Old VW bugs still good?

[Grateful11]

>"One VW ritual is crawling underneath and adjusting the valves every 3000 miles or so."

I had that down to a science.

[lost in space]

I love the old bugs. Owned a few and a few buses. Worked on many in a shop in the late 70s. They were generally reliable, simple and easy to work on, but if it weren't for the engine rebuilds they needed, the shop would have gone broke. They're crude compared to even the simplest of modern vehicles. Not green. Their engine design was prone to polluting, much of it because of the intake system, which had poor distribution and left a lot of area for condensation. Not only did they lack safety features, the bodies weren't designed with safety in mind, so they fold up in hard crashes. I wouldn't own one now for an only car, but a nice '67 with a factory sunroof and a fresh dual-port 1600 and some suspension mods would be fun for an occasional Sunday drive.

[lost in space]

Don Kiyoti wrote:
One VW ritual is crawling underneath and adjusting the valves every 3000 miles or so.

Oh yeh. In our shop, sometimes we'd have 4 or 5 in at one that needed the engines dropped out for rebuilds, clutches, main seals what have you. My partner and I could have 5 engines sitting on the ground in one hour. Typically it was 4, but 5 was the record.

I think I'm paying for those days now on cold mornings.

[Harbourmaster]

I drive my 66 to work and back every day! They are great cars for "Around Town" driving and IMHO perfect for a youngster.
They are inexpensive to register, insure and maintain. All 3 of which are important concerns to a young person that is just experiencing the world of vehicle ownership.

Personally I would look for a 69/70/71 as a daily driver. Stay away from models with a sunroof as they are prone to leaking and it is hard to find people that really know how to repair/maintain the sunroof mechanism.

I am a Factory Trained VW Tech and worked on them on a daily basis for almost 15 years before moving over to FedEx. If you have any other questions give me a PM.

[jdc]

im with Don K, not for her first car because of safety issues -- kids under 20 have one of the highest accident/car death rates in the country... try not to help that number...

[decay]

I keep seeing this one when I drive by their shop:

http://www.wahoudmotors.com/view.php?vehicle_id=417

[Don Kiyoti]

John B. wrote:
Funny. I was following a guy in an old Beetle yesterday who couldn't or wouldn't get the car up to the posted speed limit on the road (45 to 50 MPH depending on the section of road), but was happy to stay in the left lane belching fuel fumes. Reminded me that when I lived in the Midwest, there were two kinds of Volkswagen cars...new and rusted.

That guy has not mastered another VW ritual known as "Setting the Carbonator."

[troywellbuilt]

As far as a new bug, I'd pass. I was all set to get a New Beetle convertible this summer, but my mechanic warned me I'd be seeing him regularly if I got one.

[lazydays]

I also owned a VW Bug when I was much younger. I agree it was a fun car but I would never recommend one to someone today. They are incapable of keeping up with modern freeway traffic and if you crash you are dead.

If you are looking for a good reliable and inexpensive car I would suggest a fairly recent model toyota corolla or a honda civic. The buick century with the v6 is also an excellent and inexpensive car.

[ztirffritz]

decay wrote:
I keep seeing this one when I drive by their shop:

http://www.wahoudmotors.com/view.php?vehicle_id=417

How long has that been there? I'll be in Pittsburgh in a few weeks and I might drive over to take a look. I loved my Y2k Bug TDi until it slid into a tree. I had just under 1100 miles on it. I owned it less than 3 weeks. I'd get another one in a heartbeat, but TDi beetles are hard to find.