Vintage Cars: 1979 VW Beetle Stalls, vw beetle, vapor lock

Question
Hi Ron,

I was hoping you could help...We just bought a '79 VW Super Beetle Convertible it appears to have two primary issues:

1. After long drives, the car appears to stop getting gas and stalls after coming out of a stop (gas pedal applied, in 1st gear - while in 3rd gear, it hesitates, but doesn't stall). It is not out of gas, but restarting it has required pouring gas directly into the carburetor. This car does not have the fuel injector system (not sure when it was removed). What are possible causes of this kind of stalling?

2. There is a strong gas odor coming from the car. This is most noticeable when the car is not running, even after long periods of cool down. We can't park the car in our attached garage, as the whole house fills with the gas/fuel odor. What should we consider when trying to eliminate/reduce the fuel smell?

Thanks! Eric

Answer
well it would seem to me that it is gettting starved for gas, which can be caused by several reasons.

- fuel lines /fuel filter clogged
- fuel pump malfunctioning
- vapor lock
Since it runs when it is getting gas then it has to be in delivery or at the carburator
Strong gas smells can ususally be traced ,and remember it does not take much of a leak to make a pretty good smell appear,  look for wet areas around lines, follow lines to and from tank
Be careful not to cause any spark when looking
possible areas
- carburator float stuck - strong fuel smell and wet around carb base
- lines, check all connections - look for wetness
also all rubber lines as they age allow for fume escape.  I would start there by replacing all the rubber lines, especially look for loose connections
Once again be careful when dealing with gas issues.  Let me know what you find or if you need other information
Ron