Newbie help.

13 year old son and I just bought 73 super beetle to restore, and it really needs some help. lol
I am wondering if there are any "graveyards" near here that we might be able to hunt parts. Also, any recomendations for restoration books or manuals

definitely get the idiots guide
http://www.amazon.com/Keep-Volkswagen-Alive-Step-Step/dp/1566913101

and the Bentley manual
http://www.bentleypublishers.com/volkswagen/repair-information/vw-type-1-1970-1979-repair-manual.html

Thanks Zabo! figure we have about 2-1/2 years to get it done and all I ever worked on was a 64 Chevelle and a F250 Diesel

just keep one thing in mind when buying parts.

"EMPI" is just another way to spell "Shit". keep that in mind, and you'll be good to go

Sorry folks, didnt see the general chat before posting on a few of the club pages. I am in Covington and my son and I are about to start on a 73 Super, it is my first VW and my first resto. (any advice would be great) I found plenty of sites for new stuff, but I would like to find some graveyards around in order to pull some parts. Any ideas.

What in the heck does EMPI mean?

lol, its a parts manufacturer. all they sell is crap. everything i have ever owned by empi has crapped out on me (1 oil pump (destroyed my motor in the process), about 6 generator pullies, 1 aluminum crank pulley, a clear distributor cap, and a few other things). good luck bro. hope to see ya on the road soon

Thanks Bugman! No EMPI for me!

no problem. just thought i'd try to save someone else from the headache, and frustration, of crappy parts, lol.

as far as finding parts from old cars, keep an eye on your local junkyards, and pull a part. they seem to get VW's as a pretty steady rate.

I have empi parts on both of my drag motors with no problems ,parts need to be inspected. before just being throwed on something.just remember you get what you pay for.they are not bad parts just check them

thats true, but when your starting with inferior parts in the first place, it really doesn't help. for example, when my oil pump went out, the tang that fits in the groove in the cam just snapped off. it wasn't worn or anything, it just snapped off. nothing could have prevented that. had to rebuild my motor, as the shavings from the pump went all over my motor (the piece that broke off, lodged between the case and cam gear). Empi is pretty hit or miss. some people have good luck, but most seem to have bad luck, but to me its just not worth taking the chance. I'll stick with shadeck or melling for my oil pumps, as well as other brands for my other parts. just my $0.02.

but i hear EMPI is supposed to be working with berg or something like that, and supposed to be stepping up their game. i guess only time will tell if they become the great, high quality parts suppiler they once were.

I have had a empi case for4 years with no problems I am sure that empi does not make all there parts.

I merged a couple of these threads together. I'd second the pull-a-part suggestion. You can check their website to see what cars they have on their lot. They are often pretty picked through but you can usually find something useful.

Also take zabo's advice and get the idiot book. It is great for for newbies, and will teach you alot. The bentley manual is also great, but very technical and may be over your head at the beginning.

Good used parts are usually better than most reproduction parts. There are some online places that do sell pretty good reproduction parts.

WolfsburgWest is known for selling top of the line stuff. CIP1 and AirheadParts also sell decent stuff. I personally stay away from JC Whitney and MidAmericaMotoworks.

We also have some good local shops/vendors on this website. See the bottom section of the forums for those people/places.

he man im also in covington i have a small rust farm i might can help you out im off alcovy rd going to jersey youcan pm me a # an i can call or come out an shoot the breeze
www.bugglife.com
thanks an God Bless
Doodle Bugg

forgot- also check out the links section on the ATL Wagens site
http://www.atlwagens.com/links/

Welcome to GA dubs.

Pull-a-Part is a good place to get used stuff for old VWs. If you go to thier site and it'll show you what cars are on the yard and they have three yards in the ATL area.

CIP-1 usually rates thier parts as to the quality 1-4 stars.

Craigslist is also a good source for used stuff. Supers are pretty easy to come by so you may be able to snatch up a parts car pretty easy for less than $500.

Here on the GA Dubs you can post what you're looking for and people will chime in if they have it.

If you need engine or machine work here in ATL, I recommend ProFlow. He does the best work in town on Type 1 engines.

Good luck and make sure you come out to the next Aircooled Airhead meet in McDonough on Jan 8th and say "Hi" We'd love to meet ya.

Dougs VW - formerly in Cartersville, but moving to Cassville has a nice boneyard at his new location. There is also Tims VW in Austell/Powder Springs- but be warned- it is truely a rust farm....the place was completely flooded out under 12 ft. + of water about a year or so ago. Just be prepared to clean up any used sheetmetal you may get there, thats all. Last I checked he did have a ton of sheetmetal, and I hear he's been organizing it all too.
I'd also HIGHLY recomend Pro-Flow, in Hiram for any mechanical work you may need. It's a small shop, but they do top notch mech/machine work. They also stock and order parts too.
My 2 cents on parts? Ya get what you pay for! Try to get OG German when you can find it- Mexican/Brazillian VW parts aren't as good a quality, but sometimes thats the best you can get. Get yourself a subscription to "DuneBuggies and Hot VWs"- as well as the feature cars and trends, they have good tech and historical articles. Other than that- just come on out and meet everyone!
Happy 'dubbin!

Welcome to the forums!!

If you ever need any reference pics or want to look at an original car to see how something goes, let me know. My 74 super I am slowly restoring has only 23,000 original miles and everything is pretty much like it came from the factory.