TheSamba.com :: View topic - new to the samba. got my first bug any tips?

Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:53 pm

im 17. got my second car in as many months sold my truck for it. but ended up going broke and parents helped. sounds lame but hey. so now sitting in my driveway is a 1977 beetle with 101000 miles only surface rust on the floor pans decent interior good running motor crappy paint and no muffler. gonna need a steering damper shock wheel cylinders and an alignment but for 600 screaming deal imo. was there any problems? is the fuel injection set up reliable? again super stoked to be a new vw owner!!! amazing car! thanks,
tyler :D

Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:25 pm

Tip #1 Read and visit these forums as much as possible.

Tip#2 find someone who knows vw's and works on them.

tip#3 buy a vw owners manual.

Tip#4 look for a cheap/reliable/ passionate vw mechanic.( i found one and he gives me tons of help, im a newbie myself)

Tip #5 get a job to start paying for some of the problems/features.

These cars need constant maintenance and upkeep and in the begging do cost money to get them reliable/running fine w/out problems (depending on your cars condition)

I'm just speaking from experience. As a new owner myself about 4 months. and as a youngster as well. Other than that these cars are a blast to drive and they teach you alot.

This car is making me a better mechanic. and im loving every second of it.

Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:29 pm

This is by no means offensive. Get yourself the Idiot guide.

Some help in grammar and puctuation might help as well.

*do not kill me*

I am just being honest.

Edit. Sorry, I just saw you were new to TheSamba. Welcome :oops:

Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:50 pm

cool. thanks for all the info. ill definitely have to find that book. and it's all good. i do need to work on grammar and stuff.i'm so used to high school texting crap. and thanks. it feels great to have a VW.

Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:52 pm

Echoing what Serf said ... read as many threads as you can here in the forums. Be sure to read the stickys at the top of the different forums. Use the search function when you have specific questions because there is already a wealth of information here and many topics have been thoroughly covered in the past. If the search doesn't turn up what you're looking for, don't be afraid to ask.
Don't believe everything you read here and take every post with a grain of salt. Try to verify the information in any single post by continuing to search. If you're smart, you'll soon learn who knows what they're talking about and who doesn't. Many will post just to post. Nothing against any particular contributors but that's just the way it is.
Welcome to ACVWs.

Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:59 pm

thanks a ton. I've been browsing these forums all night. it was awesome seeing that bug roll up i was so happy. i need a few things to get it back on the road tho i.e. muffler, doesn't have one, blinker flasher unit, tabs, steering stabilizer/dampener and some fresh oil other then that runs awesome.

Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:39 pm

Enjoy your stay man. The bentley book is good also.

Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:43 pm

Also before you plop down your hard earned money for something ask here. Parts are not what they used to be. You can do it cheap and do it over and over and over or you can do it right and do it once. Check the feedback forums also before you get mesmerized by flashy magazine ads and catalogs.

You can search by company or user name here. I suggest you do before giving anyone or any company your money.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewforum.php?f=14

EMPI is not your friend. Good luck

Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:59 am

Looks like everyone already nailed it. The idiots guide got me through my first VW rebuild, but a Bently or even a Haynes is better on some stuff. Keep in mind that the Idiots book was written a while ago and some of his thoughts are a little dated, but the bulk of it is still valid. Learn to use the search function.

Last thing. VW owners can be VERY opinionated. Not everyone posting here is right and just because its on the internet doesn't mean it's correct. Figure out who knows their stuff and trust their advice. There's about a dozen folks on here that I will blindly accept their opinions - everyone else I will question.....

Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:50 am

Hey I have a 77 sedan, too. They came in 3 colors, silver, blue and green - which color was yours? It's probably been painted over the years, but if you look you can find bits of original paint. Have fun with your project!

Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:16 am

Clean it real good and check the enitre car end to end,top to bottom.It is a 32 year old car ...any a number of things can go wrong.Two pieces of advice:

1. Everything takes longer than you think,plan your repairs and projects so you dont have to rush them or cut corners.

2. Buy and use quality parts,do the task once and do it right.

Most of all enjoy the car and welcome to the"addiction".

Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:07 am

While I agree with everyone on getting the Bentley manual, an owner’s
manual, and the book “How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive” – if you are
a noob like me (that is new to auto mechanics as well as VWs) then I
would also suggest picking up the BugMe video series. It really helps
seeing the procedures preformed.

http://www.bugmevideo.com/

Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:23 am

Is the FI system reliable? Yes. If your connections are clean and you have good vaccuum hoses, it is very reliable and simple by today's standards. I suggest you get the Bentley manual if you have FI, there is a great section on it. Buy a multi metre if you don't already own one, it will come in handy if you need to test the system.

Some may tell you to get rid of the FI system, DON'T!! It's more efficient fuel economy-wise and the cost of changing the system over to carb vs. fixing any FI problems is not worth your money.

Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:44 pm

vws like noted before require constant mantenience but what care doesnt ultimately you will get as much out of the car as you put into it. BUy the best parts you can afford and you will love your beetle. Good luck with it and have fun. It will give you lots of memories good and bad.

Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:49 pm

I'm surprised nobody's made the request/demand (unless I missed) But -
Photos, please :!: Pics worth 1000k words.

enjoy
Rev.

Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:00 pm

for sure some pics. got pissed tried top bleed the brakes after checking the cylinders and i broke the flipping nipple. so off to napa tomorrow! kinda started removing bits of surface rust. i did pick up a Haynes manual and also had my grandpa give me some help. he owned 3 of them when he was in Germany. i cleaned all the connections. and found out that the local vw shop wants 144 dollars for the muffler. i have spent the last week kinda tinkering with it everyday after school. stay posted for pics tonight.
,tyler

Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:27 pm

OK - you are starting in the right area. For me, this is the initial steps for a new project.

Go through brakes (replace soft lines, questionable wheel cylinders, flush fluid, check shoes and drums) While you are in there, repack front wheel bearings.

Replace ALL soft fuel lines.

Then on to everything else.

Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:03 pm

all the cylinders except the one i broke are good. pads were still O.K. the lines were metal.tires need to be replaced. they all dont match. hood or trunk lid has a crack lol. glass is good. etc. gonna replace the fuel line with a solid one. wheel bearings didnt have any scoring marks on them and the grease was good. only problem was when i first got it shocks were not even attached in the front. so i got those taken care of. how my dad didnt notice driving it home i have no idea. oil is gonna be replaced along with the fuel filter spark wires and plugs are newer. tank is newer. needs seals around trunk deck lid sun roof and the back window will need it soon. floor has the surface rust but sprayed some killer on it gonna sand it then spray then sand the prime etc. then carpeting. i need to put in the extra fender. install the muffler and the steering stabilizer shock and clean the rust of the heat exchangers. and i need a smaller battery instead of the huge marine deep cycle so the back seat can go in. and i need to pick up the flasher unit for the blinkers and adjust the headlight. fun stuff. im so broke lol. thank god for helpful parents and grandparents lol. pics to be posted soon.

Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:08 pm

find an "import" or VW specific parts supplier. NAPA is by far the best FLAPS for VW parts.

your grandpa is your best resource at this point. when you run into something he doesn't know post here.

FI is extremely reliable as is the engine. but their current state of operation is something you are going to have to determine.
there is lots of good FI general knowledge in the T3 & Bay Bus forums.

if i had to pick one manual it would be the bentley "official service manual".
both haynes & bently have their strong points though. idiot guide is a great read and awsome for newb theory & general info.

feel free to PM me if you have any "dumb" questions.
welcome.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/search.php?...ton=Search :wink:

Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:01 pm

two things. try to stay away from EMPI parts.

and if you will search for a vw club in your area, you should be able to find a used muffler for under $50.

welcome to the sickness