The Classic VW Beetle

I laughed, I cried. I cried some more.

At least the floorpans were in good shape . . .

Joseph and his multicolored 65 VW

I was browsing Flickr for some Beetle restoration pictures and getting some ideas for my interior work that i have planned for this summer.




Joseph and his multicolored 65 VW

Originally uploaded by wvgasguy

My brother gave me this car. Debbie and I painted it. (you can tell, can’t you) This was my first of many cars to drive through the years. Thankfully none of them were as bad as this one.

In browsing around, I was surprised to find that there were not only pictures of people and their old VW’s, but many posted their stories as well.

This may become a regular feature, but I’d also like to hear from the readers. What’s your VW Beetle memory?

One of the reasons why I enjoy working with the VW Beetle is that everyone has a story. It’s what I like to call the “happy car.” The VW Beetle evokes stares of recognition and distant memories. I love it when people come up to me in the parking lot and ask questions about the Beetle; “What year is it?” or “Is that the original paint?,” and even “What kind of mileage are you getting?”

Invariably, they begin to tell me their VW Beetle story. Everything from first dates to college cars to sleeping in the back well behind the rear seat. This car simply brings out happy, memorable moments. The people that see the car and strike up a conversation seem to be positively grateful that they saw the car and remembered something valuable in their lives.

Today’s Washington Post carries an article about a woman’s memories of her 1960 Beetle that she drove during her college years in the 70’s. The fun of the article centers around the unpredictable clutch, which after being replaced, only worked in second gear, providing a thrilling ride in the hills of Virginia.

I love the confidence that the writer, Melony, exudes in her recollections of driving her Beetle:

Frostburg’s streets undulate, and every one has an incline of some degree, many featuring a stop sign about midway to the top. I had mastered the art of balancing the amount of gas I gave the engine while in first gear, and how far I let the clutch out, with the degree of the incline of the hill upon which I was stopped. Thus, after slowing on my approach to a stop sign, I did not brake, but using the clutch I could suspend my VW with exquisite, practiced proficiency on the incline. The other girls envied me. They couldn’t even drive a stick.

Read the rest of this wonderful homage to the VW Beetle at the WaPo site: In VW Beetle’s last clutch moments, it was push or scream

If you follow VW Beetle restoration, then you’ll be familiar with West Coast Classics. West Coast Classics has done some awesome work and their restorations are some of the most complete and beautiful work done on these amazing cars.

The latest offering is a thing of beauty:

West Coast Classic Restored VW for Sale

The asking proce is $9500. Considering the paint, restoration and everything else, you can’t go wrong – it’s well worth the price if you want to avoid all of th work, hassle, busted knuckles and frustrations of restoration. lay down your cash and drive away in this beauty.

Here is the ad for this 1968 Restored VW Beetle for sale if you want to know more.

Ending the string of “New” cars with old names;Dodge Charger, Ford Mustang, New Beetle, the new Beetle is ending production this year. I personally can’t stand this glut of redesigning the style of the old car with newer lines and luxuries.

Just call the car another name, please! Call these new cars by a new name, because in all honesty, performance and lovability – no one is passionate abut their NEW Charger, their NEW Mustang, or their New Beetle. The original cars were the best, and the original names carried a mystique and a lifestyle. To label these newer cars as being close to the same – heresy!

Anyway, here is the link – if you like the “New Beetle” Oh, and by the way, Volkswagen plans on replacing the New Beetle with something “beetleish.” I am curious about this one. After the introductions of the Aos and the CC, I have to admit that I am really curious to see the next step.

Best user comment on the article? “Bring back the Thing!”

The Tunisian National Automobile Club and a group of old Volkswagen beetle aficionados organized a rally in Tunisia from December 17 to 19, 2009.

Ten vehicles, type ranging from the VW 1200, 1300, 1302 and 1303, registered in Tunisia, crossed some 1,200 miles through the governorates of Tunis, Kairouan, Sfax, Sousse, Gabes, Tozeur , Médenine, Gafsa.

As I mentioned in the earlier post – I was chasing down the electrical gremlins with my hand-dandy multimeter. After viewing the Bug Me Videos, I was able to identity a number of wiring issues that enabled me to the wiring system under control. The video answered many questions and things that I simply overlooked.

Which brings me to the brakes.

The brake lights would still not light. After double checking and re-checking the connections, there was something wrong. I used the multimeter and chased the current down to the master cylinder. The current was going in, but not coming back out. Finally, I was able to pinpoint the problem. I was going off the previous owner’s assessment that he replaced the brakes and brake lines, but on closer examination, there was no brake fluid in the reservoir.

