1966 VW Beetle
Discussion
Nik da Greek said:
Yep, still following! Love the detail shots in the previous post 
I'm not sure it's possible to make a Beetle completely oil-leak free. Mine still leaks, despite everything aft of the gearbox being brand new
I am going to try as it's just a annoying more than anything, all running fine but its about time I had some new seals, engine hasn't been out (according to the records I have) since 1991 I'm not sure it's possible to make a Beetle completely oil-leak free. Mine still leaks, despite everything aft of the gearbox being brand new
So 6 months, the Beetle has not moved, lockdown didn't help - but finally some sneaky images I took while she lay asleep...didn't want to wake it up just yet, a post-lockdown drive doesn't seem right just yet in such an old car.
The dust lying on top of the car, is a really cool sight, will give it a late spring cobweb run when the time is right.
The dust lying on top of the car, is a really cool sight, will give it a late spring cobweb run when the time is right.
Right, today was the day I dusted down the old girl (didn't actually dust it down tbh) and ran her out for the post Covid-19 lockdown cobweb drive!
Took a few tries on the ignition and pumping the pedal to get it going but sure as hell, the flat-4 burst into life...needed a little help from my portable Jump starter.
So, after I left it idling for a little bit, as soon as I got on the pedal it cut out, but sure enough fired back up and that was fine.
Took it out for a few hours drive around my town, needed fuel quite urgently.
Still always amazes me how much attention it gets at the fuel station.... especially when I lift up the "front boot" to fill it up
always makes people come over....social distancing please people...HOW MANY TIMES!!
Anyway, all is good, took a few pics of it as I always do...back in the barn now for, I guess a few more weeks again most likely.
But, was nice to have a blast in it, mechanically it was great and everything was in order, and no migratory birds more importantly have s
t all over it this time.
Anyway...some dawn imagery
1966 VW Beetle "Dawn drive" by United Kingdom, on Flickr
1966 VW Beetle "Dawn drive" by United Kingdom, on Flickr
1966 VW Beetle "Dawn drive" by United Kingdom, on Flickr
Took a few tries on the ignition and pumping the pedal to get it going but sure as hell, the flat-4 burst into life...needed a little help from my portable Jump starter.
So, after I left it idling for a little bit, as soon as I got on the pedal it cut out, but sure enough fired back up and that was fine.
Took it out for a few hours drive around my town, needed fuel quite urgently.
Still always amazes me how much attention it gets at the fuel station.... especially when I lift up the "front boot" to fill it up
always makes people come over....social distancing please people...HOW MANY TIMES!! Anyway, all is good, took a few pics of it as I always do...back in the barn now for, I guess a few more weeks again most likely.
But, was nice to have a blast in it, mechanically it was great and everything was in order, and no migratory birds more importantly have s
t all over it this time.Anyway...some dawn imagery
1966 VW Beetle "Dawn drive" by United Kingdom, on Flickr1966 VW Beetle "Dawn drive" by United Kingdom, on Flickr1966 VW Beetle "Dawn drive" by United Kingdom, on FlickrEdited by DailyHack on Friday 12th June 20:37
Edited by DailyHack on Friday 12th June 20:37
stichill99 said:
I love old beetles. I always look on in this thread when it pops up! My love is mk1 golfs but enjoy an aircooled thread!
It will be out soon, life has got in the way of late (1st child) so the Beetle has been left a while. Will get some proper images of it in the open once the weather is a little better, it does seems very keen to turn over (but, flat battery, as no electric in the barn to trickle it).air-cooled Beetles are the ultimate cockroach car, I have no qualms with it starting up, if a little smoky in its 56th year.
Will most likely get it inspected at my mates garage, just see what she's like underneath, not been under there for a while, I know it aint rotten.
So, 6 months has passed. I still haven't driven or started the Beetle in 2 years!!
Alot has happened, I have started a family (the big one) so no time for the poor bug at all.
So I popped across to the barn to see what state she is in and to turn it over.... quick check for rodent damage, looks all good, unbelievably dusty, don't like covering my cars.
It started on the third crank!! Proper cockroach car these bugs I tell ya!
The starter motor was stuck, so released the handbrake and rocked her a little, "click" she was free
But...didn't hold the revs after mins, battery was super dead (no trickle in the barn or electrical outlet to do so). Tried again, all fine then dropped again, my thinking is old fuel, so will try a jerry can of fresh unleaded and a new battery potentially.
So, 1966 Beetle reinstating 2022 to continue when I have more time....
Here is a few images of it in it's current state
To be continued....
Alot has happened, I have started a family (the big one) so no time for the poor bug at all.
So I popped across to the barn to see what state she is in and to turn it over.... quick check for rodent damage, looks all good, unbelievably dusty, don't like covering my cars.
It started on the third crank!! Proper cockroach car these bugs I tell ya!
The starter motor was stuck, so released the handbrake and rocked her a little, "click" she was free
But...didn't hold the revs after mins, battery was super dead (no trickle in the barn or electrical outlet to do so). Tried again, all fine then dropped again, my thinking is old fuel, so will try a jerry can of fresh unleaded and a new battery potentially.
So, 1966 Beetle reinstating 2022 to continue when I have more time....
Here is a few images of it in it's current state
To be continued....
Lovely car, please keep the updates coming - your photos are good, as well.
