How to repair a 1973 VW Beetle window, and are they expensive to maintain?

Hello. I'm considering purchasing 1973 VW Beetle. A couple hold ups is that the drivers door is jammed, and the window doesn't roll down. The seller says that the window is an inexpensive fix, requiring new relay screws and guide. Is the seller correct about them being inexpensive to repair, and where would I purchase replacement parts. Would i be able to do it myself? Also how can you unjam the door.





I'm also curious to know if the old beetles are expensive to maintain





Thank you.|||Classic VW bugs are pretty easy and comparitively cheep to maintain. But that maintenance, as easy as it is to do should never be overlooked.. For example: Nothing kills an air-cooled vw engine faste than dirty, bad, or (god forbid) low oil. Replacement/tune up parts can be purchased over the counter at most large auto stores, and items like fenders doors, etc.. are readily available at larger outlets like samba, airhead, or jc whitney.





As for the window, it sounds like a 'two beer' fix. You will need to remove the door panel (easy but go slow and careful so you don't tear the fabric), then examine the track inside the door. It may simply be a warped or dirty track or it may need a new one ($40 to $60 accross the counter). You can also check the jammed door at the same time. Assuming it is not jammed from an accident (bent or twisted) it will likely be the latch. or the locking handle. You can deal with the latter from the inside of the door. The former will require some brute force prob. Either way you can then repair or replace the unit...reinstall the glass and (new?) track and then the door panel.. Then have the second beer.





Your best bet is to get one of the old 1960 or 1970s books entitled 'How to Keep Your VW alive and running forever' or something similiar. These are incredible books and will guide you thru almost everything you need to know in plain english and with lots of photos.. you can still buy xerox reprints on eBay or find an orig. in secondhand bookstores. They are NOT scarce.





enjoy the bug if you buy it.. but check out the frame and rust status.. those are the deal breakers. Also lift up the carpets and back seat to see what the floor panels look like.. they are easily repaired if rusted or rotted, but it does take some more specialized work (welding). Pass on the vehicle where the frame is rusted thru or there are two horizontal rust patterns below the sides of the rear windows... this is structural rust which has weakened the chasis.. that is a parts car at that point.





.|||not as long as its in good shape to begin with, if you are not sure, take the vehicle to a mechanic, look in the yellow pages, there are usually repair shops with experience and there are still plenty of these around. the parts are availabe and as to the drivers door problem , this does not exactly sound like a good sign, If the owner is not interested in fixing it, and it were me, it better get cheap in a hurry, because I hate fixing some other screwups malfunction. That door could be a pain in the butt to fix, the owner is not very smart. get an estimate to fix it before buying, or walk away, there are a lot of other better cars out there.one thing about those old beetles is that when giving it a tune up you have to have tha valves adjusted everytime this will help the motor last a lot longer. and keep in mind, its air cooled so really hot tempratures are not good, and sitting in rush hour is not a good plan.|||They are dirt cheap to maintain if you do it yourself. It's a pretty old car now, so you'd need to find a VW specialist to repair it, and there aren't that many around anymore. If you don't have mechanical ability you probably don't want a car that's 40 years old, as it will cost more to maintain than a later model, as it will need more, not less, attention. These cars have unconventional engineering and a lot of quirks that a contemporary mechanic might not be familiar with.|||The window is an easy fix (usually) The tube which runs from the winder handle to the lift bar gets full of dust and gunk. As it cannot be cleaned out successfully it should be replaced which is a simple and cheap job if you can open the door!


Depending on why the door is jammed, this could be easy or hard, if it's because the car has stood for a while the locking mechanism could have corroded so that the fork of the door section does not rise to release the latch on the doorframe. With the door unlocked and someone holding the handle in the release position try pushing with your feet (firmly but not too forceful) against the metalwork of the door not the upholstery (which has a space behind it). This should pop it open.


Beetles are simple inelegant workhorses but you cannot skimp on the maintenance! Regular oil changes, every 3,000 miles and points gapping and valve clearance adjustment should be carried out monthly. Easy jobs once you get used to it. The book "How to keep your Beetle Alive" though out of print, is worth tracking down both as a reference and a source of amusement!!!