Here's Why Volkswagen Sold Over 21 Million Beetles | Beetle Diaries Ep. 9
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
- ( www.TFLcar.com ) Sorry for missing last Sunday!!! We wanted to make up for it, so we're posting this episode a little early. We will be back to our normal scheduling next week. Enjoy!
Here's Why the VW Sold Over 21 Million Beetles - Bug Demuro Beetle Diaries Ep.9
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The windshield washer being powered by the air pressure in the spare tire is actually quite ingenious because it makes you to make sure your spare tire is always inflated.
Actually, the ww will stop draining the tire before it gets too low. The valve prevents you fro draining the spare. You lose pressure to the ww first and thats how you know to recharge your spare.
Electric pumps (optional) were useful and even your wiper switch is already prepared for. Front disc brakes were optional - and useful as well.
I was 19 in 1963 when I bought my first Beetle and drove from Hamburg to Marrakesh (over 2000 Miles) on country roads in seven days! The car was fitted with radial tires (a novelty at that time), KONI shock absorbers and negative camber in the back, plus TT exhaust tips to get rid of that awful chirping sound. What a car! I survived three major car accidents with my Beetle....She never let me down! RIP.
I had a 62 rag top sunroof beetle that was totaled 3 times. Each time I bought it back from insurance company for 50.00. eventually it became a Baja buggy.
I love that old school Beetle exhaust note. My head snaps around whenever I hear it these day. (Which is very rare.) I've always thought it sounds like someone is dragging a dog chain behind their car.
You were very lucky to own one 😊
That’s amazing
donnie browncars next time we are i
I was 18 when i bought my beetle that was in in 2017 so yes i am 20 and i own a beetle. Most girls my age think i am weird i think it is the most wonderfull car ever made. I love my 1976 beetle 💕💕
I would love to have one too
Only car enthusiasts would understand your passion
I'm girl and I'm 19 and I want Beetle or Chevy Styline :(
Beetle, looks aesthetic smh
Yeah ur weird
It puts a big smile on my face every time I see one. I love the sound. Its a happy little car. Thanks.
Honest John uuuu
I owned a Beetle for 17 years. Not a Super Beetle. There was a valve so that once the air pressure in the spare hit a certain point, it would no longer power the washer. In 17 years, it never leaked and never left me with a flat spare. The car was great. It still ran perfectly, but the body rusted out. Vandals rolled it and left it with a leak that wasn't repaired properly. I loved that car. Drove it cross country 3 times.
absolutely spot on...seem to recall inflating the spare to 42psi....the valce cut off the washer system at about 30psi
Also, my sisters Super Beetle had a standard electrical washer system, not pneumatic. American Beetles seem to have had quirks which were flattened out in European models. Although the previous owner might have fitted that, but they did an uncharacteristically professional job if it was them.
ooo9
Thanks for your post.. I know how you feel about beetle bug. As well as I has same feeling. I had four different bugs. First one was 1965 ( I bought for $1,000) as I was 18 years old. Real good one till I sold (should have not. Drat) 71 twice and 73 in a span. Later on my vacation, I saw old man driving old bug must be maybe before 1970. He got my thought. I should have buy engine with same 1965 bug. I like regular beetle bugs As I always know they are still COOL. Thanks again
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The octane rating is written as 91 ROZ/RON, which is the European value. This is equivalent to 87 octane in North America, regular gasoline. Nothing unusual here.
oui222 yep cheap cars should use cheap gas
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I think they know. They're kinda making fun of Doug, who got fooled by RON/AKI ratings in one of his videos. :)
I thought so......you need to understand the translation; which neither of these two knew....no biggie.
I only ran regular gas in all 4 vw's I owned. No issues with nocking.
I owned 2 1964's a 68 and a 69 fastback, I worked in a VW dealership for a couple of years, then opened my own shop. There is a lot wrong with this video, but it was fun, there are a number of comments that are also incorrect but I put that to the age of some of the folks making the comments.
Early VW's with 6 volt systems had a metal cover over the battery with a thick paper glued on the underside. 12 volt models had a plastic shield over the positive terminal, many do to poor maintenance got thrown away, many used the incorrect battery.
