Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: yackee on January 18, 2019, 01:25:44 PM
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I've been finding myself cruising air-cooled VW bug advertisements lately. My daughter turns 16 in a year and the plan was to give her my 2007 VW GTI (a great car BTW) in which case I would need a new one for myself. Where "new" means used and not super expensive, but nonetheless interesting.
Before I was married I had a 1987 Alfa Romeo Graduate. Now *that* was a great car. I had to sell it once the first kid was in the oven. I still dream about that car, and could try to find another one on Flea-bay. But they are relatively hard to come by (increasingly expensive) and its hard to find people willing to service. I've thought a bit about a used Mazda Miata/MX-5 as an Alfa-like substitute; they are available, serviceable, etc. But the VW bugs are really intriguing to me. I like that you can still get new engines from various custom engine builders, and I like the air-cooled simplicity. I think! I am saying all of this never actually having sat in an old VW bug.
Anyway, I imagine that the old-Guzzi crowd must have some VW bug enthusiasts too. I'd love to hear about your experiences with the things.
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I've been finding myself cruising air-cooled VW bug advertisements lately. My daughter turns 16 in a year and the plan was to give her my 2007 VW GTI (a great car BTW) in which case I would need a new one for myself. Where "new" means used and not super expensive, but nonetheless interesting.
Before I was married I had a 1987 Alfa Romeo Graduate. Now *that* was a great car. I had to sell it once the first kid was in the oven. I still dream about that car, and could try to find another one on Flea-bay. But they are relatively hard to come by (increasingly expensive) and its hard to find people willing to service. I've thought a bit about a used Mazda Miata/MX-5 as an Alfa-like substitute; they are available, serviceable, etc. But the VW bugs are really intriguing to me. I like that you can still get new engines from various custom engine builders, and I like the air-cooled simplicity. I think! I am saying all of this never actually having sat in an old VW bug.
Anyway, I imagine that the old-Guzzi crowd must have some VW bug enthusiasts too. I'd love to hear about your experiences with the things.
I had two, and always enjoyed them. Stone-axe-simple, anyone can work on them, but you have to watch for rusty bodies and pans, it affects the structural integrity if it's rusty.
They don't get the gas mileage of a modern sub-compact (my '90 Fest!va gets 42 MPG to a Bug's 30 or 32 and will run just as hard). And there's no crash-safety about them at all, but neither is there any for a motorcycle so that should be OK. You can see all around you.
And everyone loves old Bugs ...
Lannis
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I have a family member that stays pretty busy building VW motors for people. He has 2 bugs and a "Thing" he's done total restos on. They look better than factory fresh and run better too. Don't know where you're located but he knows a bunch of bug people around the country.
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Started all four of my kids out many years back in VW Bugs. Back then they were cheap as chips, and on every corner. I have changed out more than one motor in gravel driveway with a floor jack. Fast forward till today, the price has gone through the roof, they were full of rust in the floor pans back in the day and I don't think I ever saw one that still had the battery box still in tact. I can only imagine what kind of condition an older one would be in this day and time if it had never been touched. J. C. Whitney used to devote at least 1/3 of its catalog to VW parts. I drove a VW Kombi single cab pick up for many years during those days, sure wish I had it back now......
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Install a carbon monoxide detector in the cabin.
I learned to drive in a Bug - back in the day when they had no gas gauges, instead had reserve tanks.
Still reminisce when I see one....but think I’d rather have a 914. Ever consider that as an option?
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i had a friend some years back who owned the alfa 2-seater sporty convertible - graduate. the repair costs were absurdly pricey and he finally just unloaded the thing. its was a fun ride but the alfa parts prices are a burden. as these things age out they will start needing more and more of those costy alfa parts. i would be reluctant to recommend an old alfa to anyone who: A) wasn't a devoted fan and B) didn't have deep pockets. When j.p. morgan was asked how much it cost him to run his yacht he responded "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."
in my younger days i spent my time with MG's and triumphs - mgtd, mga, tr3. they were all quirky in their way and if i had the dosh i would love to have a solid TR3 again.
