I’m not really a car guy anymore.

[GH85Carrera]

My 1960 bug had that manual in the trunk. The guy that sold me the bug was a co-worker with my dad and he had finally had kids too big to all ride in the bug so he bought a big American car.

He had bought the car new in Italy and he was in the US Air Force so he got the USA export version because he knew he would have it shipped home. It was the base model, no fuel gauge, just the speedometer. It did have the deluxe seats that were easy to adjust the seating position. The standard seat used a wing nut to hold the seat in position. I paid $600 for it, and it had 111,000 miles on it. Well actually is showd 11,000 but he said it was just 111K miles. I drove for almost two years, with the pedal to the metal and the 36 HP (new) engine was likely 20 HP. 60 MPH was wide open on flat ground. 65 with a downhill and it was scary. I sold it for $650 and bought a crazy high HP car, a 1973 Bug with 60 HP! Wow was it fast.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by ted

I rebuilt three VW engines with that book, split case, one of mine and two friends.

Muir had a gift.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

This is a weird thread. I blame Vash.

Anyone know Cliff's address? I'm gonna go plant some bamboo in his backyard!

I just dropped by to check on Sugarbritches....but now I will just refer to him as

S!

[asphaltgambler]

Originally Posted by ted

The first car I bought with my own money was a VW bug.
This was my first repair manual, easy to read for a teenager with no mechanical background.

Ok - someone gave me this book when I was 14 or so. Here's where this thread goes in a whole different direction. A friend of the family, a girl who (looking back now had to be at least 19 or 20) very attractive brunette hippy chick that had a VW bug. She came to visit and at the time I was very sick. She said when you get better, I'll take you out in my Bug and left her number with my mom.

So I do get better, call her, she answers and agrees to pick me up the next Sat afternoon. She shows up, and we start driving around the local country back roads.
At some point she asks if I want to drive? - Oh yeah of course!

Off we go...……. she asks if I smoke pot? I said I've tried it. So out comes the bowl and we both take a few hits and continue. Man...…….I thought now THIS is livin!

Eventually she takes me back home and asks if I would help her change the oil and check the front wheel bearings on her bug. I said sure - our house had a small make shift garage around back. Next weekend or so she shows up WITH THIS BOOK and we change the oil, filter and then checked the front wheel bearings per the books instruction.

We take it out for a test drive and she stops by the store up the road and gets a 6-pack. Then promptly opens 2, hands me 1 and again - off we go riding around enjoying the countryside. These ride-alongs went on for half the summer and she even took me to a field party with a band...………………………….in retrospect...……. I was waaaaaaay too young to be there.

I started to wonder why was she hanging out with me, clearly an adult, attractive, cool, smoked weed and drank beer, worked on her own car, etc.

I really cannot answer that...……………...I can tell you that at some point she initiated my first kiss, heavy petting and later............the 'ol handy-J. Not soon after that incident I guess I became old news or because I was so naïve and didn't really know how to reciprocate her...……...or possibly...…….. was too afraid.

So even at that age it was clear to my teenage brain...…. our...…... 'relationship' ........had run it's course at least...…….. by her actions and demeanor.

Our last 'date' she gave me this book as I was getting out of the car and said "Hey - keep this...…..you might learn something"....

[GH85Carrera]

One chick I dated happened to have me ride in her car and the brake squealer was doing its job, I told her she likely needed new brakes. She said she had talked to the local tire shop and they wanted $150 or some crazy fee. I jacked it up, took off a wheel, the rotors were fine, just worn pads. I took her to the parts store and she paid for new pads, something like 25 bucks, and I put them on in 30 minutes. She was very appreciative of that little task! I had no manual and all I remember was it was a smaller 4 door sedan. But brake pads are usually a breeze.

[Seahawk]

Dear Penthouse...

A "handy" at 14?

Salute!

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

Ok - someone gave me this book when I was 14 or so. Here's where this thread goes in a whole different direction. A friend of the family, a girl who (looking back now had to be at least 19 or 20) very attractive brunette hippy chick that had a VW bug. She came to visit and at the time I was very sick. She said when you get better, I'll take you out in my Bug and left her number with my mom.