The fuel filter shown and complained about wasn't factory equipment, it was aftermarket. Dealer repair shop or owner installed.
Many have commented on the the octane issue, also starting in 71 forward the engines had hardened valve seats and valve faces for use with unleaded.
Someone mentioned oil leaks, normally these cars were pretty tight, oil cooler seals would leak if they got hard, easy fix, push rod tube seals could leak, same reason or if a valve job was done and push rod tubes were not stretched back to proper length or replaced with new and new seals.
Someone said WD-40 on the door hinges- there were plastic plugs on the hinges originally, and you used oil on them at each service. No problems if you did.
The outside fuel door did not appear in US models until 1968, prior you opened the front hood/bonnet.
Someone mentioned a no clutch model that was the Automatic Stick Shift, it worked well.
These were and remain great little cars.
I had 2 Fastbacks. They were fantastic. If only it had a hatchback like the Renault 16, it would have been even better. Pity the Fastbacks lived a short life.
The Automatic Stickshift was great as long as it worked, though an unwary passenger could accidentally engage the "clutch" by bumping the shifter with a knee (unnerving at 75mph!). Also, that clutch was activated via a wire that was exposed between the floor mat and the boot, where it occasionally broke, rendering you stranded. Finally, if/when the transmission seal broke, you'd better be SURE you got GERMAN replacement seals (at 3x the price and a 2 mo wait). The Brazilian seals would invariably start leaking/gushing within 1-3 weeks.
Dana Herron
Unfortunately, that’s the only bug I ever got to drive, though the squareback I got a few years later was a 4-speed. I must’ve been lucky-I only did the left-foot-break maneuver once, having switched directly from the squareback to the bug in a hurry. Damn, those breaks had some grab!
I owned 3 VW's. A 56or 57 bug, an early VW bus and the last one a VW camper with the foldable top. At 82 sometimes I get them a little confused on how much fun we had with 4 kids going on vacations in each one. But it was all fun.
One of the best cars ever made, period, and there's nothing strange about it, you're just too young to get it.
Agreed...my first car was a 1967 beetle...i will never forget it...i loved it...one of the best cars ever made...except for the floor pans that would rott over time but i would say that is the only negative i have to say about it...
@Siglaviking that's because it was a super beetle. They're called "Fat Chicks" in the VW community (the hood and fenders were more rounded). And the only reason you drove one was because it was all that was available or you were drunk.
agree with you
It's strange. But don't get me wrong that's what makes the Beetle an iconic car. Of course people who are not of a certain age would miss the point of a fun economical car. I love the little car.
Well,how old do you think someone has to be to get it?😀 My first memories of beetles was in the 60's ,my parents had several beetles,52,64,67,72 and 75 models..
Later when i started to work as a car mechanic,i worked for 15 years at a volkswagen dealership..And NO,i still don't get it..Beetles are horrible cars..
Just like Doug DeMuro, I see the same trend of calling once-common features of older cars "quirks", such as the lack of a passenger side rear-view mirror. Believe it or not, that didn't become commonplace on all new cars until the mid-1990s. Before then, most cars had good enough visibility that you didn't really need one.
Yes. Same with the narrow tires etc. etc. Huge alloy wheels are one of the "quirks" of modern cars.
@Boss_Man_T I drive a 1976 Mercedes 450 SE. Guess what? I CAN STILL buy BRAND NEW GENUINE parts for it here in Australia!!! So, when your pile of yankee garbage is in the wrecking yard, I'll be still driving my 43 year old car.
VWestlife also why you could walk in and get a brand new Toyota truck below 10k! No a/c no rear bumper, bench seat, no side view mirror. I wanna go back!!
Doug DeMurro has never reviewed the Beetle old or new. I loved the New Beetle. it was my favorite car. Quiet. fun and reliable. It was better than the original due to an automatic transmission and improved safety and comfort features. You never forget why you fall in love with it once you drive it.
Hey guys, thanks for stopping by. If you want to see more Beetle Diaries videos, check out the full playlist here: czcams.com/play/PL5K0kN-40ieaFA0rJxQw9Kjhs7j8hiuVF.html
TFLnow lol doug demuro parodies are so hilarious, very interesting stuff about this car
You forgot to mention being 6'4" when climbing into the back seat.
gotta Love the way Doug does his review though.
