I've owned 3. The price of decent beetles is going up as the supply goes down. The beetle is probably the most rust prone car ever made. I prefer the swing axle over IRS, '69s were built with both, so see which one it has. The brakes on a beetle are simple in concept, but are frustrating to work on, due the the soft metal used for the fittings. Also, the master cylinder is separate from the fluid reservoir, and can make the brakes hard to bleed. Plan on at least new drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, hardware kit, and probably the rubber lines at each wheel. Also, the BIG nut that holds the rear drum on is a real bear to get off. The torque is some ridiculous number, most torque wrenches don't go that high, just mark it with a file, and put it back the way it was. You will need about a 3' breaker bar to get it off. Things to watch out for are rusted out heater channels (you can't tell if they are rusted or not, without removing the running boards, this is the most important thing, since it's where the body attaches to the pan), bad steering box (expensive), door posts rusted out where the hinges go, a hole in the floor pan under the rear seat on the right side, where the battery is (I've seen VW batteries fall right through the floor), replacing the headliner requires removing and replacing all the windows, clutch and transmission problems, the clutch release bearing seems to be a weak point on most beetles, and will it pass an emissions inspection if you have them where you live. I sold my last beetle for that reason. If you have experience working on other types of cars, forget everything you know, and start over, the beetle is completely different. But they are about the coolest cars ever made. I would love to have a pre '67 beetle or bus. With peace signs all over it of course, Peace. Jerry.
