Sway Bar Hardware Kit: Jon Chabot from Top
Line Parts talks about the famous Super Beetle Shimmie. Chabot
says, "We are often asked "Will lowering my Super affect the
shimmies that I get at about 40 to 55 miles per hour?" To answer this
question, we must first know what you have already done to your car
in the way of restoring, customizing, and modifying. In most cases
the "shimmies" are caused by a combination of bad bushings and out
of balance or bent wheel rims. Also, some rims have a different offset
than the original, exaggerating the problem further. The condition
of every component in the Super Beetle front end must be in perfect
condition to prevent problems.
To help with your Super
Shimmies we have come out with a NEW Sway Bar Hardware installation
kit. If you have lost or damaged sway bar hardware, try this all new
hardware kit. The 4130 chrome moly washers are much stronger than
original washers, and replace the VW parts exactly. Kits are also
supplied with original style castle nuts and cotter pins. All components
are zinc plated for a rust free finished look! Once all the proper
rebuilding, checking, and balancing has taken place, there will be
no more shimmies! Your car can then be lowered successfully with our
components, and you will enjoy the best riding and handling bug that
VW has ever produced!"
Top
Line Parts
Rust
Bullet Rust Inhibitor: If you're replacing your floor pans
or trying to save the old ones, they should be protected against rust.
Mine were in pretty good shape so I just wanted to prevent any further
damage with a product that stops rust. I did some research on Rust
Bullet and found out that their products have been awarded two US
patents for superior technology and environmentally friendly rust
preventive products. This means that Rust Bullet is a leader in the
field of rust prevention as no other rust coating on the market has
anything like that to back them up. One of the main benefits of their
product is that Rust Bullet simplifies rust prevention by eliminating
the need for extensive surface preparation. Simply ensure that the
surface is clean and dry, and start painting. There's no need to remove
all of the rust from the surface, just paint right over it! Rust Bullet
coatings can be easily applied to a metal surface either by brush,
roller or spray. There is no need for a topcoat or under coat which
reduces the overall time and cost. Products like POR-15 simply provide
a coating on the metal surface, whereas Rust
Bullet is specifically designed to penetrate to the metal surface,
dehydrate the rust, rendering it inert, it literally kills the rust.
This feature helps with better rust prevention for the substrate and
attacks rust right at the root level, offering better longevity and
protection. Another big difference is that all Rust Bullet coatings
are UV Resistant. POR-15 requires a topcoat as their rust inhibitors
are not resistant to UV rays. Rust Bullet coatings are also more environmentally
friendly as compared to other coatings on the market. Rust Bullet
coatings were developed to emit lower emissions, this makes them more
sustainable and they are free from heavy metals zinc, chromates, and
other harsh chemicals too. I'd recommend Rust Bullet for those that
want to save time, money and the mess that comes along with other
products. PLUS, you're getting a superior product that will help your
Volkswagen withstand the test of time.
Rust
Bullet
Robert
Bentley Repair Manual: There
are a lot of repair manuals out there for your classic Volkswagen
and I've seen just about every one of them. The most famous would
most likely be John Muir's "How to keep your Volkswagen Alive".
It's a great book that is easy to read and has some of the coolest
"Hippie Style" drawings on how to repair your Bug. But is
Mr. Muir's book the best buy for your hard earned cash? I'll leave
that up to you. Enter Robert
Bentley repair manuals for every air-cooled VW. These are the
only service manuals that are officially authorized by Volkswagen.
This manual was created specifically to cover models built for sale
in the United States and Canada and doesn't miss a trick. From my
way of thinking you can always tell when a repair manual has been
well used by the dog-eared pages and by all of the greasy fingerprints
inside. My copy of this informative book is no exception. I can tell
you first hand that this manual has saved me many trips to the shop
and a ton of money in repair bills.
Here is a sample of the
kind of up-to-date information you will find inside: Tune-up and oil
change. Specifications and procedures for all models up to the latest
1979 models. Troubleshooting and replacing or repairing every component
of the electrical system, complete wiring diagrams. Troubleshooting
and repair of the electronic fuel injection system used on 1975 and
later models. Troubleshooting, repairing and rebuilding the clutch,
manual transmission and Automatic Stick Shift. Rebuilding the carburetor,
including the 1974 California-only carburetor. Rebuilding disc and
drum brakes. Rebuilding the front axle and steering gearbox. Strut
front suspension for the 1302 and 1303 Super Beetle and Convertible,
including the suspension modifications for the 1974 through 1979 models.