I used to own a 1963 and 1973 Volkswagen Beetle and they were both great cars. I was also lucky to have a father who worked for Volkswagen and he owned a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle and was a mechanic and when I was 13 I rebuild my first Volkswagen engine back in 1973. These cars you kind of have to be a mechanic to maintain the car properly or at least know the owner's manual to know how far you can go with certain things so in regards to having your tire pressure for your spare tire up there for your windshield wiper that was something the owner need to maintain otherwise he or she will have no air in their tire in case they need it for a wheel change in case of a flat. My father's 1968 Beetle ran it up to 280,000 miles while my 1973 Beetle I had 200,000 miles on it. So compared to what my friends had I actually had the better car even though it was slower than theirs but it was the best car to ride around in the winter time or actually through any seasons. My family has traveled all over the USA on them with zero issues! In regards to running the heat in the car the heating system had to be maintained including making sure the channels in the chassis of the car was not rusted and that was hard to do sometimes but still it was something that had to be cleaned and maintained by the owner so the system will work properly. Still all in all I really enjoyed my years owning the VW Bug.
Thing that I notice with mine was that I always smiled when I drove it, it was a fun car.
Or own the spiral bound “Idiot Book” www.google.com/search?q=volkswagen+idiot+book&rlz=1C9BKJA_enMX736MX736&oq=volkswagen+idiot+book&aqs=chrome..69i57.21335j0j4&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=NUB928f-lfQbkM:
I own a 1972 beetle that has been sitting out on my grandparents property withering away so I dug it out of the ground and I’m fixing it right now and your videos are really helping me understand this car even if mine is a normal beetle!!! Thx!!!
I have fond memories of the Beetle as a child. Our Beetle was blue. My family, all five of us, would go grocery shopping and we all would fit with a ton of bags of groceries in our laps etc. We got it all home! Best car in the snow too!
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I agree that that rear engine car was a real snow mobile. I had a rear engine Simca that was great in snow also.
They were very good in snow, as long as you didn't try to take corners too fast. They were so light in the front, that they had a tendency to keep going straight after you turned the steering wheel. The rear-heavy weight distribution made for great traction, but questionable steering.
Great in the snow, but hell in the cold of Duluth, MN.
@@lloydwagner3709 you didnt get the optional gasoline powered heater? They were a real blow torch! A whiff of unpleasant gasoline odor when it fired up...but only for a few seconds.
Also in answer to your question. The reason beetles have running boards is... when Porsche made the original prototype it did not have those and mud and dirt splattered all over the back of the car. They are there to prevent the car getting as dirty.
That makes sense. I always assumed it was for shorter people to have access to a roof rack, given that's where you might have your big suitcase. Either that or an aesthetic that most cars had in that time period.
They are also handy to stand on when you have a roof rack and need to strap your shit to the rack :)
@Todd Norman.....Name a car with "external" fenders that *DOESN'T* have running boards.
You have a point there!
Todd's claim that the original prototype *DIDN'T* have running boards is bogus. In fact, let the record show that Dr Porsche first presented Hitler with a scale model which *DID* have running boards as seen in the following: warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/the-volkswagen-beetle/
When I was 16 my parents surprised me with my first car, a 1974 VW Superbeetle. This was in 1996 and this car was old even back then, built before I was born. This car was more like a best friend that was with me for years. She lasted me up through college and then sat in my parents garage until she was towed away in 2005. I sold her for pennies to a guy my family knew that gave her a full restore. No regrets, she did me well. She is living on and living the dream.
That is one beautiful story. I loved my VW.
I was 16 in 1987 and my first car was a 70 vw bug. This brought back some great memories.
i actually clicked on this thinking it was a doug video
They got me too
Same here
Yeah, it's a shameless ripoff, with a clickbait title. They're trying to capitalize by pretending to be someone who has more than 20x as many subscribers, (over 2 million) and whose videos regularly have over a million views compared to their 10-20k views. Scummy behavior, if you ask me - they should be ashamed.
