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50 years old, well it looks totally rebuild to me. So that doesn't count really. Still I take the point of another interesting video. Datsun 120A F11 anyone?
I've been working in a vintage VW workshop, damn those cars are the easiest things to repair on Earth. There's almost no job even un untrained mechanic cannot do. Best car ever.
After wanting one since I was a kid I finally pulled the trigger and bought a '68 Beetle this summer. What a breath of fresh air...they are SO easy to work on. Tasks that would be daunting on a modern car are simple and approachable on an old VW. Really makes you realize how ridiculously complicated new cars have become!
@@MrTheHillfolk I would absolutely love to daily drive a Mk1 Rabbit/GTI or even a MkII Scirocco. The thought of buying a new car when my current DD dies has become quite unappealing!
i have a 2012 tdi jetta. not bleeding edge new but modern. I live in an apartment and do all my own work on it, they really are not that complicated. i think the most complicated thing i have done was added a multi fuction steering wheel, and that was only because i had to lay on my back under the driver side console area with soldering iron to splice a wire. all of the modifications and enhancements i have done have been simple and really plug in and play. oil changes are easy, as they are on every car, transmission oil changes are a bit more complicated but thats what instructions are for. I have not had a part go bad on it yet but from the work and modifications ive done on it so far, it will probably be really straight forward. Soon I will be moving into a house that has a garage, im really excited about that, I wont have to pull my car apart in a parking lot when i want to install something new.
Taunus: because the world is full of Nancy yes men who only want to make a quick buck by doing as little as possible and think having experience doesn’t matter. Look at all the auto vlog channels, they just cater to young materialistic guys that think a Lamborghini will make their life better, but in a few years they trade that for something else. If those cars are so great why do they keep trading them up all the time, they’re just tools promoting a lifestyle that doesn’t actually make you happy, but they’re good at pretending it does.
Scotty Kilmer hahahaha Scotty you made my day, i'm still subscribed to that certain someone just to count how many cheap lamborghini titles he uploads. Me for example, i might be young, but i have a 71 beetle and an 86 celica that were from each of my grandparents, i'm never going to get rid of them, you won't find other car like that, also the modern aesthetics are just plain. The beetle failed to me a couple of times due to the lack of use, but the celica has never got me stranded, neither the beat up 86 cressida i got for myself. My parents 2005 Nissan primera on the other hand, has a bunch of stupid sensors that shut off the car while i was driving! I really enjoy my classics, you can understand what you're doing, and no brittle plastics. Your channel made me validate that point. Thanks a lot
My grandfather had a hatchback 2 door VW. Was fun to drive. I remember the fuel pump would vapor lock and we would pour water over it. Then people would say hey your car is leaking water. My only compliant was poor heating. My grandfather was a mechanic and would rebuild VW engines with his eyes closed. Very smart man with no high school diploma or college degree. He taught me as much as he could before he passed.
Poor heating in an air cooled VW is only a result of heat exchanger air leaks and/or missing heater components. The needed parts are cheap, readily available, and easily installed by any handyman. With serviceable heat exchangers and a properly sealed path for the heated air, it will provide enough heat to ride with the window vents open, keep your toes toasty warm and defrost your windshield quicker than any water cooled car. I would have loved to have met your grandfather! He sounded like a super cool guy. Treasure the memories.
@@mikehurley7945 Yes he was, I miss him and I would like to think he would be proud of what I accomplished in the last 23 years. Sounds like long time ago but seems like yesterday. He told me to learn electronics as that was the direction the auto industry was headed. He wasn't lying. He worked for the City of Reno in NV where he worked on all the city vehicles. He knew a police officer that would remove the wing nut and air filter from a Ford Crown Victoria. After the third time my grandfather welded the wing nut to the carburetor. Besides having no air filter for obvious reasons he had to rebuild the engine twice. I love telling that story. He used to hand grind valves with his bench grinder. The skills he had and the list is long. I'm not welder by trade but he once had me weld something for him as when he did it would keep breaking. Told me my calling is welding. I disagreed. Driving a bus is my calling.
I loved that story about the troublesome cop! As a retired automotive engine machinist I can identify with, and respect your grandfather's skills, wisdom, and experience. I can't even guess how many VW engines I have rebuilt! From simple valve jobs, to align boring and assembling the cases. It sounds as though you fancy yourself as a modern day Ralph Kramden (with much respect!), but do you have a hobby welding machine? At least a small oxy-acetylene torch? I'll bet there's a tinkerer lurking within you still! Your grandfather saw it too!
