Canadian Bug Owners

[Errol1]

Hi Guys. I don't see many posts, or articles from Canada on the forum. I'm from Victoria B.C. Canada. On the west coast here, we are one of the very few places in Canada that has a moderate climate. Translation we don't get very much cold, or snow in the winter. For this reason we have more than our share of older cars.
I have a 1973 Bug. Orange in color. Its certainly not a show, or collector car. It is however my weekend car . Only put a hundred miles a month on it. At work I drive my van thru the week. I spent about 10 hours applying the
motherswax 3 stage wax job. It looks really great. The car is stock except for an S & S exhaust on it. 1600 dp. I'm an old fart. My first car in 1972 was a 1970 beetle. Drove it in 1973 from Eastern Canada to Western Canada. My girlfriend, our friend, 3 suitcaes, 2 tents, camping suppplysand so on. Had to jump on the trunk every morning to close it. Zero to 60 in 3 minutes. 4000 miles , not one problem. Bought my present beetle in 1999 from a mechanic. First thing to do , get it checked out by another mechanic. Paid $500 for it. Paid $500 for brakes, tuneup, etc. Been driving ot trouble free since. One of the few cars that you have to actually drive, and are fun to drive as well. Well enough rambling. Like to hear from other Canucks . Errol

[cchaynes]

i live in ottawa

Have a 2002 mexican production beetle, stock with only 2200 Km on it.

I used to own a 1974 sunroof standard, but that was many moons ago!

we should rally the canadians and start a canada post (such as this) and just keep it going.

it would be a good forum to keep in touch about vendors shows etc.

Cheers from ottawa, chat anytime!

Craig

p.s. i know we have climate differences, but do you have a good storage routine for winter, or if anyone else is reading this post, i would love some nothern storage tips!

[Errol1]

Hi cchaynes. Glad someone noticed my post. As far as storage goes, my 1973 bug is sitting outside in my driveway. Wintertime as well. Here in Victoria we don't get a lot of typical winter weather. Usually a sprinkle or two of snow, and maybe a couple of coldspells in the winter
When it snows what they usually do is have a couple of guys on the back of a truck with shovels, dropping mostly sand. Very seldom do they use salt on the roads. I think more old cars in good shape here in Victoria because of the lack of use of snow. Enjoy the summer.

[53 0val]

My '53 was an old Speedway Motors (Victoria) car that spent is whole life on the island. No rust, no rot..........I would have been hard pressed to find a drier car here in SoCal. You guys really have some great cars on that island.
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"What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away." Dobee, Dobee, Do

[Marlonius]

I'm in Edmonton, Alberta myself. I've been to Victoria several times, and always marvel at the high number of sweet old cars on the roads there.

[Patty B.]

Hi there--Brampton, Ontario. It is nice to hear of other Canadians! Have a stock '69 beetle. It used to be the best running vehicle in our family fleet (93 Previa, 95 sidekick) until this year. New battery (last year) won't hold a charge, guess I've got a ground somewhere--grr frustrated. But I love it just the same.
In winter I rent a storage unit and park it. I go in every month and let it run 30 mins to recharge the battery and dry out the exhaust system. Before storage I do a regular oil change, fill it right up so no condensation, add fuel line antifreeze and give it a good wash and wax if I can. If the floor is cement I put it on Plywood blocks and stick a brick under the wheel, leave the trans in neutral, emerge brake off--see you next month. In spring, run it 30 min drive home, give it another good wash and be happy, happy! My neighborhood waits for the bug to out of hibernation every year. This year we got cheers! But man, wish I could find someplace cheaper.
I've been out of the VW scene for seven years, having kids, now I don't know what's going on or where things are-parts supplies, shops, clubs, shows--I was shocked to find out this year that Toronto's Great Canadian Bug Show had it's last show last year, I was looking forward to that show as it was soooo close to us. It would be nice to know if there is a Canada specific VW info site out there.
My sister is on Vancouver Isaland, her daughter bought a nice VW camper out there.
I've just started a comic based on our car and of the VW community, before creating our own web site I've started posting them at www.vdubcity.com click on lifestyles then check out the gallery--It is a new site as well.

