Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Taken a few weeks ago, looked in good nick.

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Off to look at this at the weekend, any Vdub nerds want to give me some pointers?

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I absolutely love it, that colour is great. 🙌

Heater channels looking for clean and unpatched, floor under rear seat around battery. Check to see under the front rear of arches for patches that have welded the floor to the body.

What transaxle is in there, still the original 1200 or 1300? How old is the engine and who made/assembled it. Being fitted with the big carbs any oil filter mods from the standard mesh.
When were valve clearances last done?
Tug on the crankshaft pulley, any more movement that a .25mm walk away as crank end float.

What is the dizzy, an 009 or 034 (34 better) distributor, or the petronix complete dizzy. Why go cheap? And not go to the 123 programable ignition?

Have they got the Dyno charts and what does the fuelling look like.

Are the wings and running board Brazilian made? As the front wings are early while the car is a later 71. The head lamps are shit.

That is off the top of my head

DM me a number and can talk more.

EDIT: won't be MOT exempt for long due to the modded engine and front suspension.

Forgot to ask about the heat exchangers, when changed and what type/brand fitted?

Very useful, thank you.

@RonAsheton 🙏

Also, I haven’t insured a classic vehicle for decades and am presuming it’s still fairly straight forward. Declare the mods and a low annual mileage (no commuting) and cross your fingers…

Don’t know much about beetles but that seems ace, camber on the back is mad, hope it’s a good one 👍🤞

First impressions are it looks to be a well put together/finished car that is also a bit of a Frankenbug. Personally i wouldn't be too concerned about things that can be easily unbolted/changed but agree with @lynx list, especially heater channels.

Couple other thoughts:

The spec if fairly confidence inspiring with some good quality parts. The exhaust, carbs and front suspension mods are all very agreeable. In general, original parts are best. It looks like tarty stuff has been kept to a minimum which is good cause a lot of it is crap. Don't be too impressed if there's a massive list of new parts. The quality varies massively so unless they can prove any new parts are original German quality i'd take it with a pinch of salt.

Dechroming is fairly standard for a Cal looker but the the mix of wings is a little odd IMO. You have early sloping wings and 71 correct tombstone rear lights. If you intend to keep the T bars then it's a non issue but if you want to run bumpers then it gives you a bit of a headache. Typically early wings = early blade bumpers and later wings = later euro bumpers. The bumper brackets are also different. FYI yours has slots front and rear for late model brackets and bumpers.

944 seats look great in a bug and are very comfortable but the base is significantly longer then the og seats and can make getting in out a little tricky. After you've setup the seating position for a test drive practise getting in and out of the car a few times. Also try sitting in the back with your seat in the correct for you position.

It's low. Narrow beam with dropped spindles is the way to go at the front but the rear is a little compromised. Make sure you drive it on some normal roads and find a speed bump or two.

Unless someone has made a new better quality kit more recently one piece glass leaks and is noisy. First job i would do is swap back to original quarter light configuration. Better all round and will suit the car.

Last thing, late model to early Cal look conversions are not uncommon but AFAIK have been out of fashion for quite some time and will be reflected in the desirability. Like all custom cars the money spent should never reflect the asking price as it's deeply personal and you might find that if you want to shift it the market may be fairly narrow. Good luck.

I think the aesthetic definitely appeals to my inner teenager, I went for a spin in a mates 1300 a couple of days ago and loved it. Plus I haven’t done anything stupid and impulsive like this in years so I’m overdue. Appreciate the knowledge drop.

Edit: Stand down, the seller just messaged he’s sold it. I’ll keep saving for an oval window instead :’(

Ah shame, did look like a good one.

Don't rule out later models, still loads of character and arguably drive better. I miss my tuned 73.

The engine spec wasn't that inspiring to me. Lots of stuff clipped on but no upgrade of the oil filter. The video showing the fan belt, that belt flapped about a bit too much, was either not correctly tensioned or old and hard. Which shows lack of care.

The ignition system didn't inspire confidence as it is the cheaper end.

The carb air filters do not inspire confidence of adequate filtration and drawing in enough cold air with the added bonus of water when raining. My 1.6 engine wasn't a high tune at all.

I went through a marathon phase.

A mate has been rebuilding his first car a mid 60’s convertible bug and he’s just finished building the motor, a Type 4 2666cc turbo beast. He claims it’s going to be running low 10’s in full street trim. He also claimed it would be finished in 2021, it’s not. In fairness he has built a 1100hp street legal Willys gasser and a flat four engined fiat 126 in the meantime.

The little I know about the type 4 engine is that it's not air cooled ;)

Currently in Singapore, very surprised at the lack of Tesla's cruising around. I've seen maybe 4 or 5. Many more lambos, Porsche, Ferrari etc. and weirdly cool extended Honda fit/jazz.

Unless you have a landed house there’s very little opportunity to charge one.

Also BYD and Hyundai are probably more attractive to purchase here.

Saw a lot of marketing push for BYD in the ME on holiday - billboards, showrooms under construction. Saw one in a local mall and had a look around. They are....not great looking cars. They have the sort of styling that remind me of the MG design cues from the end of MG era here in the UK. Bland.

True, many more BYD. I probably haven't noticed the Hyundai's. Although at first I thought the taxis were all Toyota Prius until I realised they were Hyundai.

Have seen some nicely modified cars too. I presume all superficial mods? I thought modified cars were illegal for some reason.

They are- what you have seen will need to be returned to stock before inspection, which I think is every two years.

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You want one, dontcha?

True, but it’s in the back of a bug, so…

Well not anymore.
I did.

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There are some days I wish I'd got an SG instead of an SF but I'm not complaining. Cheap car fun.

I've been watching all the BYD Shark 6 reviews today, looks well tasty. Might do a trade in with the D-Max if resale values don't look too awful. Plug-in hybrid and all the toys for (comparative) peanuts.

https://youtu.be/G-t4uRA75BI?feature=shared

What was the really big Subaru wagon late 90s:early 00s?
I want one of them. And big roads.
https://youtu.be/7tUzhodl_rw?si=XEWCR8x_TWRcg7qf

Legacy

Been a while since I was in the subaru scene but the Legacy B4 RSK seemed to be the one to have, twin turbo iirc