Brett Nicholson blog, 05/07/10
I've wanted a VW Beetle as long as I can remember. I even worked at a VW workshop/breakers part time during my last few years of school. But I never quite got around to getting one.
Over the last few months I got the 'bug' again. The fact that my son is Beetle-crazy had a lot to do with it and then my lovely wife told me to go out and buy one. Her only stipulation was that it needed to have decent boot space.
1971-1975 Super Beetles have a Macpherson Strut front end which meant a couple of decent sized suitcases would actually fit in the front boot. Or my daughter's pram, so a Super Beetle is what I went looking for.
I looked at quite a few ranging from overpriced wrecks to high priced very clean examples that were ready to go. But what I really wanted was a tidy one relatively cheap I could fix up and put on the road with minimal hassle.
This particular 74 Super Beetle popped up on eBay unreserved with a reasonable starting price. But it was two hours drive away and I certainly wasn't going to buy it without inspecting it first, so I let it slide. When nobody bid on it, I contacted the seller and arranged to inspect it.
The car had been sitting in a shed in the dry western part of the state for the last five years. On inspection it looked pretty good, with only a couple of small rust spots and underneath was really clean and solid. The drivers side pan had been replaced and although the welding was not exactly pretty, but it seemed strong enough.
Otherwise there was nothing to report with just dull factory paint under the wings. All of the usual rot spots were surprisingly pristine, but inside wasn't so good. The odometer had quit, the headliner was ripped, the carpets were well worn and the seats had a couple of splits.
Other than a shimmy at 80km/h it drove nicely enough, with plenty of power for a 1600cc bug and the tyres were brand new, having already been replaced by the current owner with a view to putting it back on the road. The compliance plate under the bonnet showed the car was built the exact month and year I was born. This sent a pleasant shiver down my spine, and nearly sealed the deal for me.
I really, really liked this one, but I was trying to be objective. Over the next week I looked at a couple more Beetles but those examples only convinced me that this car I looked at first was the best I would find for the money. I called the seller again and made an offer, which was accepted.
A mate Danny drove me back in his work ute the following weekend to collect it. I topped up the oil and splashed in ten litres of fresh fuel. With Danny following I began the drive home. Cruising at the legal 110km/h limit on the freeway was surprisingly easy and as it was a warmish sunny winters day, other drivers were doing double-takes as they overtook. And when I overtook them...
Unfortunately the battery decided to die during the journey, requiring a jump start after lunch and causing a minor traffic jam in the main street of Woodend. Otherwise the trip home was uneventful, with the willing little flat –four thrumming along contentedly.
The colour is 'Martini Olive' so the family have decided she will be called Olive, despite me not liking the colour much. It is a very period colour though, and it's since grown on me. The next day I gave Olive a thorough inspection. The battery refused to hold charge so I replaced it.
The left indicators stopped working when I hit the brakes, but this turned out to be nothing more than a dodgy earth to the tail light. The non-functioning washers worked again when I reconnected all the plumbing properly, and pumped up the spare tyre that powers them of course. The numberplate light had a blown bulb and the rear brakes and handbrake needed work. Otherwise everything mechanical seemed fault-free. I reckon she likes me.
The next week I submitted Olive for an RWC (MoT) and was completely speechless when she passed. RWC's are very harsh here and passing first try is virtually unheard of. Despite the fresh certificate, I knew there were still some faults to be sorted. I replaced the stretched handbrake cables and discovered that the rear brake hoses had collapsed internally and were mostly blocked.
A new steering damper cured the shimmies at speed and the carby needed a cleanout. The torn headlining was deemed unacceptable, so I splashed out and had a new one fitted along with new window rubbers while a set of seat covers were employed to hide the split seats.
Finally I took Olive to VicRoads (the local registration office) for an identity inspection, and she was quickly issued with a set of new numberplates. So far Olive has provided a month of service as a daily driver and has been 100% reliable, just like Dr Porsche intended.
Posted: 2:28pm, 5 July 2010
Words: Brett Nicholson
Images: Brett Nicholson
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