A couple of points - don't be offended, but I have "history" with air-cooled VW's, and looked after a friend's Formula Vee for 12 years, so I like to think that I know a bit about them. A rev counter is completely useless with a single-port air-cooled VW, and to see one with a 6,500 red line just screams "clueless". We used to use 6,000 as a maximum on the Vee, but everything was lightened and balanced - crank, rods, pistons and pushrods. And we had an external oil cooler and filter as well.
My advice would be to replace it with an oil temperature gauge, which might save the engine one day. I always fitted an oil pressure gauge as well, there's very little oil in an air-cooled VW engine as it is, and you need to be very aware of what's happening to it in order to avoid a sudden catastrophic failure.
The engines are also prone to hot spots - you mentioned failure of No3 cylinder earlier (looking at the engine in situ from the rear of the car, it's the front cylinder on the left). It's less of a problem on older single-port engines, but if you want to use the car for long trips, you need as much advance warning of a problem as you can get. If you're planning an engine rebuild, Google "VW Type 3 tinware" or look on one of the US sites which have experience of tuning VW's such as Gene Berg or Claude's Buggies. It's relatively cheap engine insurance.
These: https://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/1987.htm
Good luck, and carry on!
A couple of points - don't be offended, but I have "history" with air-cooled VW's, and looked after a friend's Formula Vee for 12 years, so I like to think that I know a bit about them. A rev counter is completely useless with a single-port air-cooled VW, and to see one with a 6,500 red line just screams "clueless". We used to use 6,000 as a maximum on the Vee, but everything was lightened and balanced - crank, rods, pistons and pushrods. And we had an external oil cooler and filter as well.
My advice would be to replace it with an oil temperature gauge, which might save the engine one day. I always fitted an oil pressure gauge as well, there's very little oil in an air-cooled VW engine as it is, and you need to be very aware of what's happening to it in order to avoid a sudden catastrophic failure.
The engines are also prone to hot spots - you mentioned failure of No3 cylinder earlier (looking at the engine in situ from the rear of the car, it's the front cylinder on the left). It's less of a problem on older single-port engines, but if you want to use the car for long trips, you need as much advance warning of a problem as you can get. If you're planning an engine rebuild, Google "VW Type 3 tinware" or look on one of the US sites which have experience of tuning VW's such as Gene Berg or Claude's Buggies. It's relatively cheap engine insurance.
These: https://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/1987.htm
Good luck, and carry on!
Dermot O'Logical said:
Lovely car, please keep the updates coming - your photos are good, as well.
A couple of points - don't be offended, but I have "history" with air-cooled VW's, and looked after a friend's Formula Vee for 12 years, so I like to think that I know a bit about them. A rev counter is completely useless with a single-port air-cooled VW, and to see one with a 6,500 red line just screams "clueless". We used to use 6,000 as a maximum on the Vee, but everything was lightened and balanced - crank, rods, pistons and pushrods. And we had an external oil cooler and filter as well.
My advice would be to replace it with an oil temperature gauge, which might save the engine one day. I always fitted an oil pressure gauge as well, there's very little oil in an air-cooled VW engine as it is, and you need to be very aware of what's happening to it in order to avoid a sudden catastrophic failure.
The engines are also prone to hot spots - you mentioned failure of No3 cylinder earlier (looking at the engine in situ from the rear of the car, it's the front cylinder on the left). It's less of a problem on older single-port engines, but if you want to use the car for long trips, you need as much advance warning of a problem as you can get. If you're planning an engine rebuild, Google "VW Type 3 tinware" or look on one of the US sites which have experience of tuning VW's such as Gene Berg or Claude's Buggies. It's relatively cheap engine insurance.
These: https://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/1987.htm
Good luck, and carry on!
Thanks for the advice, always welcome A couple of points - don't be offended, but I have "history" with air-cooled VW's, and looked after a friend's Formula Vee for 12 years, so I like to think that I know a bit about them. A rev counter is completely useless with a single-port air-cooled VW, and to see one with a 6,500 red line just screams "clueless". We used to use 6,000 as a maximum on the Vee, but everything was lightened and balanced - crank, rods, pistons and pushrods. And we had an external oil cooler and filter as well.
My advice would be to replace it with an oil temperature gauge, which might save the engine one day. I always fitted an oil pressure gauge as well, there's very little oil in an air-cooled VW engine as it is, and you need to be very aware of what's happening to it in order to avoid a sudden catastrophic failure.
The engines are also prone to hot spots - you mentioned failure of No3 cylinder earlier (looking at the engine in situ from the rear of the car, it's the front cylinder on the left). It's less of a problem on older single-port engines, but if you want to use the car for long trips, you need as much advance warning of a problem as you can get. If you're planning an engine rebuild, Google "VW Type 3 tinware" or look on one of the US sites which have experience of tuning VW's such as Gene Berg or Claude's Buggies. It's relatively cheap engine insurance.
These: https://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/1987.htm
Good luck, and carry on!
Had the car for 10+ years now, no intention of rebuilding engine what's so ever, may even keep it as a an electric conversion (that would be interesting....)
Good point on the rev counter (and I was aware it is pointless on a SP engine), this was added years ago, and was mainly just to see it ticking over, it is a 924 Porsche Tacho and looks quite cool I thought I got from a carboot, not sure it screams clueless
maybe it does in some circles.Yup, was gonna fit a oil temp dipstick when I got it, never needed one, done quite a few long trips in the early years, as was quite into the scene when I first got it - soon got bored of that tbh, and it rarely sees 5 miles if that now on a long run, I just don't use it enough...as you can see, it's been 2 years since it saw daylight properly.
Edited by 757 on Sunday 17th July 15:23
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