Thought it might be handy to have a list of parts for a major service and some ballpark costs for estimation. For general maintenance, these are not crazy cars to take care of, especially if you can DIY.
Costs are midrange for parts; tax and shipping are not included. Labor is highly variable - and ideally you're doing it because lets face it, there is nothing more exciting than working on your brakes and then going out to see if the car still stops...
Follow your owner's manual or the Bentley manual for intervals and specifics. If you have just purchased an older car I would recommend treating it to a major service for peace of mind, especially getting the valve clearances set. These cars can sit a lot unfortunately and that can have negative effects. Protect yourself & your car.
Here is a list for an older car that is new to you - just as a starting point assuming the car has been running. (non-running cars or cars that have been sitting can be a lot more work)
Change all fluids - Brake, Transaxle, Oil
Change all filters - Air, Fuel, Oil
Perform 60,000 mi service (set valves, change belts, filters, etc. per the manual)
Your PPI should have informed you about your consumables like brake pads and rotors. Pay extra attention to your flexible brake lines, engine mounts and transmission mounts. After 30 years or more they are probably tired. Maybe even coming apart. Think seriously about replacing your fuel lines as well.
Oil Change $115 + labor
10 quarts of 10W-60 Oil
2 new crush washers
1 new oil filter
Ignition Refresh $400-$700 + labor
Plugs $12
Rotor $20
Cap $100
Ignition wires (must move A/C compressor out of the way) $200-500 a set
O2 sensor $100
Valve adjust $60 (gasket set) + Oil Change + labor
Full gasket set, top and bottom.
ALSO - plus oil change (must drain the oil to set valve clearances)
Must remove spark plugs
Must move the A/C Compressor out of the way
Belts
Fan belt
A/C Belt
Brake (complete re-furbish) $1,000 + labor
Front discs
Front pad hardware
front pads
Rear disks
Rear pad hardware
Rear disks
Rear parking brake shoes
Stainless steel flex lines (or OEM style if you prefer)
Brake fluid - ATE DOT4
(I priced this for our '74 Super Beetle and it was about $600-$700 so this isn't crazy)
Other Misc Common Maint items
Hood Struts
Hood Strut pins
Hood strut clips
Steering Wheel bushing
Fog Light lenses
(to be continued)
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