Just spent the best part of today clearing the sunroof drain tube on SWMBO's 02 Beetle. Which included taking out interior panels and dropping the headliner and taking off the wipers and the valance underneath and a few other parts that I really didn't need to take off but thought I did.

what did I learn

1. This stuff is too complicated for me

2. VW build quality sucks

3. Every piece of plastic VW makes anything out of is brittle and breaks when you try to remove it - don't ask me how I know, just see #2 above.

4. The Bentley VW service book is around $100

5. LBC's are simple and remarkably solid

I admit, I don't do anything to our modern cars other than gas, washer fluid, wipers, and air in the tires. Any real maintenance gets done by someone else. Some things are just worth the extra cost.

We loved our 03 Turbo Beetle.....for the first 3 years.....then like you said, the plastic got all brittle, the rubberized grips on the door pulls wore off and EVERY tune-up included replacing the under hood rubber vacuum hoses because the heat killed them and then the turbo blew up - twice within 6 months and yes, it VERY regular oil changes - we had to document them for the warranty work. The second time the turbo blew was AT the Honda dealer as we were trading it in. The dealer still gave us full value on the Bug since we could prove it was warranteed.

LOL - My father got rid of his much loved Vanagon at the Honda dealer years ago in the middle of a road trip when the transmission started to cause problems. The VW dealer told us either the quicky repair would either last the life of the car or not very long. It lasted long enough to drive across the street which was enough for us!

I spent 25 years inside, under, and around Hondas. We had to install some accessories at the dealership, and even brand new plastic parts would break as clips were improperly installed at the factory, (who knew).
I have a whole tool chest full of special tools for doing this work.
Sometimes they don't help.
But, Hey, buying new inner panels helps the economy.

Dave

I just did a factory tour at the BMW "Zentrum" in SC. Watched how the interior was assembled, and noticed how few tools are used. Evertyhing snaps together.

And the wiring harness is HUGE. Wow! They heat it in an oven to make is soft enough to install.

Fascinating experience; amazing to watch the cars go together. And, they don't make them like they used to!!

I had sorta burned out of restoring cars...until I found the old Corvette...now, I'm having fun with them again.

I'm like Drew. I have no interest in working on new cars.

When our 5 year old tow van hit 65000 miles, I traded it in a few weeks ago. I expect to do that with this one when it gets that old too.

My tech-support guy at school used to be a VW mechanic at a dealership. He said they're terrible.

The quality of my Miata is great. Plus it's a fun car (I've driven it 700 miles in the last few days and I'm still saying that). If this one expired or got wrecked, I'd buy another right away.

next time try using the core of a long speedo cable as a "snake". no disassembly required.

I'll do a bit of work on modern cars, but I choose very carefully what I'll try and what I'll turn over to someone else. Just replacing a belt on those suckers is a real trial. I just did a brake job on my son's 1004 Corolla, and although it was basically straightforward, there were a few "gotchas."

normally I would have just farmed it out, but, 2 things prevented me this round

1. the thought of paying $300 to clear a line and

2. the local VW dealer which just doesn't seem to really be especially concerned about customers - the VW dealer in the last place we lived was golden but is now an hour + away.

Yeah, them chariot brakes can be a real challenge! Whut wif all them leather cinches, levers an' pegs an' all...

Am I right in saying that the 1004 model could be had in either the L version with 2 Ox's or the GT with 4? Also, I don't believe that the cinches could be had in leather until the 1005 model, but I could be wrong.

You guys are BAAD!!

Pot, kettle, black.

At least, I didn't ask him how long it took to reshod those oxen?

Copy shot, Colonel.

No you're wrong, they could only ever import the L model not the GT - the GT failed the emissions tests. Of course some people snuck them in - usually in containers labelled "steak"

I would have been happy with an L, let alone a GT, but I could only afford the economy version. Me out for a recent Sunday drive.



Has this thread been hijacked enough now?

Sunday drive? Do you always carry all that stuff in your trunk?