Thanks for the support, I don’t sweat it, those guys are just envious of this being the largest mechanic channel and are trying to make a name for themselves by bringing mine down. The only problem is, most of them have nothing to offer except criticism. It’s easy to criticize but hard to actually do the daily grind yourself.
@@scottykilmer Hey Scotty we love your work in down under Australia, and we love our cars, especially our older ones. I would be in absolute awe if you would come down under and see our Aussie muscle cars, especially Holdens.
Matt: this is the largest mechanic channel, Chris is not a mechanic and the only other person that's even close is Eric but he's fallen behind, it's just a fact not shit talking.
We had one of those in the early 70's when I was a little kid. I remember riding in the back of it with my ear to the floor lstening to the engine whirr away. Our neighbor had one too. I remember one day all the kids in the neighborhood were gathered around the car looking into the window. Its odometer had "rolled over" from 99999 miles back to 00000. Back then that was a rarety to see a car last that long. So much so, most odometers didn't even have the 6th digit like they do today.
I was given my grandparent's '69 Beetle when I was still in high school. Some of the other students thought it would be funny to disconnect one of the spark plugs (the engine hood had no lock so anyone could walk by and open it up). I drove it home that day, wondering why it was running a little different, and figured it out when I got home. Plugged it back in and it was fine.
No, it probably was #1. As this is the hottest running of the 4. That is why the lobe for #1 in the distributor is retarded 2 degrees, to keep it cooler.
@@shelbylover1359 You are me 8 years ago. Had to have a beetle, b4 prices jumped. Thought TWICE💡 Bought 72 fuel injection VW “Fastback” coupe. “Pancake engine” designed by PORSCHE. = WAY MORE CAR & 2 trunks😎 My VW sticks out. So happy I didn’t bug a bug.
Awesome, scotty! I am a VW fan myself and even my channel is filled with tutorials on how to fix these babies. Thank you very much for the appreciation for these fine pieces of the automotive history.
I bought my first car in 1978 which was a 1969 VW Squareback. I saved a whole month's waitressing salary and bought it for $500.00. It could fit just about anything in it. The main problem that I had with it was that the engine was not powerful enough to have air conditioning and it gets really hot in Central California. When it's that hot, those window wings just blow in hot air. Mine had the first fuel injected engine of it's type and it was problematic. When it wouldn't start, I'd have to run around to the engine, fiddle with the injector wire, hop back in and see if it would start. Fun times! If YTF396 is still out there, that was my first car.
I have owned three VWs in my life. An '86 Golf, '87 Jetta GLI and a '92 Cabriolet. The GLI had about 230k miles when I gave it to my brother. The Cabriolet was my favorite. Simple, reliable cars that often just needed oil changes or a fuse replaced.
The VW fastbacks of that era are treasures. I miss setting points and adjusting carbs. A few peers would drop 6 cyl Porsche engines that would bolt right onto that chassis. Those were screamers...
Yes the Fastbacks were treasures, had 2 myself. If only VW thought outside the box when designing it - extend the trunk lid to include the back window and make it a hatch/fastback like the Renault 16.
Ooohhh my !, you brought back so many memories. My dad had this volks Variant 1.6 liter 1969 german made since i was born till i had 10 years. I helped him change the oil, and spark plugs,air filters, front brake pads and the infamous clutch cable that always failed after a red light in the middle of the most important city street. My dad almost died after a c-30 pick up truck crashed him in the left door.....the volks was sent to a friend who left him straight and running again. A couple of years later we went overseas so we sold it. I have never seen a reliable car like that. Cheap and easy to fix . When german cars were good.
Great video Scotty! Can you make a video telling us which cars have strong automatic transmissions? You've mentioned a lot of weak ones. Which manufacturers make strong automatic transmissions?
He will tell you Toyota does, but from my experience they make terrible automatic transmissions. When I bought my '14 Camry brand new, two months later the torque converter failed, and now its failing again. Not to mention that the touchscreen no longer works, it hesitates during acceleration, and it sounds like its running on 3 cylanders once you go past 3000 rpm. From my experience, Honda makes the best cars out there.
Emin Marookian Honda is really a great car company every thing they make last’s I’d say the Chevy gmc pickup automatic transmissions are some really strong stuff My personal experience
Honda's are great but they had a lot of problems with transmissions in the early to mid 2000's. Transmissions are their weakest point. Engines are the best.