I thought it was a crossover. lol
Got me too. Great parody in any case, and the big guy even managed to sound a bit like Doug. This did not disappoint at all.
Thank you for this video. I drove a beetle in Germany in the 60's. Came to Canada in 1970, did not know any American cars. Japanese cars were expensive and very few. So I bought a 1971 Beetle for $ 2000 and drove her for about 7 years. One thing you did not mention in the video, there was beside the break pedal a small device you had to turn it halfway and you had opened the supply line to a half gallon of gasoline to get you to the gas station. Another feature was a small engine in the front compartment which produced heat for the windshield for cold weather in Canada. Take care Chris from Toronto
I love the VW Beetle. It's one of my most favorite cars of all time! Heck it's the car that got me hooked on automobiles in the first place!
When I was 16 I bought my first car and it too was a Red 1971 Super Beetle.
Thanks for the blast from the past.
I was driving Beetles long before you guys were born. Great to see you enjoying one too!
Wow, that window handle brought back memories of my childhood. We drove from Germany to Austria for holidays, my father and mother in the front seats, 4 brothers and sisters in the back, and me and my sister in the hat storage compartment behind.
You didn't really need power windows in a bug. You could reach the right side handle from the drivers seat, sitting up straight (I could anyway, and I'm 5' 6". The rear windows didn't open, so you could adjust all the windows while driving. This was pretty useful, as most bugs didn't have air conditioning. Also, they were so light (especially in front) that there was no need for power steering or power brakes, which is good, because bugs didn't have either.
nope
I was the proud owner of a 1972 Beetle purchased new until 1980. It was so reliable and easy to maintain, and it took me to and from college and for years after. Thanks for bringing back the memories. I miss my vintage Beetle!
I just bought 1973 Super Beetle. I'm only 19 and I don't know too much about everything under the hood in my beetle. This video has helped a ton!!! Thank you!
Only thing missing is the relaxed fit clothing, and mandatory crew neck undershirt with a T-shirt.🤣
I love these cars. I miss my Beetle and my Karman Ghia. They were no nonsense, no frills transportation.
I have a 1966 VW beetle in very good shape,no rust with 40,000 actual miles.Love it!
A friend had a 67, had a heater didn’t work, the forearm was used clear the windshield. Would go anywhere in the snow, but was warmer to walk. I still love hearing them on the road,they make me smile.
Really funny watching millennials awkwardly discovering simple technology that was purpose designed. Spent a lot of time talking about the problem of a deflated tire due to using a washer but yet since the tire only needs to be at 20 lbs if it were filled to say 40lbs initially would last you quite a long time. Another amazing feature not even discussed is the fact that the engine can be removed in a mere 15 minutes by a skilled mechanic..show me any other vehicle that you could do that with.
Actually, you would also be removing the transmission, since it's a transaxle. The VW garages would do a swap with a re-built unit and you would be on your way in about 30minutes. How I miss THOSE days!!!!
@@TheOzthewiz actually sweet is correct. A friend and I put a 40 horse from a 65 into a 58 with perfect match with trans. Only thing that would not work was the sheet metal around front of engine. Takes a bit longer than 15 mins because of mounting bolts on top right side of engine to trans.
Nice job pointing your finger at millennials. Hah! Take that! ....
They can't even open the door like any normal human...
Im the generation right after millennials and im 18 driving a 72 beetle. Its the best car ive ever owned(ive owned a few).
Guys, that 91 Octane suggestion is from a time with different RON rating methods. 91 used to be the cheap gas, with 94, 98, and sometimes ~102 octanes as options; however with the rating rules changes 91 became 87, etc. You should be able to run 87 octane if you want to save some $$$.
Edit: we used to have RON ratings for octane levels, now we use CLC octane numbers which are [RON + MON]/2
RON = research octane number
MON = motor octane number
CLC = Cost of Living Council octane number; usually ~ 4 points lower than RON rating.
Hopefully "not understanding Octane ratings" was a joke at Doug's expense because that is the sort of thing he always gets wrong in his videos.
I don’t think they understand it too.
In 1973 I worked at a shell station
Regular 91. Octane
Mid grade 94 octane
Super Shell 97 octane
No lead was 89 octane I think. Only cars from 74 was to use no lead.
