TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:50 pm

hello everyone, im about to purchase my first bug, i currently own a 64 notch and a 65 kombi but this will be my first bug. Its a 1960 all original, og motor, tranny, interior, paint. No rust except some surface rust (patina). My question is, I can either have it shipped to me for $500 or go pick it up and drive it 1000 miles. Only problem is the guy says it starts but will die within a few seconds. I'm thinking something with the carb, fuel pump or fuel lines. The way he described it just sounds like its starved for fuel. Am i missing any possibilities here? Should i just have it shipped for the 500 and mess with it when it gets here? I will only be saving a couple hundred dollars if i drove it back myself but it would be a nice road trip and i could go camping along the way :wink:

Anyways, any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated..

Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:56 pm

Why don't you tow it back instead of risking the problems? That way you can do your site seeing and not have to worry about making it to the next point of failure.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:00 pm

Because I don't have a truck to tow it with. Only options as of now are get it shipped or take a train there, get it running and drive it back

Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:22 pm

drive it back where is the car located at?

Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:27 pm

its 1000 miles away from me in washington

Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:41 pm

Rent a pickup, buy a tow bar, bring along a co-driver. If the Beetle makes it, cool! If not, you've got yourself a backup plan.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:41 pm

I would pay to ship or tow myself somehow. If you ran into trouble on the way back, you could end up spending $500 or close to trying to fix issues or getting it towed off the highway somewhere, etc.

Have you seen the car in person? I am from the PNW and I have found that lots of bugs have more rust than advertised.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:44 pm

Well, it isn't your first VW.

So you already know how to deal with the usual electrical problems. And you already know to replace the fuel lines. And you already have a little bundle of travel tools. You can field-dress the distributor if need be. And you can replace cables in your sleep.

So what's the problem again? :lol:

Give yourself an extra day to diagnose and fix whatever that stalling problem is. Then enjoy a nice 2-3 day road trip. 8)

Max

Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:57 pm

for $500 bucks...it is worth to have it shipped back. Save yourself the worries of driving it.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:59 pm

Thanks for all the input, I know the safe thing to do is pay for it to get shipped back here. But i dont usually do things the safe and easy way. I like an adventure 8)

The thought of paying 500 dollars only to get it here and get it running in less than an hour or so would kill me. But then on the other hand i know there is a possibility it would take me longer than i am anticipating to get it running, and i would possibly miss school if I don't get back in time. If i didn't have school I'd be on my way up there right now...

Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:52 pm

I agree with Max.

I wasn't going to drive my first VW 2500 miles back from AZ, but now I just might because I know a lot more about VW's and their personalities. If absolute worst comes to worst and it breaks down, you pay a bit more, but heck, whats the point of living if everything you do is safe and "worry-free."

This is a tad bit irrelevent, but one of my favorite(ish) quotes... It mentions death, but in general a way of living and how we should and should not live.

"All around you people will be tiptoeing through life, just to arrive at death safely. But dear children, do not tiptoe. Run, hop, skip or dance, just don't tiptoe."

Now, I'm not saying you're gonna probably die driving it back, not in the least. But just the attitude of how we think safety is always best, but in reality, is it? We're going to die... but whats the point of living safely so that we can just... well.. hopefully die safely? Thats a waste, if you ask me.

So, all to say... I wish I was in your shoes and able to take a 1000 mile road trip because I'd do it in a heartbeat!

colin

Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:12 pm

If your bus is in good shape you could tow it with that. BTDT!

Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:15 pm

Eric&Barb wrote: If your bus is in good shape you could tow it with that. BTDT!

Nope im in the middle of replacing all the hard lines on it, they rusted through at the MC and started squirting brake fluid up through the hole in the floorboard :shock:
That was fun

Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:17 pm

66 Bugman wrote: I agree with Max.

I wasn't going to drive my first VW 2500 miles back from AZ, but now I just might because I know a lot more about VW's and their personalities. If absolute worst comes to worst and it breaks down, you pay a bit more, but heck, whats the point of living if everything you do is safe and "worry-free."

This is a tad bit irrelevent, but one of my favorite(ish) quotes... It mentions death, but in general a way of living and how we should and should not live.

"All around you people will be tiptoeing through life, just to arrive at death safely. But dear children, do not tiptoe. Run, hop, skip or dance, just don't tiptoe."