If you want to spent time wrenching there are few things more basic than an old air-cooled vw engine. get a copy of the john muir idiots manual and dig in.
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oh, one more thing. there is a guy on the utoobz "mustje1" who is into revivifying old vws. his current project is a '65 ghia. he really is a seat of the pants kinda mechanic but he clearly knows his stuff and he knows his way around the old vw hardware.
https://www.youtube.com/user/mustie1
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We have had this 1969 Beetle since 1994, bought it from the Original Owner who bought in Nov of 1968. It has always been in a garage while it waited to be restored, you know the drill, kids in school and all that. During that time we actually bought a couple of MGBs and I really lost interest in the VeeDub.
Well some years later I started to throw some time and money at it, slowly making some significant strides in the effort. She has been gone through mechanically, completely new interior, new Cobalt Blue paint done professionally, dropped front axle with disc brakes up front, I kinda want to stop once in a while plus it helps with the rake, I prefer to have the ass end slightly higher than the front end, being the throw back to the sixties that I am... Getting close to having it back on the road . lol
On a side note, we have owned this Bug so long that many of our friends have bugged (pun intended) me for years about getting the VeeDub up and going. Some bringing us Matchbox size VWs, Sue Ellen has given me the Lego version of both the Beetle and VW Bus... It has become a bit of a family joke as to just When we will be able to drive the People's Wagon.
Now that I have retired I can dedicate more time to finish it up... maybe. Oh, a Porsche friend has offered a high HP, dual port engine for it... ahh, no.
This is my second VeeDub having owned a '66 in High School, didn't we all have one at some point...?
Dropped front axle installed...
(https://imageshack.com/a/img921/2638/harQDd.jpg)
New bumpers going on...
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/1006/rMVOCw.jpg)
Madison wanted to go for a blast...
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/2845/s1bQwi.jpg)
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that's a clean looking '69. i had a '68 - much the same. took it to mexico once and on the way back the u.s. customs people flagged us. we waited and waited (i had the trots and was double over in discomfort.) finally he came over to the passenger side and very calmly said "can i look in your secret compartment?" wha? we had owned the cars for quite a few years and had no idea that we had such a place. I said sure and then waited. he didn't move. then he said "would you please get out of the car?" I had no idea what was going on. I got out and he reached in pulled back the rubber floor mat and then yanked out the sheet metal kick plate that your feet rest against. in that area is a small triangular space. i had no idea. Of course you'd have to be an idiot to put any contraband there because it is apparently a widely known spot amongst the constabulary BUT if you are going to the beach and want to leave you wallet behind that would be a nifty spot for it.
sorry, i don't mean to hijack the thread with this. i hadn't thought of this incident in years and it just from went immediately from brain to keyboard.
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i had a friend some years back who owned the alfa 2-seater sporty convertible - graduate. the repair costs were absurdly pricey and he finally just unloaded the thing. its was a fun ride but the alfa parts prices are a burden. as these things age out they will start needing more and more of those costy alfa parts. i would be reluctant to recommend an old alfa to anyone who: A) wasn't a devoted fan and B) didn't have deep pockets. When j.p. morgan was asked how much it cost him to run his yacht he responded "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."
in my younger days i spent my time with MG's and triumphs - mgtd, mga, tr3. they were all quirky in their way and if i had the dosh i would love to have a solid TR3 again.
If you want to spent time wrenching there are few things more basic than an old air-cooled vw engine. get a copy of the john muir idiots manual and dig in.
My chef, the one who apprenticed me, had a Graduate. It got my attention because I had & still do a TR3B and around 84-84, AR had a magazine ad with a TR3, Xke and new AR.. The triumph has been in the family since 64 and needs a resto. When dad died a few yrs ago, it officially became mine. It's waiting in line..
