Cheap and easy as the continued production in Mexico for years after being discontinued in the USA. I know from reading David Tracy and Murilee Martins articles certain years versions of Beatles are worth way more than others but it looks like they are indeed appreciating in value. If you want dirt cheap and easy to work on Karmann Ghia, Porsche 914 or the funky Fiat X1/9 might be alternatives.
Volkswagen Beetle. A classic car on a budget?
- Thread starter Kurtatron
- Start date
The worse thing on those VW bugs, is anything to do with the pedal assembly, and cables in the tunnel, and the master cylinder etc.
Other wise okay to work on.
Other wise okay to work on.
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2021
- Messages
- 154
This is Willber. He's a 68 Beetle that my 18 year old bought a couple of months ago.
He's taken us on many crazy adventures so far. My son bought him from a guy about 45 minutes away who specializes in old VWs.
I was driving him home because my kid didn't know how to drive a stick yet. Got about 1/2 way home and the throttle cable broke. Got a tow strap and brought it back for the guy to fix that and a few other small issues.
Went to try to bring him home again a few weeks later, and this time the fuel hose came apart where it connects to the fuel pump and it sprayed gasoline all over the engine compartment and emptied the gas tank. Very lucky nothing ignited. Hooked up tow strap and this time brought it home.
We fixed the bad connection to the fuel pump and thought all was good. Next morning found chunk of the fuel hose near the rear axle was leaking. Fixed that, next morning found gas leaking from the middle of the car, originating from the fuel tank up front. Now I think we might finally have all of the fuel leaks figured out and repaired.
Car was running good for about a week. My kid decided to take him on a trip to a place about 2 hours away to go mountain biking. (He actually removed the passenger seat and stuffed his mountain bike inside). He got about an hour away when he felt the back wheel start to wobble, and then it came off and passed him up and bounced about 1/2 mile up the road to come to a rest in the center median. He made it to the shoulder of this busy highway on 3 wheels and a brake drum, and then somehow found the wheel with the hubcap still on it, with all 4 lug bolts still trapped inside. Somebody with a floor jack stopped and helped him get the wheel back on. Nothing was wrong with the brake drum, and everything's been fine since then.
The next morning he decided he wanted to enter a car show that was going on in the next town over from us. We knew about the car show and planned to go as spectators, but it wasn't until about 9:15 in the morning of the show that he told me he wanted to actually be in it. Registration was supposed to be at 9AM, and we were already running late, so I helped him put his passenger seat back in and we scrambled and got to the show and sat in some lawn chairs behind the car for the next few hours.
It is a simple car and so far has been easy to work on. He's been driving it almost every day that he's had it so far.
With a roll of wire in your hand out the window you can drive it with a broke throttle cable.
That is the reason when ever a get a new to me car, it sits for a few weeks getting checked out real good before I drive it.
I would never just get in a go, and your situation has proven it.
Yeah you can haul a lot of stuff in a bug when that seat is out. I used one as a tool truck for a bit. Its good for about 600 lbs of hauling there. Always have a fire extinguisher or 2.
That is the reason when ever a get a new to me car, it sits for a few weeks getting checked out real good before I drive it.
I would never just get in a go, and your situation has proven it.
Yeah you can haul a lot of stuff in a bug when that seat is out. I used one as a tool truck for a bit. Its good for about 600 lbs of hauling there. Always have a fire extinguisher or 2.
I've owned my 1968 Beetle for 30 years till I sold it in 2008 (no more room in the garage after we'd bought the CRV). Like any old car, parts fail once in a while. I had John Muir's book as a guide to fix her up whenever I needed to. Early into ownership of that Beetle, I made a habit of carryng in the trunk tools and parts that could be easily changed out if they failed. l Here's a list of street mishaps I'd had over 30 years and the on the road fixes :
Ignition switch developed a short to ground, saw smoke, the big wire in the front trunk was glowing red and burned its insulation. Used a rag to protect my hand, yanked that wire free. Jury rigged a long spare wire I always carried in the car, direct from the battery, outside thru the window, and directly to the + ignition coil post. My brother and I push started the car and got her home. There, I replaced the ignition switch and the burned up wire, but included a big fuse for insurance.
