Should I buy 1972 beetle

[Mrpatjr]

A friend from church is 84 yrs old. He has a 72 that he bought new no rust no wrecks. 75k miles. Aftermarket paint white. Was able to crank but not stay running ( been sitting up in his garage). Interior is normal wear. His "starting price $4000". Is this about right for Atlanta ga area or should I look else where? I'm 66 and looking for something cool to drive. I had a 66 mdl back 40 yrs ago. I don' have a lot of $, $4k would not leave any to do much to the car to dress it up. Like the ones I see pic of. Wouldn't want to embarrass anyone by driving it to a "show or cruise in. Any thoughts?

[helowrench]

Probably a little high for a 72, but not too much. Look for rust under the battery.

The no idle condition is the carb needing rebuilding.

You will have a little bit of money to drop in safety stuff (fuel hoses/brakes/tires/wiper blades) before you can consider it safe to drive, and an unknown amount more before you can consider it reliable to drive (spark plugs/plug wires/ oil change/ belt change/ tires)

[Marc]

Sounds like quite a find (from this distance, anyway). Hopefully the stalling problem is minor, related to stale gas and/or a mildly gunked-up carburetor. Rust can be an issue in a salt-air environment so check it over well for that - white doesn't hide it well as rule; be suspicious of any areas where the paint is bubbled, drag a magnet over them to see if someone slathered filler over rusty spots before the repaint. A little surface rust is to be expected and forgiveable, but you don't want to take on a cancer patient.
It's very relevant that you determine whether it's a Standard or a Super. in `71/`72 the VIN series are the same so that doesn't help. Open the trunk, if the spare tire is standing right up front to greet you it's a Standard. Supers have larger trunks and their spare tire lays flat under the floor liner. Mechanically, the difference is the front suspension which is MacPherson Strut on the Super - it turns sharper, rides smoother, and yields that big trunk space but has some potential liabilities even at this relatively low mileage. If it's a Super, you may have to spend a bit more getting the steering & suspension whipped into shape if they've had no major maintenance yet.
I would ask the local VW folks where they have their cars maintained (check Yelp online, search out any local clubs, even buttonhole strangers in parking lots if you must) and if you can find a consensus see what a good shop will charge to check the car over for you before you commit more than a deposit. $4K could be a real bargain or it could be twice what the car's worth to you, you need to have someone who's familiar with the breed tell you what you're getting into. Most VW folks are enthusiasts and shouldn't mind talking with you about the car, but do keep your guard up in case you run into a "poacher" who turns you away from it and then swoops in later to pick it up themselves

[Mrpatjr]

Thanks for your input the spare is standing up and his paper work says it is a standard. I will do the magnet trick you suggest but I've known him at church for sometime an unless he just forgot ( he is 84) I don't believe it has rust or orther Damage. I crawled underneath an the pans and side rails look great. I'm leaning toward offering $3k after Christmas. He says he is in no hurry to sell in the next two weeks. I'm a over average wrench turner so I probably save labor cost if I can get technical expertise help. Thank again

[Marc]

$3000 sounds better than $4000, certainly. If he's aware of all of the maintenance which is routinely needed at around the 80,000mi mark he may take your offer to simplify his life, knowing it's going to a good home. The most expensive item is a valve job, with new exhaust valves (and usually guides). While the engines's out for that, it's good to renew the flywheel seal and no doubt about time for clutch components, new seals on the oil cooler, etc....most DIY'ers won't have all of the tools needed to do this work and it's hard to justify buying expensive equipment if you won't be using it but once, so again you should find a good VW specialist to do the more technical stuff. Brakes & shocks usually need attention too - and if the car's been off the road for a while the brakes may have more issues than normal. The early `70s dual-diaphragm distributors often had problems with the canister leaking on the retard side, and it's an obsolete part (an N.O.S. one often goes for >$100). One could easily rack up a $1000+ repair bill having all of this work done by a professional, if he appreciates that he shouldn't be insulted by a $3K offer.