A very close friend always did Bugs. That was his thing (no pun intended). In the 90's when I lived with him briefly, he had a 57 oval on a later pan and a 72-ish Beetle. When the 72 got stolen, he and I went and got a 55 oval project As a replacement. About 3-4 months later, the police found his stolen bug, approx 20 miles from his house. It was as-stolen, hot wire running from out under the hood & along the side of car and into the driver's door and out of gas. Looked like it had been stolen and Simply driven across town to where it ran out of gas and then left there. Nothing was missing or broken. He was pretty happy. Guess even some bug thieves are cool.
I never did bugs but had a few 70-71 campers. My wife grew up with them. During her hippy-camp career lifestyle years, she lived in the old VW canvas tent (that her father still had from their camper) year round for 4 years in TN.. She had moved into an actual apartment in a building just a few weeks before we met. About 12-13 yrs ago, we got a 71 to restore and a few more for parts and trading. We kept but Eventually sold the best one to focus on other projects. We camped in it numerous times in the driveway- our young daughter loved it. My wife wants a separate vehicle & lodging when camping, not a camper that locks you into the campground once you set up. So we got a practically new 1967 Cox Commander a couple yrs ago.
We still like seeing a Westfalia bay window, but probably won't have one now that prices have gone through the roof... I still have a few camper odds and ends I need to put on c/l.
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I built Mouser
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/27190037106_0ab14de46c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HqG3Kd)2016-05-24_02-55-34 (https://flic.kr/p/HqG3Kd) by Charles Stottlemyer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/107188298@N06/), on Flickr
in 80-81.
The Kid (Brad) and I have been all over the midwest with VW power. :grin: It's probably why he's still a V dub guy. He has a built up bug that is sort of scary if you are in the passenger's seat and don't trust the driver. I do. Turn about is fair play.. :smiley:
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The Samba is my go to place whenever I think that I want another VW. The old Bugs tend to be reasonably priced, but don’t even look at the Buses, especially the early ones.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=3
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I've had two, plus a bus (shouldn't have sold it) and I've had a '78 Vert since '94. When we got it the odometer read 68K and it now reads 97K, having gone around again. The previous owner said it was 168K, so we are nearing 300K. We rebuilt the motor about 80K ago and just got the speedo back from Palo Alto and will install it tomorrow. It looks pretty bad but runs pretty good!
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Got my first driver's license in my sister's 64 convertible.
Really cut my teeth in high school and college when I worked for a local mechanic shop that specialized in VW. Did a bit of everything for about 8 years. Got pretty quick at king pin bushings and alignment shimming. Probably why I went to Guzzi for motorbikes.
I had and always thought that the 53hp 1967 bug was the pinnacle of the old school bugs before they went high tech.
Years later I ended up racing a 62 in the local dirt oval "Mini Stocks". Work on it all week and then go out Friday night and smash it up. Did a few 360 rolls but never got towed off the track.
Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA
(back when it had a dirt oval and the West Coast BEST drag strip. Now a mall.)
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I had a couple of Bugs. The older brother was heavy into them. So was cousin.
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There is a motorcycle hiding inside every old crashed Beetle.
(https://i.ibb.co/WPXzC95/197.jpg) (https://ibb.co/WPXzC95)
(https://i.ibb.co/QJYmXfP/DSC01967.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QJYmXfP)
(https://i.ibb.co/SrtkDzh/DSC01986.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SrtkDzh)
(https://i.ibb.co/fdNYtfn/DSC02108.jpg) (https://ibb.co/fdNYtfn)
atomic mass of iodide (https://aluminumsulfate.net/aluminum-iodide)
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This was the only VW that I've ever owned. It was a project that I purchased for $800 back in 2005. A little work, a little paint and a few parts later and this is how it turned out. It was fun and street legal, but my wife and I used it mostly in the woods, cow pastures and of course at the beach.
(https://i.postimg.cc/s2nQS77X/buggy022.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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I had and always thought that the 53hp 1967 bug was the pinnacle of the old school bugs before they went high tech.
Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA
(back when it had a dirt oval and the West Coast BEST drag strip. Now a mall.)
Yes, the 67’s were the best of the older bugs.