Agreed, I've run my '73 Super (quite similar to this one) and I initially used premium in it because I was told it's better. Was told I'd get better gas mileage, and it would run cooler. Got really tired of gas being at least 50 cents per gallon more. Kept track of fuel economy with different types over many fill-ups, and watched the (aftermarket) cylinder head temperature gauge, and determined with scientific confidence that it doesn't make the least bit of difference. Granted I'm at high altitude (5000'), which effectively lowers my compression somewhat, maybe it would matter more at sea level. But these guys are at the same altitude, in fact they live about 20 minutes from me, so same applies to them.
They didnt get it.....
I had this car, even had 4 of them. Red, navy Blue, yellow, and light blue. They were great little cars. Some people hated them, but that's because they weren't flashy.
I loved the solid feel of the doors closing.
As a former Beetle owner, I enjoyed your video. You did a good job explaining the characteristics of the vehicle. I would like to note one exception: The chrome tailpipes are not "exhaust tips". They are actually called "resonators" and are part of the muffling system. The resonators are baffled, which is why when they are removed from the vehicle the exhaust becomes quite loud.
GC Leonard Thanks for the info. That explains the difference between my VW and the appearance of the exhaust tips on my subsequent vehicles.
Greetings from South Africa. Interesting stuff. I was wondering what causes that iconic beetle churp sound before I found out that it is the resonators. My uncle (my mom's brother) had one briefly before he moved to New Zealand and the exhaust resonators made that iconic churp sound. However, some beetles, from what I've gathered in terms of sound, have resonators that don't make that iconic churp sound.
I'm "baffled" at this comment. Good info
There must have been at least 100 different companies that made aftermarket resonators for the VW, that you could buy for about 1/4 the price you would pay a vw dealer for genuine resonators. Same thing for mufflers. Basically those 2 exhaust pipes were just tubes packed with fiberglass and having a mesh cage to hold the fiberglass in place. People sometimes shoved them too far into the muffler. They was no stop inside the muffler to prevent them from going in too far. They weren't really, by themselves, resonators. What they were just exhaust pipe extenders that when installed, enabled the entire muffler plus exhaust pipe assembly to resonate at the frequencies they were designed to resonate at, as a unit.
Hmm, interesting info.
It was fun watching you guys talking about stuff that was very commonplace back in the day.
My first two cars have both been orange Beatles in the early to mid eighties. With one of them I drove from north of Germany, a town called Cuxhaven to the south of France, all along the coast and back home without any problems. The video brought back some memories...
This is a video for people born after 1970 or so. Some of the things you find a bit odd were common place in a lot of cars. The VW fenders came off with a handful of bolts and made "bodywork" a breeze. An average guy could lift the entire engine out by himself (200 lbs. or so) and do whatever work to it or replace it outright. If you replaced the radio with any sort of decent stereo and speakers the acoustics were incredible. People used to say it was because of the dome shape. The VW also had an innovative auto clutch on some models in which you still shifted gears but did not have a clutch to push in. Many cars never had a tach, people actually knew the nuances of driving back then. Of course, a sideview mirror on the passenger side is commonplace today but it was an extra on many cars, including American cars at that time. Believe it or not those cars were great in the snow, at least mine was. These were great cars that were inexpensive and also inexpensive to maintain.
Possumlove
Lol, yes you're right, these cars wold many times drive by 4X4's that were stuck in the snow. Thanks for that memory, lol.
about 8 inches ground clearance both front and rear on the beetle, at stock ride height. Awesome off road too for the same reason. And the rear end had a ton of traction.
@Boss_Man_T
Yeah, definitely kept some tools with me, lol.
@@JeromeHattKronen1664
Yessir..........
@Possumlove-While the gears were labeled "R-L-1-2," the forward gear ratios were the same as 2-3-4 in the manual, making "acceleration" a relative term (0-60 in 24.5 sec if I remember). Also, little known (I think) is that Automatic Stickshift bugs were among the first VWs to use CV joints instead of the swing-arm axles, meaning the rear wheels could could bounce up/down in a straight line compared to the arc of the standard earlier bugs (cf. revivaler.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/The-Volkswagen-12-jalopnik.com_.jpg)
I've been dreaming of a beetle ever since I was a kid. I've always loved the design, the sound of the engine and the charm of this car.