Rack and pinion steering for the 1975 and later models is also covered.
Spark advance curves for all distributors, including the latest type
emission controls for the 1974 through 1979 exhaust gas recirculation
systems. Official Volkswagen tolerances, wear limits, settings and
tightening torque specifications for every part of your VW. This Volkswagen
Type 1 service manual for the 1970-1979 Volkswagen Beetle and Karmann
Ghia contains 720 illustrations, 27 pages of wiring diagrams and 466
pages of what Volkswagen dealership technicians use in the workshop,
so you can't get any better than that.
Robert
Bently Official VW Beetle Service Manual
Coco
Mats: When shopping around for new floor mats for your
Beetle, there are quite a few choices out there. Rubber and carpet
are two, but there is another type of floor mat that has been around
for ages, the Coco mat. Coco Mats are handmade from natural materials
- Coir and Rubber. Coir, also known as Cocos, is a natural fiber that
is extracted from the protective husks of coconuts. The husks are
seasoned in lagoons then converted into fluffy golden coir fiber.
The coir is then spun into yarn that is hand woven into mats and backed
with a special nibbed rubber that hold the mats firmly in place.
This rubber backing also
insures that dirt and sand will never have a chance to make it into
your VW's carpet. Colors to choose from are Black and Red, Black and
Gray, Black Herringbone, Tan Herringbone, Blue/Black and Tan and Cream/Tan
and Brown. Besides the handy nibbed rubber backing, they also have
a rubber heal pad that is sewn into the drivers mat to protect it
from heel damage and a matching vinyl binding that is sewn around
the edge that trims this vintage look floor mat off quite nicely.
These floor mats are very easy to clean as well. You simply vacuum
them to freshen them up, or if they get really dirty you can pressure
wash them with soap and water and then hang them out to dry. I have
had a set of the Tan and Brown Coco mats in my Super Beetle for a
few years and have found them virtually indestructible.
JBugs
How
to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: First published in 1969,
this classic manual of automotive repair equips VW owners with the
knowledge to handle every situation they will come across with any
air-cooled Volkswagen built through 1978, including Bugs, Karmann
Ghias, vans, and campers. With easy-to-understand, fun-to-read information
— for novice and veteran mechanics alike — anecdotal descriptions,
and clear language, this book takes the mystery out of diagnostic,
maintenance, and repair procedures, and offers some chuckles along
the way. This edition features new information on troubleshooting,
new photos, and an updated resource list. John Muir (1918-1977) was
a writer, mechanic, and expert on the maintenance and repair of Volkswagens.
Originally a structural engineer working for the National Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics, in the 1960s he quit his job to become
a writer and car mechanic in Taos, New Mexico. Muir collaborated with
the artist Peter Aschwanden to create the definitive manual for Volkswagen
owners, How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive; A Manual of Step-By-Step
Procedures for the Compleat Idiot. The first edition sold more than
two million copies. In November 1977, Muir passed away from a brain
tumor. His self-published first edition is considered one of the most
successful self-published books in history, and his manual remains
the definitive guide for VW owners.
How
to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive
Letters
to Zerky: I got an email about a book written about touring
the world in a VW Bus, so of course I had to read it. Reading a book
that is actually printed, rather than reading on my iPad was really
nice. Pictures, the smell of the paper, and even putting in the book
mark reminded me of why I love reading so much. I totally enjoyed
reading Letters to Zerky and here is a review of it taken from
Bill's website. "In April of 1967, when The Summer of Love
was dawning in San Francisco, Bill and JoAnne Raney left with their
dachshund, Tarzan, and ten-month-old son, Eric Xerxes. They flew to
Germany, bought a VW camper van, and spent the next thirteen months
traveling through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Saddened that
young Zerky would not remember this amazing trip, Bill began to write
him letters and Joanne kept a diary so that when he was older he could
read about all the adventures he'd been on. The Raneys' journey took
them through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal,
Thailand, Hong Kong, and a few countries that no longer exist. The
book will appeal to a wide audience, including those interested in
travel, Middle Eastern history and simply a well-written story of
adventure. It is a lovely tribute to a little boy who crossed cultural
divides to bring people together. "Zerky was the common denominator
that brought us together with the peoples and cultures of the world
during this thirteen-month-long adventure between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans," Bill writes. "He was our passport to the
world."