I had a few bugs, my first was a 64 purchased in 71 which I froze my butt off living in N.east Ohio. Had a few more then purchase my first new car in 73, a canary yellow Sports Bug. It had a plastic reverse gear that went after about a week of ownership. Sadly it was stolen and ended up stripped on Staten Island. Found this one, and it’s tempting: https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1042187/1973-volkswagen-beetle-for-sale-in-milford-ohio-45150
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I had a '63 Beetle with the sliding sunroof and an Arbarth exhaust system. Bought it brand new in Germany, shipped it home at the end of my tour. Drove it from NY to Ohio, then out to Ft Lewis Washington. I remember going through Lolo Pass in a snowstorm and my ex having to open the sunroof and lean out with a scraper to clear the windshield. The stock heater sucked, but it was a great little car and mucho fun to drive.
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sounds like a fun thing, might not be cheap anymore or practical, but fun.
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We have a ‘63 Type I in the restoration queue. I just need to finish my ‘71 Triumph TR6R motorcycle first. I did a ‘72 Type II back in the nineties. That 1.8L “Suitcase” motor ran pretty good.
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1st car...1960 VW Type 1 Beetle....36hp...8-track tape deck rockin' RadioShack bookshelf speakers on the package shelf...no gas gauge...reserve lever on the floor...American Flag headliner...good times... :cool:
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Beetles are most over rated cars with the exception of early Mustangs.....Beetle s are slow, cramped, poor climate control, the fuel mileage is poor for the performance, and their safety in an accident is not very good...Ass backward Nazi slot cars :evil:
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What's harder than getting a pregnant elephant in a voltswagon?
Answer: Getting an elephant pregnant in a voltswagon 😂
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Over rated?
They were brilliant!!
Cheap and easy to maintain.
Safety test was not a concern back when ppl knew how to drive .
And they are great on snow
They also have Abs brake system.
And they float !!!
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I've had a bunch of air-cooled VWs: '56 oval, '58, '60, '62, '65 21 window van, '70 Karmann Ghia and a very nice '73 Super Beetle "stick-o-matic". Lots of good memories associated with the '62. :azn:
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Looks like a good percentage of us have had bugs. My first car was a 64 bug. Rolled it coming home on a date when I was blinded by an oncoming car. The defroster tubes were rusted out so the windshield was fogged and the glare got me. Must have had four or five of the things - sometimes two at the same time. Built one from parts and traded it for a VW bus.
After the wreck of the 64, I found a 6 year old Volvo 544 with a blown head gasket for $75. Amazingly, that's all it needed - a head gasket. That car was ten times better than the bug - I especially appreciated the heater and defroster, but it handled superbly, lots of power and got about the same mileage. Should never have sold that one!
Being young and stupid, I sold it to get a 500 Triumph. Poor thing had been ridden hard, put away wet, and was a mess. What a mistake that was!
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I had a nice '69 Ghia in signal orange for about a decade. Long story short, going from any GTI to any airhead VW will likely be a shock to your system of sensibility. If possible, find someone who has one and let them take you for a ride. Also, at 6'1" and 200lb, it was not the most comfortable car for me. It was that gorgeous Italian figure that hooked me in the first place!
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Had a fuel injected 1979 VW Rabbit, silver with a sunroof, 4 speed. Great driving car. Handled great, got 25 mpg, ran on regular gas. Used a quart of oil every 600 miles and improved a little with new valve seals and ate plugs very 5k miles (Champions lasted half again longer than Bosch).
As much as I liked the way it drove, it was my last German car. I've been driving silver (or gray) Accords with sunroofs and sticks ever since.
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Had a fuel injected 1979 VW Rabbit, silver with a sunroof, 4 speed. Great driving car. Handled great, got 25 mpg, ran on regular gas. Used a quart of oil every 600 miles and improved a little with new valve seals and ate plugs very 5k miles (Champions lasted half again longer than Bosch).
As much as I liked the way it drove, it was my last German car. I've been driving silver (or gray) Accords with sunroofs and sticks ever since.
