Anybody pick up an old Beetle for a retirement project?

[mark tucker]

in my retirement years they are just too heavy for me to pick up it's only been a year since I sold my bug.

[Abscate]

I’ve been saying

Hey Baby Buggy, wanna one back to my place?

For five years, with no takers.
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.ssS!

[johnnyvw164]

I did exactly this 2 weeks ago. Going part time at the end of the year (just filed for Soc sec two days ago) and have had a hot rod motor sitting in my garage for 35+ years, so needed something to put it in or sell it off. My wife is actually more excited about it than I am (probably because I' the one doing all the work LOL)

[aa390392]

Retired 2 yrs in Oct.
I have bought 2 67's since retirement, its my golf/fishing/bowling/RVing. I enjoy them very much. That brings my stables to 4 ! Can never get enough of them.
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getting grumpy & less tolerant!


55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet

[mark tucker]

I passed up a great deal on a bugypickup earlyer this year...kinda wish i had fgot it..it was a great deal with no motor...sure would of been fun with one of my big motors in it. also passed up one of those bottailed what evers for about..free. but it needed everything so...not so good of a free deal,Im njo longer into a total car rebuild...although it would of been eazy and fun to do.

[Cusser]

[BulliBill]

Why would anyone plan to retire without a future VW project or two lined up and waiting to keep them happily busy?

In my particular case, with a helpful nudge from the pandemic, I chose to pull the plug on a 45 year career as a flight attendant in May of this year. I have eight VWs in my fleet, but I specifically bought a mid-project 1957 Deluxe Oval Beetle Kabriolett way back in 1994 and tucked the chassis/body into the corner of my garage and all the boxes of removed parts onto shelving in my basement. Inventories of parts were made, "to-do" and "parts wanted" lists drawn up, strategies of attack have been planned, complete Vintage speed drivetrain already built and acquired. This is my "retirement" project restoration.

I'm still adjusting to retirement after a few months of it (really LOVE it!), and I'm currently completing lots of stuff on my "to-do" lists for each of my old VWs, but the '57 Kabriolett is getting closer to the front of the retirement "to-do" list now. For the past two and a half decades I have been slowly but surely buying better parts, restoration supplies, all the rubber, etc. for this restoration. I know it is going to be a lot of fun, I'll learn some new skills and it should keep me occupied for many years to come.

I plan to try to stay relaxed and healthy and slowly plug away at it at my own pace until one day I can turn the key and start driving this old Kabrio into the sunset!

Bill Bowman
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I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[Big Bill]

I was able to retire at 55 with full Union Pension, just over 10 years ago. I have had a few VW projects in that time, sold my last one 4 years ago but I am looking for a project again. I truly think once you are really into VWs there's no getting out. Here are two of my "retirement" projects

[Abscate]

45 years as an FA - props to you. Thanks for shuttling me around the world on planes in comfort. Pax can be real Richard Heads, and I go out of my way not to be on on airlines. (Global on United)
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.ssS!

[mikec4193]

So I have not picked up a project yet as I am still tinkering with a 1940 Ford Jalopy (old sportsman race car)...my retirement is getting closer and I am planning a move NE Kansas so maybe going out there from upstate NY with out having to tow something behind the U-haul might be a better deal for me...I bet the stuff in Kansas sheet metal wise should be way better than upstate NY sheet metal....the tin worms are really really bad around here...

Anybody tow a project to another state to finish it?

Thanks for all the insight....

MikeC
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Dad bought his first Beetle on Dec 17, 1953.

[Mike Fisher]

Buy a decent runner that you can drive/enjoy while you fix it up. I tow with a tow dolly as it's a lot lighter load. You can rent them from uHaul.
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https://imgur.com/user/FisherSquareback/posts
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold

Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey

[Zundfolge1432]

I’ve got too many irons in the fire as it is. Now I’m retired and I’ve got a 54 bug, 55 bug, 65 Double cab, 67 bug, 74 bug that I drive and they all need work. I’m gonna try to narrow it down to ovals and the truck.

[Winterhawk]

I'm 70 and having owned classic American, British, Swedish, German, Italian, and Japanese cars/trucks/travel trailers, etc I'm looking to buy my first VW. Deal is almost done but won't happen for a couple weeks, unless he changes his mind. The point is I might be 70, but I don't feel close to that age, and since my retirement I'm healthier now then I was at 55. So why not continue doing what I like doing, and at the same time check off another car from my "must own one day" list. Never wrenched on VW, but from what I can tell it looks to be straight forward, so hope to be odsorbing knowledge and contributing to the forum soon.
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Just dropped in to see what condition my condition is in...

[oprn]

Welcome! VWs can suck you in for sure, there is something elemental about them that brings one close to the very roots of car ownership that has been lost in the new ones. Wasn't it John Muir that talked about being one with the beast that carried you? Or something like that...

New cars are far too sterile and isolated to give you the real feel of driving in my view.

[gt1953]

Yep retired and would now like to sell a few of the bugs I have as believe it or not loosing interest. Sounds weird but true. Plan on keeping the squareback. Fell free to PM
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Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[sportin-wood]

I'm about 10 years from retirement. The '66 bug I had hoped to finish by 2016 (it turned 50 yrs old) has been put on the back burner because as with a lot of people, life gets in the way. I'm just having trouble convincing my wife that cluttering my back yard with non-running projects is a good thing!
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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

[mark tucker]

sell off the non running things and finish the one thing you want( or bug or bus or giha) then you both will be happy and you want have a hell of a mess for her to dispose of when your dead....
the longer stuff rots in your back yard the less usable it is 90% of the time. just do it.

[Mal evolent]

retired four years. I have enough projects that there are always parts in the pipeline, and parts arriving, for every project. with careful timing and judicious part ordering I am always busy, and all projects slowly progress forward, but I never actually finish anything and run out of things to do. it's a skill, bordering on an art.
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73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

[BobR24]

I said the same thing last year. One thing lead to another and now look where I am. That said, I am having fun and they make people smile where ever we go.
Here on the East Coast (Florida) These are very rare. Most rusted away years ago so they are always the center of attention. Two types of people, those who have no clue as to what they are and those who have some history with them and lots of stories. Enjoy your retirement and remember that every day is a gift.

[mark tucker]

when i sold my bug almost 2 years ago, I filled up the car with extra parts, then filled his truck bed with extra parts, then filled his rear seat in the truck with extra parts...and had him come back for another load of parts, toobad he didnt bring his trailer the 2nd time. he was tickled shitless with just the car.everything else was just added bonus. he only lived about 170 miles away.(he really should of brought the trailer!!!!) I still have lots to get rid of.