Thank you @Scotty Kilmer, I really enjoyed this episode! I still daily my 1972 Beetle. I don't need a lot of speed, it's never had a radio mounted, it's simple to work on, and I get better than 20 MPG regularly. It had its 1st major repair at 49 years old. It's not original anymore, but I love it just the same. No complaints from this guy! ;)
I own two Type 1 VW's and have always wanted a Type 3 squareback "wagon" I love the little metal cars and when my friends were slipping and sliding in the snow in South Dakota, my bug, was warm and toasty inside and cruisin right along with my 1500cc engine. I collect model cars and I have several ones of this model. I am glad Scotty, that you made a video of this beautiful car, that you have been teasing us with, in the background for the last few videos :-). I am installing a 1641cc engine in my early 68 model (my 1st car) and leaving my late 68 model stock, since it has 485k one owner miles from my great uncle, and runs like a charm. Thanks for your videos and making my breaks at work, educational and fun.
Scotty, considering buying a 1969 Squareback in low humidity California, 2110cc pancake engine. Owner restored it to just less than showroom quality, but maintained with European parts & style. Everything works! If not, there's a '69 Beetle restored by an aviation mechanic, perfect condition with a 1776cc "U" shape dual carb engine. It's a tough call.
Ive been a mechanic for 29 years here in England and work solely on Volkswagen 5 days a week and I couldn’t agree with you more scotty. Modern Vw’s are junk. Love your videos keep up the good work 👍
Brings back memories of my '70 VW Fastback. Though not much in the power department, it was a reasonably reliable car with parts readily available. Removed the gas tank for cleaning due to some sort of buildup (probably corrosion), took it to the local pressure washer and cleaned out good, reinstalled it and it ran just fine afterwards. Sold it sometime in the mid '80's.
Remember the National Lampoon VW ad that said "If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagon, He'd be President today"? I serviced alot of VWs in the late 60s and early 70s. I liked that 1 1/2 qts of oil went into the engine and the other 1/2 qt went into the oil bath air cleanner. That was good planning. Is the squareback yours?
You are absolutely right. I think this new compuerized trend in cars is just a scam. My mom had a mid 70s beatle and her throttle cable broke in the parking lot. She called me (i was a 20 yo car enthusiast who could wrench). She was nervouse when i had a bunch of parts laying on the ground but when i fixed the car ( in about an hour or so) she realized i knew what i was doing. Cant do that now. Keep preaching Scotty!
Scotty - I had a '71 Type 3 Squareback which I purchased in Europe. Unless I'm mistaken, it was the first large scale production vehicle with what was then called electronic fuel injection (in actuality it only had electrical components). I believe it was the Bosch K-Jetronic model fuel injection system. I drove the car all across Europe and shipped it to the Puerto Rico, back to Europe and eventually to the US . I did most of the repairs myself from replacing the clutch pack, replacing injectors, replacing push-rod tubes and seals and all the normal maintenance. I had it for over 13 years but eventually gave it away to a relative who was in dire need of a reliable car. It and an early model Volvo 100 Series where built like a tank with thick gauge body metal and simplified engine design, which was easy to service and repair. The old adage of "They don't make them like that anymore" is apropos for these two vehicles.
My family bought a 1966 VW Fastback Variant new. Best shifting transmission I have ever shifted, that was not direct linkage. It had 2 problems from the start, carburetors and distributor. The carbs were linked on a gimbal post and had turnbuckle to adjust. The carbs would get out of sync and have to be adjusted back. It ate points, to the point that an extra set was kept in the glove box. It was a great car except for those things.
Scotty, not as an argument but just a point of view, I had an 'OLD' VW Beetle and I found it had more space than I could have imagined or maybe it just stretched when I needed it. I had five children at this time and we would go grocery shopping and people from the store would actually watch from the windows as we loaded 1 1/2 to 2 grocery carts into the rear space and the front bonnet of the car and still have my wife who was pregnant then, myself and the five children get in. Of course this was before any laws about seatbelts and car seats. A few months later after picking up our twins on Thanksgiving night, with the whole family, because the hospital called me at dinner to come pick them up (???) we decided to get a VW Bus. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do and with the Grace of God,we did.
I had one of these back in the late 1970s. It was not stock, but lightly modified to go off road. Drove it from Santa Rosa CA to a ranch a few miles outside of El Paso TX. Took a lot of tinkering/ maintenance to keep it running properly, more than my skills were up to, so I sold it. But it was a fun car to drive!
If all cars were like that today you wouldn’t have much repair work to do, and far fewer ill-conceived gizmos to gripe about on YT, so count your blessings. Coming up: Scotty praises the virtues of the Model T as a daily driver.