So I do get better, call her, she answers and agrees to pick me up the next Sat afternoon. She shows up, and we start driving around the local country back roads.
At some point she asks if I want to drive? - Oh yeah of course!

Off we go...……. she asks if I smoke pot? I said I've tried it. So out comes the bowl and we both take a few hits and continue. Man...…….I thought now THIS is livin!

Eventually she takes me back home and asks if I would help her change the oil and check the front wheel bearings on her bug. I said sure - our house had a small make shift garage around back. Next weekend or so she shows up WITH THIS BOOK and we change the oil, filter and then checked the front wheel bearings per the books instruction.

We take it out for a test drive and she stops by the store up the road and gets a 6-pack. Then promptly opens 2, hands me 1 and again - off we go riding around enjoying the countryside. These ride-alongs went on for half the summer and she even took me to a field party with a band...………………………….in retrospect...……. I was waaaaaaay too young to be there.

I started to wonder why was she hanging out with me, clearly an adult, attractive, cool, smoked weed and drank beer, worked on her own car, etc.

I really cannot answer that...……………...I can tell you that at some point she initiated my first kiss, heavy petting and later............the 'ol handy-J. Not soon after that incident I guess I became old news or because I was so naïve and didn't really know how to reciprocate her...……...or possibly...…….. was too afraid.

So even at that age it was clear to my teenage brain...…. our...…... 'relationship' ........had run it's course at least...…….. by her actions and demeanor.

Our last 'date' she gave me this book as I was getting out of the car and said "Hey - keep this...…..you might learn something"....

[asphaltgambler]

^^^^^^ yes, I know but it is true. Looking back she must've had a thing for teenage boys...… I don't know. But I kept that book for a looooong time. At some point going through stuff in my 30's I tossed it. ^^^^^

This period of time was in the early 70's and it was pretty wild. If you weren't a teenager during that era, it all would sound like b*******t.

What I really wondered looking back on this is what is H3ll were my parents thinking? I mean she gave my mom her number for me to call her.

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by ted

The first car I bought with my own money was a VW bug.
This was my first repair manual, easy to read for a teenager with no mechanical background.

Wow, that brings back so many great memories! That was my first repair manual and a VW was the first "real" engine I ever worked on. That was a great book...

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

Ok - someone gave me this book when I was 14 or so. Here's where this thread goes in a whole different direction. A friend of the family, a girl who (looking back now had to be at least 19 or 20) very attractive brunette hippy chick that had a VW bug. She came to visit and at the time I was very sick. She said when you get better, I'll take you out in my Bug and left her number with my mom.

So I do get better, call her, she answers and agrees to pick me up the next Sat afternoon. She shows up, and we start driving around the local country back roads.
At some point she asks if I want to drive? - Oh yeah of course!

Off we go...……. she asks if I smoke pot? I said I've tried it. So out comes the bowl and we both take a few hits and continue. Man...…….I thought now THIS is livin!

Eventually she takes me back home and asks if I would help her change the oil and check the front wheel bearings on her bug. I said sure - our house had a small make shift garage around back. Next weekend or so she shows up WITH THIS BOOK and we change the oil, filter and then checked the front wheel bearings per the books instruction.

We take it out for a test drive and she stops by the store up the road and gets a 6-pack. Then promptly opens 2, hands me 1 and again - off we go riding around enjoying the countryside. These ride-alongs went on for half the summer and she even took me to a field party with a band...………………………….in retrospect...……. I was waaaaaaay too young to be there.

I started to wonder why was she hanging out with me, clearly an adult, attractive, cool, smoked weed and drank beer, worked on her own car, etc.

I really cannot answer that...……………...I can tell you that at some point she initiated my first kiss, heavy petting and later............the 'ol handy-J. Not soon after that incident I guess I became old news or because I was so naïve and didn't really know how to reciprocate her...……...or possibly...…….. was too afraid.

So even at that age it was clear to my teenage brain...…. our...…... 'relationship' ........had run it's course at least...…….. by her actions and demeanor.

Our last 'date' she gave me this book as I was getting out of the car and said "Hey - keep this...…..you might learn something"....

