85+K miles on a '74 beetle...how much longer will it last?

Hi corgear! I don't think any of us would want to know when we are going to die but wouldn't the auto world would be great if we knew when any given car was going to croak! There's no answer to that question. It really depends on what kind of shape the Beetle is in now, how well it has been maintained, and how well you will maintain it in the future. Sight unseen, given the asking price I would think it's in decent shape and at that mileage I think that if you don't run it into the ground you can safely assume getting 25K miles out of it. If your "year" means more miles than that you might be pushing it if you aren't mechanical and religious about maintaining it. A 74 Beetle would be a specialty purchase. You own one because you want one. If you are purely buying transportation, you probably have some more practical options. Good luck, whatever you decide!

I think LouB is on the money it depends as everything in life does. On the maintenance sense the beganing of the live of the bug, oil changes every 3 months and the valve being adjustested every 3 months the tranny oil changed every 3 years. Driving habits have been calm no bonny hops or jumping off the clutch or fast star or not that often. Dont run fast when the temp is realy hot or running low on oil and make sure all the holes are in good shape, no leaks that allow precios cooling air pressure to excape as the engine nor the oil will be adequately cooled... In the "HOW TO KEEP YOUR VOLKSWAGEN ALIVE A MANUAL OF STEP BY STEP PROCEDURES FOR THE COMPLEAT IDIOT" says "come to knindy terms with your as for it bears you".Your car is constantly telling your senses where its at:what its doing and what it needs, just listen and you'll be ok.

I worked on VW's for 15 years, must have rebuilt 500 or more of the sorry little engines! This car you are thinking of buying is a very rare one of it has never been rebuilt! Most VW engines last only 30 to 40,000 miles if you baby them! If you plan on driving it from Calif. back to the East Coast I would give you 10 to one odds you will never make it! If it made even half way you would be very lucky. These little cars were made for very short trips, 20 miles or less! They run so hot is the problem, if they had a radiator on them they would have been very good cars but they don't and they aren't! It will cost you 2 to 3 times more money to drive a Bug than it would a full size V8 for it takes all that gas to get where you are going and then you have to get someone to come Tow you back in to repair it again! The cars are a Novality to be looked at and not driven any further than you can walk back from! These words come from a very experienced VW Mechanic! Dudley Stamps

And you are Titled as a mechanic with this type of opinion? My friend, you have rebuilt 500 vw engines Incorrectly. Use quality parts, valves adjusted and oil changes every 3000 miles. Install electronic ignition to reduce the maintenance of points and condenser replacement and timing adjustments. Drive like what it is, 'a low powered efficient machine', and you will get 100k miles plus. I am a professional mechanic and rebuilt my own engines and drive this stock bug as a daily driver. Not only around town. Everywhere. Living in Southern California, I travel to Phoenix many times throughout the year, been to sequoia national park, Yosemite national park, south of the border, etc. in a nutshell, everywhere. The engine that came in this bug was old, burning oil and leaking and got 80k miles out of it. A used replacement I installed gave me 60k miles. The current engine, rebuilt by me, has 30k miles, no leaks, no oil burn and sounds and runs smooth. 1600dp stock. Guaranteed that this engine will go over 150,000 miles if cared for properly. I feel for those that bought the 500 engines you rebuilt.