After some frustration with dealerships and the high payments for leasing vehicles, my wife and I decided that now was a good time to pick up one of our bucket-list cars as daily driver. After some searching, we happened to find and purchase a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle.

The ‘72 Beetle had the look we liked:

• a flat windscreen
• shallow dash
• more compact than the later Super Beetles
• the bumpers that we had planned on buying
• eyelids
• minimal rust

In addition, the engine seemed to be running strong, the brakes worked, and the suspension did not seem terrible.

If you want to follow this project along, you can do so by checking out the 72-beetle tag.

Sections on this page:

• Vehicle details
• History
• Our plans
• Parts, tools, equipment

Details

• Year: 1972
• Transmission: 4-speed manual
• Engine: 1600cc
• Odometer: 75, 763 miles
• Purchased: June 14, 2019

History

Currently don’t know too much about the car except that all the work in the last five years has been done at one shop and that the previous owner made it to front page of a local newspaper with their Herbie vinyls.

I have a small collection of the service history. The folder had several other cars mixed in so I am not sure if this is all of the reciepts that the previous owner had. Below is a rough outline of what work I know has been done.

Date	Odometer (in KM)	Purchase or Shop	Notes
2019-01-08	75, 248	Shop	fix driver side door install driver side window regulator replace drivers door latch
2018-01-08	74, 232	Shop	Wheel shakes at 50-60mph (wheels bent) replace vapour barriers replace driver/passenger door seals replace front/rear wheel cylinders replace front/rear brake shoes replace driver rear brake drum bleed brake system rotate tires re-machined passenger rear brake drum repair rear driver/passenger rocker panel area replace sealant
2017-10-10	73, 707	Shop	Adjust and free-up brake pedal push rod replace clutch cable and sleeve
2017-08-03	N/A	Purchase	Ignition coil
2016-08-05	69, 714	Shop	Mount and balance of four 165/80R15
2016-03-05	66, 039	Shop	replace clutch assembly clean thread and install sender properly free-up window regulator clean/grease/install door panel repair hazard lights adjust brakes
2015-06-15	58, 756	Shop	adjust valves replace broken rocker arm spring repair #4 intake valve stem install cap on #4 intake valve adjust valves service carb replace vaccuum hoses adjust dwell adjust timing replace generator pulley
2015-05-29	58, 262	Shop	Oil service

Plans

Immediate

• remove Herbie vinyl
• fix rust and paint
• reduce gas fumes in cabin
• get seats that are not broken
• fix rear drivers side turn signal

Long-term

• disc brake conversion (don’t like the drum feeling)
• push button start
• immobilizer
• redo interior (headliner, seats, floor, dash)
• inside and out paint
• electric engine conversion
• birth certificate

Purchases

Combo of receipts and things we need to get in the near future:

Item	Cost	Date Purchased
Ear Clamp Pliers
Oil	$23.97 CAD	2019-09-15
Oil drain pan	$6.99 CAD	2019-09-15
Black nitrite Gloves (50 pack)	$20.99 CAD	2019-09-15
Feeler gauge
Oil drain gaskets (10 pack)	$24.99 CAD	2019-09-10
Valve cover gaskets (4 pack)	$6.29 CAD	2019-09-10
Aluminum fresh air heater hose	$9.79 CAD	2019-09-10
Fresh air hose clamp	$8.39 CAD	2019-09-10
Fuel tank rubber hose and clamp kit	$81 USD	2019-07-05
Front license plate clamps	$4.95 USD	2019-07-05
Rear license plate mounting braket	$8 USD	2019-07-05

Follow this project

You can follow on this site by checking out the 72-beetle tag.