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Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:53 pm

I just bought a 64 Bug today and I am trying to find out information about it. I am a newby here and with VW. Besides here, where is the best place to start?

Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:05 pm

Start with some tools and a good drink and start tinkerin with it. grab a note book and go through the car and make notes of things you have questions on and start asking the samba community. The best way to learn is hands on.

Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:10 pm

Thanx. What kind of drink do you suggest as I already have a note book? lol

Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:23 pm

Bob with one O wrote: I just bought a 64 Bug today and I am trying to find out information about it. I am a newby here and with VW. Besides here, where is the best place to start?

Hey Bob congrats on the 64... :D You will find all the info you need on the "Beetle 58-67" Forum versus here on the Split page. :wink:

Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:48 pm

Thanx Agave!! Can't wait to start my new lifetime hobby.

I can't find the 57-68 split page. I am lost. Where do I go from here?

Tue Sep 21, 2010 3:54 am

Get the 61-65 Bently manual - its pricey, but it's your bible and I would suggest the Idiots guide for an introduction and easy basic repair instruction.

Do a real good assessment of the car - try to find someone local that knows VWs to help if you can. Do NOT take what anyone says (well almost anyone) as gospel though. Lots of opinions and not always backed up by solid facts. What you want to do is get a real good handle on the conditon of the body, then work through mechanical.

If the service history of the car is not well documented, plan on full brake job and soft fuel line replacements to make it safe - This is not expensive or particularly difficult.

Then figure out what your goal is for the car (trailer queen, driver, stock, custom, etc)

Open your wallet......LOL.

Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:42 am

go up to top right in technical and find owners manual. read this first. then find 1958-1967 forum instead of 1957-1968 forum and you won't be lost anymore.

Tue Sep 21, 2010 10:35 am

Bob with one O wrote: Thanx. What kind of drink do you suggest as I already have a note book? lol

If your old enough i like beer. if not, well i still like beer.

Wed Sep 22, 2010 11:37 am

congrats on the 64, I just bought one also. Buy the bentley and enjoy

Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:56 pm

umm, the faq's ??

Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:49 pm

what do you mean the faq's?

Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:21 pm

X2 on the new fuel line!!!! This weekend!!! German/fabric braided, not American!!
X2 on the Bently and the Idiots manual aka "How to keep your Volkswagen alive for the total idiot" by John Muir. Its a great introduction and a fun read. There are things in there that people don't agree with, but he talks to you like an uncle sitting in a lawn chair drinking a beer while your working on the car.

If your one of those type of people who think of paying other people to work on your car......well....you'll be disappointed.

Congrats, 64 is a great year, it will take you to hell and back......if you take care of it.

Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:27 pm

Thanx for the post Greg. I already bought the Muir book and have started reading it, it is fun. I haven't really worked on any car since high school, but am about to start with this one. My 11 year old is pushing me to get started and so here I go. . . .I will learn to do the work myself and teach him at the same time.

Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:48 pm

I just got back into VWs a few months ago. Hadn't done much of anything for 12+ years. I re-read the Muir book cover to cover.

90% of the people on the Samba are great and really helpful. The search feature on the forum is EXTREMELY useful. As long as the car is not a daily driver, and you can tinker with it, you'll have a blast.

If you want to know where to start, post some pictures, Engine, etc. People here will have no shortage of opinions and advice.

Fri Sep 24, 2010 3:56 am

Something else - if there is a local VW underground, try to hook up with it. I have two local guys in particular that has been an incredible help with emergency parts and advice.

If you are over your head, there is no shame in paying someone to do work (assuming they know what they are doing). On our first one, I was clueless, had very few tools and wanted to get it on the road right away, so for the first 4-5 months, I had a lot of the stuff done for me, but I asked a LOT of questions. Then I started doing more and more to where now (3 more VWS later) I only pay for bay time when doing a tranny or engine swap (A lot easier when you have a lift) or chassis dyno time when tuning.

Fri Sep 24, 2010 4:45 am

Congrats on the new car!!! You mention lifetime, you will find out that it is true, always something to fix or do to it.

The Idiot book is great reading, entertaining and has a lot of good ideas and tips. Just keep in mind that some of his concepts are really questionable and while it is a good reference, it needs to be tempered and enhanced with a practical manual such as the big blue Bentley already mentioned. There is an amazing array of information on the Web as well, this site as well as many others across the world.

I've found that the Chilton book, while cheap, is just about worthless. When I do a repair I'm not familiar with I'll take many books and internet advice into concert and get a grasp of the overall task and what needs to happen. Then again, I've wrenched these little buggers since the late 60's so it is more a task of reinstalling forgotten information back into my old brain than a first time learning! Sadly, at this point in life I think I've forgotten more information than many people have yet learned!

Best of luck with your new "toy". There goes any "extra" cash you'll ever have!!!

Dave

Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:47 pm

Is the Bentley manual I want to buy called Volkswagen 1200 Workshop Manual: 1961-1965, Types 11, 14 & 15 [Book]??? It seems to be the one but I don't want to buy it if it isn't.

Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:57 pm

That's the one. Welcome and HAVE FUN remember it's the People's Car

Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:27 pm

http://www.amazon.com/Volkswagen-1200-Workshop-Man...amp;sr=8-7

Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:16 pm

Thanx guys, now I just have to come up with the money. . . .