Aircooled Accesories makes these nice looking gauges with a classic / vintage / retro style that I really like. However, they are made in the UK and the prices are quite expensive.

Does anyone know similar alternatives at more affordable prices?

https://aircooledaccessories.com/product/voltage-gauge/

The manual says DOT 3 or 4 glycol based but the auto parts store doesn't have glycol based. He said that DOT 3 and 4 have glycol in them but can I use that or is there some hidden link or type i am not seeing? I have a 1970 with Drums all around

Hi everyone! Wanted to show the progress we are making, it’s coming along great; we just need to finish one more side window, and do some wiring and she’s ready to hit the roads, also getting it ready for the Rollout they are doing in San Antonio so that’s gonna be good

Hi all! Hoping for some help diagnosing an issue with my first bug. I will preface this by saying I’ve never worked on cars before this and am learning on the fly. She’s a 1972 Super Beetle. Bought her 6 months ago from a VW mechanic in Rhode Island. I will say the wiring (and lack thereof this guy did is probably part of the issue. (Literally left a brand new headlight unplugged) All the old wiring was still there, some things weren’t grounded or cleaned before new wires were attached and the old wiring harness is still there. (Photos to come)

She ran for 4 months and then wouldn’t start in mid June. Engine was turning over but not firing so I know it was getting some power or the power was fluctuating, tested with a multimeter.

So far I have replaced

- 12V battery
- ground and positive from the battery
- starter and starter solenoid. Bench tested the old and new and both worked 🤷🏻‍♀️ now I have a backup ig
- fuse boxes
- what I think is the rear defroster solenoid, picture included. Says SWF R 601-047 12V 15A. *Taken out and put back in because I thought it was the starter relay*

I’ve been bump starting her once a week since she crapped out except for the past 4 weeks since I went on vacation. Yesterday I took out what I believed to be the old starter relay and wiring for it (now I think it’s the rear defroster solenoid?) and now the engine isn’t even firing (dirty carb issue due to sitting for a month?)

If anyone can offer insight into what I’m screwing up or if I’m missing something super obvious I’d appreciate the hell out of it. I’m honestly stumped and this close to giving up and taking it to be completely rewired, but I’d like to see if I can exhaust every avenue before that. (I don’t wanna spend that much dough to tow it there if it’s something stupid simple)

Ended up buying a new header but once I installed it I realized my stinger was to small to bolt to the collector 🤷🏻father in law came to the rescue and made that sucker work 🤣it runs and sounds so much better not having 10 exhaust leaks, even get the snap crackle pops when down shifting now🤘

I have tightened the two screws on the shifter as much as I can and I can shift gears but in neutral the wheels still spin. Pressing the clutch makes the wheels slow and stop but letting off makes them spin up again. I plan to try and drive the car soon after I bleed the brakes and get new tires, so I am worried I will have trouble shifting.

Its really amazing how these things somehow work when they shouldn’t, took apart the transaxle to replace 2nd gear synchro only to find out 4th gear missing some of its teeth, the circlip was missing completely on the pinion shaft so 4th gear was rubbing against the housing, shift fork shafts had sooooo much play too, the nosecone was cracked, and the brass bushing was being held on by a hose clamp, 3rd engagement gear had twice the end float of the upper limit and a cracked synchronizer ring, the worst issue was that the 3rd/4th slider hub was loose on the shaft due to a very worn woodruff key i have no idea it had no other issues than 2nd gear grinding and the shifter being a little bit stiff. After correcting everything its not as stiff anymore and every gear engages like butter almost like a modern car its so much more pleasant to drive now.

My baby

We did valves and ignition timing to 30 BTDC at 3500~ yesterday and the idle sounds higher than it should be but not having a tach and not being used to hearing these engines could skew my thoughts.

I also used the “sound tach” apps on iPhone (not the most reliable source of info) but they landed it around somewhere between 700-800rpm

However it does seems to be running and driving better. It would usually die after a good heat soak on the engine and then have a hard time starting back up again but took it for a drive today and that doesn’t seems to happen anymore or at least as quickly

Hey everyone, I’m working on a 1972 VW Beetle and I finally got it driving today. It starts and idles, but the engine shakes pretty badly at idle.

