Fellow i-clubbers...

I know, I know. This is a Subaru forum. But I am thinking about buying an old VW bug and am curious if anybody in here has gone down that road.

Mostly curious about particularly cool models.

I have already looked this up on vwvortex and have found surprisingly little.

 

I have a boring '79 convertible. clean and stock.

I always liked the split window hardtops or the little square back wagons, though.

 

yeah its a cheap route to go on...i've seen those things produce mad hp! and there light as a feather! Do you research online. Theres also magazines out there.

 

best model ever...... 56 oval windown rag top.

Any of those mid 50's. 55/56 my favorite. Oval window is wear it's at. Split ovals are SICK.

If you want to go up some. Try the 62. Very flexible. Throw a nice big 1835plus cc motor in there and build it up and it will be fast as hell.

 

Peep this:

"57 oval rag top. needs resto. ran when it was parked and have lots of parts."


This might be the one.

BTW, I am a complete car newb but this is something that I have been wanting to do forever. And with marriage coming up (omg did I just say that???), I want to get a project / toy before I my funds get tied up

 

I have worked on old air-cooled VW's since 1986 and have been drag racing them since 1990. The VW world can be addictive. Parts are getting more expensive every day, good cars are getting harder to find. But the hobby has been around since the mid 60's, so there is a lot of info out there. Do you just want to restore a stock VW? Or build a high horsepower V8-eater? Do you have a year in mind? The old swingaxle cars can be a handful to drive fast if you haven't been behind the wheel before. The 1969-77 Beetle will handle and stop better, but they weigh more and some find the body details less appealing.

You can get 210hp from a street motor, and it will be actually pretty reliable. My old street motor would go mid 12's all day long in my '67 with MH slicks and 92 octane. It isn't cheap, but it is really fun to surprise dopes in 5.0 Mustangs.

For a good website to visit, go to www.cal-look.com and click on Forum. You can ask just about any question and you'll get a good answer.

In the Bay Area, a good shop to visit is VolksAuthority in San Jose, ask for Ray. 408-286-7306. Or call BH Motors in Hayward, ask for Geoff 510-582-7843.

Or you can email me if you have any questions: jim48idaratto@yahoo.com

You'll be surprised how wide the VW hobby is once you get into it.

 

[QUOTE=dub2w]Fellow i-clubbers...

Mostly curious about particularly cool models.

Many will tell you (me included) that the best year to own is 1967 Beetle (sunroof would be the coolest).

Otherwise, anything 1967 and earlier usually rates higher on the "cool scale" than the later cars (for no good reason however). Think of these early cars as the "5-lug" cars, as opposed to the later "4-lug" cars, (how many lug bolts attch wheels).

Good luck
JIM

 

Jim,

You rock man! That is some awesome info. I am in Sac and just visited a place called Bugformance. They were very helpful and gave me some solid leads.

You arent the first person that has recommended the 67. I am looking for one of those or a mid-50s (ragtop oval would be tight!), though I know restoration on that will be more demanding.

My goal for this project is to bring something back to factory specs, with as many original components as possible. I have a WRX wagon so speed is not needed. This one is all about style.

Thanks again for your help.

Cheers,

Steve

 

Be careful with a ragtop. I still have the original top because I haven't found anyone that does a good top that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I need to replace all my seals soon, too...

Bugformance is a cool shop. I found that place one day while trying to find a back way to work.

 

bah...go to mexico man. You can find shops to get the work done pretty easily down there. haaaa.

But yeah rag tops are not cheap...but how freakin sweet does it look. Wood slats. Open. Sunny day. rolled up.
oh man.

I'd love me a two tone split oval rag top. even just oval. I tried to buy a 56 years ago. Begged the guy. He would not give it up. Now I just don't have the money for it or the time/space. If I do anything it's gonna be a 53 cadillac or a 510.

 

Damn you OMA... mmm... 510...

Damn you for getting me thinking about that one again...

mmm... 914...

must stop...

 

I used to own a '64, then a '67 Bug, and enjoyed browsing through Bugformance, too. I used to rely on a book called How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive. It's especially great if you don't own a lot of tools or specialty tools. I think it was originally written for poor college kids and hippies.

In the Sac area, any mechanical work I couldn't do myself, I farmed out to a shop downtown. The place was filled with nothing but air-cooled VWs. It was owned and run by two guys named Hans and Dieter but a quick check of the Yellow Pages turned up nothing. They may have retired by now.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

Wingless... how was the 1967? I have a few interesting leads right now that I am mulling over. Did you do any restoration on either of them?

 

No restorations, just maintenance to make sure they continued to be dependable daily drivers. The '67 with its slightly larger engine made more torque and was more fun around town. Both cars were a handful on the highway if there were crosswinds. Mostly fun cars and quite easy to work on.

I've forgotten most of what I used to know but when buying a Bug, I'd always check the heater controls to see if you can detect exhaust gases. The heater boxes surround part of the exhaust manifold and that's what provides warm air to the passenger compartment.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

w0rd!

I had some interesting drives across the San Mateo bridge!