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SCENE SHITE 1973 beetle


Faker

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Once, long ago.. I knew Beetles had engine in rear + wings bolted on and off (like a Morris 1000) :)

Now.... through Mustie & ColdWarMotors [on theToob] I sit here staring at that orange Beetle and can see - xray vision - through to the inner shell/heaterducts/floorpans/tank/cowl/chassis/mag split casings/rocker tubes + all the rust holes.....

Never even driven one.. lol

Looking Good

;)

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7 hours ago, Ghosty said:

Absolute class, well executed Beetles are real lookers. '68?

‘73. Base model 1200. 3 owner car with 78k. Original pans and repainted in ‘84. Early 70’s base 1200’s came with those bumpers, 60’s rear lights, upright headlights and short deck lid. Quite a mish mash but it works. One sun visor! No courtesy switches or lights, no chrome and silver painted door window trims and indicator covers! Recent dropped spindles, chrome rims, Porsche copy rears with drag tyres... otherwise totally standard. Soon to get slightly smaller rear tyres to help gearing 

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11 minutes ago, Faker said:

‘73. Base model 1200. 3 owner car with 78k.  Soon to get slightly smaller rear tyres to help gearing 

Oh and new pressed black and silver plates... simply to preserve the original steel with riveted digits ones... quite tired now with bleached rear backing and wobbly - bendy 48 years of abuse front plate with loose digits

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Fairly standard ‘72 1300 with 79000 on the clock. I haven’t done much to it so far apart from plugs, oil and a new ignition switch. 
 New trim on the running boards and new mirrors (as I managed to wrench one of the old ones off while trying to tighten it up a little). 
 

I have a lengthy list of things I want to do to it but I’ve mainly just been enjoying it when I can and getting to know it properly as it’s my first air cooled motor. 
 

 

 

A0485E93-0FF0-412F-93C5-5345E4BE15EA.jpeg

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Magnificent.

I know you said you're changing the rear tyres to help with the gearing, but they do fill those arches so beautifully.

I'm not much of a bug licker in general (even when I was going through a moderately heavy dubber phase c.1993, it was a T2 Crew Cab I lusted after) but that could turn me yet...

Hope to see it in the metal before long!

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2 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I know you said you're changing the rear tyres to help with the gearing, but they do fill those arches so beautifully.

Hope to see it in the metal before long!

Hi big T. I have to agree the rear tyres do look impressive... but they have to go! 195/65/15 are still a decent size and hopefully look ok.

Mike paid me a visit today, was great to catch up.  Paid jophes a visit recently too (another potential purchase - still working out the wrinkles). Been way way too long since our last get together 

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  • Faker changed the title to SCENE SHITE 1973 beetle

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So a little update and a few more specifics. 1973 basic 1200 beetle. Yes it’s basic. One sun visor, no courtesy switches, no 1/4 panel vents, no deck lid vents.... zero extras. Painted window surround and indicator covers.... no chrome.

So some history... this is an original floor pan car, and the body has never been off. Officially on paper it is presently a 3 owner beetle (includes us - guy we got it from had the full paperwork but never registered it in his name) with all original panels. Was repainted once back in 1984! Genuine 78k too. It belonged to a convent for a number of years (so the previous owner tells me).

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Guy we got it from dropped the front, fitted 145/15 Michelin XZX Citroen specific tyres and the monster rears to staggered chrome rims (deep dish rears).  It was not a pleasant experience driving this thing on twisties, and with no great forward motion... not so much understeer,,,, but more a case of willing the car to corner... as for the rear, the balloon tyres offered nil in cornering confidence. I’ve not actually driven it in wet conditions yet.... but Mrs faker has and claimed it was a little bit of an ordeal...

Tyres now swapped for something altogether more sensible. 195/65/15 rears at 30 psi and 175/65/15 fronts at 20psi.  It actually handles now - if a beetle can actually handle well at all! It has lost a little bit of the monster drag race - Cal Look stance but it is now a more useable car

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Day tripping has been fun... with little fuss.. erm... until we trotted off to Holywood, Bangor, and Groomsport the other day...

Clutching whilst going down the box from 4th (yes it actually drives in 4th now and it’s a perfectly functional gear since the huge tyres are gone) produced a twang under my left foot..... and a pedal that didn’t fully return....

“Ah bollox..... this clutch cable has just let go a bit.....” I said to Mrs faker....

”Huh?!”

still covering the brake pedal I press the clutch again to go for second..... thud. Clutch pedal to the floor... “ah wank!”

Groomsport to The Antrim Coast! No clutch! Was an eventful journey home. ‘73 beetle with stop start capabilities got us home!

Still loving the wee thing... cable to source and fit - so any advice greatly appreciated. 

Edited by Faker
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That’s lovely, makes me miss mine! I had a 1969 1200 which was similarly spartan, then a 1971 1300 which came with all the luxuries like two sun visors and a wing mirror on both sides! 

Bad news on the clutch cable, they are cheap and theoretically easy but can be a bit of a fiddle, although yours looks in generally better condition so maybe the conduit won’t be full of rust!! 

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Looking great! Has yours got the luxury* of single speed wipers? My 71 has. I have got a passenger door mirror as I needed to replace the passenger door so figured it would be safer to have a mirror. I also have 2 sun visors - didn't know they only came with 1.  A previous owner must have fitted the other but they don't match! 

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3 hours ago, rusty_vw_man said:

I had a 1971 1300 which came with all the luxuries like two sun visors and a wing mirror on both sides! 

Yeah one door mirror and one round blank plug on the passenger side. The lack of courtesy switches is a funny one... there’s no hole for them at all... unlike the missing interior grab handles that have little tiny white plugs and bungs, same for the missing sun visor... yet the a pillar has no holes for the switches...

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A thread full of Beetles, I thoroughly approve! I've had a couple and would love another, but goodun's aren't cheap anymore. I like the semi-poverty spec 1200, a Sparkafer would be even better to me, they have nothing really that isn't essential to make it stop, go and keep the weather off you.

volkswagen-1300-1968r-1200ccm-sparkafer-sparkafer_0002 — Garbusy Polska -  Pasja do klasycznych samochodów marki Volkswagen VW i Porsche

No side, running board or tail light chrome trim, one horn grille. Generally parts were older types, such as 6V electrics after all the others went to 12V in'68. If for some reason you ordered one with a sunroof, you got the folding fabric one up to '67, all the others had sliding steel after '63. They had cables brakes long after VW upgraded to hydraulic. Pretty rare cars.

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10 hours ago, Faker said:

Still loving the wee thing... cable to source and fit - so any advice greatly appreciated. 

It’s pretty easy if I remember right, a big wing nut on the clutch release arm which pivots on the gearbox and you just unhook it from the pedal end.

Nice 1200, love the minimal headlining too!

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