Any Former Air Cooled Beetle Owners?

[stlrj]

I was just reminiscing on my early VW years when I came to a realization that my first car, a 63 bug, never had any nasty understeering issues that our 911's are plagued with. Why is that? They share the same ancestry, air cooled rear engine design with a front end that is so light that you could lift it off the ground. I know my old bug had a bit of oversteer with bald rear tires in the rain but never noticed any understeer.

I was wondering if anyone else shared the same experience.


Cheers,

Joe
87 Carrera

[NYNick]

Because they never went fast enough to overload the front tires in a corner, that's why!

[stlrj]

Originally Posted by NYNick

Because they never went fast enough to overload the front tires in a corner, that's why!

I doubt that. I was pretty wild and crazy then. Probably would never have survived if behind the wheel of a 911.

[fintstone]

I had a '66 and a '67 VW. Drove them very hard. Not much issue with understeer if I recall (but only had the cars of the day to compare them to) and had a remarkably low fear of dying then. I don't notice very much with my 911s either. It was really bad in my first 911 (1974) and I thought that was normal, but it was really just poorly set up and maintained. Fresh tires, stiffer torsion bars and better sways made a world of difference.

My bone stock '89 (which should be similar to your car) seems relatively neutral as well...except after I broke a mount on my rear sway. It was quite "tail happy" until I got it fixed. Take a look at your sway mounts and consider tweaking your tire pressures.

[NYNick]

Well, I owned a 68 912 and 73 Super Beetle back to back. I was kinda kidding, but not much!
On the plus side, I'd take either one of them in 2 feet of fresh snow in New England any day... and did!

[fintstone]

My first wrench (who only worked on VWs) had a '73 that was modded. That was one wicked handling car. The suspension on the later ones was much improved.

I lived at the top of a very steep hill when I had my '67. It never failed to get me home, even in a foot of snow when no one else could get out. I cheated and had studded snows on the rear though.

[Racerbvd]

One of my past VWs

[DRACO A5OG]

Had one Gulf Blue and my favorite White super beetle, rolled it in Topanga Canyon

16, really did not know how to drive twists

[2jmotorsports]

Had a 71 Bus and a 69 Ghia. Miss them both dearly.

[NY65912]

'68, '72 Beetles, 72 Super Beetle and a 71 Ghia. I never experienced any understeer and I drove like a madman.

[Brando]

I had a 1973 Ghia and a 1970 Beetle. My previous 911 definitely handled better and the steering felt more precise. If anything my vintage VWs always felt loose and very light in the front at highway speeds. You have to drive each differently, that's for sure.

[afterburn 549]

Owned Lots of beetles (and busses, type 4, one notch back)
What I learned with the beetle is, - let off the gas suddenly in a turn. Otherwise .....it was not going where I turned the wheel to.
I swapped ends once at about 70 MPH going dwn the Mt baker Hiway passing pokey cars ..35 years ago...LOL
Raineeeer Beeeer....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKVHFDuk4eU

[Fixer]

Originally Posted by NYNick

Because they never went fast enough to overload the front tires in a corner, that's why!

+1, in stock form.

But when you add power to them [80-90 hp] as my Brothers and I did, seems the back would always still break out first.

[futurefun]

Built a few Cal Look bugs about the same time that I had a'67 912 & 2L 914. Definitely experienced understeer in a bug. Sure loved them.







l

[dyusem]

I had a '73 Super Beetle and a '75 Convertible and I pushed both of them hard and only experienced understeer once when I was entering the 405 at Mulholland during a rain storm.

Without any warning (and traveling <25 MPH) the rear broke loose, I did a perfect 360 and continued down the on-ramp wondering WTF that was all about!

Both cars did many many thousands of miles of duty as transport from LA > Mammoth and then the '75 lived in Mammoth after graduating from UCLA. Both of them were champs in the snow...although the rear window popped out of the convertible a number of times when rolling over rutted snow heading up Minaret Drive taking my GF to work on the Mountain, but I digress...good times and why I prefer to be pushed than pulled.

[NICE 69 S]

I was occasionally able to push the front end.
2L, big valve heads, C/W stroker crank, 912 rods, 44MM Webers etc...
Bob B

[GothingNC]

My old 75 Bug. Started off as a roller with a shrub growing inside. I put about 150,000 miles on iy in NY, NM and NC before the engine spun a bearing and the rust came back. It went to a new home in 2005.

[Len 911]

What do you mean HAD.. You mean Still have. I have two a 73 with full air ride suspension custom paint and a fiberglass dune buggy in the works.

Also have a Hampton amusement car ride dune buggy

like this ride , you all remember these rides and have rode on them.

[Cairo94507]

I had a '66. '67 and a '71 Super Bettle. The Super Beetle was my favorite. All of them were well made quality cars.

[tdw28210]

The body guy helping me with my RSR tribute project is a bug freak. We towed this '63 split window bus 6 hours north last weekend. He is putting a supercharged Pontiac 3800 motor on a Fiero automatic tranny in the back.



In the process, I stumbled across this '74 bug at a bug shop with a rebuilt motor, new brakes, new tires, glass seals and new floor pan. Only $2300! Seems cheap to me after looking at $4500 sport seats. ; ) If I had the space, I'd be all over it.