Classic VW Beetle OP observation

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This past weekend temperatures in Miami, FL dropped to 80F. The cold start OP is usually ~50psi, but with this cooler weather it was ~60psi. Just an observation.
 
60*f is borderline 0w temps !
grin.gif
 
Not too big of a deal. Where I live it was 90F last week, next day was 65F We are talking High Temps. During the daytime, highs now are in the 80's and drop to the 40's at night. No big deal.

In some areas the temps vary 40-60F in the same day.

Now back to a Classic VW. My Dads 60 Convertible. Been in the family since 1963. Was my Grandfathers till he passed, now my Father has it. Love It. Runs like a swiss watch 57 going on 58 yrs later.
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Jeff
 
My dad bought a Beetle when he was stationed in Berlin, left the Army in 1959 and had it shipped to New York.

He still has the original VW keychain after all these years.
 
Thanks guys,

My Dad has been working on the VW nothing major just something he always wanted to do. He wanted to put in an OEM Mechanical Gas Gauge. He actually acquired one, not a replica one, an actual OEM one for the 60. We are finding out though, our VW must have been a late 59 and sold as a 60 due to some differences in the car. Example, the Fuses and the horn. Ours has the 59 style, though the car was sold as a 60.

So my Dad had to buy a new gas tank, modify it to accept the gas gauge for a 60 even though his VW is a 60 haha.

He is trying to keep it period correct on fixing things as the car needs it. Original Engine, and Transmission. Transmission wise my Dad would like to get it rebuilt and have a synchro 1st gear installed. We may get the engine re built too. It has not really been touched since the mid 70's as far as a re build of any sorts.

He also just replaced the Brake Master Cylinder and just basic maintenance.

We are so spoiled with cars now not having to adjust the brakes, the carb, the clutch, the timing. I need to really learn how to do all this stuff.

We are saving up for a new top for it, and though my Dad re did the interior himself, we just could not find anywhere the OEM style material that it had when it was new. Parts also are getting very difficult to find.

You would think for a car they made so many of the parts would be everywhere. Seems our VW is a fluke half 59 half 60 car though its all original and in 61 lots of stuff changed and those parts are everywhere. Pre 61 one though its hit and miss.

Great Car, Runs really good, will do about 60-65 WOT with the wind pushing us on the freeway. Its a hoot!!


Jeff
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
Thanks guys,

My Dad has been working on the VW nothing major just something he always wanted to do. He wanted to put in an OEM Mechanical Gas Gauge. He actually acquired one, not a replica one, an actual OEM one for the 60. We are finding out though, our VW must have been a late 59 and sold as a 60 due to some differences in the car. Example, the Fuses and the horn. Ours has the 59 style, though the car was sold as a 60.

So my Dad had to buy a new gas tank, modify it to accept the gas gauge for a 60 even though his VW is a 60 haha.

He is trying to keep it period correct on fixing things as the car needs it. Original Engine, and Transmission. Transmission wise my Dad would like to get it rebuilt and have a synchro 1st gear installed. We may get the engine re built too. It has not really been touched since the mid 70's as far as a re build of any sorts.

He also just replaced the Brake Master Cylinder and just basic maintenance.

We are so spoiled with cars now not having to adjust the brakes, the carb, the clutch, the timing. I need to really learn how to do all this stuff.

We are saving up for a new top for it, and though my Dad re did the interior himself, we just could not find anywhere the OEM style material that it had when it was new. Parts also are getting very difficult to find.

You would think for a car they made so many of the parts would be everywhere. Seems our VW is a fluke half 59 half 60 car though its all original and in 61 lots of stuff changed and those parts are everywhere. Pre 61 one though its hit and miss.

Great Car, Runs really good, will do about 60-65 WOT with the wind pushing us on the freeway. Its a hoot!!


Jeff
Have you looked on wolfsburgwest.com for parts? They seem to have the best VW parts. It's where I order parts for the 70' Beetle.
 
While it wasn't a classic I purchased my first NEW car, a 1972 Beetle a year after I got my drivers license. I loved the car but it had some "quirks", like barely any heat or defrost in the winter. That was a serious issue in NJ for the winters. Plus the 1972 emission controls made the engine run "odd" sometimes. It didn't come with a radio so I bought an AM radio and speakers from Sears, living the high life
grin.gif
! But for $1,995 it was a great first new car for a young guy.

