Engine
Design: 4 cylinder, 4 cycle, O.H.V.-Type, in rear of car
Arrangement of cylinders: Horizontally opposed (flat four)
Bore: 77mm
Stroke: 64 mm
Capacity: 1192 cc
Compression Ratio: 6.6
Valve clearance: Intake and Exhaust .10mm to be adjust when cold
Brake horsepower (SAE): 36 at 3700 rpm
Lubrication: Force feed (gear pump) with oil cooler
Oil capacity: 2.5 liters
Fuel pump: Diaphragm type
Carburetor: Down draft type, Solex 28 PCI
Cooling system: Air cooling by fan, thermostat-controlled air intake
Battery: 6 volts, 66 ampere hours
Starting motor: Electric, 6 volts, .5 HP
Generator: Voltage regulating, 6 volts, 180 watts at 2500 rpm
Ignition distributor: Centrifugal and vacuum spark advance, Bosch VJU 4 BR 8
Firing order: 1-4-3-2
Initial spark advance: 7.5 degrees before TDC
Breaker point gap: .4 mm
Spark plugs: Bosch W 175 T 1 (Bosch W8AC)
Spark plug gap: up to .7mm

Clutch:
Design: Single disc, dry
Pedal free-play: 10-20 mm

Transmission:
4 speeds forward, 1 reverse
Deluxe and convertible: 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears synchronized and helically cut for silent operation
Gear ratios: First 3.60:1 Second 1.94:1 Third 1.22:1 Fourth 0.82:1 Reverse 4.63:1

Rear Axle:
Power is transmitted through a spiral drive pinion and ring gear, via two swinging axles to the rear wheels
Ratio: 4.43:1
Oil capacity of transmission and rear axle: 2.5 liters

Chassis:
Springs, front and rear: Two torsion bars
Shock absorbers: Double acting telescopic type, front and rear
Steering: Worm steering gear, divided tie rod
Turns of steering wheel, lock to lock: 2.4
Turning circle: Deluxe model about 11m
Wheels: Disc wheels 4J x 15, drop-center type
Tires: 5.60-15, tubeless
Wheel base: 2,400 mm
Toe-in (car unloaded): 1 to 3 mm

Brakes:
Deluxe and convertible: Foot brake hydaulic brake, operating on all wheels. Hand brake mechanical, operating on rear wheels.

Dimensions and weights:
Length: 4,070 mm
Width: 1,540 mm
Height: 1,500 mm
Ground clearance: 152 mm
Sedan unladen weight, ready for use: 730 kg
Max. load: 380 kg
Permissible total weight: 1,110 kg
Max. load on front axle: 450 kg
Max. load on rear axle: 660 kg

Fuel consumption:
Standard consumption: 7.3 liters
Fuel: Octane number 76
Oil consumption: .3-1 liter per 1,000 km

Refill requirements:
Fuel tank: 40 liters, 5 liters is reserve
Engine: 2.5 liters
Rear axle and transmission: 2 liters
Steering gear case: .125 liter
Brake: .25 liter

Performance:
Maximum and cruising speed: 110 kilometers per hour
Hill climbing ability: First speed 37%, second speed 18.5%, third speed 11%, fourth speed 6%

• Steering wheel, column, seat frames, shifter, hand brake, back seat support are all painted L471 Stone Beige

• Gas tank, dash support bracket, heater tube covers under rear seat, passenger armrest support bracket inside door and the inside of the glove box are all painted L29 Blue Gray (black gas tanks are repaints, or replacement tanks)

• Sunvisors are dark green transparent plastic, similar to 1957 and earlier but with a rounded top outer edge to fit the new larger windshield

• Hardboard trunk liner and wire cover are gray corresponding to the gas tank color

• Hubcap logos were painted black regardless of body color

• Speedometer goes up to 80mph or 120km

• Glove box is painted blue gray on the inside with a short tan coloed flocking sprayed in over the paint (this is easily replicated by purchasing craft or hobby flocking for about $1.50 in tan and applying it to wet gray paint in the glove box).

• Tie rod on the driver's side is a one piece with non-removable ends, slip on rubber seals. There is a straight grease fitting on the outer end and a 90degrees on the inner end of the passenger and driver's side tie rod ends. They have castle nuts and cotterpins to secure them

• There are 12 points on the front beam to grease, 4 on the beam, 4 on the king pin assemblies, 4 on the tie rods

• The floor mats, firewall mat, tunnel mat, shifter boot and handbrake boot are all gray rubber. The tunnel mat and the handbrake boot have a pebble texture. There should be a gray o-ring type band that slides on the hand brake boot at the front to keep it closed (you can see it in the Bentley manual and owner's manual if you look close at the hand brake pictures)

• There are 36 bolts to hold the 4 fenders on, the are labeled "Kamax 5D" on the heads and are an oddball 14mm head with a 8mm stem no longer made, a lock nut and a large flat washer complete the hardware. Replacement bolts can only be found with a 13mm head now.

• Original rear fenders have raised spots in between bolts holes

• Original front fenders have metal tubes welded on for the headlight wires

• Dash knobs, shifter knob, hand brake button, window winder knobs and turn signal lever knob are all ivory plastic

• Original bumper brackets actually have a right and a left one in both the front and in the rear

• The brake fluid reservior has only one bolt and a flat tab in the rear

• The 2 brackets for the rear brake lines are removable from the axles, later ones are welded on

• Very early 1958 Beetles use the same smaller brake shoes as 1957

• There is no gas gauge

• Only whole miles or kilometers are recorded on the odometer

• There are red lines on the speedometer suggesting when to shift to the next gear

• Original door panels have heat pressed seams, diamond pattern gray vinyl middle with colored lightly textured vinyl at the top and bottom. The different color vinyls are not stiched together but also heat seamed. The driver's side front has a pocket, the passenger side front has an armrest, the rear passenger side has an ashtray.

• Original blue and gray door panels can be redyed to the exact original color easily with a couple coats of spray on SEM vinyl dye from Eastwood. The gray middle and pocket is "Warm Gray", the blue vinyl is "Shadow Blue". Other colors are available to experiment with on other colored panels. The gray is the same on all door panels.

• The back of the rear seat backrest is not covered in vinyl, it is a hardboard with 4 vertical black luggage bars mounted on by bent tabs.

• Inside the front seat covers there is a piece of thick cardboard to give shape to the back of the backrest.