Volkswagen: 1970 VW beetle, 4 quarts, gas mileage

Question

1970 Volkswagon   QUESTION: I just bought a 1970 VW bug 2dr sedan to use for local
errands around town.  Being on Social Security, I couldn't
afford anything over $1,500.  The bug is in fair shape, but
needs a tune-up and a brake job as far as I could tell by
just driving it around the block.  I'm not skilled in
mechanics, but I did manage to change the oil.  (It came
out pitch black.)  I called a garage and asked how much oil
does a '70 beetle take and he said 4 quarts.  So I put in 4
quarts.  When I looked at the dip-stick, it was way over
the line.  So I looked it up on the Internet and found out
it takes only 2.6 quarts of oil.  So, I drained the oil
again.  I was surprised to see it came out pretty black.
This time, I removed the 6 bolt plate and cleaned the oil
filter and installed new gaskets and washers.  The second
day I had the car it wouldn't turn over.  I put a charger
on the battery and the display said "fault" describing the
alternator.  After charging the battery for 4 hours, it
started right away.  My question is this:  What questions
do I need to ask to find a good mechanic for this car?  I
live in a town of about 15,000 people.  Also, would you
recommend that I buy parts on the Internet to save money?
For instance, I can buy a generator online for $85 then
take it to a mechanic to install it.  Thanks for any help
and suggestions you can send my way.   Ed in Orangeburg, SC

ANSWER: Ed,
 First of all, congratulations on becoming a member of the VW "aircooled" family.  You should quickly find that you have made a wise decision, not the least of which the low cost of ownership (even if you have some initial repairs to get through) and gas mileage that still rivals even "modern" cars.  With time and experience, you may even get hooked beyond redemption, as many of us have.  
 The first thing you have to ask yourself is how much you are willing to do yourself?  The good news is that with these classic VWs, you CAN do almost ALL of your own maintenance and repairs.  With that being said, the following are the things I would check (or have your mechanic do) with any "new" purchase of a classic bug, especially if you don't know much about it's history of maintenance.

- Get a Bentley "Official" Type 1 1970-79 Service manual, definitely the best available.  I have the Chilton and Haynes also and they are inferior.
- In addition to standard mechanics hand tools/wrenches, get the following tools: inductive timing light, dwell/tach meter, feeler gauge set, compression gauge, electrical multimeter.  This should cover most repairs.
- You've already changed the oil, great.  Because the oil came out black the second time, it obviously needed a good flush.  It is probably OK now, but at some point you want to do a compression check to determine the general health of the engine internals.
- Check/change the plugs/wires/points/cap/rotor.  All standard tune up stuff and not that expensive.
- Set the points with the feeler gauge and check with the dwell meter.  The gap should be set for .016 to .020 in (.40 to .50 mm).   The dwell should then read 40 - 55 degrees.
- Check and set the engine timing.  The spec is dependant on the DISTRIBUTOR type installed, usually from 0 to 5 degrees BTDC.  You cannot go by the model/year because VWs have been around so long and modifications are common.  Both my 71 Super and 73 Thing are not original engine/distributor codes.  Go here to look up yours: www.oldvolkshome.com/ignition.htm
- Do the valve adjustment.  It's really not that hard to do.  Do it with a completely cold engine.  Go here for a very good procedure:  http://www.vw-resource.com/valveadj.html
- Check your brakes.  Flushing the lines is recommended.  Adjust them as required.
- Look closely at the fuel filter.  If you see crud, the tank may need to be removed and flushed because of internal rust.  I recommend just doing it anyway so that while you the tank out all the rubber fuel lines should be replaced because of age.  Many perfectly good running bugs/buses have ended up in flames on the side of the road because of bad fuel lines or connections without clamps, especially with those cheap fuel filters.  Blow out the fuel lines with carb cleaner and compressed air while you are at it.

You can find many new and used parts on Ebay.  For mostly used parts, www.thesamba.com is probably the best overall web site, with classifieds, forums and tech articles.  As far as retailers, I have had success with Mid America Motorworks www.mamotorworks.com, www.Jbugs.com, and www.CIP1.com.  JC Whitney is a good company, but they do not specialize in VWs and their selection is limited.  

Another good site for technical information is Dave and Rob's Aircooled Volkswagen pages are very good, www.vw-resource.com.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, there is so much more out there if you look around.  Good luck and let me know how it goes and if you need any more specific info.

Rick


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks, Rick for all the help.  
I noticed that I need to get 4 new tires.  What kind do you
recommend?  Since I don't have the manual, what air
pressure do I need to inflate them to?

Thanks

Ed

Answer
Ed,
 Good question.  The 1970 model originally came with 5.60 x 15 bias ply, which translate to 145r15 today.  Those smart German designers had everything pretty much balanced in the beetle by 1970, so I would stay in this range, although radials are fine, but they may be a bit more noisy than bias.
 The tire pressures are special with the air cooled VWs due to the predominant weight is in the rear of the car.  Therefore the front tires should be 18 PSI, and the rears are 27 PSI (with radials.) With bias tires it is a few pounds less.  On my first bug I made the mistake of putting 32 PSI in both front and rear tires.  I didn't notice a problem until a rain storm.  Then when I hit the slightest bumps in the road I almost lost control, obviously due to the front tires "bouncing" due to the over pressurization.    

Rick