[Mark]

Hey bro,
I'm just out in Sooke on the Island. There's a good vw scene in the Victoria area, always has been. Speedway Motors Victoria, ha. My bug is originally from them as well, bought new by a stereotypical old granny. It's still in good shape, (the interior though, well....future project)
Too bad that dealership sucks big @ss these days. I wouldn't take any of my dubs there if they offered free servicing.

[53 0val]

[Errol1]

Thanks for the posts guys. I forgot I started this thread. Seems to be a few VW fans around the Great North. My 1973 bug was also bought at Speedway Motors, here in Victoria. It has the original owners manual, with all the stamps on it , when it was taken in for warrenty checkups. As others have said, I don't go to Speedway for anything. I buy parts at the local BobWow. Friendly, very knowledgable ( ??? ) people. Over the summer I replaced all my fuel lines on my 73. Today I'm going to put clamps on all the lines. there is a sticky thread about VW fires. Bought a fire extinguisher last weekend. Going to move my fuel filter from the engine compartment to under the car by the transaxle . Not as convienant to replace, but not a fire hazard either. Great to hear from ohter Canucks. keep the thread going. Errol

[JamesT]

I'm a couple hours north of you in Parksville. I bet most of the Canadian contributors to this page are from the island. I was in victoria the other day and noticed that about 1 in every 4 cars is a VW, and about 1 in 10 of those are aircooled. Not bad, considering how few you see everywhere else in the country. I recently tried to drive across Canada and back in a 74 van in two weeks and almost made it to Quebec. Last aircooled VW I saw before Barrie Ontario was in Revelstoke BC. This was in the middle of the summer too.
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-James T

1968 Kombi
1995 Eurovan Camper
2006 Garbage Jetta TDI

[412jen]

I'm in Vancouver and just brought my new type 4 home from Victoria. I'm originally from the Island, though. JamesT, I would say you are right, I would guess most of the contributors will be west coasters. Its that no salt thing. Cheers!

[monzaguy]

hello! I'm on my fourth Beetle here in Southern Alberta. Unfortunately, the VW scene is almost non-existent down here. Makes it hard to find people to talk to about my current bug which is a 62. I got the wife quite interested though! At least she wants a Ghia now and not a 71 Duster!

[W1K1]

We are in southern AB too. There is a loosely knit group of vw people in the Lethbridge area just no organised club. We have a 73 super, and 61' beetle project. The wife has been driving her 73 (first car) since 84'.
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/jim_martin_engine_build.php

1973 super
1965 squareback 1500E
1971 bay window westy- subi swap

[Patty B.]

James T. Small world, my sister is in Parksville. How long ago was your trip through Barrie? Maybe that was me heading north for the weekend.

[Errol1]

Hi guys. thanks for the replys. Yes, i believe most of the bugs left in Canuckland are in B.C. The reason, at least here in Victoria, no salt in the winter dumped on the streets. Went back to Nova Scotia a couple of years ago. Did a lot of driving, saw one beetle. Most have rusted away years ago, or blew up because of the gas heater. I heard that in Ontario the highway patrol took a number off the road because people were using the gas heater and the pipe that ran to the fender from the heater was gone. slow death by carbon monoxide. My 1973 has a rusty floor, but did a quick job. Don't have access to welding equipment. 1/4 plywwod on inside floor, 3/4 plywwod on the bottom. Wood had preservative applied, large bead of silicone around edge. Jack it up to fit tightly on bottom, use bolts to hold everything together. Car is a lot quieter, warmer too. Better half says if we are in an accident we will be killed by all thew plywood splinters. I know doing what I did is not the usual way to fix a rusty floor. But it works so what the hay.
Havn't seen any posts from eastern camada. How about it any easterners with a beetle to tell us about?? Must be at least one that was stored in thw winter that survived.?????

