How do I learn about the VW Bug?
 

I almost have the ok from my CFO to take on a car project. I think as long as i can find room to work on a car w/o kicking her SUV out of the garage, I'm golden. I want a bug as a project car because it's air cooled and I think its popularity is going to explode in the coming years.

Is The Samba like PP for air cooled 911s? Is there something like Wayne's 911 projects book? How about a buyers guide? What's the best way to gain knowledge about beetles so I buy the right one from the start?

Thanks all!

I'll throw the alley-oop here to anyone that wants to finish the basket?

The Samba is the go-to place. You can get answers to all your questions there. But first, buy the car. Until then, you won't know wat to ask, or what resources you need. But John Muir's VW book for the complete idiot is always going to be useful.

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tLP1TcwLTBPTzYwYPSSysrPyFPILc0s UigrVyhKLUgEsnIT80oTcwD7dA1V&q=john+muir+vw+repair +manual&rlz=1C1ASUC_enUS658US659&oq=john+muir+vw+& aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0i512l2j46i512j0i22i30j0i390l5. 26764j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I just about had heart failure the other week when I went into my car guy's place. It wasn't because he had a Super Beetle Cabriolet in his showroom, or that it was in very good condition. It was because someone had just given him a cheque for well over 20 grand for the thing!

Best
Les

I swore by this when I had my VW...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653595041.jpg

vvv That was it.

Rebuilt three motors with that book.

Old air cooled German cars are going up, all of them. Mom's is pretty cherry. I put progressive springs and disc brakes on the front and KYB struts and shocks. Amazing how well it handles. Rear suspension on a Super Beetle and a 924/944 are similar, never got around to doing the rear before it went back to her.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FVJPhQo1cms" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I suspect a bug is right up there with an old Willys Jeep as one of the simplest vehicles there is. There's probably a million sources of info between the web and various books.

I've seen the book mentioned above several times when bugs came up. My parents had a '73 super beetle convertible that was really beautiful for several years, including when they lived in Spain. It was tons of fun. I'd like to get one as a toy, but it's way too hot here.

Go to a car show with bugs. Ask the guys driving and showing them if there is a local club or group of guys that are really into bugs. My brother was a line mechanic at the VW dealership in the mid 70s, then he opened his own repair shop that was busy, until the bugs just got too old for the average driver and business dried up. His daily driver is a 1954 Bug he has had for 35 years or so. Lots of guys come to him for advice, and to dig through his collection of old VW parts. He is the type of guy you want to find locally. They are out there. My brother is in Montgomery, AL.

My first car was a 1960 VW bug, 36 HP of raw power when new and likely 25 after 100,000 miles when I had it. 0-60 was 72 seconds if there was no headwind or any incline at all. With a slight headwind 0-60 was infinite, and never gonna happen.

I had no gas gauge, that was an option my car did not have for 1960. I still remember the first time I pulled into Sarge's service station and he came out started pumping gas, washed the windshield, checked the tire pressure, checked the oil, asked about my family, gave me a bunch of green stamps and I had to pay THREE whole dollars for a full tank of gas. It was about two bucks for a long time, then about $2.50 and I thought that was outrageous for a month of driving.

Mine as well, same car, basically. We have written about this before, Glenn, and it always makes me smile...no gas gauge but a lever...turbo 36hp that could pull G's.

I paid $150.00 dollars for the Bug, friend of my Father's who was moving to DC for work and the Bug was his run around. Perfect car for California and all I wanted was the freedom to get off the ranch.

I did the valves, points, condenser and plugs with my Dad and my Grandfather on my moms side who owned a car repair shop in Hayward. Nothing else. Poppy (the GF) was great...I was 15 driving on an ag permit. It ran and the wheels went round and round.

My dad had a ‘71 or ‘72 bug as his company car when he was a J&J salesman in the Philippines. We all piled into that car for family outings. All us boys (4) plus mom and dad. No AC if I remember correctly but it was fun.

i still have mine, It's a bit dirty, etc., but if you want it, PM me your address & I'll send it to you. I haven't touched it in many decades.

I pm’d you just now, Marv. Thank you.

Muir's VW book (as said, just too lazy to quote and reinsert image) and $200 in tools from WalMart. Don't forget the knit cap to tuck your long hair into....

Because this place rocks!

And as an added extra, if you google "keep your volkswagen alive pdf" (without the quotes) you'll find PDF versions for download.

This place and the people in it rock for sure!

To tell you the truth I used to read John Muir’s book sometimes before bed. It’s pretty soothing.

I used to like how he said “Start the engine and roll yourself a cigarette while it’s warming up”. To this day I wonder if those were tobacco cigarettes he was rolling. Great book.

In addition to the manual and tools, you'll need to get yourself a good VW dog:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653411074.jpg

(Stolen from the Random Transportation Photos thread.)

I've never owned a bug, but have helped several friends with them when I was younger. Everything was pretty simple and obvious.

buy one that's sorted out Chris.... a nice cab would suit ya. you & I are not crawling around under a hobby car anymore. i even drive to my pops' house 3+ hours away to change the oil in the duramax once a year on his lift.

from what I know get a flat window and not the later super beetle with the convex windshield.

Popularity is not going to explode in the coming years.

Super Beetles are referred to as "Fat Chicks" in the VW circles. I'd rather have a standard beam front end early Beetle but they claim the Macpherson struts of the Super Beetles made a much better car.

Halloween afternoon 2020. It was a "Geriatric Cars Reunion" with Lightning McQueen hanging out with Fillmore at my place. Behind the curtain I was chatting up the kids like George Carlin and flashing the lights honking the horn. They loved it!


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Man, sorted bugs are spendy but I hear you, T. I’m just not quite ready to give in to Father Time yet. Though when I replaced the rear shocks on my Nissan Titan last month, I had to take 3 Advils for a couple of days.

