VW BUG type 1

[renor27]

Now I now that the golden era was the 1930's and 1940's and my bug was built in 1964 but it was based on the bigs from the 1930s so i shall post my questions here and if it needs to be moved then it shall be.
I have a '64 Bug rebuilt the motor 8 years ago and changed it over to 12 volt. and got to drive it for a summer boy talk about fun to drive .I then had to put it into the barn an other projects took center stage. Am now looking to get it back on the road. I love how the bug handles in all weather and not upset that it is always the fastest car on the road. And pull up to a cafe how European can you get.
Any other loungers driving " vintage " VWs?
If so what have you done to improve the 60 year old design?
In no way to I want to lower it the roads in Nevada have more pot wholes then swiss cheese , plus I want to keep it looking as stock as I can but do want to drive it and enjoy it.
David

 

[Edward]

I don't own one myself - I don't actually drive at all these days (no need, living in central London) - but.... Little Brother and I both looked at running bugs at one time and another. As I recall, there were a couple of main things that folks did. One was converting it to 12v electrics - which you've done - the other was upgrading the engine. A lot of folks swapped it out entirely for a rebuilt 1600cc flat four unit, which should be a straight swap if memory serves, as that's what was fitted to the 1303s, the highest performance production version of the bug. If you're not fussed about performance that needn't matter - the main attraction over here was to make it more practical for the motorway, but I think our max speed limits are still higher than yours? (70MPH on the motorway, 60MPH on other main roads). The other big thing you can do with the engine is convert it to run unleaded, which is probably a good idea in the long run.

If ever I went for it, I'd love myself to have one of the first generation Beetles, with the small, split oval rear windshield. Great cars, great character. The new design Beetle is fun and everything, but really just a Golf in a party dress. The original retain so much more charm.


Any photos of your bug?

ETA: if you want to keep stone chips on the bonnet to a minimum, it ight be an idea to invest in some sort of shield. You can buy hulking great vinyl things that a lot of folks who keep them as showcars use - nasty looking, IMO. I've also seen a smaller, clear perspex shield that attached to the front bumper (fender) and deflects stones thrown up by the road - visually not at all intrusive.

 

[Murph351]

Converting an early Bug to fuel injection is great if you're going to use it as a daily driver.
Here's a great site for Bug info: http://www.thesamba.com

 

[Josephine]

There is a semi shell of a blue Beetle in our garage, it's the FIL and has been there long than I've lived here, going on 15 years. I believe The Husband finally has concrete plans to sort, catalog, and sell all the parts and special tools that the FIL acquired over the years for that car.

The FIL also has a VW van/camper that he had partially restored that went back to the restorer's, though I don't know the status on that. The electrical system was giving him problems. This was about 5 years ago he sent it back.

 

[RondoHatton]

Hindsight has erased most of the woes my 66 beetle had, and now I regret selling it a decade ago. It does posess more than vestigal art deco - moderne styling IMHO, and being rear wheel driven, was a hoot to slide around. Kept it stock, save for an additional driving & backup light, roof rack, took out rear seat back for cargo (& camping) space. Put over 100,000 miles on the clock, went places where 4x4s turned away from. Got it stuck once in the beach sand below waterline at Pismo as the tide came in, just then two divers rose from the waves and we all lifted it up to free it. Many miles of memories.

 

[Twitch]

Explore anti-roll bars, adjustable gas shocks, slightly wider but high-performance tires, and aftermarket springing, all of which will transform the imprecise-ness into a tight package. You can get by with an "S" rated tire- good for up to 112 MPH.

If you don't feel like doing much engine stuff do look into who makes a breakerless distributor module so you can do away with points and condenser.

 

[renor27]

Boy some great ideas here thanks all

I do plan to get away from the points and condancer.
Have already pulled the 1300 out for a 16000 twin port engine.
Edward :
Great point about stone chips have never seen the clear cover on this side of the pound might be a UK thing only.
This is not my first bug that I have run , had a baja that I drove though a few Sierra Winters yes they do go any place and even some places that 4x4 can not.
I am not looking so much for speed as a nice nibel car that will not break that bank with gas and yea being kind of art deco in style always helps goes with my vintage BMW motorcycle with sidecar.
Puss as stated the back seat folds down so nicely for extra room now will not be loading up the camping gear with this car like I did with my baja bug but that extra space will now be taken up by my 14 year old Aussie shepard.
Will be trying to keep this bug very stock not show room stock but stock and enjoyed and driven
David

 

[imported_the_librarian]

Check the thread over here:

http://jalopnik.com/tag/down-on-the-street/

they've had a bunch of good samples..might help?????