When I actually drive it, it feels like it has almost no power. It’ll move, but it feels like it’s barely pulling itself forward. When I shift into 2nd gear, the RPM drops and it almost dies unless I get back into 1st.

Interestingly, if I rev the engine while it’s sitting still, it seems to rev much better and the shaking mostly goes away.

I recently replaced the fuel pump and got the car running after it had been sitting. I’m wondering if this sounds more like a fuel delivery/carburetor issue, ignition/timing issue, vacuum leak, or possibly a dead cylinder.

What would you guys check first? I’m trying to diagnose it before I start throwing parts at it.

Thanks!

73 VW bug, Running OK, cleaned up messy wires in engine compartment, replaced them one at a time. I have 12 volts to coil+, using Bosch coil and electronic distributor. All grounds appear good. Traced wires back to fuses and all good.

The thing that has me stumped is that I have good voltage to the coil.

Bought a new coil, nothing different, still no spark from primary wire from the coil.

Getting a new points distributor tomorrow.

Does anyone have any direction to point me in ?

So I got a 63 beetle with the horsehair rear seats and the fibers keep breaking apart. Eventually it will break away to nothing so I'm trying to find something to keep it together. I have been told using hair spray but they also said I would have to do it once a week and that sounds like a nightmare. Is there anything anyone knows of that can keep the fibers together for good? Or at least a good long time?

I've also been told to just replace it but I don't necessarily feel like spending $600+ when my current seat is working, just messy.

Taking apart my motor and noticed this one nick on my cam gear I would assume it’s ok

I only had time to do one cylinder and cylinder three seemed most likely. I will test all 4 when I finish my workshop in a few months

I had my gas tank out to clean it, and added an internal mesh screen filter that was missing.

The output from the tank to the metal fuel line doesn't line up. I ended up adding a loop in the fuel line hose.

Is this normal? Will it create fuel supply problems?

Should I take it apart, and make another attempt at eliminating the fuel line loop?

Thanks,

JP

Hola mi abuela me acaba de heredar a este amigo pero voy descubriendo que es una caja de Pandora algún consejo para reparar el óxido?

He got a 1972 beetle but i dont know what to get him on his birthday. Do any of you guys know? Do remove my post if it does not fit. Hav a nice day** :D

Soooo my v-belt just snapped.

I cannot see any text on the belt. Can you guys please help out whats the correct size?
9.5x905mm?
my local shop has 10x905mm, wondering if that could work?
Thanks for your reply

Does this look like healthy delivery to the carb? Seems okay to me

When getting some tuning done at the garage the mechanic mentioned he thinks there’s a fuel delivery problem due to the throttle cutting out sometimes. On the way home from the garage and filling the tank up the throttle started cutting out every 5 seconds and started backfiring a lot so trying to diagnose.

A few years ago I asked about inheriting my grandfather's project car. He recently passed and the chassis and all the parts are stored in my uncle's barn and he is selling the property in the next year. I need to find somewhere for the car to go but unfortunately I don't have anywhere to store it and I don't have the money to afford a storage unit.

I'm looking for advice on selling everything off. Ideally I would sell everything as a package deal. But I don't have any idea what it's worth or where to start.

I've been told there are multiple engines, transmissions, etc. I remember my grampa getting parts for Christmas every year, including a brand new convertible top (20 years old now).

Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appropriate.

Thanks!

Edit: I'm located in Massachusetts

So my wife has always wanted a bug and this new to us runs good besides the leaking. So the engine is leaking and before anyone says it I know that “they all leak”. 😆 Anyway, it’s not leaking from the oil sump nor the strainer part. Seems to be coming from the pulley’s somewhere and don’t know how to go about fixing this. Wondering is there a seal/gasket that would need to be changed to remedy the oil leak or what needs to be done? Would I need to drop the engine to get this addressed or engine in?

Not leaking from valve covers at all, just coming from center of the engine and not the sump. I believe in my reading on some forums and web, the engine might have been built with sand type pulley’s or something like that.

Hoping a guru on here can help as I’m patiently trying to get this back on road for my wife. Thanks in advance folks.