That's what i like from you work Scotty, no nonsense, straight to the point, and looking to the whole picture in the long run. We learn a lot from you. Thank you! Greetings from the South of the Americas.
Scotty, I don't care what any of your haters say, you give sound, practical and entertaining advice! All the videos you post have been either been very helpful, informative or at the very least entertaining. I don't agree with the notion that turbo cars are bad, I will agree that for the speed advantage there is a higher maintenance trade-off. Other than that, I agree with all of your great advice, keep up the great vids and God bless you, Scotty!
That squareback is gorgeous, one of my all time favorite cars. I have a 70 camaro that my dad did just enough work to get running when I got my license and now I'm going through and fixing it the rest of the way up. I didn't care much for cars before I got my license but now I'm having a blast watching your videos and making my car into something I can be proud of.
That is a beautiful Squareback Scotty! You're making me want to go outside and tinker with my '71 Squareback. The previous owner had ripped out the fuel injection, so I put on twin, 2 barrel Webers on the dual port 1600. Its an automatic (VW's first auto, started in 68). I'd rather have the 4 speed manual for more fun, but at least the auto does have surprisingly good reliability. Thank you for sharing your years of knowledge and experience with us. I love your enthusiasm and presentation style in all your videos!
I had a 98 tdi Jetta. I miss that car , I sold it as a donor for a drivetrain swap and the guy put the engine in a rabbit. Great swap,they will run mid 14s easy.
My first car was my dad's '00 Jetta TDI, had to sell it off though because the car spend most of it's time in Canada and northern USA, meaning it rusted out and was too expensive to fix. Got myself an '04 WRX after that
Yep! I had a '98 Jetta GT, 5-speed, 2.0. Power sunroof, but had to roll down the windows!! Put 140,000 trouble-free miles on it in 10 years. In 2007, traded it for an Audi S4. 10 years later, and I traded the Audi on a 2018 Passat.
I love the old VWs! Owned a '63, '64, and '72 Bugs, and a '71 Square-back. The Square back was my favorite. It had fuel injection though and was super fun to drive.
I had a 1969 VW Squareback that I kept from new for 19 years. Drove all over the USA. Unlike your '67, mine had fuel injection. I had to replace the computer once, but only because moisture got in the box. Loved that car.
I had a '69 Notchback for 11 years in the 80s and 90s. The engine siezed at 170,000 miles so I had it rebuilt with new parts from Brazil. It was bored out to about 1680cc and fitted with extractors. Drove very nicely after that. My brother kept it for a few years after I moved on to a more modern vehicle but I really miss it. To get a nice one in Australia at the moment you need to spend over $15,000.
Not even close junior, you can bet your arm, that this 52 yr old car has had numerous engine change outs. Fortunately, with those old cars, you could do that inside of an hour.
I think the same way. I have old panzer wagen Audi 100 c4 1991 and driven 407000 km, automatic ZF 4 gang. It's the best Audi ever made except c3 too. 5 zylinder gasoline engine, inline of course, what sound wow.......chassis is comfortable and good driving, no rust the body. I love this car and now I owned them one year, gasoline to tank and go....greetings from Finland to you Scotty. Thanks the videos.
I bought a used 67 VW square back when I was stationed in Germany in 74. It was truly one of the best cars I ever owned. Drove that thing all over Europe.
I have had a 1961 Type 1 for 24 years now. I was given a really nice Mercedes and for a few years I used the Beetle as my car to take the dogs to the beach. After several years of terrible mileage, as well as annoying and/or expensive repairs (wiper transmission, all new fuel injection seals, passenger window regulator and such) I cleaned out the Beetle and made it my primary car once again.
I have a 2002 golf TDI and I have to say I'm super impressed with it. I'm over 300,000 kms now and constantly see ones forsale with over 600,000. lots of torque, amazing mileage and so far to me, super reliable.
My stock 67 squareback was an amazing car. Practical hauler, super fun to drive, cornered incredibly, unbelievable off road and snow performance. I called it my all terrain Porsche tiny home
Excellent video! My first new car was a 1977 VW Rabbit... no catalytic converter, as the engine design with simple fuel injection met emissions standards; I put 178,000 miles on it before I traded it in... I should have actually kept it... it was the last generation of really great VW cars before all the electronics started taking over. I now have a 2013 VW Tiguan which is a pile of crap. Electronics, drive-by-wire, no engine control... terrible car. I'm looking around for an old Ford from the 1960's for my "new" daily driver. I'm done with new cars.