Car died on the freeway. Opened the distributor cap, found the ignition points had zero gap. Beetles were designed to wear the ignition points at equal rate with the Bakelite post the distributor shaft corners actuated, thus keeping the points gap the same as the miles piled up. I had installed an electronic ignition a few years before, so the ignition points now did not wear down. The bakelite did wear down, hence the points gap slowly dwindled to zero. I took the screwdriver, loosened the points hold down screw, opened up the points gap, and tightened her down. This altered the spark timing, but no big deal. I loosened the distributor hold down bolt, turned the crankshaft till 5 degrees BTDC, rotated the distributor body till I got a spark from the high tension wire, tightened the distributor bolt, and got back on our way.
On the road, throttle cable snapped, I propped the carburettor throttle plate 1/2 open with a wire, got the car home this way, staying at first and second gear all the way home.
Clutch cable snapped. Parked the car on the side of the road, changed with replacement cable I always carried in the car, and made it to my meeting 20 minutes late with hands all dirty with grease marks the soap from the restroom wouldn't get off.
It was 6:30 PM, stopped at a traffic light, the light turned green, I pressed the cluch pedal and --CRRAAACK-- the pedal arm broke into 2 pieces. I pushed that car all by myself (I was 32 years old then) 5 blocks to my work's parking lot. No one stopped to help me. Left it there, went home by bus, went to the VW auto supply store next morning, bought new pedal cluster, changed the whole assembly in the parking lot. 40 minutes later, I was on my way home.
Went to pick up my daughter from school at 6PM, car wouldn't start. I had spark, so I suspected bad fuel pump. Changed that mechanical fuel pump with the new one I always carried in the trunk, and off we went.
Windshield wipers won't turn on one day. Had to pound on the dash next to the wiper switch to get it to start. I never got to fix it, but always had to pound on the dash since that day to get them to work.
Car developed a shaking once on the road. Stopped, found the left axle castle nut loose and was missing its cotter pin. Tightened it as best as I could, drove a nail into the axle shaft hole as a temporary cotter pin fix, and drove all the way home in second gear.
Changed a flat tire in my garage, later felt a strange vibration half a mile from the house. Inspected the tires, found the wheel was missing 3 wheel bolts. Obviously, I'd forgotten to tighten them. Borrowed a bolt each from the other 3 wheels to use temporarily. I swore that I would never forget to retighten wheel fasteners again. To this day, I kept that promise to myself. Always fully tightened all fasteners on a wheel before going to the next wheel. Always rechecked wheel fasteners twice whenever I'd removed any wheel for whatever reason. Recheck all wheel fasteners for tightness on all my cars every 3 months.
Gas tank leaked. Couldn't get a new one then yet so I drove it with the gas tank off. Propped a 2-gallon jar in front of the bulkhead, stuck the fuel hose into it, filled it with some gas every 7 miles from my jerry can. Drove it this way for 3 weeks!
Not this 1968 Beetle, but I also owned a 1970 Beetle once. Had a very heavy sack of fruit I put on the right side of the rear seat. After a few minutes, there was smoke from under the seat! I didn't know it yet at the time, but it was a known danger for Beetles. The battery was there, and heavy stuff/overweight people on the right side could rub the seat springs on the battery terminals and short them out and cause a fire! The solution was to pad a thick rubber sheet over the battery terminals.
I learned a lot from working on that Beetle. It taught me to be prepared for an eventuality! To this day, I always have in each of my cars a Halon fire extinguisher, tow strap, tools, scissors jack, jumper cables, 12 volt mini air compressor, spare bulbs, assorted wires, flashlight and cellphone 12 volt charger and cable.