So, I filled up the reservoir and prepared to bleed the brake lines. Within seconds, however, i had a nice pool of brake fluid forming in the floor and in the bottom of the hood compartment. I checked the line, and sure enough it was old, worn and cracked. A simple trip to the local auto parts store solved that issue. i reconnected the line, filled the reservoir, and was met with the same result. more brake fluid on the floor. I disassembled the entire assembly up to the master cylinder and inspected everything.

Of course, I should have done that in the first place, as it was the fluid reservoir that was a problem – a nice crack in the side when someone tightened it down to far, breaking the plastic.

Fast forward another few days as I awaited a new brake fluid reservoir like a kids awaits Christmas. Got it, assembled it, the new hose, added the fluid, and everything held. No leaks!!!

NEXT STEP – Bleed the Brakes
I bought a brake bleeding kit, as finding someone to step on the brakes for 20 minutes would be a little difficult. The kit worked wonderfully for the first two brakes, then i dumped the fluid. After dumping the fluid from the first two bleeds, something got into the reservoir on the kit, and it never worked as good as the first time. In fact, it was pretty much worthless. Looking back – bad investment, iIm sure i could have bought something a little more practical and reliable. I did what i should have done. Find a warm body that can count to six and push the brake pedal. It took a while, but it got done.

Next step – be sure your brake lights are grounded. Otherwise, much cursing and second-guessing will happen. Thank you again Bug Me video, for that reminder.

All in all, this part of the project was a tribute to all of the minor detail that were left unattended, and a testimony to how one problem can lead to another, and another, and another.

By the way, the brakes work great. The new brake lights and the upgraded 12 volt system really make then shine bright. This is so much safer than the tiny teardrop lights combined with the old 6 volt system. I never felt safe with this. Especially when some monster truck is bearing down on you when you want to make a left-hand turn.

Since the last post, I have been frustrated at every turn while dealing with the combined projects of re-wiring and upgrading from the 6 volt to 12 volt system. Examining wiring diagrams from all over the net have been somewhat helpful, but never enough to complete the entire project.

As the second to last ditch effort, I dished out about $35 for the Bug Me Video on VW wiring. Within 30 minutes of watching the video, I was able to spot a number of connections that needed to be re-done, and at the same time, the video did a fantastic job of explaining how things worked together. Within the day, I was able to complete the re-wiring. The only remaining issue was the turn signal relay. The relay was one of the most frustrating issues, as the numbers on the relay did not match any of the diagrams, and the diagram on the relay itself wasn’t helpful. (i don’t read schematics.)

Finally, after using a cheap multimeter to track down the current, i saw that the power was getting to the relay, but not coming out. As i was moving around i tapped the lid, and the connection grounded, which caused the relay to start blinking. Of course! A ground! I dug through the electrical diagrams laying around, and found one on the bottom of the pile that showed a ground connection. The same diagram was laying around my garage, but without the ground info. All i can say is that the multimeter has become my best friend in this entire process.

I found some great pics today of an original Kubelwagen (or Kuebel-Wagen as the museum writes) at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles in Lexington Nebraska.

This Kubelwagen is a Type 82, and was built in November of 1944 for the German Army. It had a 69 cubic inch engine, with a whopping 25hp.

I don’t think it would win any races.

But it is pretty sweet looking. It is slightly different than the more modern Thing, but still has some differences. The biggest difference to see is the front end, the Kubelwagen is much more sloped than the Thing.

I tell you what, looking for a Volkswagen Thing is stinkin’ annoying. I’m sure everyone knows all of this already, but it’s still annoying.

Things were only made in the US for 2 years, 1973 and 1974. So many others have been imported, or if you want to buy one, you have to import it yourself. I’m not sure i want to get into all of that.

Of the Type 181’s available in the US for sale, I would say that about 90% of them are from California, which is quite a ways from most of the country. Even then, I can’t believe the shape that some of these are in, and yet still demanding more money than many other cars. For a Thing to have rust is like another car having some paint chipped, it’s not that rare.

Now I can handle most repairs and work, but I haven’t done, and am pretty sure that I can’t do, any body work. So I kind of need a Thing that has no, or next to no rust. Of course, those are over $10,000.

Even at the Beetle Barn VW Graveyard, there were no Things.

Why do I have such good, expensive taste?