis and local transport, that it will come as no surprise to hear that satellite factories continued to turn them out long after the VW mothership had turned its back on air-cooled technology. In fact, the Beetle was only killed off once-and-for-all due to government legislation requiring all Mexican taxis to have four doors. And this measure wasn’t specifically aimed at killing the Beetle, but an attempt at reducing crime rates.

Some sections of the motoring press like to claim the Toyota Celica is the best-selling car of all time, but park one of the first and last generation Celicas side-by-side and the only thing they have in common is the name. Park a Beetle from 1938 alongside one of the last ones to roll off the line in 2003 and they are both clearly identifiable as Beetles.

That the Beetle should come to be so universally adored is quite frankly a marvel in itself. It’s impossible to talk about the Beetle without mentioning one of the men most instrumental in its birth – a certain Adolf Hitler.

It is ironic that we have one of the worst characters in human history to thank for the Beetle. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Hitler set out plans to mobilize the masses. He began building the country’s autobahns and set the wheels in motion for a car to populate them, one that the average worker could afford to buy and run.

The Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany.

The Nazis were the first to popularize the term ‘People’s Car’ and that’s what Volkswagen literally translates as when you break the German down into English. Okay, so they also called it the Kraft-durch-Freude Wagen, or ‘Strength through Joy Car’, but after World War II the much friendlier-sounding Volkswagen name was taken up instead.

Land to build the factory was originally commandeered from the Count of Wolfsburg and if you have ever wondered where the Wolfsburg crest on early VWs comes from, now you know. Another name forever linked to the Beetle is Ferdinand Porsche and we all know what he went on to do after coming up with the Beetle…. It was Porsche’s design team that won the contract to design the ‘People’s Car’ and that team also included the likes of Karl Rabe (chief engineer), Josef Kales (engine designer), Erwin Komenda (body specialist) and Josef Mickl and Franz Xaver Reimspiess. The latter also came up with the iconic VW badge.

There was even a savings scheme to help would-be owners buy their Beetle. Pay five German marks a month and receive a stamp in a savings booklet. When you had enough stamps you would receive your car, but sadly no one ever did. World War II came along and the factory began producing military vehicles such as the Beetle-based Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen instead.

Understandably, the VW factory was heavily bombed throughout the war and that really should have been it for Volkswagen. However, when the victorious Allies divided Germany up after the war, Wolfsburg was located in an area that fell under British control. A British Army Officer, Major Ivan Hirst of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), took control of what remained of the bombed-out ruins of the factory and, to cut a long story short, was directly responsible for getting the Beetle back into production.

Hirst discovered that the Beetle presses had escaped the Allied bombing, and with post-war Europe in dire need of transportation he decided the Beetle would be a welcome addition to the market. A pre-war Beetle was pulled from the ruins, painted khaki green and sent up to the British HQ in Germany for evaluation. The top brass liked the look of it so placed an initial order for 20,000 to be built, thus safe-guarding the immediate future of the factory.

However, there is one man more than any other whom we have to thank for turning VW into an automotive colossus – Heinz Nordhoff. He became the General Manager of VW in January 1948. Between then and his death in 1968, Nordhoff oversaw what is now regarded as the golden age of VW. He took the Beetle to hither-to undreamt of heights, green-lighting the Type 2 Transporter for production, as well as the Type 3 family and Karmann Ghia. Nordhoff also built up a vast network of dealerships and created factories all over the world, but none of that would have been possible if it hadn’t been for the humble little car we came to know as the Beetle.

As a result of being built in such vast quantities, there are still a ton of NOS (New Old Stock) parts for Beetles to be found and thousands of specialists who can sell you newly manufactured parts, fit them for you or restore your car from the ground up should you wish. But where is the fun in having someone do all the hard work for you? By reading this book it is a fair guess that you are already thinking you would like to have a crack at working on a Beetle yourself and that’s fantastic. It’s easy when you know how, as you are about to discover.

GLOBAL SUCCESS

The Beetle wasn’t just built in Germany. Such was its success that VW set up satellite factories all around the world to build them, either in their entirety or in kit form using parts shipped out from the mother factory. Hence, you can buy Beetles that were assembled in Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and even Ireland.

1

Where to Start?

If you have never worked on a car before but have decided to try your arm with a Beetle, then you’re in luck. An air-cooled VW is one of the easiest cars you could have picked to work on. Fact.

