This may seem like a strange question,.. but it fits me .
As I do the research and repairs on this "1970" Beetle I have learned that so far,.. I haven't found anything on it that was built in 1970. The engine decoded out to be built in 71,.. the body seems to be from
73,.. and the list goes on. Tell me,.. is this normal?Also,.. Is it OK to replace parts with other years? I really like the look of the rear bumper from a 65 that I saw and think it would look great on mine.
Ken
For aircooleds, having an engine which is a different year of manufacture from the body can be conisdered "normal." Repair shops & dealers would often replace engines with a rebuilt out of stock because it is quicker rather than rebuild the car's original engine. Back then, no one cared about originality or concours correct, numbers matching, etc.
Some of the aftermarket suppliers sell adapter brackets to use earlier bumpers on the later cars. Rocky Mountian Motorworks had them, but they went bankrupt and were acquired by Mid America Motorworks - maybe try them first.
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" ..... I ain't no bandleader!!"
I have the same situation with my ghia. The car came with a layer of bondo over the entire car. Mostly a skim coat, but The ENTIRE CAR!. The case was JB-Welded together. The shocks appeared to be the original shocks. The pans had been bashed in from an idiot running over the curb. My car has seen better days, but now I'm not pressued into doing a smithsonian quality restoration. My reccomendation for a mixed and matched car like yours: get it mechanically spot on and as good as you can cosmetically. This doesnt mean to do a shitty job on anything or skip out pulling off trim and whatnot before paint, just dont worry about the thing being 100% correct. Learn all of the various diferences between the years for most everything (singleport/dualport, kingpin/balljoint, swingaxle/IRS, various carbs, and other stuff) and while reading your manual, just remember that you've got a Pre-69 gearbox, a post 66 front end, or whatever the hell your situation calls for. Best of luck, and remember to have fun with it!
-Kevin
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