My New Baby(1972 VW Super Beetle)

That is so exciting!   Congrats to you!      I love those beetles!   Have fun!  

that sounds like a fun project!!!

When I was in grad (art) school @ Cranbrook, we used to pile 6 of us in this little 1949 (IDK, it was old is all I remember) beetle and drive down to greek town in detroit...   man that was fun.. and a bit tighter with full bellies on the way back!

Oh, you brought back memories.  I learned to drive standard on a beetle in the 70's and I was hooked!  My very first beetle I bought from my supermarket manager for $50....yes,  fifty dollars!  I drove it for 3 years.  You CANNOT kill those things.

Good luck with your new baby and I'll await the pictures.

Ah, finally. A subject that I have a vast amount of experience with.

First hint: There is no oil filter and while the engine is called air cooled, most of the cooling is done by the oil. Change it  very frequently. (Note: it only holds about 2 quarts. Don't overfill!)

Second hint: The valves are not hydraulic. They need to be adjusted frequently. Every 2000 miles is not to often. Fortunately, it's easy to do once you get the hang of it. 15-20 minutes tops.

Third hint: Yes, all of that sheet metal around the engine is necessary, as are the little boots on the spark plug wires. Do not run the engine without them. Serious damage will occur.

Fourth hint: If the steering begins to shake it is not an alignment problem. The fault lies with the "steering damper". It's a small shock absorber-like device attached to the tie rod.

Fifth hint: If you feel like you need front struts first check the tire pressures. 18 psi front, 29 psi rear. Anything higher, particularly in the front and it rides like a lumber wagon.

Sixth and possibly the most important hint: Never, never run the engine without the fan belt installed. If the generator light comes on IMMEDIATELY stop and make sure that the belt hasn't failed. The belt drives not only the alternator but the cooling fan. Remember, air cooled! Your best bet is to carry an extra belt and the tools necessary to replace it. I cannot stress this enough. If that belt is broken you cannot run the engine at all without doing serious damage.

One more thing; the drum brakes are not self-adjusting. I bought a beetle once for $100 because the owner thought it needed a complete brake job. They just needed adjusting.

I just checked, I still have an official factory manual for your car. If you want to pay postage I'll mail it to you. I also have a copy of the excellent John Muir book, "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive". Same deal if you're interested.

To avail yourself of this offer PM me. Likewise if you have any questions. I'm retired and would be happy to help all I can.

Oh how cool is that!  Old Guy gave you excellent advice.  The first car the hubby and I restored together was a 72 Super Beetle.   Paid $500.00 for it (running but needed work).  Relatively simple compared to today's car, the Beetle was a blast to work on.  A few hours of body work and quite a bit more on internal work, and we had a zippy little beauty.  I drove it to work three times, and actually had somebody walk up to me and offer $4,000 for the fully restored darling. Totally shocked,  I handed the keys over two days later.   And thus started my love of antique cars....

Old Guy has good sound advice. I remember as I was growing up, my mom's cars were all VW Beetles and Hatchbacks. Talk about good cars but oh, the repairs my Dad had to work on every night after work, would take him two weeks to get those bugs running smooth. Mom took the bugs LONG distance driving, as much as two hours drive. She had a 1960's several times and one 1975 bug that was a piece of **** as Dad quoted on that bug. They sold the 75 bug FAST! Kept breaking down because the engine block was made of aluminum instead of steel.

Yes MOST important are the fan belts. I can not stress that enough.

Also, they are great "sledders" in the snow LOL! But they are so lightweight, you would get stuck easily in the ditch however easy to get it out with a couple of strong guys pushing the VW out.

Oh yeah!  What a find!