The VW love-hate fest (threadjack)

[MasterBates]

How do you know it is still reliable of you dont' drive it?

Sorry, I just had to take the opening.......

Because if it wasn't I would fvcking hear about it, just like the water heater, AC system and septic pump.

(I don't live there, I don't 'own' it, but she still wants me to take care of shit. I tell her to get her live in boyfriend/fiancee/whoever to do it)

 

[brownshoe]

Triumph TR-4 in college.

Lucas electrics .... a.k.a. .... The Prince of Darkness.

British Leyland took over most of the production of British cars in 1968, that’s when all of the reliability problems started. Not sure reliability was really totally the fault of Lucas electrical systems though, my pre 68 cars were fine.

I do know after 68, all of the British imports were turned into cheap pieces of crap. My last “MGB” was junk, compared to the other British imports I’d owned. The bug eyed Sprite I’d owned got close to 50 miles per gallon, the MG’s around 30. Easy to work on and they were very reliable. The “SU’s” were a bit of a pain though.

If you didn't mind being hot in the summer, cold in the winter, or getting wet when it rained they were fun cars. (I don’t even check what mileage my Chevy Tahoe gets. Luckily I don’t pay for the gas.)

Steve

 

[brownshoe]

I currently drive a '72 Beetle. Hands down the most reliable & most fun car I've ever owned. Plus, I can work on it myself & I don't need a degree in rocket science to do it.

Those are cute and obviously very happy kids! Congrats.

Steve

 

[mb1k]

My father came home one afternoon in '71 with a brand new Super Beetle. It's been with the family until '99 when my parents retired and didn't feel like moving it cross country from Ohio to SoCal. I think I may actually have gotten a bit choked up... I wanted to keep that thing in the family.

200,000+ miles, original engine, and never stranded us. Bought for $1,700 in '71, sold for $2,000 in '98! That usually never happens to cars

 

[Tex_Hill]

Those are cute and obviously very happy kids! Congrats.

Steve

Thanks Steve!

They probably love by beetle more than I do.

 

[nittany03]

Lucas Electronics jokes

 

[JIMC5499]

Because if it wasn't I would fvcking hear about it, just like the water heater, AC system and septic pump.

(I don't live there, I don't 'own' it, but she still wants me to take care of shit. I tell her to get her live in boyfriend/fiancee/whoever to do it)

Maybe it will need a brake job sometime. ("Honest. I never even touched the bleed screws.")

 

[zipmartin]

Had a '61 VW my freshman year in college. Had the engine out 5 times in one year. My Dad and I could drop the engine in 45 minutes. Replaced the bug with a '64 MGB; followed that with a '56 MGA. This is my current fun drive, a '52 MGTD.

 

[HeyJoe]

Learned to drive a stick on my Dad's '61. We transferred to Hawaii in 1971 and picked up a new Super Beetle for $1800. I later bought my first car there, a '64 Beetle that had to down shift to make it over the Pali. Went to college and got the '71 Super Beetle to drive. Many moons later, met a lady (in '81) with a '74 Super Beetle convertible. We moved away from VW products since then, but when I replaced my '83 911 with a significant upgrade, she wanted a return to the past so...vvv

Turned out to be impractical for groceries and in heat of summer and cold of winter, but serious fun as a Sunday driver so I got her a '05 New Beetle convertible and took over the Speedster (R).

 

[A4sForever]

....Turned out to be impractical for ....heat of summer and cold of winter, but serious fun as a Sunday driver

CONCUR.

I blew a '74 SB's engine all over east Texas while trying to run factory air on the highway in 100 degree OAT's .... and I never did get the windows defogged or any heat around my feet in 0 degree temps in MSP in a '71 Bug.

Both usually great, dependable modes of transport, however.

 

[HeyJoe]

CONCUR.

I blew a '74 SB's engine all over east Texas while trying to run factory air on the highway in 100 degree OAT's .... and I never did get the windows defogged or any heat around my feet in 0 degree temps in MSP in a '71 Bug.

Both usually great, dependable modes of transport, however.

LOL...the memories that evokes!!!

 

[BeanFighter]

Bought it for $200 in 95', new 2.0 motor for $1500, this 74' bus is still runnin.

 

[Tex_Hill]

Early model VW Buses are extremely popular right now. This '64 model is going for $30,000:

And deluxe models like this '54 Barndoor can bring $60,000 or more depending on the quality of the restoration :

Matter of fact HJ, the owner of this '54 Barndoor wants to trade it for a Porsche 356 Speedster.

 

[HeyJoe]

Bought it for $200 in 95', new 2.0 motor for $1500, this 74' bus is still runnin.

"still runnin"...and still on it's side?

Matter of fact HJ, the owner of this '54 Barndoor wants to trade it for a Porsche 356 Speedster.

...don't think my wife would be interested nor would I be, we got our ticket punched a decade ago with Soccer Mom vehicles....

 

[Catmando]

I had a Karmann Ghia in high school. Its little 36-hp. engine got 40 mpg…and that was when gas was only 36 cents a gallon. Less than a penny a mile for gas!

On a 300 mile trip in the dead of winter in Minnesota, I spent far more on many spray-cans of windshield defrost – needed every several miles to see the road - than I did on gasoline.

Although I nearly froze, I still loved that car!