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62 VW - all original

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... and I mean ALL ORIGINAL... as in not having been washed since 1962. Well, I think it's a '62 (could be a '63) based on the rear end (lights, window and license plate light). Has many years worth of mildew. Also has "collector" car plates. 62 bug on 22nd- small.jpg
 
I'm not a fan of the original mildew, but I do like early bugs ('67 and earlier). A Beetle is on my list of cars to try out some day.
 
And such simple things to work on. I think I still have that hippie classic "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive."
 
Boink said:
And such simple things to work on. I think I still have that hippie classic "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive."
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I bought a copy of that book (by John Muir) a coupe years ago -- yes, it's still in print -- as a way to do some research on owning a VW some day.
 
At one point I think I owned 3 of them! One was stolen and I replaced it only to have the stolen one turn up a few weeks later. Great stories about accidents and mechanical failures (including a fire). :wink-new:
 
Coincidence! We had a '63 sunroof, a '65 Beetle, and a '64 Ghia convertible back in the day in New Orleans. Woke up one morning to find the Ghia was missing. Called a friend who had a VW shop on Banks St. ("Mini Power") to ask him to keep an eye out for it. He told me he had seen it a couple hours earlier sitting on the side of the road on Airline Hwy. (Some 20 miles away) Apparently someone had taken it for a joy ride and left it when it ran out of gas. Got it back without any harm done to it, and the "perps" left a portable cassette recorder on the front seat.
 
Neat story Mickey. I also had a '62 convertible... great fun. That car had the classic problem of the rocker bolt breaking. Was on the freeway when power started to go; kept downshifting until I was off the freeway on a side-street limping home at 15 mph (floored as I recall). Opened up the left side rocker cover and the entire assembly fell out on to the ground!

The one I wrecked (have a photo of it here somewhere) resulted in the battery hitting the rear seat bar (which it was under) causes a spark to go into the seat. All this mostly happened after it was towed from the scene. I later received a call from the tow company that there'd been a fire. "Fire? How bad?" "Well, sir, it's pretty well gutted!" LOL Towed it home and sold the under-carriage and engine (everything minus the main body) to a guy for a Bugatti or dune-buggy kit, and sold the main body to a recycler for... drum roll... $6. Cost me more to transport it to the recycler!!! :wink-new: [all this in about 1972]
 
I still have mom's one-owner all-original '68 bug (save for seats, valve guides and a set of rings) 165K, case has never been apart and still runs good. I have no idea what to do with it. I can't see restoring it and I can't see keeping it. She "acquired" me and the car right around the same time, it could very well be the first engine I've ever heard. Needless to say, the thought of parting with it bothers me deeply. The funny thing is I've never been crazy about the car, go figure....
 
It's a great book. I used it (with a knowledgeable mechanic friend with a shop) to do a complete rebuild (splitting the case, etc.) and repairing/updating king-pins. A great starter car to learn on.
 
Boink said:
Neat story Mickey. I also had a '62 convertible... great fun. That car had the classic problem of the rocker bolt breaking. Was on the freeway when power started to go; kept downshifting until I was off the freeway on a side-street limping home at 15 mph (floored as I recall). Opened up the left side rocker cover and the entire assembly fell out on to the ground!

The one I wrecked (have a photo of it here somewhere) resulted in the battery hitting the rear seat bar (which it was under) causes a spark to go into the seat. All this mostly happened after it was towed from the scene. I later received a call from the tow company that there'd been a fire. "Fire? How bad?" "Well, sir, it's pretty well gutted!" LOL Towed it home and sold the under-carriage and engine (everything minus the main body) to a guy for a Bugatti or dune-buggy kit, and sold the main body to a recycler for... drum roll... $6. Cost me more to transport it to the recycler!!! :wink-new: [all this in about 1972]
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As an aside, I had an '02 Passat - was driving one day and my butt 'bout caught fire - the seat heater has shorted, melted the foam and was coming through the leather - left a mark on the seat like a cigarette burn - and they said the foam was melted in a cone shape. They replaced it after the internet and I showed that it wasn't only a Jetta issue - then a couple years later, I had the car in for MAJOR warranty work (oil sludge) and went to get it - "oh no, it is not ready, we are replacing the seat because of the fire hazard." Oh says I, "that was already replaced under warranty." I know they replied, "but now they figured out what caused it and are replacing it with the proper - fixed - pad." They had replaced it with the same problem seat! thanks VW.
 
Recall of a recall! I suppose it could have been worse. :joyous:
 
JPSmit said:
As an aside, I had an '02 Passat - was driving one day and my butt 'bout caught fire - the seat heater has shorted, melted the foam and was coming through the leather - left a mark on the seat like a cigarette burn - and they said the foam was melted in a cone shape. They replaced it after the internet and I showed that it wasn't only a Jetta issue - then a couple years later, I had the car in for MAJOR warranty work (oil sludge) and went to get it - "oh no, it is not ready, we are replacing the seat because of the fire hazard." Oh says I, "that was already replaced under warranty." I know they replied, "but now they figured out what caused it and are replacing it with the proper - fixed - pad." They had replaced it with the same problem seat! thanks VW.
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That would've burned my a**
 
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