Ryan Weaver’s 1973 VW Super Beetle
 

I checked and “The Lounge” is for “off topic discussions not directly pertaining to Supercars/Musclecars”

This is about as off topic as possible.

April 30th 1973 Gunter Templin bought an Orange 1973 Super Beetle. His Neighbor Leonardo Santamaria bought the Beetle from Gunter Nov 18, 1988, and later Leo sold it to his daughter Lucia June 14,2014, Fast forward to Aug 20, 2021 and I became the fourth owner of this happy car.

The condition is very good for a car that has lived in a Windsor and Cambridge Ontario it’s whole life.

I have lots of little TLC items to improve but overall she’s a nice driver and I intend to do just that!!!

I have felt for a long time I want to try driving a vintage car every day….. Let’s see how this goes….

My kids are both in University this year so get the 2006 Matrix I bought to keep them away from Amy’s new CX-30 SUV. The Matrix will be my winter car and if the Beetle is not wanting to start.

At first I thought the colour was too flashy for me…. But as soon as I saw it up close I fell in love. (Gunter painted it blue at one point and both families forced him to have it sanded to bare metal and painted orange again:-)

Options: none

Extras: Spare trans, 3 boxes of items, plus a 75 HP 1600 rebuilt engine complete and its on a run stand :-)

I took the Cutlass for a rip today, picked up my father in law and took him for a cruise. I need to make sure she doesn’t get jealous

Congrats Ryan on the new Toy ENJOY !!

Beetles are Ultra Fun!

Enjoy :)

Dan

I drove a 66 Bug briefly. Sold it to my school teacher cousin. She drove it for years.

I don't know how much, if any, the heater was improved between 66 and 73.

Seeing that you will be driving in Canadian winters, you better hope there is a lot of improvement in that 7 years!!
Driving it to MCACN?

Beetles are cool Ryan! Congrats and enjoy your new ride!

Ryan has vowed to not allow this Beetle, to see moisture, rain, water, dew, snow or any Canadian winters.....but I bet his Beetle is currently sitting outside right now, while a heavy rain storm is heading his way in the morning.
There is a reason why 78% of Beetles live in California and 1.5% live in Canada.

Keep this Beetle Happy :)

Dan

He shoots, he scores… an empty net goal! ;-)

I’ll bet you’ll make a lot of fun memories in that beetle. Congrats and enjoy!

----Good for you, Ryan! Looks like you found a good one. Now you can start going to Beetle events.....Bill S

No snow or salt roads for sure.

I can’t promise no dew :-)

Ryan W31

I sure am interested to go to a few VW events!! So far each person I met while looking for or at bugs has been super nice!!

Ryan W31

Some more detailed photos

Ryan W31

This is where you need to hang out....The Samba is Best VW Website.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

Do not sign up as: Ryan1969Chevelle.....instead do: Ryan1973SuperBeetle :)

Have fun!

Dan

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifi...php?id=2477408

You need one of these?

Dan

Congrats Ryan! My brother bought a brand new 72 Beetle the same color. One morning when I was leaving to go to work I was coasting backwards down our driveway (it had a slight incline down to the street) in my 70 Z28 and ran right into the front of his Beetle which was parked in the driveway near the street. Guess I was still half asleep!

I signed up as Ryan1969Chevelle :-)


Ryan W31

I have to go through the boxes of parts, and glove box first. TBD.


I do need an Assembly Manual/Maintenance Manual for sure.


Ryan W31.

RamblerDealer will pick up the Beetle on Monday and take it to a trusted local mechanic (I worked with him when I was 13 :-) ) for a safety check.


If it only needs a few items he will do them and get it on the road right away, if it needs a laundry list I'll take it home and work away at them myself.


I learned that the extra engine is an AH code ERG 1973/1974 1600 cc for US market engine.


I'm looking for 5 stock 15' X 4.5" 4 X 140 rims and hub caps. If the tires need replaced I want to put the new ones on rims that look better. I don't like the sport rims at all YUK!! Also if new tires are needed I will try very hard to get white walls!!!!


Ryan W31.


Picture is of an example Super beetle with the rims, hub caps, and white walls I want.

Terry brought my Beetle home.

