How do you change the oil in a 1974 super beetle?

You will need four quarts of oil, a drain pan, a wash tub and some mineral spirits, and an oil change gasket set. You will also need a 10mm socket, a socket big enough to fit the drain bolt (21mm sounds right but don't quote me) and a torque wrench. Something like a razor blade to scrape off the old gasket would be good too.

First stick the drain pan under the engine and take out the drain plug. You don't need to jack up the car but set the parking brake and block the wheels so you don't get run over. When it quits dripping, remove the drain pan. Unscrew the six acorn nuts and remove the strainer cover, then the strainer. Wash all the parts you took off in mineral spirits--NEVER USE GAS! Dry well. The easiest way to dry the strainer is to swish it around in the air some.

Put the car back together by putting things on the strainer studs (there are six of them) in this order:

gasket

strainer

gasket

strainer cover

copper washers (use the new ones out of the gasket set)

acorn nuts

Torque the acorn nuts to 9 lb-ft--and be sure they've got the same torque, or it'll leak oil. Reinstall the drain bolt with the new washer and torque to 25 lb-ft.

Put 2-1/2 quarts of oil in it. It holds 2500ml of oil, which is a little more than 2-1/2 quarts, but if you put more than 2500ml of oil in the car you'll blow the main seal (which is why all aircooled VWs in the US leak from their main seals) and that is no fun at all to change. A little too little oil is way better than a little too much.

Finally, unplug the center wire on the distributor and crank the engine until the oil pressure light goes out. Plug it back in and start your car.