What do you do if your Beetle breaks down in the boonies?

[Xevin]

[hobthebob]

Better safe than sorry!

[oprn]

[sportin-wood]

I had a throttle cable break on my '63 right as I exited a freeway. Had to use a rubber band (it was all I had) to hold the throttle arm open a little and drove it in 2nd gear slowly to a safe place to park while I went to buy a new cable.
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Paused 66 project bug
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"Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman. He's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it." --- Jeff Spicoli

[Manfred58sc]

Its a real issue, the road trip can turn into a very expensive nightmare. Sure carry the basics at all times but the support network of VW shops, foreign car parts houses and ad hoc mechanics are all but gone. Times have changed and you could end up SOL real fast over something as small as a bad outer wheel bearing or a blown 14" tire in your Bus. Most repair shops just turn that kind of work down these days. My personal limit is AAA premier and hope those bastards actually show up.
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Fat chick owner/operator

[nsracing]

If you do not know the mechanical condition of your car, do not go too far out or in...whatever. If you anticipate a break down, stay close to main roads for travels.

Other than that, keep the car in good running condition. SErvice it yourself is best. Get a fresh motor and trans - keep them simple. Don't run exotic engines and later on cry you broke down 100 miles out of town.

If it is your main ride, then keep it stock or little better than stock. But no major exotic upgrades...like cams and crap like that.

The original car ran hundreds of thousands of miles, petesakes.

[KTPhil]

AAA 200-mile coverage gives a lot of peace of mind.

[Manfred58sc]

Only if they show up...I've been told 8 hr waits and been totally blown off as of late ( Had a nice lady with a Forester tow my 74 New Yorker 45 miles home on a tow strap, luckily I know how to keep the bake pressure on). Also had them show up, look at the car and drive on with no explanation. I don't think they can be relied on like the old days.
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Fat chick owner/operator

[cbeck]

Only stranded twice since 1982. 1-dropped a exhaust valve and split the cylinder in 2. 2- wore out the splines in a rear disc hub.
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My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779

[71SuperPete]

My 71 super has broken down so many times I can't count. Every time I learn something new and carry a tool box with me to fix all the minor things that tend to go wrong driving a 52 year old car, and anything I can't figure out, well I'm just prepared to eat the tow truck bill to get her home. I do think if you can't troubleshoot and fix the basics, driving an old bug will be more headache than fun. Sometimes the challenge of getting her back running again is half the fun!

[Abscate]

[oprn]

We have AMA here which is the AAA equivalent. They just have a contract with whatever towing company is close to you.

The last time I called them (6 years ago?) was for a brand new company truck my employer had just given me to drive. The ignition switch had locked up and wouldn't turn so I could not restart it at the job site.

First off the tow truck driver complained that it was a site off the paved grid and he didn't think he could find it. Then he said it was too far away. When he finally showed up he said he couldn't load it because he couldn't take it out of park. I told him to crawl under and disconnect the shift rod from the transmission and put it in neutral. He said he didn't know how so I had to do it for him!

The last time my wife called them they told her she could not get her Subaru towed home because was outside their mileage limit. They only tow to the nearest town. That town didn't have any mechanical services so it would have been up to her to foot the bill for the rest of the trip.

I keep a car trailer and truck, it's simpler and less hassle and I use both for other things as well.

Now that I think of it... I have not had to use them for our old VWs yet, just the newer cars...
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[hobthebob]

That's because newer cars are unreliable plastic pieces of junk... Get yourself an air-cooled daily driver and with your mechanical skill you'll never have to get a tow!

[heimlich]

[mark tucker]

[sportin-wood]

[Abscate]

[oprn]

Age old marketing trick. When I was a young buck I was sold a life insurance plan with unbelievable return on the dollar on the savings part. Then I found out that the insurance part of the plan was costing me triple the going rate!
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)