new guy needs advice on which air cooloed beetle to buy

[Zich11]

interested in getting old beetle to work on, fix up, etc. First new car was a 71 Super beetle.
Have wrenched Harleys a little bit, but no VW's. Did help a room mate in 1970. Dropped engine out of a vw bus, carried it up to second floor apt. tore it apart and then soaked in de greaser in bathtub for a few days. We then re built it on the dining room floor. Engine worked well, but we lost our security deposit on the apartment
Need advice on what years to look for or avoid. Not interested in resale value of bug after fixed up. More interested in opinions on availability of parts, particular problems with certain years making them ones to avoid, etc. Thank you in advance for your time

[helowrench]

The best drivers , in my opinion, are the IRS years.
That would mean 69 and up

[aussiebug]

The early 6v bugs are great, but parts are harder to get, and they do require more work. Road holding and braking is less reliable.

The 68+ bugs with better brakes and 12v electrics might be better for a less experienced (bug wise) person. Parts are easier to find, more parts are interchangeable, and they keep up with the traffic better once you get it on the road.

Whatever you get, have fun and enjoy the experience.

[helowrench]

Alright, bow that I have a bit more time, I will get a bit more in depth.
How mechanically inclined do you want to be.
You touched on your abilities, but not on your current intents.
If you are wanting to restore a car, then the fled is fully open.
If you do not wish to be forced to completely go through every single subsystem, then go for the newest possible, and in the best shape possible.

super beetles are the best road drivers when the bushings have all been replaced.
IRS/ballpoint fronts (69-74) standard beetles are the next, and do not degrade as quickly,

I prefer the 70/71 as they are a good combination of highest selling years in the US, still very simple electrical, and had not gotten very heavy yet, but still (71) had the highest hp stock engine.

The downfall of the lower weight is less crash protection, but as with any beetle, just realize that you are driving a motorcycle, as far as crash protection goes.

[Zich11]

really appreciate the replies. Not interested in a full blown basket case restoration. want something drivable without too much work, but has enough issues that I can stay busy correcting/improving systems, body parts, etc

[aussiebug]

Then you will probably want to look at the 68+ cars as both I and Helowrench suggest. I have a 57, a 68 and a 70, (had the 70 for 44 years since new), and the 12v bugs definitely drive better with less work needed. As Helo says, up to around 71 the cars had not grown fat, so they travel well on the small horsepower stock or near stock engines, but have better brakes and better electrics than the pre68 cars. The superbugs (coil front springs) do drive a little smoother on the road, but MUST have all the bushes in top condition or you get the "super shimmies". The torsion bar front suspension of the standard bugs is MUCH tougher. IRS rear suspension is nice, but I quite like the simple swing axles myself (I have one of each).

Being a bit younger you are a little more likely to find a 68+ that is not rusted out, compared to the really old bugs. As a suggestion, look for one with a double letter engine number, AD, AE, AS as these are the twin port engines, made of better case material (usually have AS21 or AS41 cast into the sides of the case), so if they need working on, the metal is more machinable. Having said that, there is nothing wrong with the 1970 B series single port engine either, but be wary of the 67-69 1500 H series engines - these have a poorer metal in the case, which goes brittle with age, so they are not good cases for major repairs/machining. Look for a bug which drives and stops in a straight line, has a smooth gearbox action, and take a fridge magnet with you when looking - it will stick to painted metal but not to bondo, so you can check the bottom of the doors etc for body filler. Brake and clutch pedals should work in the first half of pedal travel and not near the floor (indicates good maintenance).

Two simple engine checks - grap the engine pulley and push-pull on it - if you can SEE any movement in-out of the case, it's too much - the correct end play is only 3-5 thou. That tells you something about the inside of the engine case (internal repairs get expensive). Then do a compression test - a fresh 1500/1600 engine should give 130+ psi on all cylinders. As the bug engine ages, this pressure slowly drops, and at 100psi on any one cylinder it's time to start planning a rebuild. That test tells you something about the tops end(s) of the engine.

Good luck with the hunt.