Letters
to Zerky
Rear
Defroster Vents: While attending a local
VW event I noticed that the 1972 - 1975 Super Beetle Sedan has six
little rear defroster vents beside the rear glass. Three on each side,
while my 1975 Super Beetle has none. Hmmmm. It looks as if when the
original owner changed the headliner he neglected to put them back
in. From talking to various owners it seems that over time these plastic
vents becomes brittle and literally disintegrate when you try and
take them out and these little gems are nearly impossible to find.
Now I've always been a firm believer that Volkswagen
knows a lot more about the Beetle than I ever will, so these must
have been put there for a reason. (Don't even get me going about whether
the Beetle can run without a thermostat or not, it shouldn't!) So,
wanting my Beetle to be as close to 100% stock as possible I set out
to find these illusive vents. I searched VW parts swap meets, eBay
and The Samba, but the ones that I found were ugly to say the least.
Most were yellowed and cracked and I don't think that they could ever
survive installation. What to do? I don't know if it was fate but
a few weeks later I spotted them at CIP1.com and for under twenty
bucks to boot!
When they arrived I went out to install them and
thought, "I am going to have to cut six holes in my near pristine
headliner ...maybe I'll wait". So the other day I was getting
my SB ready for a VW event and saw my vents sitting on a shelf in
the garage. I guess I was feeling brave that night (or maybe it was
the adult beverage that I was drinking at the time) and I decided
to put them in. I felt around the rear glass until I found the first
oval hole and then lined up a new vent with the indentation and pushed
into the liner. This left an oval impression that I quickly slit from
end to end with a blade, GLUP! To my surprise the vent snapped in
perfectly! The moral of this story is that it's the small things that
can really make your Beetle complete and it's companies like California
Import Parts that can supply them for us.
California
Import Parts - CIP1
Chrome
Vent Covers: For those of you that love the look of chrome
there's a perfect inexpensive accessory for your Classic Volkswagen
Beetle, Chrome Vent Covers from Mid America Motorworks. With these
two half moon covers you can add a touch of sparkle to your late model
Beetle or Super Beetle and installation is "Super" easy
too. You just pop out your old black plastic vent covers behind the
rear windows and snap in your new chrome ones.
Made in Denmark the quality
of these vents is flawless and since they are made with chromed plastic
there is no worry about them rusting or losing their shine over the
years. While replacing the original ones with these is a matter of
preference and taste you are certain to get a lot of questions about
them at the next Volkswagen event that you attend. Me? I think they
are great and I'm going to get a set for my Super Beetle before the
season starts in the spring!
Mid America Motorworks
2022
VW Beetle Calendar: Yep, it's time for a new Volkswagen
calendar. I don't know about you, but I love to see an old school
Volkswagen calendar hanging on the wall in my garage. Sure I have
all of the calendars and reminders I need in my iPhone, but there's
something exciting about flipping over the next month to see what
VW Beetle is coming up next, so don't peek! Known affectionately as
the "Bug," the Volkswagen Beetle is truly one of the most
distinctive passenger cars in the history of the automobile. Vastly
appealing for its simple design and small size, the Beetle was introduced
in the late 1930s in Germany, and by 1949 the first one had arrived
in America. It became the world’s best-selling car and is still
in high demand, as its bright colors and round, eye-pleasing, compact
shape continue to attract attention on the road. This Volkswagen Beetle
wall calendar is devoted entirely to these wonderful cars. This calendar
is perfect as décor in your home, garage, man cave, she shed,
or office and easily helps to keep track of important dates, contacts,
and other events at a glance. Each calendar month is easy to glance
at and see what responsibilities you have coming up, such as oil changes,
valve adjustments or trying to clean up that huge oil stain on the
driveway. Personalization is easy with different colors for appointments
and trips, add stickers or stickie notes for a quick reference, or
create your own system of symbols and abbreviations. The perfect gift
for any Volkswagen enthusiast!
VW
Beetle Calendar
Lower
Steering Column Bushing: If the needle bearing at the bottom
of your steering column wears out, it will give you almost un-drivable
play in the steering wheel and up until now this part has been almost
impossible to find. The NEW Top Line lower steering column bushing
replaces the VW plastic needle bearing without any modifications to
the tube or steering shaft. It is made from high-tech Nylatron, is
self lubricating, and will last for thousands of miles. Here's how
you install the new one: The steering column and shaft should be removed
from the car for easiest installation. You should have on hand a blunt
punch and hammer, rubber mallet, belt sander, and a good bench vice.
