It just so happened that we saw this yellow bug with a "For Sale" sign near home. Of course the man spent no time skipping down the street "just to check it out." Fast forward, we became proud owners of a 1973 Type I Bug. We both fancy the older bug models for their classic iconic look, and the simplicity of the air cooled engine appealed to us. Although he made a thorough inspection of the car before we remotely considered the purchase, both the engine and interior definitely needed some work done. At least it was running. Sort of.
The engine needed a complete rebuild. At first glance of the block, it was covered in a thick layer of grease, grime, and peppered with fur. I can only imagine that at one point an innocent squirrel was frolicking in the engine bay. After taking apart the engine, we painstakingly de-grimed the parts and scrubbed them clean. We fitted the block with a new set of Mahle cylinders and gave it a nice coat of glossy black paint. Next, we popped in the rocker arms, adjusted the valves, then tossed on the chrome shroud. After the clutch was replaced, we installed the engine. Here are the before and in-progress photos:
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| 1973 Type I VW Bug/Beetle |
Before & In-progress
There's still a few things left to do...reassembling & installing the carburetor, putting in the oil filter, etc etc. Hopefully we'll get those done in the next few days.
