Volkswagen

How can i know if i have ruined my engine? i have messed around with the points but the car still runs slow and makes loads of loud popping sounds. i was driving it for a while then it started doing this. help.

You need to consider the conditions when the problem startrd...did you drive thru water, or is it raining and very humid? if so, you may just have gotten moisture in the ignition system. dry distributor and wires with a hair dryer or spray them out with wd-40 that will repel the moisture. backfireing?? thru the exhaust or back up the carbureator? it does make a diffrence where the backfire goes. if it thru the carb, it could be a lean fuel mixture, a dirty filter or a failing fuel pump. if out the exhaust it may be an ignition problem. were you giving it hell? down shifting and high rpm?? maybe you did blow it up! you need to do a compresion check on the cylinders to see if dammage is done. do not get discouraged. you are fortunate to have a simple engine to diagnose, no computers or digital sensors. keep trying keep it simple you will find it soon