Awesome story...

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

Actually, I did learn by myself. I learn best by studying on my own, not by being mentored. Frankly, it's not like trying to fix a car is like black magic to most, there's enough info out there, and tutorials on paper (I learned in the 80's) and simply tribal knowledge that empowers someone to pick up a wrench for the 1st time.

No one wanted to spend the time with a 16 y/o boy and help him with his garbage, no one.

Cars aren't, and ever were magical devices that were foreign to most people. I would say 100% of people living in the USA have ridden in something with 4 wheels and at least have some cognizant understanding of what they are. Cars are not like MRI tables or rocketships- they are common enough to know the basics..

Actually, I learned by hearsay, and straight up trial and error. My childhood was NOT an adult working on a car, with me handing wrenches, or a mentoring adult watching me work while we drank soda and talked about girls and college- I can guarantee that. It was a combination of asking friends, looking at books and then having a go at it on my own. Literall
rjp

Same here. The only man in my life was my dad, and he hated fixing mechanical things. I was lucky in that regard because when a lawnmower went on the fritz he would shove it out behind the garage and get a new one. I did lots of autopsies and actually fixed a few. I was taking engines apart and putting them back together when I was 10. When I was about 12 I built a monster lawnmower, it had only a 20 or 21 inch deck, but I put a 5 hp engine on it and oversized wheels. I got a go cart with a Reo engine on it and yanked the governor off and drilled the carburetor out as soon as I got it. I graduated to a Honda 90 and learned you can’t make a wrist pin bushing (that lasts) out of a piece of tin can. The first VW engine I rebuilt I didn’t get the flywheel tight and it came off - ruined the flywheel and crank and messed up the starter. I got a Haynes manual then and got serious about doing things right. I’ve probably rebuilt 50 VW engines. Never had the Muir book until last year. It’s OK, but I bought a Bentley to go along with it.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by ted

The first car I bought with my own money was a VW bug.
This was my first repair manual, easy to read for a teenager with no mechanical background.

My first drivable car was a 63 VW pick up, loved that thing. I didn't need a book as I had Dell, a hippie car guy, also a French chef, that could have written the book. Great memories of days gone by working on it.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

This period of time was in the early 70's and it was pretty wild. If you weren't a teenager during that era, it all would sound like b*******t.

Oh, I get it. I am 63 and lived the dream.

However, at 14, 1971 for me, a "handy" was on the other side of the sunset.

Again, I sit in awe!

[asphaltgambler]

^^^^^^^^^^ It's funny that I haven't seen that book or thought about her in 30 years or more......until ted posted it. Also to be truthful that experience...………….ruined me …….sort of. I was always 'chasing' older girls and then women until I was in my early 40's. It started what could be best described...….. as an addiction for a large part of my life.

I can't help but wonder if the gender roles were reversed...…...would my parents allowed it? I doubt it as I had an older sister. Somehow it all seemed OK.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

This period of time was in the early 70's and it was pretty wild. If you weren't a teenager during that era, it all would sound like b*******t.

It was definitely different. I never had an experience like that though.

In ‘69 I was too busy building my first Porsche to have time for girls. One nice girl hung around the shop “helping” me for about a month. Looking back not too many months later I realized her work attire probably indicated an ulterior motive. I mean, her showing up in cut off bib overalls with clearly nothing else under them should have told me something. I should have allowed myself to be distracted, but I was working on my first Porsche - and I was a car guy.

[herr_oberst]

I still have the book.

Never got me laid, never got a reach-around or a handy because of it.

Still, it was a pretty entertaining way to learn how to work on a car!

[pavulon]

25% inflation rate.

[herr_oberst]

I was born in '59, a little late to the party. If I recall, they were originally 5.00, so more than 25%

[pavulon]

Sure, but asphaltgambler’s copy is $6.00.

[asphaltgambler]

Stop it.....

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by pavulon

Sure, but asphaltgambler’s copy is $6.00.

That's not even a'g's - that's a repost of an image that ted posted many posts before ag got us all hot and bothered with his stories of 14 year old boys being molested by 20 year old hippie chicks!