Ignition switch developed a short to ground, saw smoke, the big wire in the front trunk was glowing red and burned its insulation. Used a rag to protect my hand, yanked that wire free. Jury rigged a long spare wire I always carried in the car, direct from the battery, outside thru the window, and directly to the + ignition coil post. My brother and I push started the car and got her home. There, I replaced the ignition switch and the burned up wire, but included a big fuse for insurance.
Car died on the freeway. Opened the distributor cap, found the ignition points had zero gap. Beetles were designed to wear the ignition points at equal rate with the Bakelite post the distributor shaft corners actuated, thus keeping the points gap the same as the miles piled up. I had installed an electronic ignition a few years before, so the ignition points now did not wear down. The bakelite did wear down, hence the points gap slowly dwindled to zero. I took the screwdriver, loosened the points hold down screw, opened up the points gap, and tightened her down. This altered the spark timing, but no big deal. I loosened the distributor hold down bolt, turned the crankshaft till 5 degrees BTDC, rotated the distributor body till I got a spark from the high tension wire, tightened the distributor bolt, and got back on our way.
On the road, throttle cable snapped, I propped the carburettor throttle plate 1/2 open with a wire, got the car home this way, staying at first and second gear all the way home.
Clutch cable snapped. Parked the car on the side of the road, changed with replacement cable I always carried in the car, and made it to my meeting 20 minutes late with hands all dirty with grease marks the soap from the restroom wouldn't get off.
It was 6:30 PM, stopped at a traffic light, the light turned green, I pressed the cluch pedal and --CRRAAACK-- the pedal arm broke into 2 pieces. I pushed that car all by myself (I was 32 years old then) 5 blocks to my work's parking lot. No one stopped to help me. Left it there, went home by bus, went to the VW auto supply store next morning, bought new pedal cluster, changed the whole assembly in the parking lot. 40 minutes later, I was on my way home.
Went to pick up my daughter from school at 6PM, car wouldn't start. I had spark, so I suspected bad fuel pump. Changed that mechanical fuel pump with the new one I always carried in the trunk, and off we went.
Windshield wipers won't turn on one day. Had to pound on the dash next to the wiper switch to get it to start. I never got to fix it, but always had to pound on the dash since that day to get them to work.
Car developed a shaking once on the road. Stopped, found the left axle castle nut loose and was missing its cotter pin. Tightened it as best as I could, drove a nail into the axle shaft hole as a temporary cotter pin fix, and drove all the way home in second gear.
Changed a flat tire in my garage, later felt a strange vibration half a mile from the house. Inspected the tires, found the wheel was missing 3 wheel bolts. Obviously, I'd forgotten to tighten them. Borrowed a bolt each from the other 3 wheels to use temporarily. I swore that I would never forget to retighten wheel fasteners again. To this day, I kept that promise to myself. Always fully tightened all fasteners on a wheel before going to the next wheel. Always rechecked wheel fasteners twice whenever I'd removed any wheel for whatever reason. Recheck all wheel fasteners for tightness on all my cars every 3 months.
Gas tank leaked. Couldn't get a new one then yet so I drove it with the gas tank off. Propped a 2-gallon jar in front of the bulkhead, stuck the fuel hose into it, filled it with some gas every 7 miles from my jerry can. Drove it this way for 3 weeks!
Not this 1968 Beetle, but I also owned a 1970 Beetle once. Had a very heavy sack of fruit I put on the right side of the rear seat. After a few minutes, there was smoke from under the seat! I didn't know it yet at the time, but it was a known danger for Beetles. The battery was there, and heavy stuff/overweight people on the right side could rub the seat springs on the battery terminals and short them out and cause a fire! The solution was to pad a thick rubber sheet over the battery terminals.
I learned a lot from working on that Beetle. It taught me to be prepared for an eventuality! To this day, I always have in each of my cars a Halon fire extinguisher, tow strap, tools, scissors jack, jumper cables, 12 volt mini air compressor, spare bulbs, assorted wires, flashlight and cellphone 12 volt charger and cable.
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