Got this Super Beetle running last night

So the oil in this ‘72 super beetle had A LOT of gas in it and it woudnt turn over! We drained the oil , took off the Solex carb, cleaned the float bowl, sprayed a bunch of cleaner through all the passages, and put it back on. Got it to run again ! Hopefully we will change plugs and change cap & rotor , maybe adjust valves and see if we can get it to run better.

Love these old Vee Dubs.

I got a 73 Thing last year. It’s got the stock 1600 type 1 dual port engine in it. It runs reliably but only gets up to about 40-45 and I would expect a little more…not sure how much, but definitely more than that. My mechanic put a new (Chinese) carburetor on it not long after I bought it. Also, I recently moved the fuel filter out of the engine bay and replaced the old plastic filter with a new metal one. Is it reasonable to expect more speed? If so, what are some things I could check without dropping the engine?

Edit: a couple of engine pics added by request

Another edit: sorry, I didn’t realize Imgur was such a PITA…hopefully this and this work better.

I went to the "Chitafornia Bugs Meeting 5th," which was held in Chita City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan on October 11, 2026.

The Chitafornia Bugs Meeting (commonly known as Chitabug) is an air-cooled VW event held on the beautiful beaches of Chita.

This was the 5th time the event has been held, and it was a great success with around 200 air-cooled Volkswagens gathering from all over Japan, including air-cooled Beetles, VW buses, Type 3s, and Karmann Ghias.

The weather was clear all day, and I was able to fully enjoy Chita's beautiful ocean alongside the air-cooled Volkswagens.

I also shot a YouTube video, so please check it out if you'd like!

Footage of the event starts around 8:35.

Thanks!

- Chitafornia Bugs Meeting 2026

https://youtu.be/kahnA1Ic244

More crazy questions.. does anybody around here by chance have a copy of the full set of super bugger plans?

Has anyone in there done the super beetle Porsche suspension upgrade parts? I'd like to get impressions on the difference.

Installed new tie rod ends and drove 40 miles round trip in the 1970 squareback this morning. The car handles like a dream now!

Hey all, looking for a good VW mechanic / shop in The South (MS, AL, TN, LA) to take my 60 ragtop to that’s been sitting for 5 years. Need a mechanical resto to get it back on road. Any referrals?