Classic Air Cooled Volkswagens

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When I was about 19 years old I had a Dodge Ram pickup truck that was a real gas hog. No matter how much I tuned it I couldn't seem to get over 12 miles to the gallon. Needless to say I didn't have a lot of money and so I could barely afford to go anywhere.

I had always thought that Volkswagens were cool, I loved they styling and the way they were made. Even though I had never owned a VW I had collected up some VW repair manuals from flea markets and yard sales. I was even collecting VW toys like diecast cars and models. I suppose it was inevitable that I became a VW owner.

One day I was driving down the road and I saw a green 1974 Super Beetle sitting in a driveway with a "For Sale" sign on it. I turned around and went back to take a look. I didn't have the money to buy it, but I just wanted to get close to it.

The owner came out and began showing me the car. I was in "love" and I wanted that Beetle. He told me his asking price and I reluctantly said that I couldn't afford it. Then he asked me if I would consider a trade and motioned toward my truck. Right then I knew that this Super Beetle was mine!

I had to learn right away how to take care of an air cooled engine. Before long I had even replaced the piston rings!

Currently, as I am creating this lens, I don't own a VW, but it is one of my main goals to get one before Spring!

This part only refers you haven't been able to find in genesis as recommended above. This was before I knew that store!

How many times have you went down to the auto parts store to pick up something like points or gaskets, or even a cylinder or rocker arm for your air cooled Volkswagen Bug and they tell you they don't have it?

Most local auto parts stores don't stock very much for the air cooled Volkswagens. Yeah, they may be able to order your VW parts for you, but chances are you will be paying much more than what you should.

When you need parts for your VW restoration project or you just need to replace that fuel pump or do a tune up here are some well established and dependable dealer that specialize in air cooled Volkswagens:

www.jbugs.com

www.mofoco.com

www.eisparts.com

www.chirco.com

www.wolfsburgwest.com

www.aircooled.net

government seized auto auctions

Repo boats auctions

seized vehicle auctions

(Note: I am in no way affiliated with these websites, but I do recommend them as great sources for VW parts.)

The Beetle, often referred to as the "Bug", is probably the most well known and loved of all the air cooled VWs. This is one of the most widely recognized vehicles ever to be made.

The idea for the Beetle came to Adolph Hitler while he was in prison in 1924. It wasn't until 1934 that he chose Ferdinand Porsche to design the car. At first the only ones who got to own these cars was Hitler and a few selected military officers.

By 1949 there were two different Beetles manufactured for export, a 2 seat and a 4 seat model. The 2 seater Beetle was manufactured by Hebmueller and are now some of the most valuable models collected.

When you first walk up to that Volkswagen you see for sale you must beware of the magic like spell that will make you fall in love with the car. You want to own a nice VW sure, but you don't want to spend more than you need to and you want to get something that needs a lot of repairs unless you are prepared to spend more on your car. While one person may want to buy a VW Bug in mint condition another may want to buy an old, neglected and abused car and restore it back to life.

Naturally, the first thing you will notice is the body exterior followed by the glass, interior and the tires. Many people don't go much farther than that before deciding to buy a car, but there is a lot more you need to check out before you take that baby home.

There's nothing wrong with buying an old VW that needs a lot of work. In fact whenever someone takes an old run down VW and fixes that sucker back up it is a blessing to the world as another classic VW was saved from the scrap yard. The important thing is that you know what you are getting.

IMPORTANT Do not start the engine until you have looked over the car. This way you can look at the engine after the car has been heated up and run and compare the differences.

So go buy yourself a nice VW, but make sure it is air cooled!

Squat down and take a look at the underside of the car. Look for rust, missing panels, or other damage. A common problem with older Beetles is that the floorpans will rust out. I once owned a Bug that had no back floorpans left, I had to use boards of wood to cover the holes. Floorpans can be replaced, but you will want to know what shape the car's floorpans are in before you spend money.

Open up the engine compartment and take a look under the rear at the bottom of the engine. Is any of the metal shrouding missing or rusted out? Is there a lot of oil and/or leaking? Are the heater boxes solid and connected? Is the muffler and exhaust system complete and intact?

Pull out the dipstick and look at the oil. If it is clear and clean then the oil has been recently changed so you can't tell much about it. If the oil is dirty and dark that is actually better because now you can tell some things about the engine with it. Does the oil on the dipstick smell like gasoline? If gasoline has become mixed with the oil the engine may be in need of a ring job. Rub the oil between your fingers. Check for solid particles especially metal. If metal shavings are present in the oil you will be buying a new block soon.

Other, more obvious things to check are the tires, lights and signals, and the interior. When you look around inside the car notice all the door handles and window cranks. Examine the seats and the headliner for tears. Check all the lights and make sure the turn signals and hazard lights are OK. If any lights are out ask the seller why and make a note to get them fixed.

