While we are on the subject of Volkswagon bugs. My wife has casually mentioned wanting one for years. I guess I perhaps should comply and go find her a good one. Unfortunatly she would not ever consider the new imitation beetle product.

Well at least she has not desired a nostalgia type dump truck. She drove a dump truck while in school in the summer off times.

Those trucks where also very crude in comparison to today as well. It must have surprised many a guy to have his order of gravel or whatever roll in driven by a very attractive well built young lady back then. I have no ideal of what us guys would have visualized as a female truck driver back them.

Certainly not her getting out of the cab though.

Why not go for a Karmann Ghia? Classy Italianate styling with dead-simple mechanicals.

_I_ was the ' local VW Guy ' for thirty years.....

I owned an Indie VW Shop in a College Town, those years were fun .

I've also owned 'Ghias too, many including early models and rag tops , all looked O.K. but had seriously poor ventilation so no thanx, never again .

Still looking for a Beetle.....

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

not wanting a hot rod,I like the camper model.But heard they weren't good on fuel.Perhaps with fuel injection and turbo,better mileage.I seen some with subaru motors,but I don't like timing belts.

If you get a '68 ~ '71 model and keep it stock you can expect 25 MPG through think and thin .

Older models onlt get good mileage if you keep them at 50 MPH or less .

Newer than 1972 the engine is much more powerful but *can* be $pendy to repair...

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Bought one ! .



1959 # 113 DeLuxe Beetle with 1192 C.C. 36HP engine .

_very_ original , filthy and tatty, I spent all day every day this week getting it road worthy again and loving every minute .

Driving this thing makes me fell like a young man in 1972 again ! .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Great. Generally speaking there are almost none left in my area.

Yeah ;

The stupid kiddies in So. Cal. destroyed most of them deliberately .

I was having spare keys made to - day and the guy behind the counter mused that when he was young in the early 1980's he bought one and Hot Rodded it to death.....

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Nate, happy birthday!

I was brought home in Dad's '64 Beetle he bought in '68 from the first owner. As his College friend said, the apple didn't fall far from the tree, as bought her '71 Squareback in October 2008.. I grew up with both of them, so jumped at the chance to own something that was familiar and a type 3 (wanted to own a classic Volkswagen but having grown up with a type 1, wanted more comfort). Dad and I both sadly parked ours for various reasons, but still have them.

My Dad rebuilt the engine in the late 1970's I.I.R.C. and after that, drove no more than 45M.P.H. as best efficiency, get to work about same time as if drove "fast", and less wear on the engine. Was right, as over 200,000 on the rebuilt engine and was going strong when parked. Point is, us children never forget those long rides on the freeway, sometimes all day to go up to Bakersfield to see relatives (that also remember as wanted as a young lad to nap, but the lack of headrest, hard door, and engine vibrating my ear with it resting on the door, just couldn't). But as an adult, didn't mind it, as meant got to be with Dad (he worked the government schedual so hardly saw him).

B.T.W., I taught myself how to drive manual transmission on the Squareback. Just got in and drove her, despite never having learned. I so miss driving her, but needs to go on a frame machine and be pulled.

That '59 looks to be a good start. Any more pictures?

To me, looks to have no dents and not even to the bumpers, everything there, but can't see the rear. Having strait bumpers is a huge bonus as a fortune to straiten. With Dad's, the rear is a Brazilian (bent from not at fault accident German original in his parents garage rafters) and the front was hit hard (body will also need to go on a frame machine). Figure be less cost to go with a Wolfsburg West set, as now also only a few places in the U.S. that do chrome plating.

Also like the fact the paintwork is beat so know nothing hiding. Going to keep ivory? I think good color, never seen it before.

How is the engine? Any modifications?

6 volt or 12 volt? Dad's was converted, though in many years when I get her, going to convert back and go halogen for the front lamps. Most likely L.E.D. rear bulbs as by then will have the pattern fixed. Once the headlights and rear lights converted, not enough reason to stay 12 volt. Us children remember how the windshield wipers go super fast. He was going to put in a an adjustable switch from '67, but never did.

Continue to have fun!

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.

I suggest getting a '65 if you want pop out rear windows. I have a '64 and since the 64's and older windows are smaller than the 65+ pop outs are harder to find and more expensive.



but I see you got a '59 so you got a nice year. Almost an oval.. almost

People forget but you could get five people in them and a couple of young kids behind the back seat in a pinch. My 65 also came with an auxillary gas heater that lasted trouble free for the ownership period.

I never found them hard on tires either. If there was a side wind just crank in some steering correction and drive them wide open on long trips.

Wolfsburg wailers as a description of them was not unreasonable.

Barry, reminds me what Dad used to say to us children when have to sit on the back seat: sit still. We didn't understand until older that the seat could short the poles of the larger 12 volt battery.

Know someone that as a child, there parents fit all five children in, just as you were saying by using the cargo area.

But, you had a '65 which was the first year for ball joints. '64 and earlier were king and link pins and wander bad, especially with bias ply. My Dad tells of a time he drove in a famous windy part of the East San Diego/Imperial County desert and was going across all four lanes, including two oncoming. Nothing he could do, just hope no one came around the corner fast.

Reminds me something else he did when young and before the engine rebuild: drove that 1200cc engine putting out 40H.P. at 90M.P.H.. Not sure how he kept the front end down on the road.

__________________
Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.

Actually 1965 was the last year for both 1200 C.C. (40HP) engine and link pins in the front end....



I put it up in the air and began working.....



Vintage tools make working on Vintage cars more fun ! .

I drained maybe a 1/2 cup of gear oil out of the tranny ~ oddly it's fine and shifts great .

Then I addressed the 6 volt electrical system :



I replaced a bunch of seriously crusty light bulbs :



Took apart the 1960's vintage BOSCH ' hard start ' relay and burnished the power contacts as it stopped passing power to the starter solenoid :

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

It's pretty greasy underneath :



I have a photo of the tiny 1192 C.C. engine on my cell 'phone but can't figure out how to send it to my E-Mail .

Hm ;

Now I can't add anymore photos .

I had to work to - day but drove it a bit after sun set ~ looks like I need to adjust the headlights a bit .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Not sure if I mentioned it before but :

In 1973 or so during the very first ' gas crisis ' I bought a # 117 DeLuxe Beetle with sliding sun shine roof (the big canvas one) for $250, I was still driving it in 1979 when my Son was born and I brought him home from the Hospital in it ~ he still has this car in his back yard ~ I think (hope) he has pleasant memories of traveling all over America in it, to Canada even when he was 12 Y.O. ~ to this day as soon as he's in an old VW and hears the clattering of the engine he falls fast asleep .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better