Older VW beetles,no oil filters.

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
They did have an oil screen.


But, it was the size of screen door screen. Sand would go through EASILY.

They lasted a long time as long as you changed the oil OFTEN.

Same with old Briggs & Kohler engines - - I have some that are 30 years old.
No oil filter - but have to keep dirt out!

 

[ammolab]

I put an aftermarket bypass filter on my 70 beetle. Used a spin on FL1 filter if I remember right. It mounted in the center span of the fan/generator belt. Sold the car with 145,000 miles on it running like new.

 

[Papa Bear]

I had a new 1976 beetle and put 150k miles on it.
No oil filter - change the oil regularly and adjust the valves.. it keeps on ticking.

 

[CourierDriver]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
I had a new 1976 beetle and put 150k miles on it.
No oil filter - change the oil regularly and adjust the valves.. it keeps on ticking.

 

[CincyDavid]

My '69 Beetle leaked so much oil that I just waited until the oil light would flicker on going around turns and add a quart. I cleaned the screen once and found black goo along with pieces of several washers...no telling where they came from. One of the spark plugs would back out too, so periodically it would run like [censored] and get really loud. I'd let it cool, then screw the plug back in and be on my way.

Paid $300 in 1982 for it, and sold it a year later for $300. It's amazing how rusty and decrepit a 13 year old car could be then, versus a 13 year old car now...that thing was ROTTEN, floors were a mess, rockers and heat channels were bad, the battery started falling through the floor and I propped it up with what had been the front license plate.

I got it up to an indicated 72 MPH once, and every time it got close to 70 MPH the outside mirror would fold back against the door glass with a loud "smack". Ah, the memories!

 

[Duffyjr]

Originally Posted By: flanso
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
we had a 74 - I think it was a super beetle (whatever that meant). bought it used from some family friends for $500. I patched up the rust and had an Earl Scheib paint job put on it. since I did all the prep work and removed all the trim, it turned out pretty well. ours had the 3 speed semi-automatic. the windshield washer fluid was driven by the air pressure from the spare tire. and you adjusted the fan belt by moving shims on the split pulley.


The Super Beetle was a Beetle upgrade that appeared around 1971. It was a little bit longer with a more sophisticated front suspension. A Super Beetle had a curved windshield, a hood that bulged out and flow through ventilation. Two crescent moon shaped vents behind the rear side windows made a Super Beetle easy to identify. I drove a '73 SB bought new.


Didn't the Super Beetle actually have a small dash?

I had a 71 when I was in Virginia in the army, it was one of those cars that got sold when someone was headed over seas. I paid $500 for it and a year later when I got my papers for Germany I sold it for $500. The only problem with it was it had dual carbs and would start running bad when they got out of sync, but the guy I bought it from told me that and even who to take it to.

 

[drtyler]

'73 and newer Super Beetles had the larger dash (and curved windshield).

'71 and '72 Super Beetles had the regular Bug dash and flat windshield.

Both had the McPherson strut front suspension, which created a better ride and drive than the standard Bug torsion bar front end.

Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
Originally Posted By: flanso
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
we had a 74 - I think it was a super beetle (whatever that meant). bought it used from some family friends for $500. I patched up the rust and had an Earl Scheib paint job put on it. since I did all the prep work and removed all the trim, it turned out pretty well. ours had the 3 speed semi-automatic. the windshield washer fluid was driven by the air pressure from the spare tire. and you adjusted the fan belt by moving shims on the split pulley.


The Super Beetle was a Beetle upgrade that appeared around 1971. It was a little bit longer with a more sophisticated front suspension. A Super Beetle had a curved windshield, a hood that bulged out and flow through ventilation. Two crescent moon shaped vents behind the rear side windows made a Super Beetle easy to identify. I drove a '73 SB bought new.


Didn't the Super Beetle actually have a small dash?

I had a 71 when I was in Virginia in the army, it was one of those cars that got sold when someone was headed over seas. I paid $500 for it and a year later when I got my papers for Germany I sold it for $500. The only problem with it was it had dual carbs and would start running bad when they got out of sync, but the guy I bought it from told me that and even who to take it to.

 

[WobblyElvis]

1965 VW bug 1200cc. Cruising at 60mph for 50 miles in 1980, came to my exit ramp, backed off and started to exit as the engine got rough and started to shake. The red generator light came on and I pulled over. Lifted the hood[rear] and the engine was smoking hot as I could hear the creaking/pinging of hot metal. I could see small bits of metal thrown about the engine compartment as I looked closer. The main pulley on the crank had sheared in the centre leaving the bulk of the pulley to wobble around about the centre shaft. This pulley turned the generator situated above the engine and the other end of the generator spun the fan for engine cooling. As the center of the crank pulley sheared away from the rest of the pulley it slowly dragged the generator along with it at enough speed to prevent the generator warning light from coming on but not enough to cool the engine. Cooked the engine. The engine knocked and shook and the engine cases were warped so as to leak oil profusely. Such was the end of that engine.

Found a wrecker that installed a beautiful looking engine with better everything. Newer muffler/heater boxes a freshly painted. All for only $150. Ran great and smooth for 2,000 miles until I changed the oil. Then it knocked and banged and shook. I don't know what they put in the oil but whatever they did hid some serious flaws. Retired the vehicle a few weeks later.

 

[georgemiller]

This book helped me so much.

 

[bmwjohn]

the thing to remember about the VW bug was that it was a vehicle designed to improve on the model T ford in all ways (lots of T's etc. still around then) and be a vehicle for the average German worker to purchase as his first and only car. It was NOT meant to be a competitor even in Mexico in the 1970's. So the WSW squirter had no pump, the spare tire was sort of crash protection, when you ran out of gas flip the lever for the aux gas tank, no water cooling meant no heat but also no water pump, hoses, anti-freeze, etc. battery was inside the car under the seat (or in the house) warmer and cooler, crank to turn engine as necessary, etc. The Renault Dauphine was a generation newer and far superior except poor quality control and no support...dealers, parts warehouses, good dealers, etc.I remember in 1969...thinking about my first car of any kind....the Peugeot..Renault..Vespa...Subaru mini car (cheap and built that way) dealer, in the inner city..nowhere near auto row, way below the SAAB, Mercedes, Volvo dealerships in quality. BMW dealer was in a farmhouse and I signed a contract in her living room...6 months delivery projected. No show room, parts warehouse, etc. but they got a truckload of parts and tools soon (and had to pay for it) because, to be a BMW (or really any German car dealer) you had to be serious about parts, training, etc.