I just got a 1970 Beetle for $650 with the 1600 motor. The motor and transmission are in good condition but the rest is a little rough.

2 issues im hoping to get some help with. 1st gear acts kind of funny. It pops out when i give it throttle, but not always. The other issue is that it doesn't want to idle. Ive been told by some wiser fellows the timing needs to be advanced. I haven't had a car this old before, so im not sure how to use the timing gun with it.

Is it possible to get some insight on this stuff?