Volkswagen Super Beetle, Beetle & Karmann Ghia Official Service Manual: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977,

There are all kinds of repair resources available online - and oftentimes the backyard auto gear-head can start to believe that most every issue can be solved in online forums where collective knowledge and experience on very specific subjects is easily accessible. That said getting onto forums whether on a mobile phone or a PC isn't always the brightest idea in the hot greasy confines of a garage or when troubleshooting - or even rebuilding an engine. Sometimes the best thing is to go back to the source, the official manufacturer's text / reference guide for the product. In the case of the Super Beetle / Beetle, such is the case.The wealth of information - from electrical schematics to torque specifications on almost every single bolt and fastener in the vehicle - the Bentley manual is a handy reference whether you're a restoring, repairing, or attempting to troubleshoot in a vain effort that combines google queries and forum posts. This guide is the THE framework for understanding your vehicle, and the forums and internet resources on your desktop (or iPhone) are for filling in the blanks.It's funny - Volvo fans call the Bentley service manual for 240's the "Bentley Bible." And they're not too far off when they call it that; it is Bible, the word, when it comes to many different vehicles - especially those of the northern European variety.While the pictures may be dated - and information does leave some gaps (hacks, for example, that have been pioneered in the field over the past four decades), the guide itself is essential as a reference and instruction manual for the individual owner who wants to know more about what's going on under that decklid, or for the professional mechanic undertaking repairs that require a significant amount of information not easily accessible through the "tribal knowledge" system of the garage or other more formal resources.In short if you own the car, get the Bentley, and start to study. You may not read it all - or just use it when you come across an issue - either way it's the best non-metal tool you'll keep in your garage.

Back in 1981, I purchased a 1970 Karmann Ghia. I was a senior in high school, and could not afford a BMW 320i, or the the sexy 2002. I looked really hard at new volkswagens but on m McDonald's salary that wasn't going to happen. So I scraped up 1500 and bought the Ghia. The car was easy to work on. There were many manuals available, the Bentley being one which I owed. It was a great book, it had color wiring diagrams ( at the time not needed because my car wasnt that old) it wasn't written n overly technical terms that an 18 year old kid couldn't understand. It helped me with that car and I have fond memories of that time. In 2006 I saw a car for sale, the same year, same color as the one I had in high school for 3000. I bought it. Not realizing that the car was almost 40 years old, not thinking that there may not be a shop to take it to for repairs. Of course I no longer had my Bentley manual. Sony initial search for one was a shocker to say the least. The online Volkswagen suppliers had it for sale for well over one hundred dollars, minus the color wiring diagram( which is now very important for a 40 year old car) suddenly I remembered Amazon and got the book, in a hardback no less for about 50 w/color.This is a great book for anyone who owns an older Volkswagen and wants to do the work themselves. Or if you aren't doing the work, it will help educate you about the cars so you won't get robbed by the folks working on your car:)

Great info

This service manual is the best for servicing my Super Beetle.

Great manual very well detailed

We haven't completely dived into any major repairs, but have referenced this book for information about fixing the horn, fixing electrical wiring that's been noodled around with and tune-up specs, etc... So far it has provided enough detail, that is easily understood. It does seem to assume some prior vehicle mechanical knowledge or experience. My only complaint has been the lack of an index....sometimes it's difficult to locate your topic. The book is divided into 8-9 sections, each section has a table of contents....but when you're looking for something small, you have to guess which category it might fall into -- then read the table of contents to see which subheading it might be under...and if you don't see it in the tables of contents, you have to scan the sections.

This is THE service manual for these cars, from the days when cars were simple enough to put pretty much everything in a single hardback book. If you own a Beetle, you need a copy (If you don't want to work on your own car, what are you doing with an air-cooled VW?). I bought this for my 16 year old son when he acquired his '74 Beetle. He knows a bit about cars and tools, and this is his starting place for anything he needs to do to improve and maintain a car built 22 years before he was born. It doesn't however, tell you everything. There's not a lot of information about the body, for example how to remove and repair a window regulator. But it's a starting place, and as the new owner of an old car that's been alternately well- and poorly-maintained by different owners, this book has allowed him to unravel twisted wiring mistakes and restore his Beetle to something close to it's original form.

Essential for torque specs and diagrams for my 73 beetle