Whilst it can seem a daunting task at first, it’s actually pretty straightforward taking one apart. Putting it all back together again is, as the old saying goes, simply a reversal of the first process. So as long as you take plenty of pictures on your phone and make a few drawings if needs be, then you should be absolutely fine.

You don’t need to go this far with a Beetle, but they do come apart easily if you want them to. Cars are just a collection of parts – like adult Lego or Meccano.

It also really helps to watch as many YouTube videos on whatever job you’re planning to tackle as possible and, if possible, talk to a friend who really does know what they’re doing and rope them in with the promise of a good laugh, lots of tea or a few beers in the garage. It is also a good idea to join a VW club and visit some of the many Volkswagen shows that are held all over the country throughout the year. They are a fabulous way of amassing the parts you need, as well as for drawing inspiration from other cars.

As a rule, VW owners are a friendly bunch and will cheerfully put a glass eye to sleep once you get them talking about their vehicles and what they’ve done to them. Make friends with another VW geek and you will find a willing ally – someone who can help you look over a potential purchase, lend you tools and a hand whenever the need arises. You’ll find a lot of people come for the cars, but they stay for the scene that surrounds them. You will never be stuck for something to do when you buy a Beetle, that’s for sure.

Should the need arise, you can always hand your car over to a specialist to rectify anything that’s beyond your capabilities.

GOT TO START SOMEWHERE

What you need to remember is that everyone – no matter how good they are when it comes to wielding the spanners now – had to begin somewhere. You only become proficient at doing something through experience and you will not build any of that up if you’re too afraid to have a go yourself.

GETTING STARTED

If this is your first toe in the classic car water, where to start and in what order to tackle things can be a little confusing at first. The best advice on offer is to think about what really needs doing and how urgent any particular job might be. For example, ask yourself if you really need to completely disassemble your car. Does it genuinely need a full strip down, restoration and new paint job?

Blow something apart in your garage and it will be off the road for months – if not years – and there is every chance it may never see the light of day again. If you find this hard to believe, just take a look on a certain internet auction site in the ‘unfinished projects’ section. It’s full of broken dreams, unfulfilled promises and Beetles in boxes.

Carrying out a rolling restoration means that you can continue to drive and enjoy your car whilst steadily improving it over a period of time. Take it from those who know, a huge pile of parts going nowhere in the garage can weigh heavy on your mind, whereas there is no better motivation to see a project through than getting to drive and enjoy your car.

It also really helps if you break a Beetle down into simple, bite-size chunks. A Bug is really just a collection of parts. There is the main body, which is easily removable once you’ve disconnected all of the chassis bolts. Then you have the chassis itself, onto which is bolted the front suspension, engine and gearbox. Add on a few sundries like the brakes, fuel lines, wiring and interior and that’s really all there is to a Beetle.

What you’re going to do with all of those bits and in what order you tackle them is entirely up to you. It may be a case of simply changing the stance and look of the car with some new wheels and suspension upgrades, or you might want to carry out a full nut and bolt, body-off restoration. Either way, you should try to have a clear picture of what you want to achieve before you start taking things apart and then enjoy the process. If you’re not enjoying yourself then you’re less likely to see your project through to completion – and where’s the fun in that?

So, where do you start? Obviously with a car of your own. You may already have a specific year and model in mind; if not, the next chapter should help with that. Then again, you may already own the car you’re about to start work on, but it is recommended that you do as much research on the jobs ahead before you begin. Spend as many hours as you like trawling the internet sites and forums. Get a feel for what cars and parts are out there, how much every component and job costs and then add on some contingency money for all the additional work you weren’t expecting but will no doubt uncover.

Don’t be deterred, but one job always creates another and every twenty-minute job is just one broken bolt away from becoming a three-day nightmare. The flip side of that coin is that working on your own car can also be incredibly therapeutic and rewarding.

There is no better feeling than knowing you have fixed something yourself, even more so when someone asks who did something to your car and you can say: ‘I did.’

2

Know Your Beetle: Year-by-Year Model Changes

Whilst the essential shape of the car remained the same throughout the course of the Beetle’s lifetime, there were countless styling changes, mechanical upgrades and little details that make a huge amount of difference to collectors. Here are a few of the main things to look out for so you will know your ’63 Beetles from your ’73 Beetles when you see one.

SPLIT SCREEN: 1938–1953

This is the first-generation Beetle and so-called because of the two small rear windows. This version is without doubt the most collectable amongst the die-hard enthusiasts, but the cars are also the least useable thanks to things like their ‘crash’ gearboxes. What that essentially means is there is no synchromesh, so you’ll have to acquaint yourself with the knack of double-declutching or the sound of crunching gears.