1 - Slide the steering
column out of the housing. Tap out old bearing with any long straight
shaft (from the top to bottom) 2 - The Top Line bushing is on the
left, and the old VW needle bearing is on the right. 3 - The steering
shaft will have the inner bearing race still on the shaft. It’s
a press-fit, and must be removed. 4 - Clamp the shaft in a sturdy
bench vice. Soak the bearing race with lubricant, and tap off the
race with a dull chisel or drift. Apply some heat to the race with
a butane torch if necessary. 5 - Here the old bearing race is removed
from the steering shaft. Note the knurling on the shaft that was under
the race. 6 - Using a belt sander, polish off the knurling that was
underneath the bearing race. The finished diameter should be .866
inches (22.0mm). 7 - Test fit the bushing onto the steering shaft
with a little grease. It should slip effortlessly over the shaft.
The fit will get slightly tighter after you tap the bushing into the
column. 8 - Tap the bushing into the column using a rubber mallet.
Don’t use any lubricant, as it may cause the bushing to shift
after installation. 9 - Finish tapping in the bushing past the flared
end of the tubing with a socket or similar driver. The finished depth
of the bushing is about 1/8” (3.2mm) past end of column. Rub
a little grease or oil onto the end of the steering shaft and re-insert
it into the steering column. It’s ok to feel a little resistance
in the bushing as you turn the shaft by hand. The mechanical advantage
of the steering wheel will make the slight drag of the bushing to
the shaft negligible and just right for a tight driving feel. Once
again Top Line Parts has come up an improvement over the original
Volkswagen design and supplied a part that is superior in every way.
Thanks to Jon Chabot and Top Line!
Top
Line Parts
Retractable
Lap and Shoulder Seat Belts:
My seat belts were done. Once you took them off they would lay there
unless you fed them back into the retractor, not good. You could tug
at them all day long and they wouldn't lock up, not too smart.
Because even if you don't like to think about it, Volkswagens do get
into accidents and your seat belt is the only thing that is going
to keep your face from meeting the inside of your windshield, OUCH!
I was reading the latest
JBugs catalog and noticed a complete set of front belts that would
fit my Beetle on the back cover. As a matter of fact they fit 1966-1977
Beetle Sedan and 1971-1977 Super Beetle Sedan, nice. I ordered a set
and within a few days they were sitting on my desk at work. Inside
the package I found two black original-looking seat belt retractors,
two buckles, two brackets and a whole bunch of bolts, washers and
nuts, along with a small diagram on how they all go together. It didn't
seem like a big job so I decided to tackle it one Saturday. All you
need is a socket set and a bit of patience to install these in your
Beetle. The first thing to do is to take out the old belts, which
is simple because it's only three bolts each. Then you have to figure
out which way the brackets that hold the retractors go, not so simple.
Make sure you take a good look at the original brackets BEFORE you
take the old ones out.
The
new brackets are not exactly the same but they do install the same
way. Once you bolt the retractor in place you're going to wonder how
to get the belt out, which is fully retracted due to shipping. HINT
- Make sure that the retractor is 100% level, both horizontally and
vertically and it will pull out without a problem. Install the buckle
and your ready to sit down, buckle up and take off. If you have a
1975 or newer Beetle you will have to disconnect the seat belt interlock
system which plugs into the bottom of the seat and cut the wire that
goes to the buckle. I'd say within a 1/2 hour I had these installed
and was testing them out. Not by running into a tree, but by giving
them a quick tug and feeling them lock up. Oh what a feeling. One
thing that I noticed about this product is that the bolts that are
included have a different size head than the originals so the trim
that covers the bolt that holds the buckle in place will not fit.
I put a drop of Automotive Goop (a fantastic glue) on them popped
them in place and I was good to go. Here's one more bit of advice
about these and the original seat belts in your Beetle. It's pretty
hard to reach the tongue that you plug into the buckle because it
falls down to the bottom of the belt. You end up either squishing
your hand in between the door panel to reach it or opening the door.
Honda makes a little button kit that you install that keeps the tongue
at the top of the belt so you can just reach over your shoulder to
grasp it. Contact your local Honda dealer and order two of part number
04814-SP0-305ZA for an easy fix. So check yourself before you wreck
yourself and bring your seat belts up to spec with these great units
from California Pacific JBugs.
JBugs
Chrome
Wheels and Hub Caps: I
own a 1975 Volkswagen Super Beetle of the
La Grande variety. It's close to 100% stock and that's the way
that I like it. The only problem is that the "Sports" wheels
that came with this Special Edition are boring. They are your typical
silver painted wheel that Volkswagen jazzed up by adding a black plastic
center cap and some black plastic wheel nut covers, nice but boring.