A Standard with 75K on it should need nothing on the front end except a lube and probably a steering box adjustment. Hopefully it still has the OEM-style front shocks with rubber snubbers, if they haven't been replaced yet they're due - resist the urge to fit aftermarket shocks that don't have the snubbers...for normal driving & at/near stock ride height, anyway - if you were planning to road-race or lower the front end some there are other options to consider . Do check the tierod ends, steering box top bolts, and rag joint on the column.
Plan on the stuff helowrench mentioned, also flush the brake fluid and adjust the shoes (odds are at least a few of the 8 adjusting stars are going to be frozen). I'd replace the brake flex hoses if they're original, and you may discover a problem with master and/or wheel cylinders by the time you're done - in other words, you'll probably have to pull the drums anyway so you may as well just do it so you can inspect the cylinders and shoes, and repack the front wheel bearings. The rears and the CV joints are also due for servicing, but it's not a high priority. You'll need a 6mm allen wrench for the front hub nuts and a 36mm (1-7/16") socket/wrench for the rear axle nuts which are torqued to ~220 lb-ft. If you don't possess the means to loosen/tighten those nuts yet, find a shop close to home that'll break them loose for you and torque them back down when you're all done - you can drive a short distance with them only moderately tight, but if they aren't torqued to spec they'll work loose and the splines in the drums will be damaged.
Try to source OEM style braid-reinforced fuel hose rather than generic rubber. You'll need about two feet of it underneath (for the front and rear) plus another foot or so in the engine compartment - a meter is usually just enough, I'd get at least 4'.
The carb's pretty simple and they often respond well to an in-situ cleaning (partial disassembly without removing from the engine to squirt aerosol cleaner through the passages). If the top gasket survives removal you can often get away without any parts, but a rebuild kit's not very costly so I'd recommend getting one (or at least knowing where to get one) before going into the carb. Original carb is a Solex 34PICT-3 (verify that's what it has, the number's cast into the side of the bowl). It's been some time since good new replacement carbs were readily available, but most likely you won't be needing one.

[helowrench]

Now that I am on a full computer, and not typing by thumb, I will elaborate.
My personal routine on one that I bring home is a thorough going through of the safety items, coupled with an extensive tune up.
#1 stand on the brakes. Literally. both feet, and absolutely as hard as you can. This will cause any marginal seals, or lines, to fail now, not while driving.
#2 Inspect the brake hoses, wrap each one around a finger, and look for small cracks. If any of them have any cracking, go ahead and change all four.
#3 crawl down into the driver's wheel well, and take a small screwdriver, look past the brake pushrod boot, and see if it is wet inside, if it is, master cyl is leaking.
These are the VW specific stuff, the rest of the brake system is easy.

The fuel lines should be replaced, unless the previous owner can give you a hard date on when they were replaced last. General consensus around here is 3-5 years, no longer between replacement.
(Personally, I add hose clamps.)
I went 5 and had one start leaking when the weather changed, rapidly. If I had followed the 3 year rule, It would never have been a concern.

I replace the steering coupler, shift coupler, and shimmy dampner on any VW that I purchase as a rule.
I feel that the steering coupler is just as important as brakes, if not more.
The shimmy dampner on these things will make you believe that you have too many other problems.
A bad shift coupler just annoys the snot out of me.

rebuilding the carb is easier than most lawnmowers, by far. the kits are cheap, makes for a great start to a good tune up.
new plugs, air filter (or is a 72 still oil bath) points, condenser, plug wires etc.
change the oil, and set the valves and ignition timing.

Be very suspicious of tires on a car with that low of a utilization. These tires do not wear much to begin with, and I change mine due to them getting hard, and losing grip during braking, more than I change them for treadwear. Be aware of the recommended tire pressures. If you are not used to the lower pressures, you can easily pump them up to the tire manufacturer's recommendations, and dramatically change your braking and cornering for the worse

This is not a full listing, simply a highlight reel, you sound like you only needed the VW specific stuff.

Rob

[Hobug]

There are many people in the Atlanta area that would be glad to help you evaluate the Bug. Check out the Georgia Dubs forums. http://forum.georgiadubs.com/
Most of the clubs in Georgia are represented on this site and it is a good resource for find local sources of parts as well as shops you can trust. Join and feel free to post your questions and concerns.


Jon
www.athensvwclub.com

[Mrpatjr]

Jon thanks for your reply. I am now teetering on whether or not to get an old vw. The other two replies make it sound dangerous and very costly. The car I am looking at doesn't appear to be that bad. I can't seem to get a good handle on what to offer the guy. I think I will come by loco's in January an try and talk with some people. I live about 20 miles from there. Thanks again