 

[LizzieMaine]

My first car was a '69 Beetle, which went thru three different engines over the time I had it. We had a local shop specializing in VWs, and given the vast stock of parts and junkers he had out back, it was actually cheaper for him to just pop in a rebuilt engine than it was to try and fix what was wrong with the old one.

I loved that car like I've loved no other I've owned since. By the time I had to get rid of it, the floor was rusted thru in at least three spots, one running board had fallen off, I had to use arm signals for turns because the blinker was fried, and more often than not it was advisable to park on a downhill slope because you'd never be sure if the starter was going to work or not. But still, it was a heck of a lot of fun to drive, and I certainly got my $650-worth out of it.

 

[Ryan]

Keep the 1600 w/ single carb, great motor. Did you increase tire size? Stock rims can take a 195 tire. What about dual circut master cylinder? Join the Samba forum.

 

[renor27]

Hi Ryan

I am on the Samba forum.
so far I have not really found what I am looking for there
Yes the 1600 has a single carb.
And right now have 165s on the stock rims but they have been sitting for years have a flat spot on them so come off.
What i hope to do is keep it stock as much as I can but change things out that have been improved in the last 40 years .
David

 

[Murph351]

I like shifting without engaging the clutch!

 

[scotrace]

My first car was an early 70's Bug with the automatic shift feature. Stick, but no clutch.

It always smelled like gasoline inside!

 

[Flivver]

My best friend had a brand new '69 VW Beetle when we were in college. We had a lot of fun with that car!

I've always admired the Beetle's styling...a timeless design with wonderful 1930's overtones. There is lots of 1934 Chrysler Airflow in that design.

 

[renor27]

Great way to discrib the bug timeless

One of the reasons I an getting this little bug back on the road and once the snow is gone from Tahoe ( they got two more feet there last night ) and the bug is running again i will shot some photos of it and my BMW with sidecar there. Not the Alps nor autoboun but close.
Are there no other Loungers who are driving or own bugs today?
David

 

[ShooShooBaby]

like many others here, my first car was a bug! it was a white 1968. i loved that car, but neither my father nor i are handy with cars so it got expensive taking it to the shop every time something broke.

i have to agree with RondoHatton, time has definitely erased any faults my beetle had - what a great first car!

 

[Barbigirl]

$#$@% Bugs

Oh wrong thread...

This is my BARBIBG riding the ferry.
If anyone would like to take over payments, it's yours.
I have become completely unenamoured with perpetual repairs on a fairly new car AND paying a car payment on it.

 

[leaette]

my dad has a 78 superbeetle conv. it's red with a black top. i love that car. restored really nicely. it's his baby.

he's also the president of the pittsburgh VW club. he can even tell what year a car is within seconds of looking at it.
yep, he loves bugs!

 

[Marlowe P.]

first car was a 68 loved it... what would you want to change about it goes slow up hill and fast down

 

[K.D. Lightner]

When I lived in San Diego in 1984, my father brought me a refurbished '72 VW Bug. Father and a friend used to buy old VWs for a few hundred bucks and sell them for $2,000, but he sold the car to me for what he paid for it: $300. I loved that car, drove it for 8 years, even gave her a name: Ugh-a-Bug.

It got harder and harder to get parts for her, I couldn't do the upkeep on her and so reluctantly used her as a trade-in for a new 1992 Saturn. I even shed a tear when I drove out of the lot and worried that my dear old Bug would be reduced to parts and pieces.

I fretted over her fate for a couple of months until I took the Saturn in for its first check-up and noticed Ugh-a-Bug was gone from the lot. I told the mechanic and he exclaimed "Oh, that old red VW Bug? My parents bought it."

I found that Ugh-a-Bug had gotten new upholstery, a new paint job, and was sporting gold hubcaps.

I hope she had a good, even longer life. What a car, what a personality!

karol