I thought that painting the wheels gold to match my Super Beetle would
do the trick. Again, boring. So what's a person that wants the "Stock
Look" going to do to the wheels without stepping over the border
into custom? Good question.
For
me the answer was a set of stock Volkswagen wheels paired up with
a set of stock Volkswagen wheel covers, but done in chrome! The stock
wheel that came on the VW Beetle never came in chrome, which is a
shame because the styling is timeless. I checked all of the usual
online stores and ended up getting a set from
JBugs. The wheels that I got where manufactured by Mangle of Brazil,
one of the largest O.E. wheel manufacturers in the world. Unfortunately
from what I've heard these wheels won't be available for much longer,
so if you are looking to upgrade your whip, you'd better act fast.
You could always have your stock wheels chromed, but finding a good
plating shop isn't easy and it's very expensive too. So I took my
new wheels to work and mounted them on my stock rubber. Oh yeah! I
don't know what it is about these wheels, but installing them on my
1303 added a huge WOW factor. Best of all my VW is still considered
"Stock" and it looks fantastic! Now all I get is complements
where ever I go. Nice.
JBugs
VolksWorld:
If you're a fan of the air-cooled Volkswagen then you must
love reading about and looking at them in print. Over the past few
years some VW publications have gone, some new ones have sprung up,
and the old faithful have gotten even better. VolksWorld has been
around since 1987, and is still a major part of the worldwide VW scene.
Based in the UK it covers the very best vehicles from around the globe
with modified and customized cars through to the original and stock
providing inspiration entertainment and scene-defining information
to its readers. Between the monthly magazine and the web site, VolksWorld
endeavors to deliver all the latest news from the air-cooled Volkswagen
scene all over the world. With up to date news, excellent photography,
features, readers' rides, how to's, history specifications and much
more, VolksWorld has something for everyone and also reaches into
VW exhibitions with the annual VolksWorld Show – the largest
indoor VW event in Europe where many show cars debut each year.
Along with a fantastic
magazine VolksWorld has a new Facebook page. Now featuring such sections
as Car of the week, Latest news, Video of the week, The VolksWorld
Blog, Buy and Sell, Events and Clubs, and Downloads, you could spend
hours just cruising the pages. Make a note to check out the Download
section where you'll find some of the most beautiful Volkswagens in
the world just waiting to grace the desktop of your computer. So pick
up a copy at your local bookstore, go online and subscribe. That way
you'll never miss a VW-packed issue!
VolksWorld
Super Sway
Bar Clamps: Top Line Parts had just introduced
their new Super Beetle billet sway bar clamp set. The
stamped steel stock VW clamps are the lowest part on the chassis of
a Super, and often get beat up badly by close encounters with the
pavement. The new Top Line clamp set offers better support of
the rubber bushing, as well as being made from strong T-6 aluminum
billet. The Top Line billet aluminum sway bar clamp set replaces the
VW items prefectly without any modifications to the car. The clamps
will fit either stock rubber bushings, or the more popular urethane
performance bushings. Since the clamps are made to exacting tolerances,
you should first check to see if the fit of the bushings into the
clamps is correct. The clamps are made to fit Top Line Caster-Fix
bushings exactly, with no modification. While the curved shape of
the factory clamps leave some leeway for bushing sizes, the Top Line
clamps do not. The clamps include mounting
hardware, and are available for 1302 (71 to 73), and 1303 (74 and
later) models.
Top
Line Parts
1:18
Scale Remote Control Baja Super Beetle: RC Super Beetle
remote control car made of high quality and ABS material so it will
not be damaged easily. Classic Super Beetle design with a racing driver
in mind, so kids and adults will love to play with it. Super fast
speed really brings you the true exciting RC racing experience. It's
a great choice for the kids to race with their friends and to bring
them into the Volkswagen family!
Equipped with a 4.8V/700mAh
high-quality rechargeable battery. So you can enjoy the fun of driving
for a maximum 60 minutes (depends on the operation) with this remote
control Beetle which is longer than most other Off-Road RC trucks.
Complete with a USB charger to provide more convenient charging. The
2.4GHZ remote control features a high frequency, rapid response and
long distance control. You can fine-tune the speed and direction as
you move forward, back up, turn left or turn right. The radio controller
allows you and your friends to play your own RC cars at the same time
without radio interference. It's great for racing both indoors and
outdoors. This RC Baja Super Beetle has anti-collision bumper in front,
a racing driver model sits inside, and front LED headlights. If you're
ordering one for your kids be sure to get one for yourself!
Radio
Controlled Super Beetle
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