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-   -   I found a 75 1303 (https://www.germanlook.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8574)

NO_H2O April 22nd 2007 20:36

I found a 75 1303
 
I found a 1975 1303 Super with sun roof localy. It's a little rough but he only wants $500 for it. Needs paint, a hood and a type 4. I need another project like I need a hole in my head but then agaim it is a 75 with R/P steering and a sun roof.

wrenchnride247 April 22nd 2007 21:50

Man, I can't even get ONE car project complete! Now you got SEVEN rides! You're kill'n me! That is a sweet deal on a SB though....

Steve C April 23rd 2007 09:36

Hi

Good find, but with all your cars you may need to put it away for rainy day. Not wanting to start a fight, but I think that this model is the best one ever made.

Steve

oasis April 23rd 2007 11:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve C (Post 58665)
Not wanting to start a fight, but I think that this model is the best one ever made.

I agree. Finding a decent '75 in the states is very difficult, though. I spent over a year looking for one before I got my '71. My next one (assuming there is one) will be a '75. Nice find indeed.

NO_H2O April 23rd 2007 19:31

I told the guy I would take it but would do the deal when I get back from the TV show road trip. And yes I realy want a 75 and have the same thoughts and had to build a 72 because I could not find a 75. I might have to let it sit for a while.

davetaylor April 23rd 2007 20:37

are these in demand because they were the last year for supers in the states? i never have given it any thought and never realized anyone wanted them. i used to have one (a real turd) and have seen several around throughout the years. maybe i'll start paying attention to them...

oasis April 24th 2007 08:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by davetaylor (Post 58674)
are these in demand because they were the last year for supers in the states? i never have given it any thought and never realized anyone wanted them. i used to have one (a real turd) and have seen several around throughout the years. maybe i'll start paying attention to them...

Well, they were the last year for Supers everywhere not counting convertibles. The demand for them is somewhat quirky. (I can only speak in terms of a US perspective.)

Not many 1303's (plural, not "S" designation some countries had) were made for the 1975 model year even though production lasted several extra weeks. All Super sedans of that year were special editions in the US and came one way only. The only choice was color. In the US, there was only a choice of three.

Those that want them like the rounded windshield and want the rack and pinion steering. There are not many of us around -- almost like a cult.

There are two major factors going against the '75. First, the fuel injection was either suspect when it was introduced (which happened to be this model year in the US) or little understood. Combine that with emission control gadgetry and a catalytic converter, the '75 was even more underpowered than in the past. Few '75 models have their original set-up. (Compare that to many '78 and '79 convertibles.)

That means many '75 Supers have been modified and prospective buyers have to account for undoing someone else's handiwork. It is unlikely two people have the same tastes in customizing.

The other major factor is rust. I have no reason for explanation of this but 1975 Supers were much more prone to rust than any other year of Super sedan. Rust in the strut towers were much more notorious. (Early A1 Rabbits were prone the same way.) It is much more common to find rust behind the rear quarter windows on a '75 than in previous years.

I had many a would-be seller tell me about "surface rust" and "minor bubbling." Sheer nonsense.

There are good buys out there, though. One has to be tenacious, patient, and most of all, lucky.

davetaylor April 24th 2007 18:12

it's very interesting that one year would have a worse reputation for rust than others. i wonder if there was there some change that hurt them, like the late-80's/early-90's paint formulations that caused the paint for fall off some american cars?

oasis April 25th 2007 08:19

Anecdotal evidence is dangerous enough when drawing conclusions, even when others concur. Speculating on top of that may not be the wisest thing either. But that won't stop me. ;)

I've been told by others the post-1974 standards also seem to be more prone to rust issues. For some reason, convertibles never had that kind of dividing line. Is that because they were assembled at the Karmann plant?

I would find it interesting if this was a US-only pattern or if owners in other countries belived the same patterns existed.

We do know Volkswagen went through some tough times during this period. After many years of trying to find a successor to the Beetle while hedging its bets by trying to upgrade it, Volkswagen was under attack from the Japanese imports, changing safety and emissions laws, as well as the Mark being under attack on the currency front. At the same time, they had acquired other auto companies -- all of which specialized in water-cooled cars.

By 1975, Volkswagen was producing the Golf (Rabbit), the Passat (Dasher), and the Scirocco. They had also by this time discontinued the Karmann Ghia, the Type 3, the Type 4, and the importation of the Type 181 (Thing). The notion of importing Brazil's sleek SP-2 was abandoned as well.

It put VW in a position to say water-cooled cars were the next best thing ("Please buy our Rabbit.") and at the same time say they were the next best thing ("Please keep buying our Beetle."). There was even a drought in advertising between the famous ads of the '60s to early-'70s and "Volkswagen Does It Again" of the late-'70s.

It would be easy to conclude with all this and more going on, Volkswagen may have cut a few corners. But it is all speculation, so who knows?

NO_H2O April 25th 2007 17:51

Even if I have to do a little rust repair and rust-proofing. I fancy the idea of putting a 1303 (with a rack) on "The treadmill" to shead some wieght, install a cage, 1 maybe 2 seats and a pissed-off 2056 and do a low budget Kaffer Cup daily driver.

davetaylor April 25th 2007 18:01

anecdotal as it may be, it's a pretty good argument. the assumption that they could use inferior metal wasn't a bad one, since it's still just a rumor 30 years later. they must've gotten their stuff together at some point, because my dad's '81 jetta wouldn't rust even after it was junked and sat in a field for years.

Steve C April 26th 2007 08:03

Hi

The 75 1303 was the 2nd last year for beetles here. They weren't any worse than any other year 1303, our last beetle was 1600 with ball joints and front discs and IRS, rust wasn't an option with these it was standard equipment.

I would have thought that 1302 & 1303s would have been left alone by the modifiers, the Cal look didn't concentrate on supers. Lots of late bugs down here had there tops chopped off to make poor imitation convertibles, this only accelerated the rusting process. Now we have a guys chopping up beetles to make trikes.

Steve

oasis April 26th 2007 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve C (Post 58722)
I would have thought that 1302 & 1303s would have been left alone by the modifiers, the Cal look didn't concentrate on supers.

The CalLook and Baja contingents have been so strong here for so many years, the price of Supers lagged way behind at one point as a result. Accordingly, many uninitiated people used them because they were a cheap entry only to find out later their brethren were shaking their heads in disgust.

These days, the Super is door handle-to-door handle in price with a standard as long as one compares like years. Plus, the Internet allows people to find the right basis for their project from the get-go. Both of these factors are leading to fewer "mistakes" by those entering the hobby. But the landscape is still littered with abandoned projects.

That's why NO_H2O's find is such a good one.


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