Seems I've either heard or read in the past that the John Muir of the VW book was the Grandson of the John Muir that was a naturalist, conservationist and Father of the U.S. National Park System. The Muir VW book is an easy read certainly written in a manner for the readers of the period and enough knowledge to get you by. The artwork is well worth the price of admission. The book is somewhat frowned upon by the hard core VW "experts" that are quick to point out it's errors as they consult The Gospel of Bentley.

Back in the day they were great fun. Now the jacked up diesel pickups don't know you're right next to them and may well turn right over you. I'd take a bus over a bug for that reason.

Funny thing is when you have an old VW at first you start thinking "Why did they make it like this?" Then after a while you get into the VW mode of thinking and everything makes perfect sense.

And yes, the book is excellent.

My first car was a '70 Bug. I used to flog the hell out of that thing. Looking at them now they were so basic. You sat straight up in the seat and shifted and cranked up the windows. Had a AM radio. My have things changed.

Samba is the place to be,all forms of air cooled VWs Try to find a nice type3 model,they are much more modern. Had a '71 Squareback .

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/

I checked out Samba and looked into the local clubs. There’s a huge following for sure. Looking forward to starting my VW journey. Thanks all.

Muir book is a must. An impact is helpful. There's a tool called s torquemeister that can be used instead. $106 from Appletree.

I'm in a club here in Houston: Bay Area VW Club, if you're interested. We're on FB.

Pans often need to be replaced, especially undrr the rear passenger seat where the battery lives. Also, check the heater channels and lower front corners of the door opening. If the rear window seal is bad, the package tray may be rusty.

Like any vehicle, the better it is, the easier it will be to fix up. Original German steel is better than most of the repops. And there are tons of YouTube videos. Chris Vallone's are well done.

I like the early bugs, but a well set up German Look Super would work.

Good luck with the hunt!

Dave
'63 Ragtop
thingmon@yahoo.com (VW Thing browsing, while hunting Pokemon)

We have had a 1966 bug and a 1965 Baja for the last 20+ years and they just keep on going! 2 of Muir's book as well, 1 for shop and 1 for the house:<)

never had a bug

did have a 62 bus
that we used as a dock box when we moved on the sail boat
that beast broke a lot
shudder to think that one value today as it did not have much rust

and a 70 euro 914 with vw on it
that one rusted away

bunch of corvairs in between

Had a bug in college, if you haven't driven one in modern traffic it's not all that fun especially on the highway. My ownership was in the mid 90s and trucks and SUV's are even bigger now.

They are extremely easy to work on. I could swap out a starter in under 30min, my ignition failed on my way to work. Grabbed a switch I had and some wire and had it set to do a push button start in a matter of minutes. Some wanker broke my side window, bought one at the vw wrecking yard for $15 and put it in myself in a matter of minutes.

Vehicle sizes don't really bother me much. I've driven a 911, miata and now a boxster which are all small cars. It's not like a bug is the size of a classic Mini or Fiat 500.

Cantdrv55 would be a very appropriate name when you get one…maybe 52 or 53 max! Seriously, I have had probably a dozen beetles, a Ghea and even a bus. Loved ‘em. Even had a ‘56 oval that I put a 912 engine in. They’re fairly simplistic and back in the old days you could get everything you need to rebuild a motor for less than $100 (including pistons and cylinders)! I’m sure you’ll have fun if you wind up with one.

I don't get the same feeling in my 911, a bug has a certain tin canny feel to it. Just a LOT less metal.

I drive a 74 bug 75 miles round trip to/from work at least once a week.
Cruises at 65 with no problem, including the occasional burst to 70+ when needed.

Newer the bug bigger the engine.
Mine was 49 stock HP.
After a bit of work, its at least 50 HP now. :D

I had a '67 Deluxe Bus in the late '80's as well. It was like a tin can on wheels. Mini vans have come a LONG way.

I've posted this car before. It was my '65 that got stolen 30+ years aqo. I loved cranking open the sunroof in the mornings & driving it to work. After it was stolen, I found a '66 much like it. I never liked it as much though, probably because my other one had been stolen. One thing I did that added a lot of oomph to the car was put in a 1776 engine. I wasn't interested in a lot of power, but the 1776 made a lot of difference. I'd still have that car if it hadn't gotten stolen.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653677214.jpg

That’s a beauty!

Old VWs can make a great restore/rebuild project. There's a huge aftermarket supplying just about any part you might need, but quality can vary, so do some research and shop carefully for the best parts. You don't need a lot of special tools either...you can take most of the car apart with a Swiss Army Knife and an adjustable wrench ;)

Rust is a major problem when restoring old cars, and VWs are no exception. Floors and heater channels (sills) are two areas most prone to rot out. If you have metalworking skills and the proper equipment, rust repair isn't a problem, since all of the most common repair panels are readily available. Or even better yet, just get donor metal from a parts car. But if not, try to find a car that's already had any rust issues taken care of, or one from the West/Southwest that's rust-free. Any and all mechanical issues can be easily fixed by most anyone familiar with using basic tools.

The '67 model-year Beetles are considered a high-water mark in the vintage VW world. Among other things, it's the last year for the 'classic' styling with multi-piece bumpers, and the first year for 12V electrics. Older models with the large sliding sunroof and convertibles are also sought after, and will usually sell at a premium.

Look thru TheSamba classifieds to find what particular model(s) appeals to you, where they fall in with your budget, and to get an idea of how much work they might need to bring up to the condition you'd like. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/
Good luck with your search!

My dog is always curious (read: in the way) when I'm working on the Bug
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653685530.JPG

Here he's 'helping' to pick out upholstery material
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