[execk2]

Gday from Quebec. 1966 Ghia and 1957 Speedster (69 Beetle)

26C and sunny all week except today where it looks like fall is on the way and snow not too far off. May have another 4 weeks B4 they need to go to sleep until mid April.
_________________
Mike

www.mikeandjosee.com

[Sloride]

Hi,

I live in Ottawa. We have a small aircooled club. http://www.ccvwc.ca/

There are about 70 members and we have a jam packed season every summer that revolves around a couple of large shows (300 plus air and H20) and camping events. There are quite a few buses here in the Ontario/Quebec region. Three or four weeks ago there was the Quebec Westfalia campout (300 wests). Every June our club hosts Busfusion. Last year there were 160 buses for the campout.

We have our last cruise this coming weekend. It won't be long and they'll all be stored for the winter. Mine sleeps in an old barn. Just remove the battery, fill the tank and throw fuel stabilizer in. I also put steel wool in the exhaust and throw some moth balls around on the ground underneath.

Lastly, I wouldn't assume that the lack of responses to your posts means there are fewer aircooled dubs out East. I know there are lots of bus drivers who use the baywindow forum. If most are like me I rarely read the international forum. That being said the west coast is indeed the Mecca for clean aircooled cars.

Craig
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1972 Westfalia - 1.8 VW in-line h2o conversion
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Link to the engine swap:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=565304&highlight=

1964 Ruby Red Beetle

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=705757&highlight=ruby+red

[70 140]

I change the oil and add an extra litre. Fill the gas tank until its almost out the neck. Take the battery in to the house and keep it warm. I use a scissor jack under the front beam and jack until the load is off the tires (but they are still on the ground). Same for the back, but I use some blocks under the torsion tube. Steel wool in the exhaust. Moth ball the interior, trunk, engine bay and underneath. I leave the windows down a crack for air flow.

Thats pretty much it. I don't even start the enigne during the winter. Every so often I turn the pulley by hand just so it doesn't decide to settle into one position. I've been doing it this way for 4 winters now....no problems so far.

EDIT: I'm in the Niagara Area. There are a good number of old VWs here

[Errol1]

Hi 70 140. Another happy VW owner. Looks like there is are quite a few VW fans spread out all over Canada. Posts so far. 2 from Ottawa, Irvine Cal, with a bug from Victoria B.C., Edmonton, Brampton Ont. Sooke, Victoria, parksville on the island, where I am. Vancouver city,2 from southern Alberta, Quebec City. Not quite every province yet. Would be neat if we could get a post from every province. Need Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and the Rock. Keep sending those posts along
Errol

[the caveman]

Hey there, just wanted to add my 5 cents[1/20 loonie]. I'm in Montreal . have had my 71 super for 25 years now. bought in january 1980 [was only 9 years old then!] drove it for 8 months and decided to replace the pistons / cylinders and freshen up the heads, and do my brakes.Weellllll next thing i know the body is off the chassis, lying on it,s side getting the left side heater channel replaced. stayed in the garage for the next 15 1/2 years while i either didn't have time and or money to continue and for about 3 years i would go and stare at it and get depressed but also determined to finish. FINALLY got it done with dropped front struts w/ bilsteins, front disc's, thick sway bars all round, type 3 rear drums w/ 23mm w/cylinders. Went a mostly berg 1890[88 x 78 bugback crank], dual kadrons[they were free] and the unfortunate low compression-as per the gospel according to berg. well after much overheating, heads cooking so much on broke, i finally bumped the compression up to 7.5 and ran better and cooler. now am building a 2165[94x 78] with 8.3 comp. dual 40 iff's with 36mm venutris.
coming nextyear[2006] i will be opening my own garage after working for vw at dealers for 20 years where i'll doing high po. air-cooled work and converting diesels to run on vegetable oil.
If anyone wants quality work in montreal next year contact me and i'll put you on a mailing list for when i open
contact me at : [email protected]

p.s. my other cars have been:
1970 fastback
1972 renault 12
1971 super
1987 fox
1990 jetta diesel
1990 fox[sanford]
1989 fox
1998 jetta TDI