Now, I'm not saying you're gonna probably die driving it back, not in the least. But just the attitude of how we think safety is always best, but in reality, is it? We're going to die... but whats the point of living safely so that we can just... well.. hopefully die safely? Thats a waste, if you ask me.

So, all to say... I wish I was in your shoes and able to take a 1000 mile road trip because I'd do it in a heartbeat!

colin

I hear ya! I feel the same way, but my parents dont :roll:

They've given up on telling me what NOT to do cuz they know the response they will get

Although when it comes to school I have to make sure I will be back in time and thats my dilemma here

Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:47 pm

Take some tools. Try to get it running. Once you get there you will be able to judge whether the car is road worthy. If you get there and it is not, rent a pick-up truck and a trailer from U-Haul and do a one way rental. It should cost you about $300.00 to do so.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:53 pm

Something to think about......Do an oil change, and valve adjustment (timing, etc also) before you drive this car. Might be a good idea to check the transmission oil level as well.

You'll regret it later if you found that the crankcase oil was sludge and the #3 exhaust as tight as your first girlfriend and ready to burn. :shock: Take some time and make sure this car is ready to roll. And if you need to borrow a towbar, I have one....and I'm on your way to Washington (2.5 hours north of SLO). PM me if you want to use it.

Otherwise, I have another '60, running good, that was my parent's car. I need to sell it. Save you a trip to the PNW. :wink:

Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:12 pm

drpete wrote: Something to think about......Do an oil change, and valve adjustment (timing, etc also) before you drive this car. Might be a good idea to check the transmission oil level as well.

You'll regret it later if you found that the crankcase oil was sludge and the #3 exhaust as tight as your first girlfriend and ready to burn. :shock: Take some time and make sure this car is ready to roll. And if you need to borrow a towbar, I have one....and I'm on your way to Washington (2.5 hours north of SLO). PM me if you want to use it.

Otherwise, I have another '60, running good, that was my parent's car. I need to sell it. Save you a trip to the PNW. :wink:

Yes i would definitely do all the standard things to it before driving it that far. I was actually thinking of bringing some fuel line, an extra fuel pump( in case thats the reason it wont stay running), some spark plugs, plug wires, fan belt, engine oil, transmission oil and do a full tune up. Maybe even bring an extra distributor just in case :wink:

Thanks for the offer, I appreciate it. If I do decide to drive up, maybe use a friends truck or something, ill contact you.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:20 am

So many things could be worn out or require replacement in the car..even the window rubber so it doesn't leak in the rain..all adds up to a big gamble to drive it in an unknown condition for such a long trip.

Make a list of things that should be checked to make the car safe and roadworthy for such a trip as this..don't forget the small items such as wiper blades that work, or big items such as tires and brakes and such.

I bought my 67 a few years ago from California and had it shipped to N.Y. state..even though the car ran and was more or less roadworthy..when I got it here I wound up replacing many things such as the items I mentioned above..to include other basic maintenance stuff. Reflecting back I think I made the right decision to have it shipped after seeing the condition of the car once I got it here. It could have made it cross country on it's own, but would have been subject and prone to breakdown along the way with very expensive repairs, and possible permanent damage to the engine and drive train depending on what went wrong

Your choice, but just make sure you make that list up of what needs to be done to make it a long distance driver before you head out on the highway.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:10 am

I'd ship it, because your life is at stake in a 49 year old car that you don't know very well. I looked into renting a truck from Enterprise; Ford F-150 because supposedly it has a built in tow bar - then buying the tow hitch receiver and ball for $40.00, renting a trailer from U-Haul and towing a bug home about 400 miles. But it was super complicated, because the rental place doesn't want you towing with their vehicles.... and so I just had it shipped for $265 - and it was well worth it.

Definitely post pics of your 60 when you get it !

Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:48 am

As someone who regularly, and i do mean regularly buys vws, I can honestly say that i think you should ship it. Think about it from a monetary point of view. If you ship it it is 500, if you go up there it's 50 for the train ride, XX amount to get it fixed, and 200 bux for gas(overestimating), you're at $300~ or more, then if you break down and need a tow, thats a lot more depending on where you get stranded. in the end you'll end up spending more than 500 if something should go wrong. Just get it shipped and deal with all the problems when it's at home. $500 is not a bad price to get it shipped IMO.