Hi, I'm kinda new to this group. I just recently bought my first (running) beetle. Though, I have been studying/wanting one for over a decade. My new acquire is a '75 Type1 Std Beetle in good shape. A little rust here and there, but she's solid where it counts. Never been in an accident as far as I can tell. Everything appears to be stock.
I have no history or maint records to tell me how well she was taken care of, or not. So of course an oil change + tune up will be the first thing to get out of the way. My personal inspection found a few problems, but except for cracked ball joint boots (all four) and a misaligned headlight she will soon be ready for the road.
My question to you all....
When dealing w/ a newly acquired Type1 of unknown background, what parts would you immediately replace for the sake of safety, or to avoid future failure. Either because the replacements are so inexpensive (that you should "just do it"), or because they commonly wear out (and fail on you when you least expect it).
Here are some things that came to mind:
- oil + strainer (covered in the oiil change)
- cap + rotor + points + wires (covered in the tune up)
- throttle cable
- clutch cable
- all fuel lines
- all vacuum lines
- fuel filter
- air filter
Also, what common spares should I keep on hand:
- fan belt
- points
- valve cover gaskets
Can you think of anything else?
This will give me an idea of what fix ups to tackle first and what to save for later. I want her to be as reliable as possible.
AshMan