A Beetle is not just a Beetle; there are many subtle differences from the first to last models built. How many can you spot here?

Engines in the Split Screen are a feeble affair, with just 25bhp as standard, the electrics run off 6-volts and they have semaphore indicators that today’s road users have an alarming tendency to fail to see.

Whilst Splits are the purest form of Beetle, the cars themselves and period correct spares are by far the most expensive to buy, so the first-generation Beetle really isn’t for most.

Split Beetles are without doubt truly fabulous cars, upon which the entire VW legend was born, but they are best left to the truly dedicated.

OVAL: 1953–1957

VW chopped the centre section out of the split rear window to create a single, small oval-shaped window, hence cars built in this era are commonly referred to as Ovals. Inside, they have a simplified dashboard; Splits have two exposed gloveboxes but Ovals have only one glovebox, with a metal door and more luxurious upholstery.

It’s all about the rear window on a Split – so-called for obvious reasons.

Take the split out of the rear window and you have an Oval.

You don’t get any more creature comforts in an Oval, but driving one is a more pleasurable experience than driving a Split thanks to the introduction of things like part-synchromesh gearboxes, larger 30bhp engines and hydraulic brakes.

Oval lovers will try to convince you that they are the best-quality Beetles ever made, and they do have a point, which makes both the cars and period-correct, quality parts more expensive than later examples. Items such as decent quality wings, doors and bonnets are more expensive than they are for ’60s and ’70s cars, but they’re worth spending money on as a good Oval is hard to beat.

EARLY BIG WINDOW: 1958

Legend has it that towards the end of the 1950s VW approached the Italian design studio Pininfarina and asked what changes they would make to the Beetle; apparently the only suggestion they came back with was to make the rear window larger. That’s exactly what VW did in 1957 for the 1958 model year and hence, these cars are now known as Early Big Window cars. The author’s project car is a ’58, so has a lot of Oval-era parts and details – for example, the late Oval-style steering wheel, fuel tank and semaphore indicators, but with the larger rear window and a redesigned dashboard that stayed with the Beetle until the end. These are quality machines and easier to live with thanks to their much-improved rear visibility. True enough, their 1192cc 30bhp engines won’t set the world alight, but they are sprightly enough, good on fuel and super-reliable if maintained as VW intended.

1958 models still retain a lot of cool Oval-era parts.

EARLY BIG WINDOW: 1959–1960

Beetles from this era are pretty much the same as those built for the 1958 model year but no longer have the semaphore indicators mounted in the door pillars. Indicators were added to the tops of the front wings and the rear tail-lights now flashed. Dashboards remained the same but the Oval-style steering wheels were replaced with a new two-spoke design with a semi-circular horn ring. Exterior door handles are now fixed affairs with push buttons, rather than the hinged ice-pick design of old.

Small taillights now flash as indicators as the semaphores were deleted. A Golde ragtop sunroof is a highly desirable option.

EARLY BIG WINDOW: 1961–1964

These sport larger rear lights that house separate flashing indicators. They also come with full synchromesh gearboxes and 34bhp engines, which make these later Bugs much nicer to live with on a regular basis. The heating system switched from stale-air to fresh air heat exchangers, so replacement components are cheaper and easier to come by today and fuel gauges were introduced to the dashboard, rather than just being an optional accessory as they were before.

BIG WINDOW: 1965–1966

The Beetle lost some of its cuddly charm for the 1965 model year, as the window size was increased all round. Perhaps confusingly, these are often just referred to as Big Window cars. Optional sunroofs went from being a large folding cloth sunroof to a smaller steel sliding design. As well as the 1200cc engine, you could now get a 1300cc engine. Front suspension was changed from a king- and link-pin setup to ball joint instead. Inside, a central air-vent was added to the dashboard to help with demisting, which was never a particular strong point for any model year of Beetle.

The perfect mix of charm and usability, it’s hard to beat a Beetle from this era.

BIG WINDOW: 1967

1967 was a big year for the Beetle and enthusiasts often bang on about cars built in this year, albeit incorrectly. Not all Bugs built in ’67 are special, as you could still order a 1200 or 1300 Beetle with drum brakes all round. However, the ’67 that gets everyone hot under the collar is the 1500cc model launched for that model year. It had the 1500cc (1493cc) engine and front disc brakes, which necessitated a different style of wheel with cooling slots and flatter hub caps. Electrics went from 6-volt to 12-volt. Engine lids were changed and, whilst the European market retained the prettier, sloping headlights, the US market ’67 came with the new style of upright headlights. There are loads of little details that get the ’67 fans excited, such as different door locks and valances and so on, but you can wander down that rabbit hole alone.