There is a list of items to do to get it safetied

I had a good look over the car, took off a few doo dads and cleaned it up a bit.

Item number one is brakes, then the drivers seat kind of falls out of the car if you look at it wrong :-)

I have a team coming from Germany to my work soon, I might recruit them to help in the evenings :-)

Ryan W31/VW.

Love that Bug!

I was with my father when he bought a orange on black Beetle off the showroom floor in Louisville, KY in 1970 or '71.

I always thought it was cool that I could listen to the radio in the driveway with no key in the ignition.

I’ll have to try that….

Ryan W31

Very cool! My first car was a '63 Beetle. I might have a picture of it somewhere. Fun cars. I parted with it a long time ago. I wonder where it is now???:hmmm:

The older the bug the more cool they are… also the more valuable. (That’s why I went for a seventies Super Beetle)

Ryan W31

I think you'll find that to be a fun little car Ryan. My son has a 65 with sunroof he drove back and forth to college. I find myself driving it when I can. We built a stout little 1835 with ported heads and dual webers and it suddenly became much more fun to drive, almost go cart like. They make hilarious sleepers.

I was very tempted to buy a 72 Super with a 2200 rat rod bug, but passed and went for a driver.

Mine was baby blue...and had an 1835 that was breathed on by Gene and Gary Berg. Definitely fun to drive....

----My Volkswagoning was limited to a V-Dub Thing back about 1975-6. Have to admit it was a good summer cruiser on Cape Cod, sans doors, with the windshield folded down. Lots of fun!.....Bill S

My wife always tells us the tale of her family's jellybean-green, early 1970's Beetle they had in Rochester NY area. In the winter, standard operating procedure was for the driver and passengers to lift and hold their feet off the floor when the car was in motion. If not, their sneakers would freeze to the floor boards due to the lack of interior heat.

Good times!

Yeah, bugs were known for not being warm in the winter. I grew up in Rochester and remember using an ice scraper on the inside of the car on the windshield!

Lol. Very funny now. Not so funny back then.

I plan to disconnect the gas connection from the heater.

Ryan W31

Now see, that shows how little I know about Bugs after 1968 model year.

My 67-68 (long story) had no gas fired heater. It just used a series of shrouds around the engine designed to draw air into the cabin.

I am totally new to VW. This car has the heat ducts from the engine but it also has the heater box under the “frunk” so it may or may not have a gas burner…… ?

If it does I will disconnect it. (Sold new in Ontario Canada and built in Germany)

Ryan W31

I spent the day disassembling and inspecting the brakes.

I plan to do a full brake job while I have it apart.

Flex lines, wheel cylinders, shoes, hardware kits, and turn the drums (as long as they have material left… they look very good)

What a fun day going all over the Beetle, I still can’t find any serious corrosion!!

Ryan W31

PS: Wheel spacers and coil overs are on the chopping block

Ryan W-31

It took me a while but I finally found what In-line Tube/Fusick are to Oldsmobile for VW.

California Import Parts 1 CIP1 free shipping over $100.00 and they have a business in British Columbia so in Canadian Dollars!!!!

My final parts have now arrived.

I ordered new backing plates as the original rears were a little beyond sandblast and paint. (The area on one around the wheel cylinder was slightly soft)

Now I can assemble the brakes, and replace any brake lines needed.

I need to step on it to get the car on the road before snow!!!

Ryan W31

PS: The milk truck is calling my name!!!

My dad drove a beetle when we were kids. We used to meet him at the entrance to our neighborhood and he'd give us a ride home standing on the side "steps / rockers" (not sure what they are called?) Nowadays they would probably take us into custody if you did something like that!

Running Boards.

Kids yes, adults no. The running boards weren't that strong, especially if you lived in the rust belt.

I got a bit of time working on the Beetle today.

Replaced park brake cables and assembled the rear brakes on one side.

Getting closer and closer.

I hope to have it ready for a drive or two before winter so it’s ready to go in the spring.

Ryan W31

Amy gave me a stainless steel roof rack for my Super Beetle :-)

Can’t wait to install this contraption!!!

My Mom works/volunteers at a local “new to you” store,
She will keep an eye out for vintage leather suit cases or a Coke cooler or similar items to lash to my new rack :-)

Ryan W31