I had an '82 Pickup/Caddy and '83 GTi, both bought new. Never had any issues with either, neither used any oil, both averaged mid 30s gas mileage (even when driven like your typical 19 or 20 yr. old). My sister bought the Pickup from me and drove it until it had 130k miles on it, still going strong. I put 65k miles on the GTi (in two years) then traded it for a Bertone X1/9 (another great car). You got a lemon.
An Accord? I'd rather walk... :wink: :grin:
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I had an '82 Pickup/Caddy and '83 GTi, both bought new. Never had any issues with either, neither used any oil, both averaged mid 30s gas mileage (even when driven like your typical 19 or 20 yr. old). My sister bought the Pickup from me and drove it until it had 130k miles on it, still going strong. I put 65k miles on the GTi (in two years) then traded it for a Bertone X1/9 (another great car). You got a lemon.
An Accord? I'd rather walk... :wink: :grin:
not lemon, it was a '78. Like every other one.
Now if you want a lemon, get a new one with 2.0 turbo, AUdi, VW, GLI, GTI, every one of them.
Let me include a settlement form worth up to $6k:
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/857448-volkswagen-timing-chain-class-action-settlement/
https://timingchainlitigation.com/Home/SubmitClaim
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not lemon, it was a '78. Like every other one.
Now if you want a lemon, get a new one with 2.0 turbo, AUdi, VW, GLI, GTI, every one of them.
Let me include a settlement form worth up to $6k:
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/857448-volkswagen-timing-chain-class-action-settlement/
https://timingchainlitigation.com/Home/SubmitClaim
Funny, a friend bought one of the same year and had none of those issues. 30+ mpg, no oil usage. When he traded it in on a Passat TDi a decade later it was well over 150k miles and still running strong.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2wilTC5Cs0
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There is a motorcycle hiding inside every old crashed Beetle.
[/quote
there was/is a Brazilian motorcycle that is VW powered. Amazonas. seems like a good idea
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(https://i.ibb.co/9Hkb7jr/beard-pic.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9Hkb7jr)
I used to take Kombis and vochos down to mexico for years. Stopped in 05 when I got a real job. Took a GS 500 that could run on gas out of a 55 gallon drum in the middle of the jungle in Chiapas.
(https://i.ibb.co/bKJHn52/IMG-3256.jpg) (https://ibb.co/bKJHn52)
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My first car was a '65 VW. Loaned it to my girlfriend in the 80's while I was out of town, and she rear-ended a truck at a stoplight -- Totaled !
I am now in possession of a '73 Bug. It has lived out in the barn for several years now. It's all there, but will need at least a mechanical restoration. Anyone know of a good VW restoration shop in the Dallas area ? I'm thinking of bringing it back to life...
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I had an old Squareback for a while. It was fun, but not necessarily a fond memory otherwise. I think the battery had more power in it than the engine did.
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My first car was a '65 VW. Loaned it to my girlfriend in the 80's while I was out of town, and she rear-ended a truck at a stoplight -- Totaled !
I am now in possession of a '73 Bug. It has lived out in the barn for several years now. It's all there, but will need at least a mechanical restoration. Anyone know of a good VW restoration shop in the Dallas area ? I'm thinking of bringing it back to life...
Do it yourself or at least some of it. One of the greatest VW used parts outfits in the country is right there in Arkansas. Check them out:
http://www.wayoutsalvage.com
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I had an old Squareback for a while. It was fun, but not necessarily a fond memory otherwise. I think the battery had more power in it than the engine did.
I like the Type 3s...especially the Slantback. They had dual carbs and seemed sportier than the Bugs or the Buses, but I get what you're saying. All of those air-cooled engines were pretty anemic. However, there has not been a simpler car to work on since the Model T. For someone trying to stay mobile on a budget, it was a revelation.
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the front seats were a hazard on those bugs.
clunk ....ahhhh! :sad:
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And we'll bring it back around to motorcycles!
(https://i.ibb.co/hyKmKK5/IMG-0627.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hyKmKK5)