Just bought my 1st VW Bug 1965

[Strega51]

Just brought this home today. All original and from the original owner. Now the fun begins. I have a lot to learn.

[Strega51]

[rcroane]

Welcome to The Samba and the '65 club!

What are your plans for your bug?

As a starter, get yourself a copy of John Muir's Idiots Guide to Keeping Your VW Alive. You'll eventually want to get a Bentley workshop manual.
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'65 Sunroof Bug

[Chickensoup]

very nice!
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-'85 c10 5.3 LS, cam, heads, long tubes, x pipe, 3 inch spin tech's
-'01 e46 325ci *tree modded
-'05 B5.5 TDI Wagon 17in sport rims ;EGR + BSM + ASV Delete, Stage-2 Tune, straight pipe
'65 Tourist Delivery Build
'66 RIP

[Gr0unded]

[TheRide]

Thats a very solid looking foundation!

[Strega51]

There are some body issues. Both lower rear quarters are shot covered with filler. Passenger lower hinge point gone. I did find lower replacement quarters from JBugs. Has anyone had experienced changing the quarters? Thanks

[Strega51]

[Strega51]

[rcroane]

[pantone149]

Point #1: Bear in mind that it took a few dozen (maybe a few hundred) really smart German engineers to design that car. Everything they did had a purpose. In other words, I suggest sticking with what they did as much as possible.

Point #2: A used German part is oftentimes better than a brand new Chinese part.

Point #3: Have fun. What a great vehicle to own!!

[Strega51]

[rcroane]

[Strega51]

[Strega51]

[rcroane]

Before you try to start it, have you checked/changed the oil? When was the last time the car was started and driven? No doubt the wiring is dirty and/or corroded, including the grounds. Did you pull and inspect the plugs? What about the points and condenser?
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'65 Sunroof Bug

[Rome]

Welcome to Beetle ownership.

Suggestions:
1. For the engine, there is a very clever and resourceful man named "Mustie1" on YouTube who has many videos on getting old VW engines to start. Most of his pre-start preparations are similar. I recommend watching a few; they are usually named "Will it run?". This also helps you to locate the same components on your Beetle.

2. Remove the battery ground strap where it attaches to the body. Usually an M8 bolt (13 mm socket size). Clean the body metal with 80 grit sandpaper, and also the end of the strap. Reattach. Do same with the big + cable that goes to the starter. Another M8 nut (again, 13 mm socket). Clean off the lug on the starter/solenoid with a toothbrush-sized wire brush, and clean off the cable lug eye with that same 80 grit sandpaper. You're eliminating voltage drops due to long-term corrosion at those major connections.

3. There's an excellent VW club based in CT, the CT VW Association. https://www.ctvwa.org/index1.php?center=center/home.html

4. Bug City in Berlin, CT (between Hartford and Meriden) has a huge selection of used parts, and new parts.

Other:
I was in CT today to visit a long-time VW friend; lives slightly south of Hartford.

Are your door panels and seats as nice overall as the small portions we see in that one photo? If so, lucky you. I also had a Fontana Grey '65 Beetle about 30 years ago; was a just-painted rolling shell. I never put it together, but sold it to a coworker who did finish and drive it.

[Strega51]

[scrivyscriv]

Looks great, I would say it seems to be a pretty decent car especially considering what you paid for it! Congratulations!

I highly recommend keeping everything that you find in the car, and everything that you replace. It's easy to accidentally throw away a part that is NLA or has bad aftermarket repros. Heck, I had never been in a metal sunroof beetle in my life until I bought my 1967 car last year... I almost threw away some of the sunroof hardware stuffed in the door pocket, not knowing what it was!

There are tons of things to do to make an old car roadworthy. The most important are brakes and steering, followed by suspension at some point. The engine is a matter of reliability... if you don't mind troubleshooting on the road, just get the engine running and drive it. If you want to make it reliable, spend a little time going over the engine.. take it out and clean out under the cylinder tins and the fan shroud, they usually have years of squirrels and mice acorns and bedding stuffed in there. You don't have to go whole hog on a rebuild.
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[joey1320]

What a great foundation.
Enjoy the ride.
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1971 Super - Sold
1984 Puma GTC - Sold
1971 Campmobile