I got ride of my 2007 VW Rabbit manual last year. It had 265k miles on it and I mostly only changes the wear parts. The first break pads and rotors were at 170k, O2 sensors around the same time. Alternator at 220k. Oil change every 10k. The suspension bushings were getting worn so became wobbly in the turns and that's why it was traded in for a new Vdub.
My dad had one just like that many moons ago. I had an 84 Scirocco that never died. I sold it for a 91 GTI that did nothing BUT die. You're are right about the quality tapering off the newer they got. Now I stick to Honda Accords! Thanks for your entertaining videos!
I totaled one and walked away with a bump on the head. Went over a mountain in West Virginia and landed in a river. Water didn't enter the car until I opened the door.
@@beard295 that is actually what the national traffic administration tests for and yes many autos can now; crumple zones, airbags, and higher seating positions are just a few of the engineered controls introduced and embraced by consumers. SUV technology especially. Look up a video of a smart car crash test - formula 1 style cage that nothing from the 50's or 60's could meet 😿
Yup 100% I daily drive my 1970 Ford Maverick and I'm always extra cautious because if I crash I probably won't be able to walk out of it! My dad got t-boned by a semi (semi blew a red light) on the drivers side door. Luckily he was in a truck (2012 F150) and survived with only a few injuries. If he drove my car that day he probably wouldn't be here today!
+Louis Morano Unless you meant LESS things went wrong back then you're lying. Besides, routine maintenance every couple of months which takes you a few minutes ain't that bad. Especially considering you can't do ANYTHING on modern cars anymore and fixing it proper will cost you a small fortune. On my old car, if something breaks, 9/10 I can fix it myself, if not, a mechanic will charge you far less to fix it than on a modern car.
My father had the same VW when I was growing up. I learned to drive in that car, so much fun, I wish we still had it in the family as it was cheap on maintenance & relatively cheap on fuel. I would also like to say thank you for your channel Scotty, you brought me down memory lane & I always enjoy your great car advice! Keep up the great work.
Scotty, I've owned a 2000 B5 Passat (shared platform with Audi) for 13 years. I proactively put around 2K in it annually and really look after the vehicle. Cheaper (monthly) than leasing a brand new Civic. Still drives and feels solid. Cheers.
Go get into an accident in one and then try and say they are the best. A large part of the reason cars have so much plastic today is purely for safety.
I had one of these in the early 70s. It was a great little car---drove it across the country 4 times. Handled really well, and you could even sleep in the back. Before the last cross country trip I rebuilt the engine from the bottom up. A good old car!
It was a great car unless you lived up north where they put salt on the road. After a short time it rots out and your seat falls thru the floor boards. Happened to my neighbor.
There weren't any such things as car under frames NOT damaged by moisture (+salt). You are correct about the floors on VW's rotting out over time; it's what happens because owners didn't have too many people around (like Scotty) to tell them to rinse off the car's underside with a garden hose. Nothing like prevention that few people thought/think about. A nice dry garage is where it's at.
Fond memories-my first car was a 1971 VW Type 3 Variant Fastback-great car! Had not been too well cared for, but still ran pretty good-so much so that, in one single day, I drove thru the entire coastal circumference of my Land-Puerto Rico-without a single mishap-only worry was refilling gas...sadly, I demolished its trans on a rock in a motorway-the replacement trans was truly junk-could not shift to 3rd, and was permanently jammed at 2nd, and the engine suffered...that was basically its end, sadly...
I HAD THIS CAR AND LOVED IT,CRUZE AT 70 MPH, CLIMED THE COUNTRY HILLS GREAT WITH WINTER TYERS ON THE BACK, CARRIED MY 12 FT BOAT ON THE ROOF AND 15 HP OUTBOARD AND NEVER BROKE DOWN OR COST ME EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. TAM AUSTRALIA
2:25 When you said that I remember my parents talking about how they used to put concrete sacks in the back of their Ford Capri to get better grip on snow. Makes me wish they had kept it, always interesting to listen to them talking about the old cars they used to have.
That was Ralph Nader saying that garbage. He also cried about the old Cadillacs from the 50's and 60's that had those wing type rear end/taillights. He said they were a hazard because they were too pointy or some nonsense.
Corvair had no rear sway bar which made them dangerous on taking sharp curves, now you can buy aftermarket one, attach it, and it makes it as safe as any car.