One year only means year-specific parts are harder to come by.

BIG WINDOW: 1968–1978

These cars are lumped into one category as the final incarnation of the Beetle looked essentially the same, bar some minor changes, until the end of German production. US safety legislation brought styling changes that not everyone agrees were for the best. The early Beetle’s much-loved sloping headlights were changed to a more upright design that in turn led to redesigned wings, valances and chunkier, squarer bumpers that are known as Europa bumpers. Even later models had the front indicators relocated to the bumpers rather than on top of the wings. Bonnets and engine lids became shorter, rear lights were increased in size, first for the Tombstone design and then to the Football or Elephant’s foot design, so-called for obvious reasons. Engine sizes were 1200, 1300 or 1600cc and all wheels were slotted four-bolt steels with flat hubcaps and drum brakes. Chrome trim became smaller and the dashboards eventually lost all traces of bling. Fuel filler flaps were added to the front quarter panel, whereas before you had to open the boot to fill up.

Note the larger windows and fatter front indicators.

Big changes here, such as big bumpers and rear lights. Upright headlights, too.

CONVERTIBLES AND RAGTOPS

Throughout the Beetle’s lifetime you could order a Cabriolet model. These were made by the coachbuilders Karmann in Osnabrück. Body styles, mechanical components and interiors were aligned with whatever was rolling out of Wolfsburg at the time, but the chassis was strengthened to make up for the loss of roof structure and they came with a snug, leak and draught-free hood. These cars had a full rear seat and windows that rolled down into the rear quarter panels, so don’t be fooled by any hack-jobs.

The roof goes down and the price goes up. Early Cabriolets and factory-fitted ragtops are some of the most saught-after Beetles today.

If the full Convertible was too much for you, there was the Golde sunroof option. Up to 1964 this was a folding fabric roof that gave birth to the name ‘ragtop’. From ’64 onwards the sunroof model was equipped with a steel sliding panel. All of these models command a premium today due to their relative rareness and undoubted cool factor.

1302 AND 1303 SUPER BEETLES

All of the models previously mentioned are known as ‘flat-screen Beetles’ because of their flat front windscreens. However, VW also offered another type of Beetle, one with a curved, panoramic front windscreen and a more bulbous front end, known as the 1303S. Before that, however, VW launched the 1302 in August 1970. It still had a flat windscreen, but the front end styling was revised to accommodate a different suspension set-up. Regular Beetles all have torsion bar suspension, but the 1302 had MacPherson-strut front ends and independent rear suspension (IRS) at the back. They also had a 1300cc engine and were only produced for two years before VW replaced them with the 1303S. The so-called Big Beetle was powered by a 1600cc engine and along with the bulbous front metal work, now came with the huge, curved windscreen. Inside, they have their own unique style of black plastic Beetle dashboard and whilst they’re the least popular model today due to their looks, they’re arguably one of the nicest factory-original Beetles to drive and, due to their lack of popularity, bargains can still be had.

Bulbous front end and panoramic front windscreen shouts 1303.

BASE MODELS

Known as Spar Käfers or Standard models, VW offered these as the budget option to those who didn’t want to pony up for a regular Beetle. They were more spartan offerings with less exterior trim (which was often painted rather than chromed), only partial headliners, and were a bit of a parts-bin special that used up the left-over components from outgoing models. For example, whilst in 1973 all regular Beetles came with Europa bumpers and large rear lights, a Base model still had the earlier-style, late 1960s taillights and slim blade bumpers, but without over-riders. They also only had only one sun visor (on the driver’s side, not on the passenger’s), rubber mats and very basic carpets.

No bonnet trim, painted indicator housings and bumpers scavenged from the parts bin mean only one thing: base model.

SPECIAL EDITIONS

VW offered a number of Special Edition Beetles to help boost sales over the years. Sun Bugs, Marathon Beetles, Last Editions, Velvet Editions, Jeans Beetles (with denim upholstery), Triple White Cabriolets, GT Beetles and so on. Don’t be fooled into thinking they are any more valuable because of their relative scarcity compared to the rest of the herd and be aware that finding model-specific replacements to restore one back to stock won’t be an easy task.

