air cooled vw as a dailydriver

Fred Remus · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 1:06 pm Post subject: air cooled vw as a dailydriver

am looking at a '77 beetle convertible with stock fuel injected engine.
how practical are these cars as daily drivers?
can they be run on 87 octane gas with 10 percent ethanol?
am a pretty good vw mechanic so i would be doing most of my own repair/ upkeep work.
i rarely see an air cooled vw here in upstate new york.

jbuzzvw · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 1:28 pm Post subject:

i have a 74 super i drive everyday. i live in rome here in upstate new york as well and it works great for me. keep it tuned up and will run fine. i prefer to use high test myself. i got a fastrac card so it takes a few cents per gallon off. and your right not many bugs up in this area at all

digitalbill · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 1:44 pm Post subject:

My biggest problem is that when something breaks, it can take several days for the part to come in.
Mine is normally a daily driver (65 miles round trip) but, a $9.00 part that broke when changing the fuel pump had it grounded for almost a solid week.
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Because no good story started with eating a salad.
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My build thread:
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1973 Super Beetle (work in progress)

bugbyte · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 1:58 pm Post subject:

My '75 Standard is my daily driver and I love it. - My feeling is that why do all the work and upkeep if you're only going to keep it in the garage?
...Rich

1971StdBee · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 2:00 pm Post subject:

I recently acquired a 1971 standard as a daily driver. I've driven the car 300+ miles so far. Best thing to do is give the car a tune up and go over the brakes, rubber and cables. Keep spare ignition parts (i.e. coil, condenser, points, rotor, cap, etc. and you should be fine.

I've been running 87 octane with 10% ethanol here in Houston, Texas. Temps have been around 106º. No pinging under acceleration.

Keep an eye out for dry rotted wires and fix as needed.

These cars make great daily drivers, but require maintenance, more than a modern car, to keep them in tip top shape and to keep you from getting stranded. I personally wouldn't go with a FI car and would stick with a carbed vehicle for ease of tuning, but then again, I haven't owned a FI bug.

BTW, my other daily driver is a 250cc motorcycle. So if something breaks, it's not too big a deal because I have a second means of transportation.

Good luck!
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1971 Shantung Yellow Standard Beetle. Daily Driver Preservation Build. 1600 DP, 34 PICT 3.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559723&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

1973 Hugger Orange / Jet Black V8 Super Beetle. 383 ci 425hp 475tq TH350 Trans. SOLD Sad

http://carmensbugs.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=8

gt1953 · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 4:53 pm Post subject:

It can be done...you have to stay on top of the maintenance of the vehicle.
Other wise it will leave you stranded. Like mentioned it is an older vehicle.
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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})

68IHscout · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 5:28 pm Post subject:

Things happen , after all its a classic , I had my 74sb for 2 half years as a daily driver ,only thing that left me stranded was the fuel pump , other than that its a great daily driver for me ,.....as mentioned , just keep up maintenance and should be good to go..

docdanracy · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 5:40 pm Post subject:

My '74 standard is my daily driver Very Happy

Does just fine...a bit warm here right now without A/C Laughing

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Doc
1970 Sunroof Bug Yukon Yellow (L19K)
Custom 6.5x15” 914 Sport Wheels wrapped in 185x65x15 Contis
Empi shifter, full compliment of gauges, 1679 with mild cam, stock induction

SOLD: 1974 Marina Blue Standard Beetle undergoing restoration/preservation
1679 with Kadrons and header/QP
914 sport wheels 5.5" ET40 wrapped in 195x65x15 Kumhos

cletus_zuber · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 5:43 pm Post subject:

I've driven one or the other daily since 1986, most of the time was my primary transportation.
had everything from burnt points to shattered brake drum. live and learn.
last "breakdown" was about 5 years ago, broken accelator cable.

keep it maintained, replace regularly (or carry) parts like cables and hoses, look under the hood often. and remember anything adjustable will sooner or later need adjustment.
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1972 1302
HPMX 40's & 019

plotch · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 5:43 pm Post subject:

Drove my 75 through the winter, about a year and a half of steady driving. No big deal. It can be done, rust is the issue that grounded mine.

Zacharysayre · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 6:56 pm Post subject:

I have a 1970 right hand drive standard. Drive it daily in the Arizona heat. Runs great everyday.

CarlIseminger · Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:16 am Post subject:

I use my '68 as my daily driver. Have put over 10,000 miles on it. Love it. Just have to remember to maintain it. Oil changes, brakes, etc.
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1969 VW Beetle Convertible

Max Welton · Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:50 am Post subject:

I not willing to call myself a "pretty good vw mechanic" and I've been driving and fixing my own since 1975. Wink

I haven't even owned a watercooled car since 1999. I've only been stranded once.

At this point the majority of these cars have been "maintained" by a very long succession of amatuers. So your first job will be to bring the car back to a maintainable state. That means catching up all the deferred maintenance items and evaluating all of the changes people have made over the years to see what improvements ( Laughing

) should be corrected.

Then you can drive the car without worries and apply the neccessary preventative maintenance going forward.

Of course there are quite a few threads on this topic already.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=443552&highlight=daily

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=548565&highlight=daily

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=548011&highlight=daily

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=542743&highlight=daily

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=539946&highlight=daily

Max
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zombiebug · Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:54 am Post subject:

Ive got a 74 super ive had for two years as my daily. When things break you need to be right on top of it and get them fixed quick. Like they mentioned they can sometimes take a week to come in. Other than that I love my bug. A little cold in the winter, and warm in the summer. But thats life.
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'74 Super

swelchy · Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 6:34 pm Post subject:

Daily Driven.... 70 mile round trip

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1969 Westy 1915cc 044 heads 94 bore 69 stroke scatCWcrank scat lifters C25 cam straight cam gears 1:25 ratio rockers CB weber idf 40's vintage speed sport exhaust.

gp98 · Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 7:14 pm Post subject:

few months back my 72 super has become mine and like others said keep it maintened and carry spare parts, and of course enjoy Smile

URL=http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/gp981/media/bebb54e5.jpg.html]

[/URL][/img]
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1972 Super Beetle
1961 Dune Buggy,2010 Larz Anderson Class Winner
1971 BSA Lighting
1969 tin top westy

bikelash · Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 7:44 pm Post subject:

I drive a 74 super everyday here in CO. I enjoy tinkering and keep the heater in good shape and I don't get cold in the winter. I get 27 mpg and my cost of maintenance is still cheaper than a new car payment.
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64 baja sold
72 sb wrecked
69 baja sold
69 std sold
72 sb sold
54 std sold
74 sb-ongoing
88 westy-ongoing

Fred Remus · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:06 am Post subject: vws as daily drivers

i just want to thank everyone who replied. nice to see there are so many people still doing the air cooled thing.
now i hope i can find me a beetle. there are some prospects i will be looking at over the next week, but the prices.... geeeesh!
fred

68IHscout · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:17 am Post subject:

jbuzzvw · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:37 am Post subject:

yea up here in new york bugs are at a premium unless you want a real project. look around syracuse there are some nice busses.


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