possible downgrade

[crankbait09]

I am possibly days a way from obtaining my first 1966 VW beetle (2nd beetle ever). I will post "about me" once the beetle is obtained. Right now, I have some questions about the 1966 bug, that I hope you can help me with. Keep in mind I am a total newbie when it comes to bugs.

I am eye balling a 1966 vw beetle. The current owner has upgraded the electrical system from 6v to 12v. No biggie there, really, but an upgrade nonetheless. I told this was a very good upgrade and worth every penny. Primarily due to the fact that the electrical system was running very light due to lack of power, as well as 6v replacement items are getting harder and harder to find. So the upgrade to the 12v makes sense. (this is not a big concern yet)

The second upgrade that this owner has done, was convert the original 1300cc engine to a 1500cc engine. Most of the time, I think the majority of people would be excited to have a larger engine already installed and would be content as is. I'm sorry, I am not one of those people. The deck lid has the original 1300cc emblem still in place. The 1300cc engine, from what I have read was a special sized motor for that year. I am one that likes things to remain "original", especially in a classic/collectible car such as this. Personal preference, yes. But, I'd still like to see the original motor in place.

Although the upgrades are not a bad thing at all, they are still not original.

So, with that little bit of info....... IF, I wanted to downgrade that 1500 to a 1300, would I be opening a whole new can of worms in doing so? Meaning, if I change that, is there a chain reaction of items that would need adjusted due to the downgrade? Would anyone else do this or would you leave the 1500cc in place?

Is my thinking a$$backwards? Would anyone else do this downgrade?

You will probably be asking........will it be an everyday driver or see the road more times than not.....answer, right now, is no. I'd like to restore it and occasionally take it out. On non rainy/snowy cold days . Primarily spring/summer/fall days

On a side note, is there anything I can refer to, that would tell me that every component that has been changed to fit the 1500, has in fact been changed? Meaning, i have all the right equipment. This also includes the 6v to 12v system. Is there a list of things to double check to make sure it was done correctly

[h~moto]

The first thing I would do is confirm that the engine in the car was originally a 1300. A 1300 engine would have a serial number that begins with the letter F. Even if it starts with the letter F, it may not be the original 1300 that came with the car. VW had an engine exchange system. Instead of having VW rebuild your engine, it would be swapped out with another rebuilt engine. So there are a good number of VW's out there that do not have the engine that originally came with the car. Important to some people, not so important to others. You can go to this chart: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/inf ... dating.php and compare the chassis number with the engine number to see if they are from the same time frame. The only way to know for sure that the engine is original is to give VW your engine number when you request a Birth Certificate. VW will not tell you what the original engine number was but will tell you if the number you gave them is for the original engine. The engine number can be found just below the pedestal that the generator sits on.

One problem with downgrading is that 1300 piston & cylinders are very difficult to find.

[crankbait09]

I see..

Once I actually purchase this or another bug, I will obtain a BC and see what I find out.....

Thank you for your help

I'd like a 1300, maybe the guy has the 1300 original parts. I doubt it, but it could be possible

[hercdriver]

As a new beetle owner I understand your enthusiasm. Having bought a couple of beetles over the years, I'd like to pass on a couple of things that I've learned.

1. Let someone else restore the car. You'll never get back dollar for dollar what you put into it. Unless you bought it cheap and just do minor fixes. A full restoration is a lot of work and expensive. 1966 is a good year, but not an oval or split.

2. Stock is worth more. Many people like to customize. Which is fine, if they understand that it destroys a car's value. Having said that, you can go too far the other direction. Buying an Original German part for big $ doesn't necessarily add that much value back into the car.

3. Enjoy the car. Drive it. Join a local club. If it's in pieces in your garage you'll lose interest.

If I were you, I'd drive it now and get to know it. You'll find mechanical issues that you didn't know about. Don't get hung up on the engine. If it runs well, don't bother it. No one will know it's not a 1300 unless they really know VW's. And if that's the case, they'll pick your car apart for other reasons.

Welcome to the forum and have fun Dubin!

[crankbait09]

I understand that.

I was looking at upgrading the 1300 to a 1500 and comparing prices if I were the one to do it. It can get costly. Not to mention the upgrade to the electrical system (6v-12v).

This cost was already spent, why spend the money on something that has been done for me. don't make more work for myself.
I get all that.....It's hard to accept, but My money tree is bare, so it would be a struggle to come up with x number of funds to fix something that aint broke.

Id rather fix what needs fixing (interior). The owner says he drives it daily. So it does run, flawlessly. So that's a huge perk. A bug isn't much fun, if it's sitting in the garage in pieces, like you mentioned. I totally agree with that. I certainly wouldn't be driving it daily, but at least I'd know I could if I wanted to.

we'll see what happens, I need to buy it first

[Roadbug]

I agree that you should keep the 1500, Remember the transaxle was different for the 12 volt cars and hooking a 6 Volt engine to your 12 Volt Transaxle may be a problem with the fly wheel & visa verse.
The 1500 is stronger, faster and easier to get parts for than the 1300.
They look just alike, so move on to something that needs attention as a plan and you enjoy the car sooner.

[darzoom]

FYI, you could have a 1300 case with 1600 cylinders (85.5mm) as they can slip into the 1300 case. The 1300 heads would have been machined or replaced with the 1600cc single port heads. Then the only difference would be the PICT30 carb 1966 which is a little different internally and can be seen on the carb body. There were slight performance improvements to the carb for 1967 onwards.

The purest could not see the difference in the heads or cylinders without disassemble but would see the difference in the main carb body.

If me, I would put the 85.5 cylinders, newer single port heads (bigger valves and lower compression) and carb swap. Then you have the "look" of the 66 motor with the right case and the reliability and power of a later motor.