Jeans Editions came with black trim and denim seat covers.

MEXI BUGS

Whilst German production came to an end in January 1978, Beetles continued to be made in VW’s Brazil and Mexico factories. A small handful of companies shipped Mexican Bugs into the UK before production finally came to an end in July 2003 and, whilst they have 1600 engines with hydraulic tappets and front disc brakes, they have a reputation for rust. Find a good one that’s been well cared for and it will make an excellent and useable daily driver with good parts availability.

Great engines, but Mexican Beetles have a reputation for rust.

3

Getting the Bug: Viewing and Buying Your Beetle

Okay, so you’ve read the previous chapter and narrowed down which model is for you based on personal preference, intended usage and budget. Of course you haven’t. If you’re anything even remotely like the author, you’ve already decided what model and year of Beetle you want and the previous chapter has either justified your choice or you’ve decided to completely ignore that section anyway. Fair enough.

The one thing you really do need to consider is your budget. This will affect everything that follows, because the absolute best advice is to buy the best example you can afford. This will genuinely save you a huge amount of time and money in the long run, even if you have to save up a bit longer to buy the car you really want and miss out on a few that catch your eye along the way.

The golden rule when buying any car is never let your heart rule your head. Even if it’s the exact model and colour you have set your heart on, you’re better off walking away if the car isn’t as good as you had hoped or your budget allows.

Bringing any classic car up to scratch will always consume far more time and money than you budgeted for. Poking around a rusty Beetle is the very definition of opening a can of worms. One job always creates another and there’s no such thing as a quick fix, especially if you want your car to last and be reliable.

You are always much better off buying a good car in the first place, then you can add your own personal touches to stamp your mark on it. It might seem counter-intuitive buying a more expensive vehicle, but it’s nearly always cheaper than paying to put one right, especially if you can’t do all of the work yourself and have to pay others to do it for you.

Whilst this car might look a bit rough around the edges it is an original-paint car, so isn’t hiding shoddy repair work. Or so it appeared on first inspection, but you should never judge anything on first sight.

The biggest expense with classic cars of any type is fixing rusty bodywork. Rust repair is a time-consuming and therefore expensive undertaking. To repair rotten sections properly, you have to chop out the rust, buy or make replacement sections, weld them in, tidy them up, prep and paint them. On the other hand, replacing worn-out mechanical components is (usually) as straightforward as removing a broken item and bolting on its replacement. Hence, it is always recommended to buy a mechanically tired car with a decent body rather than a rusty one that appears to run well.

By now you’re probably itching to know what and where to check on a Beetle. It’s fundamentally the same on any Beetle – no matter that the year and age is not always an indication of how good something is. For example, a well-looked after ’60s car can be a more solid proposition than an unloved ’70s example.

It is a commonly held believe that earlier cars were better made than later examples, as VW used thicker metals and higher grade materials. True or not, always buy on the basis of good condition and if you’re not entirely sure about something, get a second opinion or simply walk away and wait for the right car to come along. VW genuinely built enough cars to go around – and then some.

You should also consider buying a left-hand-drive car from abroad. A lot of people are apprehensive about sitting on the ‘wrong’ side of the car, but they really shouldn’t be. All of the pedals and controls are the same as a right-hooker, the gears are in the same location, and there’s nothing to catch you out. Sure, there’s the odd moment here and there where you can’t see around a parked vehicle to pull out, but when you drive something as charming as an old Beetle, most people tend to let you pull out and then overtake you for driving too slowly.

BODYWORK

Believe the saying that shiny isn’t always best. There can be all manner of hidden horrors and bodges lurking beneath a fresh coat of paint. So, if you’re looking at a car that has been ‘restored’, ask who carried out the work and to see some receipts. A seller with nothing to hide will be only too keen to share this sort of information if the job has been carried out correctly and it helps sell the car, less so if they’ve just slapped lipstick on a pig.

A car sporting original factory paint – even when it is sunburnt and has a good smattering of surface rust – can still be a better proposition than a supposedly restored car, as you know it isn’t hiding anything untoward. So where do you look? Pretty much everywhere, but there are a couple of key areas that ‘go’ on all Beetles.

Doors that drop when you open them and need lifting to close properly indicate worn hinge pins.

Bubbles under the window rubbers indicate rust setting in. Holes here lead to water seeping in, destroying carpets and floorpans and anywhere else it’s allowed to sit.