A great place to find them is car auctions using car auction toplists

You have to be very careful when looking at a car to buy. This is part of the ad that was on the window of a bug I was looking at. It says clearly "No Underbody Rust". But guess what? The picture above that shows the rusted out floorpans is from that very Bug!

Not all people are honest as is evident by this ad. No underbody rust indeed!

One thing that makes the air cooled Volkswagen unique is the rear mounted engine. This is a 4-cylinder "pancake" style engine with two cylinders horizontally opposed on each side. In the image to the right you can see a cylinder head valve cover on the left at the bottom.

Since the engine is cooled using airflow it is enshrouded in metal. The shrouding directs the flow of air over the engine to maintain the temperature. If pieces of the shrouding are missing or damaged your engine will over heat.

In addition to changing the oil, sparkplugs and points, rotor button and distributor cap during routine tune ups it is also necessary to adjust the valves. If your air cooled VW is hard to start, or it doesn't like to idle, or even if it lacks power, improper valve lash is often the culprit.

For step by step instructions how to check and adjust valve clearances your self see www.aircooledvwlove.com/how-to-adjust-valves-air-cooled-vw-engine/

If you have taken your time to look over the VW from top to bottom you will be anxious to get it started up. Once you have the engine running go back and take a look at it. How does it sound? Is it loud and stumbly or is it smooth?

Hold your hand about two or three inches behind the exhaust pipe and feel the rhythm of the exhaust pulses. Close your eyes and concentrate on the way the exhaust feels, it should have a nice regular beat, if not there is a problem. Most likely the timing is off, but it could also be; bad spark plug or wire, ignition points, a vacuum leak, or even a faulty valve or ring or, in extreme cases, a cracked cylinder head.

Now jump in the drivers seat and get it out on the road and see how the car likes it. A cool thing about old cars like this is that you can feel a connection to it and the road. There is a rhythm in the floor and you can feel how the car reacts to bumps and curves in the steering wheel.

Hopefully you will be able to run the car through all its gears. Does it shift easily and smoothly? Are the clutch and the brake pedals solid?

Once you get the car back turn off the engine and take another look at it. Look for oil leaks that only occur when the car has been running.

If you have read this page and followed the advice you will know about as much about the car as you can in such a short time. Depending upon how much you are spending it could also be a good idea to take the car to a VW mechanic and have it inspected, or at the least get a compression check.

I wish nothing but joy and happiness to air cooled VW owners and hope to see their numbers grow!

If you want to restore your car - you should read this . The complete guide click here.
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The Volkswagen Type 2 was first produced in 1950. As with other VWs the Type 2 goes by several different names. Officially it is the Transporter, but it is also called the Van, Bus, Microbus, Panel Van, Westy (Westfalia), or simply the Type 2 (as well as quite a few others). The vehicle featured an 1131 cc, 25 hp engine from 1950 to 1952 and an 1192 cc, 30 hp engine from 1953 to 1955.

The first VW Type 2's were made with a split windshield. These first Transporters are often referred to as the "Splittie", the "V" or the Microbus. The split window version of the Type 2 was produced from 1950 through 1967.

In 1968 the Type 2 windshield was changed to a one piece. The "V" shape of the front end was also changed. The engine was upgraded to 1.6 L and 48 hp. The 1968 model was also the first one to make use of CV joints and half shaft axles instead of the previous swing axle rear suspension.

In 1971 the engine was changed by the addition of dual intake manifold ports for each head. Engine displacement was still 1.6 L the hp was increased to 50. Disc brakes were also added to the front wheels that year.

In 1972 both a 1.7 L and a 2.0 L engine were introduced. Naturally the engine compartment needed to be enlarged and in the process the removable rear apron was eliminated from the design. The 2.0 L is known as the Type 4 engine

The Volkswagen Thing, or Type 181 was produced for only a few years beginning in 1969 (It wasnt marketed in the US from 1971 to 1975). In 1980 the Type 181 was no longer offered to the general public, however, it was still being produced for the military up to 1983.

The VW Type 181 is known by several different names. Officially, it is the Kurierwagen (Which means the Courier Wagon), in the US it was "The Thing", in the UK it was The Trekker and in Mexico it was called the Safari.

Here is a great collection of vintage Volkswagen print ads.

These old VW advertisements appeared in magazines to promote the newest Volkswagen models. I think they are cool and thought some of you might to take a look at the classic and historical VW print ads.

Click the thumbnails to see the full size images:

VW is a registered trademark of Volkswagenwerk AG.

This website is in no way connected with, or sponsored by Volkswagen. The author of this webpage is an avid classic VW fan and wants to promote and spread the joy of VW ownership.