Buick Mackane My father was in a geo metro head on collision with a old lincoln. The engine broke through the front of the car and ended up in one of the seats, not the driver thank god. I’ll never ride in a front engine car again.. just kidding LMAO obviously it’s more about how the cars built
Dragon Skunk VWs also do not have a rear sway bar. They had an IRS version which was better than the swing axle design where the axles cant the bottom of the tires inward making it easier for a tire to dig in and flip. I have built a number of Dune buggies through the years. I currently own a VW powered desert buggy with a built engine running on 110 octane racing fuel. Power steering, disk brakes, bus IRS transaxle....
Bought a 1965 beetle when i was 16 yrs old. Saved all summer for it and was a great 1st car. Kept it for 25 years, wish I still had it. My son wanted one so a I bought a 1974 beetle, got it running, new brakes, re did seats and its a driver now.
I think one of the reasons the Manual Transmission is dying in America is because alot of single moms are raising kids by themselves these days. They only know how to drive automatic therefore that's what they teach their kids.
The problem with Volkswagen is that it came under the sway of Ferdinand Piëch of the Piëch family which is a branch of the Porsche dynasty that controls the company. He became infatuated with converting Volkswagen into an emporium of automobilia, particularly exotic automobilia. I guess he wanted to prove Volkswagen's mettel as more than just a manufacturer of pedestrian automobiles. He started the company along the road of focusing on prestige brands, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche, and even the defunct Bugatti which at that point was nothing but a marque, while ignoring the mass market. The end result was junk produced for the masses because the prevailing wisdom in luxury brands is that the affluent is willing to pay premium prices for electronic gizmos that provide the lure of sophistication and progress while ignoring the question of quality. This same philosophy was applied to consumer brands under the assumption that the average consumer could be beguiled with the slogan that Volkswagen was building cars with the same commitment to German engineering that they applied to their luxury brands notwithstanding the fact that these German engineered products were actually substandard.
My story ---> Owned and drove ONLY 2 VW's and a carmen ghia from 1972 until 1999. No problems, easy and cheap to maintain, did all of the oil changes AND valve adjustments myself. I was never more than an average backyard/garage 'mechanic', and sold those three in good condition. My ride after the Ghia? A Honda civic crx. Who made good cars before 1999? Toyota, Honda and Nissan.
You’re absolutely right , Scotty. Thanks for the great video. The first oil change I did was on my Grandmothers 66 Beetle. Great car ,simple and fun to tinker with.
Adjusting the valves when you do an oil change only adds about 5 minutes of work. The wire bail that holds the valve covers on only needs a screw driver to flip it open. Slip the feeler gauge in and rotate the engine by hand. A 10 mm wrench to loosen the lock nut on any valve out of adjustment, holding the adjuster with the same screw driver you opened the covers with and tighten the lock nut. If I remember right, #1 would need a tweek every third or fourth oil change. Maybe 0.001". As for emissions, after a rebuild in '77 my engine in NY, it ran as clean as the new engines with catalytic converters. I have had a '68, 71, and '74 beetle, and a '69 and '73 bus. And a '65 and '67 Gia. Great cars.
I had a '66 Beetle and '69 Squareback. True to legend, Beetles do float. I got caught in a flooded street in Portsmouth, Virginia . . . kept the engine on but just floated around for about 15 minutes. Eventually drifted to higher ground, got traction and drove off. Two weeks later, I had to replace the starter, maybe due to the saturation.
You're wrong, old car steels were not treated for rigidity, they bend and crumble uncontrollably during accidents. The car will choke you to death even in very low speed crush. If you still drive a old car today, you couldn't even survive a crush from a Smart car.
You have a better chance of survival in a newer "plasticity" car than you would in an old one. Modern Safety standards are way tougher than it was in back in those days.
I love it when all people think of is crashing. Driving properly you shouldn't be in a crash. I drive over 100k a year in trucks cars an on motorcycles and in 26 years have crashed once because I wasn't taking care an went to hot on a bend and hit a tree. Every one I talk to who has a crash says they fucking about not driving, as in look at fit bird/ lighting fag/ changing cd/ txting/ driving to close.
Sweet ride. BRM wheels, Berg shifter. I did a clutch in a 67 squareback for a women when i was 16 years old in a few hours. Loved driving that car on the longest test ride ever!
Thanks for reminding me how old I am. My '78 Super Beetle has factory fuel injection, but it's pretty simple and very reliable. I've been daily driving my bug for a year now the only issue I've experienced was a no start situation due to loose, corroded electrical terminal, which I fixed.
