Vehicle Owner

Member ID: m1ataman

Location: Victoria, BC

Vehicle Info

1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

Bragging Rights

  • 1/4 Mile30 sec @ 40 mph
  • 0-6060sec
  • Top Speed70mph
  • HP48
  • Weight1800lbs

Major Upgrades

  • turbo
  • nitrous
  • bore increase
  • port and polish
  • supercharger
  • extrude honed
  • stroke increase
  • engine swap

Modifications

Performance Parts

Car Audio & Video

Ratings

    • Currently 3.2/5 Stars.
    • Currently 3.2/5 Stars.

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Last updated: Aug 22, 2009

Hits: 2,367

Cornel’s Volkswagen Super Beetle
“74super”

  • Currently 3.225 /5 Stars.
10 guestbook comments


Hello and welcome to my 1974 Super Beetle restoration project. It's finally complete (more or less- 05/09) and I've added a few custom touches to make it mine.  The wheels are Empi 8's and I've tinted the windows, added flush mount taillights, clear front signals, and painted the headlight rings to match the car.  I'm pretty happy with the results of all the work this took.  I couldn't imagine an easier and less expensive restoration than an old Beetle.  Almost everything (except the specifically Super Beetle stuff) is readily available from Mexican or Brazilian sources and CHEAP!

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle                                m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

Progress pictures below

 

Here are the "before" pictures as I received this car in Dec. '06. Obviously there is a lot of work to be done, but fortunately this car is relatively rust free and only has 78,000 original miles. It runs, but the brakes are shot.

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

Mar. 07. All stripped down and almost ready for body shop. Doors are stripped out and ready to be removed and windows still need to be removed. Bodyman already has the fenders, hood, and engine cover. New master cylinder, wheel cylinders, e-brake cables and brakes are now working. I can't wait to get it back all painted and shiny!

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

 

Sept 3, 07. Completely stripped down and ready for paint. Glass is all removed as well as doors. I stripped out the seats and carpets. It looks like I'll be pretty high on spray glue re-doing the headliner and carpets once the paint is done.

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

July 9, 08. Finally gone away for paint. Here is what she looks like all stripped down with the donor hood and rear decklid.

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

 

New dash cover installed. I got it on eBay and it just glues on with silicone right over the old dash. Looks like new now.

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

 

Finally (04/16/09) some progress again.  I now have a bodyman who knows how to get things done unlike the last guy who strung me on and wasted 2 years.  It should be all shiny blue in about a month.

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

 

04/25/09  More paint progress.  First the green epoxee sealer primer and then the first coat of primer to be block sanded.

 m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

 

04/27/09 Getting close now.  Painted inside of doors, trunk, and door jambs.

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle  m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle  m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle  m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

 

05/01/2009 Paint is all done and I can start re-assembling tomorrow.  Those rims will be off pretty quick.

 m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle  m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle  m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

 

06/26/09  I'd hoped that I'd get to drive it until winter before tearing into the engine but a certain loose intake valve guide forced me to get to work on it sooner.  My son is a mechanic and his assistance was really valuable and it made for a great way to spend my Father's Day.  We replaced the cylinder heads, cylinders, pistons, rings, wristpins, and rocker assemblies.  While apart I got busy painting up all the grungy 35 year old cooling tin.  It also got an all new ceramic coated exhaust and heater boxes.  It's still the original 1600 CC's.  I was surprised that it went back in easier than it came out.  It runs much better now with 4 cylinders working instead of just 3.  I intalled a vacuum advance distributor with electronic ignition (Pertronic) as well as Pertronic Flamethrower coil and new carburetor.  It's running fine now!

     m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle  

m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle   m1ataman's 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle

Guestbook

Displaying entries 1-5 of 10

MikeROD16  

Posted by: MikeROD16

07/08/2009 08:26PM

Very nice build!! 5 stars so far! Check my super out!

74Furyous  

Posted by: 74Furyous

07/07/2009 06:33PM

Congrats man! Most excellent job. Time to find another. Kidding.

gregthomas  

Posted by: gregthomas

07/17/2008 08:39PM

Great looking Super! Check out mine!

damrite  

Posted by: damrite

07/13/2008 01:38PM

I got a 1973 VW Super Beetle. Check it out, the way you see it in the pics is with absolutly nothing done to it in 35 years (except for paint). The car is completely original. Its truely amazing. Your car has seen better days, but dont give up and you will have a masterpiece before you know it. Remember to keep it all original. If you want it to be worth something, do not do a single thing to it that cannot be switched back to stock. You restore it to completely stock and mint, it's worth $8-10K, probably more. You do anything to it that is not stock and cannot be swiched back to stock, its worth a grand. Keep that in mind. People never seem to get that, and it's sad to see the number of the worlds greatest car go down by the day.

underrated_honda  

Posted by: underrated_honda

03/04/2008 10:20PM

don't give up... it's gonna be great !

check out my '74 super sometime

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Vehicle Owner

Member ID: m1ataman

Location: Victoria, BC