Beetle Buyers Mechanical Checklist
Many people that I talk to on the tech line, want to know if the car that they are looking at, or have already purchased is worth restoring. Out of all of the systems on a vintage VW, the mechanical (engine, Trans, suspension, steering and electrical) systems are the easiest to source parts for and repair. Many years ago, when the hobby and aftermarket were small, you had to source from many different suppliers to finish your restoration. Now that the hobby has grown there are many to choose from. Here at Airhead Parts, we strive to produce and sell only restoration parts that fit and are the same quality as OEM, and we are here to support you during your restoration.
The purpose of this page is to give you the knowledge to inspect a car that you have just purchased, or are looking to purchase.
#1 Idiot lights. Turn the car on, but do not start it. Do both warning indicators light up? They are there to inform you of low oil pressure and the condition of the charging system. If they do not light up, or stay lit after the engine is started, you may be looking at a car that has low oil pressure, or a faulty charging system.
#2 Braking system. While you’re sitting in the driver’s seat, try the brakes. You want to feel the pedal going no more than 3 inches from the floor. Brake parts are relatively inexpensive and should be inspected fully, before anything more than a test drive is done.
During a full inspection: you should be looking for leaky wheel cylinders, leaking master cylinder, rusted metal brake lines, cracked rubber hoses, the supply hoes from the reservoir to the master cylinder.
Take every wheel and drum off and peel back the boots on the wheel cylinders. They should be dry.
Brake shoes should have no less than 1/8th inch of pad left, all hardware should be somewhat rust-free.
Peel back the carpet behind the pedals and look inside the rubber boot that the brake pedal pushrod goes through. It should also be dry.
#3 Engine. Start the engine. Does it sound good, quiet and smooth running? Take it for a short drive. It should have good power and drive smoothly. Get on your knees and look underneath the rear of the car. You are looking for oil from the engine and transmission. VW engines are air cooled, thus a dirty/oily engine will not cool well, and will probably need service in the future.
The real test of a engines condition is a compression and leak-down test. A few specialized tools are required for this operation, so you might have to have this done by a local repair facility.
Anything less than 100psi on the compression test is suspect. The valves should be adjusted and the car should be warmed up for these operations to be a valid test of the engines condition.
#4 Transmission. The 3 things you are looking for are; Popping out of gear, not wanting to go into gear and broken/worn transmission mounts. While on your test drive, with your hand off the gearshift, quickly let off the accelerator. Do this in every gear. If it pops out of gear, or will not go into a certain gear, you may need to save for a rebuilt unit. Trans. mounts are a common wear area in the VW. They either break or become so soaked with oil, that they become a gooey mess. The VW engine is supported by the transmission only! Signs of worn mounts are; shuddering or worse, a banging while taking off in first gear.
The way to check the mounts is to use a pry bar to lift the engine enough to see any movement in the mounts. There are 2 below the bell housing, and one at the nosecone. Look for cracks from dry rotting, separation and oil soaked rubber.
While you are under the car, check the condition of the axle boots. On a IRS car (2 boots per side), the boots are filled with grease, On a swing axle car (1 boot per side) they are lubed by the transmission oil.
If cracks are found, on either style, they should be serviced soon. If this condition is found on a swing axle car, the fluid in the trans. is probably VERY low. Do not drive the car until this is repaired.
#4 Suspension. Checking the front and rear suspension should be done while the car is off the ground.
You will be looking for play in the Link pins (pre66), Ball joints (66+), shocks, struts and torsion springs.
While the front of the car is off the ground(and on jack stands), hold each wheel at 12 and 6 o’clock, and work it back and forth, while looking at the link pins or ball joints for wear and looseness. Ball joints should be checked by wedging a long pry bar between the spindle and the torsion bar. When you pry, they should not have any play. Be careful not to tear the boots. Does the car sit flat and level? Torsion springs do not often break, but if the car has been subjected to off road abuse, this problem can happen.
#5 Steering. With the car still supported in the air, on jack-stands, hold each wheel at 9 and 3 o’clock.
With the same push-pull motion, work the wheel back and forth. We are looking for play in the tie rod ends and steering gear box. Tie rod ends can also be checked by squeezing them together with LARGE channel locks. Any play means that they should be replaced. The steering gear box usually can be adjusted without replacement.
This is just a quick rundown on what you might find if you are inspecting an air cooled VW to buy. It should give you enough ammunition for you to make an educated decision. Remember though, mechanical repairs are usually the least expensive issues to fix. Body damage and rust are the real sponges to the wallet.
My best advice is to buy the BEST and most complete car that you can afford. It will cost you less in the long run.
Remember, were here for you.
| 