Whimsey
 
We used to supplement them with gasoline fired heat blowers.
They were great in Summer, because you would never get heat radiating from the firewall, as you would have gotten from a front-engined vehicle. Therefore, air-conditioning wasn't absolutely necessary, in Michigan where I had mine.
I've never heard of odd-running Beetles. But, the later fuel-injected ones really made a difference in overall driveability and horsepower increases
 
Originally Posted By: Motor_Boater
We used to supplement them with gasoline fired heat blowers.
They were great in Summer, because you would never get heat radiating from the firewall, as you would have gotten from a front-engined vehicle. Therefore, air-conditioning wasn't absolutely necessary, in Michigan where I had mine.
I've never heard of odd-running Beetles. But, the later fuel-injected ones really made a difference in overall driveability and horsepower increases


I had one of those gasoline heaters in a '69 Karmann Ghia here in Michigan. Best heater ever. Instant heat from a stone cold engine in sub zero weather. On the other hand, I was likely driving with a potential bomb just in front of me. Luckily, I never hit anything head-on.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
Thanks guys,

My Dad has been working on the VW nothing major just something he always wanted to do. He wanted to put in an OEM Mechanical Gas Gauge. He actually acquired one, not a replica one, an actual OEM one for the 60. We are finding out though, our VW must have been a late 59 and sold as a 60 due to some differences in the car. Example, the Fuses and the horn. Ours has the 59 style, though the car was sold as a 60.

So my Dad had to buy a new gas tank, modify it to accept the gas gauge for a 60 even though his VW is a 60 haha.

He is trying to keep it period correct on fixing things as the car needs it. Original Engine, and Transmission. Transmission wise my Dad would like to get it rebuilt and have a synchro 1st gear installed. We may get the engine re built too. It has not really been touched since the mid 70's as far as a re build of any sorts.

He also just replaced the Brake Master Cylinder and just basic maintenance.

We are so spoiled with cars now not having to adjust the brakes, the carb, the clutch, the timing. I need to really learn how to do all this stuff.

We are saving up for a new top for it, and though my Dad re did the interior himself, we just could not find anywhere the OEM style material that it had when it was new. Parts also are getting very difficult to find.

You would think for a car they made so many of the parts would be everywhere. Seems our VW is a fluke half 59 half 60 car though its all original and in 61 lots of stuff changed and those parts are everywhere. Pre 61 one though its hit and miss.

Great Car, Runs really good, will do about 60-65 WOT with the wind pushing us on the freeway. Its a hoot!!


Jeff
Have you looked on wolfsburgwest.com for parts? They seem to have the best VW parts. It's where I order parts for the 70' Beetle.


Yes Wolfsburg West is one of our go to places for actual German VW OEM parts. Problem is we have a unicorn VW. Its a 60 but was produced in mid 59 so the car is literally 50% 59 and 50% 60. Finding parts for 61+ yrs is easy and quite accessible. Pre 61 though? Its a [censored] shoot. Parts that are supposed to fit a 60 doesn't fit our car, so we look for parts for a 59 but those parts are hard to find that actually work. So we have to retrofit parts and while doing this trying to keep everything as stock looking as possible.

Now folks with an endless budget that can just drop the car off at a VW restoration place drop big money will be able to have people actually fabricate the parts through CNC technology or 3D imaging. We just cant afford that.

So we do the best we can, and we actually still drive this car. My Dad drives it at least 2-3 times a week. Its no garage queen, and something about that makes me smile. It just keeps chugging away. Say what you will about VW, but any car on its original engine and transmission after almost 58 yrs and driven often to boot? Thats pretty frickin amazing in my book
thumbsup2.gif


Love this bug. Its just something about it that brings back many memories of my family.

VW built this simple car....and its still going..



Jeff
 
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Quote:
Great Car, Runs really good, will do about 60-65 WOT with the wind pushing us on the freeway. Its a hoot!!


Do you have images of Snoopy and the Red Baron in your head as you are doing 65 mph on WOT with the top down ?
 
Originally Posted By: SR5
Quote:
Great Car, Runs really good, will do about 60-65 WOT with the wind pushing us on the freeway. Its a hoot!!


Do you have images of Snoopy and the Red Baron in your head as you are doing 65 mph on WOT with the top down ?



Haha True Story...

My Dad and I are on the Freeway in the bug, top up, going to Arizona. We are about 20 minutes from the AZ/CA boarder and the wind started to pick up, I mean REALLY PICK UP....I look over and see my Dad really struggling to keep her straight. The steering wheel was literally at a 45 degree turn trying to go straight.

Then suddenly WWWOOOOSSHHH a gust from the South to the North, pushes us from the slow lane to the fast lane JUST LIKE THAT. My Dad and I both almost S H I T our pants.

Luckily no one was there, we slowed down to about 45mph and took our time getting to AZ.

When we got to our destination, we both got out looked at the bug and said NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN. haha.

One of those moments my Dad and I will never forget. CRAZY.......


Jeff
 
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