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Sat Feb 27, 2021 1:06 am

If it has been restored properly, why is the odometer broken ?
Not a big deal in itself, but it just makes me wonder what else wasn't fixed properly .................

Sat Feb 27, 2021 7:45 am

Qldelsie wrote: If it has been restored properly, why is the odometer broken ?
Not a big deal in itself, but it just makes me wonder what else wasn't fixed properly .................

Very good point.

Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:18 am

HMM no odometer,,,, mine was not working but the speedo did. Had to send it out to the fellow in the Chicago area for rebuild.
Do go look at the car and drive it...drive several of them.

Sat Feb 27, 2021 12:34 pm

I wouldn't be worried about a bad speedometer or that he hired a Pro to do his work.
Speedometer replacement etc are the things you can do yourself.
Drive as many as you can and buy the one you like best!

Sat Feb 27, 2021 4:08 pm

Spencer238 wrote: Hello everyone! This is my first post so please forgive me if I make any mistakes regarding site etiquette.

I am a 20 year old college student living at home and I've been eyeing getting a squareback for a while now, but up until just recently, the financial side of things was just too impractical.
However, I'm now realizing that I may actually be able to afford one! Since this would be my first vintage car and my knowledge of fixing cars is rather limited (but eager to grow!) I'd be looking for a car in decent condition--I was thinking a price limit of $10k.

This leads me to my main question: for a car in decent condition (i.e. does not require any immediate maintenance, runs and drives fine), what would I be looking at regarding yearly maintenance costs? I would love to get some advice and thanks in advance!

Hey Spencer238,
Lots of good advise has been given ...
But, 20 years old, limited funds, limited knowledge of repairing and your wanting a yearly cost of maintaining a Squareback.
First, you stated you've been eyeing getting a Squareback for awhile.
Have you seen at VW Shows, car events... What's the interest?
Looking to join VW events, car cruise-in's, etc.
Owning a vintage car...
Insurance, daily driver or classic car coverage, classic car coverage has it's limitations and usually has to be garage kept. daily is not for insured value.
Then there's storage, garage, carport, car cover, etc.
I'm not trying to discourage but these vehicles come with some expense.
Type 3 parts are not as readily available as Beetle / Bus and do require some resourcing or rebuilding of parts. You'll be visiting theSamba Classified, ISP, Swap Meets and Junk Yards.
Remember these are 48+ years old cars.
The more you use, the more maintenance cost. Just something to consider with owning any vintage car.
Learn as much as you can about these vehicles.

Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:36 pm

If it's close by, take a look at it. Drive it and see how it feels, and make some notes. Like do the brakes feel tight? Is the steering tight or loose? How about the windows, do they close/open easily? When closing the doors, do they feel solid? Does the rear hatch close easily? Does it rattle with the engine running? Same with the doors? While this might seem like nit picking, on a restored car shouldn't be there. Everything should feel tight like it has quality built into it (like your Civic). These are just little tells of the condition of the car. Just asking, but what is that red thing in the right front corner of the front trunk? A jack cover? Or a car cover bag?
At this point it only costs time. Come back to us after you've taken it for a ride to check it out. Report your findings, and new questions.