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pyrOman
Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12409
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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 Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 7:05 am Post subject: |
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Newest car, a 1970 Bug. Next is the Plump Truck, a 1968 Single Cab. The 1965 Dormy is the oldest AND most reliable of all! 
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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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hitest
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2008
Posts: 10296
Location: Prime Meridian, ID
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| Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 10:30 am Post subject: |
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They're about as reliable as a cheesecloth condom.
I say sell your cars to people in the hobby who never have to wonder about reliability- because they take care of them.
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| EverettB wrote: |
I wonder what the nut looks like.
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'62 L390 151, '62 L469 117, '63 L380 113, '64 L87 311, '65 L512 265, '65 L31 SO-42, '66 L360 251, '68 L30k 141, '71 L12 113, '74 ORG 181
FU#5 |
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kamesama980
Samba Member
Joined: June 22, 2014
Posts: 323
Location: Columbus, IN
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| Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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| hitest wrote: |
They're about as reliable as a cheesecloth condom.
I say sell your cars to people in the hobby who never have to wonder about reliability- because they take care of them. |
Metaphor of the year. Oh that made me lol.
They are quite reliable...however they are also maintenance hogs. A new car you drive 100k miles then put $1000 in (at least if I'm writing the quote). the ACVW you spread that $1000 over the 100k miles in smaller increments along with a crapload more time to work on it.
I do get a kick out of the mindset of people that "OMG the car broke down, how am I going to afford to fix it, it wasn't supposed to break down" instead of "gee, cars are mechanical things, mechanical things wear, maybe I ought to figure on paying for some maintenance or repairs once in a while."
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-Russell
"You don't get to blame me for how I fix what you break"
1970 VW Beetle
1994 Pontiac Firebird
2001 BMW R1200C
2003 Subaru Baja |
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Patty B.
Samba Member
Joined: July 14, 2005
Posts: 2181
Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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| I only have a 69 beetle. I keep it maintained as best I can. I rely on it, I don't trust it, but I rely on it lol. |
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babysnakes
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2008
Posts: 7108
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| Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 5:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I still say no. Get a really loud stereo to drown out any noises you might think could cause a problem. Get AAA and make friends with a tow truck driver. |
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KTPhil 
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34022
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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The most reliable car I have ever owned (and still do own) was/is my dad's '71 Type 3. One breakdown in 40 years, and that was a fluke of the dealer-replaced points breaking off the insulator block and killing the spark. A free tow and $3 in points later, we were on our way.
Even my venerable Toyota Corolla broke down twice with a leaky radiator.
The fastback was bought new and always serviced correctly, though it was ridden hard on freeways, dirt roads, creek crossings, etc. Clemmie has been ever faithful to my ex-Marine (if there is such a thing as EX-Marine) Dad and me. Semper Fi, Clementine!
With neglected maintenance and careless driving they can be made unreliable. |
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modok
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2009
Posts: 26790
Location: Colorado Springs
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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| A classic car is as good as whoever built it. |
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Bobnotch
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003
Posts: 22431
Location: Kimball, Mi
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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| kamesama980 wrote: |
I do get a kick out of the mindset of people that "OMG the car broke down, how am I going to afford to fix it, it wasn't supposed to break down" instead of "gee, cars are mechanical things, mechanical things wear, maybe I ought to figure on paying for some maintenance or repairs once in a while." |
Wow, you sound like my wife, when I told her that her Honda needed a water pump (was leaking out the weep hole). 
I bought a "water pump kit" (comes with new timing belts and tensioners), and told her I need her to leave the car home for a day, and take either my Toyota, or her van to work (she chose my Toyota). Took me about 5.5 hours to do the job, but it's done, and has new timing belts on it too. She's happy now that she has her car back, as she drives the thing 7 days a week.
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Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
| Tram wrote: |
| "Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
| Tram wrote: |
| People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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Bobnotch
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003
Posts: 22431
Location: Kimball, Mi
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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| modok wrote: |
| A classic car is as good as whoever built it. |
Agreed. I took a freshly built car (64 T-34 Ghia) on a 3K mile road trip 3 years ago. Was a lot of fun, and only real "break down" was the original starter took a crap 700 miles from home.
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Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
| Tram wrote: |
| "Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
| Tram wrote: |
| People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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Cali_Army_Guy
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2015
Posts: 2094
Location: Stockton, CA
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| Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Not sure if this a a testament on how reliable these cars are, or how dumb I am, but here's how I found my car in February.
PO said it had been sitting in that spot for 8-9 months. I paid $500 for it. Fixed a broken wire on the alternator and drove it to a shop. That person did a new belt, new points, and adjusted the valves. I never changed the oil. Never drained the old gas or changed the fuel filter. Didn't do a single thing to it other than what the shop did. I've probably put 3000-4000 miles on it (300 mile trip yesterday alone) with ZERO issues. Only thing it's needed in that time is 1/2 quart of oil.
Sounds like a reliable car to me. Just in case it does break my "tool kit" fits in the glove box.
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Dr OnHolliday
Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2012
Posts: 1215
Location: was Escondido now San Berdoo
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| Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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Change the oil...
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1965 Type 1 sunroof Baja / about 70k miles on self-rebuilt '74 1600 and counting / SP heads and aftermarket valve keepers / non-doghouse shroud with external cooler and filter / 1.5 qt extended sump / Weber 32/36 DFAV progressive carb / 009 dist with Pertronix / 1.25 ratio rockers and ball adjusters / 1.5" stainless steel J-pipes and carbon steel baja exhaust |
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Brian
Samba Moderator
Joined: May 28, 2012
Posts: 8340
Location: Oceanside
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| Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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I went to buy a burrito today, my water cooled car wouldn't start. My truck did though. That's my contribution to this thread
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Wash your hands
'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper
Only losers litter |
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EverettB
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 69829
Location: Phoenix Metro
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joe56vw
Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2004
Posts: 3202
Location: Olympia wa
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| Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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due to a injury I haven't even been able to climb into my daily driver bug for about 1 1/2 years but I would bet money that if you put a good battery in it and some gas it would start up and be drivable with very little effort
but over the 10 years I have owned it I have build the engine in it, install all new brake system, gone thru the wiring, went completely thru the whole front end, etc...
other then normal wear the only break downs I have ever had in it is when I have gotten to lazy with the maintenance 
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'60 15 window walkthrough
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559931&highlight=
why is there no sarcasism button on here? |
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