Bought my first with $500 down and $50 a month for 36 months.
Many years ago, I owned a Beetle which I acquired after it was already heavily used (I am not sure of the model year anymore, was it a '78?) It had a 1600cc engine and true, the windshield washers used the air pressure from the spare tire. Not wanting to get caught with a limp spare tire when the need came, I bought a third party washer which came with its own 12 V water motor. I loved that car. Reliable as hell. It was so easy to trouble shoot. I am sorry I sold it. I miss you, my faithful beetle.
I had a Beetle in college. Loved it. When the snow was deep, covering the car, brush it off the back intake, starts right up and runs. No AWD or 4 WD. Truly an automotive marvel for its time. Porsche 911S Targa I had reminded me a bit of the Beetle
FYI the VW beetle did not have unibody construction. The body was bolted to a floor pan frame which allowed for bolt on custom bodies like the beach buggy.
Your battery needs a plastic cap on the positive terminal! There is more than one couple whose Beetle went up in flames while engaging in, um, back-seat activities. Remember this horse-hair filling and those straps on the b-pillars?
I was once talking with the guys at NuVintage (another shop in the Denver area), they were telling stories of people setting bugs on fire with various misadventures involving drugs, alcohol, and sex. Drugs and alcohol made sense, but how do you set a car on fire with sex? They mentioned the battery location, and then it all made sense. The real question is how creative one must be in order to do such a thing in such a tiny back seat.
If you don't have any other place ...
It should have been mentioned that under the horse-hair there are metal springs, those zig-zagging ones, which are of course depressed if you sit on them. They are lacquer coated, alright, but that lacquer wears off if you bounce them onto a metal battery terminal often enough. And as the seat is connected to the body of the car and the body is the negative terminal ...
Go figure!
Oh, and the back-seat of a Beetle is pretty spacious, as correctly mentioned in the video
For a while growing up we always had a VW. Stepdad had a bug, mom bought a new '68 bay window bus. Not a huge VW fan, but have worked on and driven many. Oddly found the thing as one of my favorites for driving around.
michaelXXLF My 1973 beetle had a sliding plastic cover that was part of the battery itself, which shielded the positive terminal.
I COULDNT AGREE MORE.
Man, that brings back a lot of memories! My dad had a baby blue 76 super beetle, and every Friday he would try to load it up as best he could, with my sister and I are in the backseat and my parents in the front, there wasn’t much room for anything else, but that car just kept going and going and going. I was just a kid being born in 1968, but man did I ever love that car, I literally cried when my dad sold it! I think the most uncomfortable time was in the spring and autumn, Why?, Because that’s when we would have to take her a little 10 hp boat motor home with us from the cottage, if we left it there it will get stolen over the winter as they were always break-ins every single winter. I don’t know how my father did it, my sister is six years older than me, Ann with nearly 6 feet tall, then there was a 10 hp Vikings outboard motor between us in the backseat, with my poor mom in the front, and my father who is 6 foot two, sweating his ass off, and getting really impatient as my sister and I would fight the entire way there and back. It’s a wonder my dad didn’t have a heart attack!, But as a kid I didn’t care, I absolutely love it that car, and told my dad that I was going to take it when I was old enough to drive, but I never got the chance. I took the new beetle for a test drive, what a piece of shit, nothing can replace the original Beatles, and nothing ever will! My funniest memory was in the winter time, because first of all the cars had absolutely no heat whatsoever, and they won’t built very solid, I know this because the battery, which is located under the backseat, fell through the floor and onto the highway as I was sitting on the seat. I can remember hearing this big dog, looking back on the highway to see our battery in the middle of the highway, as the cars buttered to where very quick stop, and my father hurling obscenities, those were the good old days!
My first car was a 1965 Beetle. Drove it back and forth to college for three years, loved it!! It was the epitome of simplicity.
I remember burning my leg on a beetle's exhaust pipe when I was little... Nice memories 🤣
Corvair's were the same...lower tire pressure up front. Really helps settle down the front end and drives great when they're inflated properly.
