Beetle 1965

[Raffay]

Beetle 1965 by february71, on Flickr
Hi,
After two days of rain, sun just came out before setting spreading excellent light. I just grabbed my camera and composed this, hope you will like it - I am very happy with the results.The reason I am posting this image is one I wanted to share what I liked, but more importantly I want to connect with other beetle lovers out there. I hoping I could connect with some experts from who I can get advice on restoration etc.

Cheers
Raffay.

 

[omaha]

My first car was a 1970 Beetle. It may have been a total piece of junk, but it was my piece of junk! Mechanically very strong, but the body and floor was seriously rusted out. Drove it all through college.

Thanks for the memories.

 

[LyleB]

I never had a Beetle, but three of my college roommates each had one.

I had a Pinto. Both were great little cars (The fire danger of the Pinto has been debunked. They were no more dangerous than any other car in that weight class at the time).

Could tell some funny stories about how light and movable the Beetle was for four average guys, even without keys. Allowed for some great college pranks on friends.

 

[juan]

I learned to drive on a 1956 bug. I made a sign for the back saying "You have just been passed by 36hp" - that really angered a lot of drivers.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Great car! A classic.

Jeff

 

[Randy Moe]

Nice pic of a lovely car.

I have owned at least a dozen Bugs, 5 Buses and we raced them as mud buggies.

This is a major website for VW and California is the place you oughta be, as they have 1000's of air cooled VW still on the road. You can buy any, I mean ANY part new for your car.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/

 

[bdial]

Bugs are nice, I am fond of them. I never owned a beetle, but did own a Karmann Ghia and a Transporter at various times. I've driven plenty of beetles, and I've paid my dues in wrenching them.

If you will be doing the restoration/maintenance on your own, then find a copy of How to keep your volkswagen alive: A manual of step by step procedures for the complete idiot by John Muir.

Although the book has it's faults, it goes into pretty complete detail of how to keep an air cooled VW going, and shows how to do it without a sophisticated shop and a collection of special, one-off tools.

I think it may still be in print even, so finding a copy should be pretty easy anywhere on the globe.

http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?a...ax_year=&classic=on&mode=advanced&st=sr&ac=qr

 

[omaha]

I had that book! Really love the hippie vibe it had!

 

[cliveh]

The Beetle is a classic car, not a straight line anywhere. I once had a blue 1302S and thought at one time of doing the inside out like a Turkish taxi cab with religious paraphernalia and lace curtains on the windows etc. The engine sounds like a sewing machine and these cars go on forever. Some aspects of the design are so simple, like the fact that the choke is a bi-metal strip and when the engine heats up it cuts out the choke.

 

[Peter Simpson]

My first car was an old 59 bug. I loved that death trap and learned an awful lot by fixing it myself. Sold it before I left for college. Lost money but what I learned was worth it many times over.

Oh, and I have the Muir book up in the attic. Best guide to the old beetles ever!

 

[frank]

I bought a used '73 beetle in high school. A girlfriend and I actually had "fun" in the back seat.

 

[Born2Late]

I had a 57 van. You couldn't get out of your own smoke with it, but I loved it anyway.

 

[Pioneer]

I grew up with several Volkswagens. My own first car was a maroon 67 bug. The entire family moved from Southern California to Northern Minnesota (serious culture shock) in 1969 in a 68 Type 3 Bus. We found a sticker that said; "Don't Honk, We Are Pedaling As Fast As We Can" and placed it on the rear bumper. Very appropriate as we slowly chugged our way through Yellowstone Park.

The 67 Bug ended life upside down in a snowy ditch near Aiken, Minnesota. Great traction but it also a bad habit of the rear end wanting to pass the front end when slowing down on icy roads. Mostly operator error though since my next car, a 62 Falcon, ended up pretty much the same way. I did eventually learn to drive but left a trail of bent metal, blown engines and busted trannies behind me on the way to figuring it all out.

 

[Raffay]

Thank you for the comments, I have ordered the book. Any experts out there with whom I can interact, nothing like a one to one communication.


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[Xmas]

I like the photo on my phone be nicer cropped... mine never are nice.

 

[jerrybro]

I always loved driving a beetle. To drive one well you had to be very smooth and had to learn how to maintain and manage momentum. You could drive it like a road racing sports car without breaking the speed limit. It taught many a young racer how to heel and toe.

 

[girlafraid]

Always was one of my favourite cars! So photogenic. Great shot.

 

[frank]

An early 1960's beetle was the first brand new car that my father bought. If my memory is correct, the price was about $2000. I remember sitting in that space behind the rear seat, below the rear window. I was once that small.

 

[Pioneer]

An early 1960's beetle was the first brand new car that my father bought. If my memory is correct, the price was about $2000. I remember sitting in that space behind the rear seat, below the rear window. I was once that small.

I think that was the warmest spot in the entire car.

 

[rsank]

My cousin had a beetle. I was eleven years old and was made to sit in the back. Five minutes into the ride, I see smoke rising from the seat. We pull over and I jump out just before the seat erupts in flames. Turned out that the rubber insulating mat over the battery (which is located right under the rear seat) was not put back. The seat springs contacted the battery terminals, caused a short circuit which ignited the dried up foam (this was an old car already). We managed to pull out the seat and put out the fire, but was the last time I rode in a beetle.

Nice picture though and I love cars with aircooled engines in the back.


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[removed account4]

we used to drive, repair and have fun with beetles.
had a 72 flat windshield, then a 73 superbeetle
and a 67 "deluxe" in the woods we'd grab parts from.
the recommended book is a good one.
you might think about getting an external oil cooler and mounting
it on the inside of your firewall ( really isn't hard to do, line in, like out )
it will make your car run happy. make sure your engine's "fins" are de-gunked
they usually get clogged with dirt, road grime and oil and the engine doesn't cool
well. too much heat can mess with the valve seats ( the heads ) and mess with your rods ..
also make sure your oil and gas lines are NEW at least near the engine compartment
bugs like to go up in flames if there is any sort of heat and a leak back there.
ALSO make sure your electrical system isn't toast, wonky electrical / wire harness
doesn't like gas either ...
if you don't have leaded gas, i'd stick a can of lead substitute in there once in a while
the lead is needed to lubricate the engine ... even thought nearly a half of century of lead is probably
built up in there, it might be useful.

i miss mine.