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I am looking to purchase a 1971 beetle locally for $800 it is melon orange and the body and interior are in great condition and it seems to run pretty good but I know nothing about them and hoping that someone could let me know what to look for and what to ask.I'm pretty dumb when it comes to vw's and don't even know the difference between single and dual port but I fell in love with this car as soon as I seen it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hiya mcooke,
There are tons of things to know about VWs before going out and buying one. For us to give you a tip or two would be a dis-service to you. Knowing too little and not having the experience to interpret what you see could get you into trouble. You would be well advised to do some homework before getting out your wallet. Short of that, you are wading in an area with a dangerous undertow.
Yeah, yeah.....I know....."boy, this is really a neat car and I wanna buy it." Have you heard the old phrase, "buying a pig in a poke"? A poke was a bag. You couldn't see the pig so you had to take the owner's word on the deal. That's where the dangerous undertow mentioned above comes into play. Gather up some education about VWs and there will be no "poke".
By the way, this is a good place to hang around and read others' experiences, ask questions, and gather facts. In other words, find out what you need to know before you go out buying.
Mike
1970 AS Bug
hey no offence, but if this bug is so good then u have to ask yourself why only 800 bucks hmmm. it may be patched up and 10 miles down the road she'll crumble. but if you got your heart set on it then be sure to get it inspected by a reputable vw mechanic and then the fun begins as there is so much to learn.
This just may be a great deal. I started of the same way knowing absolutley nothing of vdubs other than general workings of an engine etc. through time many head scratching moments and dont forget all the repair manuals i persevered. Im the proud owner of a 70 camper. paid 2000 bucks up here in canada, i bought her not knowing of a cracked block, partial seized brake calipers, wore out clutch,geez where do i stop. but now 3 years later she shes a beauty and appraised at over 12000.
so all this said just be careful and go into this with open eyes and any questions im sure you will get an honest answer in here. good luck
VW prices vary greatly within the US depending on where you live. Supply is far lower on the east coast than the west, making decent cars much more expensive in the east. It sounds too good to be true, so you should certainly have the car inspected by a VW specialized shop before buying.
The question is: Are you looking for a car or to get into the VW hobby?
If you just want a cheap car to drive around in, then skip it because old VWs take lots of maintenance and TLC to keep them happy. They are holdovers form days gone by. If you're at least somewhat handy and aren't afraid of grease and some hard work, as long as the body is straight and solid, everything else is replaceable.
I'd take it for a nice ride. How's it steer, brake, burn any oil? does it stall or idle nicely? Check under the floor mats - are there any floors left? how about the heater channels (rocker panels)
Other areas prone to rust are under the back seat by the battery and behind the badk seat under the rear window and in the little storage areas back there.
If everything loks pretty good, then a simple compression test can give you a rough idea of how good / bad the engine is. All cylinders should measure about 100 lbs of pressure and all be pretty close to each other.
If everything still seems OK at this point, you've probably got a nice deal. You should still expect to drop some more $$$ on it to really get it back in shape.
I bought a solid, but cosmetically shot 74 about 5 years ago for $950.00 It took about $1,000 - 1,500 in parts to get everything right again. - Then paint was about $3,500. It's been rock solid reliable since the day I got it and I have no fears about taking long runs.
Good luck. This is where your journey begins. - like the other posts say - a LOT of learning
Mike
Well like ta point out that ifn ya do get a buggy right ? << As in pretty much restored?<< By some one in the know ? You can drive hell out of um for year,s with very little maintenance . Valve adjust ment and brakes , and point,s all 20 minute exercises on sunday every 3or 4 month,s ? But once again i would like too re- iterate >> 3/4,s of the bugg,s re- born again are re- born again wrong ? << Lead,s too replacin clutch cables, throttle cables , pedal assembly re- build,s that only last few month,s ? Motor,s that runn hot and slow cook over 6 month period ? Clutches that blow out every 3 month,s ? Then there,s the newly re- built motor,s that only seem too runn 6 month,s too a year ? << Most typicall problem of all due too the 700 dollar long block,s usually ? Then another one of my favorites is the 6 volt too 12 volt conversion,s << This almost alway,s lead,s too cuttin out the dash with a sawz all on beer friday,s ? But if ? You get a buggy straight done right . << These are extremely rare oddity,s ? You can drive hell out of um 100K on a rebuilt motor no problem ? Where problem,s come in is buggy,s gett jacked around really hard over the year,s most were kidds car,s used for college << we all know that in 1974 very few college kidd,s drivin bugg,s were what you would call mechanically inclined individual,s ? Well ? Like me in high school i drove a 66 Shelby Mustang ? was smokin dope out at bleacher,s hidin from the Foot Ball coaches, dropped out soft more year, too drink beer all day on the Mighty Colorado river while sking naked ? << All required work re-lated experiences needed too become a glorious under paid first rate mech ? As in where would i be in the industrial mechanized world had it not been for the occassional burning of unmentionables on the header pipes while workin on a Flat bottom boat,s in the Nude ? Damm ! Guess i should have stayed in school bought a buggy went too college ? Attended few grateful dead concert,s ? Became a a highly paid Goverment employee ? << As in a California D.M.V. worker who tell,s the same old wood stock story every time they see some body drivin a old buggy around . << really tired of them stories lmao ? I blame the buggy dillemma on Wood Stock, Gratefull Dead Concert,s, and college education,s ? LMAO Sean
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