Volkswagen: brakes, wheel cylinders, brake shoes

Question
i have 1971 vw super beetle when i press the brake pedal the pedal goes almost to the floor the car will stop but the pedal will not come back up unless you pull it up manually. i have replaced the brake shoes but i still have the same problem.

Answer
have you checked the wheel cylinders for leaks? brake lines for leaks, if so, try bleeding all the brakes. if this does not rectify the problem, then the likely culprit for the problem would be the master cylinder being worn. i would then replace the master cylinder or refurbish it to rectify the problem.