If the gas tank was empty and no junk in the trunk I could lift the front off the ground, front tires didn't do much work. Total empty weight was only about 1600#s about half that of a toyota corolla today. No, I am not a gorilla.
My first car was a 1963 VW Beetle which I bought in 1974 for $250 running. It was such a fun car to drive. My friend had a 1966 which had some improvements on it. Both cars had 6V electrical systems, but his had emergency flashers and a center windshield outlet in addition to the two side outlets that mine had. The fuel gauge was directly connected to the float in the gas tank by a slender cable. It worked! Both of our cars had King Pin front suspension, rather than ball joints. These required grease and adjustment. My engine was a 1200 and his was a 1300. The washer fluid tank actually has a tire valve in it which you pressurized, not the spare tire which came later. Both cars had vent wing windows which were very effective. The rear engine location made the car better than most without air conditioning. I took my best friend to college in Buffalo from New York City, mounting his bicycle on the back with a bicycle rack that I still have today. I have fond memories of my Beetle. I later had a 1966 Westfalia camper which I also loved, but that's another story!
The octane rating is for what was sold as "regular" in Germany. When "regular" was phased out some years ago, the rating was 92. Today, the lowest ROZ available is 95, and it comes with either 5 % or 10 % Ethanol.
IMO the 1302S was the best all round beetle of this era. Flat screen, 1600cc, disc brakes and proper suspension. I've owned 2 and would gladly own another!
The US cars got the drum brakes upfront. I had to convert my '72 1302 to discs myself. Helped a lot!
Please, under the back seat, add a rubber cover for that battery terminals, it can produce a short circuit if the terminals hit the seat structure.
Very good video! Keep it up.
Patricio Andrés Lagos Garvía yup! My dad let me uncle borrow his beetle for a road trip and there were 2 “hefty” people in the back. Shorted the battery and the car caught on fire
Patricio Andrés Lagos Garvía that is so true!! I experienced that first hand when my fat friend sat in the back in 1983!! 😂
Me too!
Yep had the same , was cleaning the beetle and sat with my knee on the back seat.
3 seconds later the seat was on fire and the car was full of smoke, now Ive insulated the terminals.
Be carefull with it , its always my first tip to new bug people.
Yup, noticed that too! Get a person with some weight to them in that right rear seat and you'll short out the battery. DAMHIK!
This brings back a lot of memories, I was a little kid in the 70s and my grandfather had a couple of these Volkswagens, a 68 and a 71. I remember most of that stuff in the car, now I know what they were for, thanks for the video
My super beetle caught on fire in the school parking lot because there was no battery cover under the rear seat. Still didn’t stop it! Put the fire out and put a shoe over the terminals and drove away! It was a tank with no heat in the winter. Never got stuck but I had to scrape the windshield on the inside lol. Good times and loved that orange mini tank
Never step on the running board !
Rerenc Horvath, That's excellent advice!
Don't run on it either.
proper name would have been 'rusting board' ...
Even when I was a kid in the 70s, there was no reason to step on the running boards of a Beetle. We would assume it was there for aesthetic purposes to connect the front and rear fenders.
Yeah, they weren't real strong to begin with, and tended to be the first parts that rusted.
The running boards are there in order to help gain access to the roof mounted rack that held luggage or packages and tools as needed.
I have owned about 12 of them they are fun and easy to work on. Durable to a point just like anything else they have their problems but parts used to be cheap but not anymore. Unless you throw on some off brand after market parts. If you do then be ready to work on it again.
In 1988, my first car was a 1969 Beetle. Loved it!
Awesome video guys! So interesting to have an in-depth look at all the little design elements of this amazing car.
...There was no gas shortage in 1971....that was 3 years later....these was the best and most honest cars ever made...
Had one back in the day. Worked just fine then. It was a different world.
I had a 1963 Beetle from high school through college, Army, grad school, and career. What a car! I called it my 4 speed stick shift suitcase. It had its own quirks and I think I liked it better than the Super Beetle. The windshield washer tank was in the same place but it was charged directly by an air hose from the gas station, no spare tire assist. I could twist the nozzle a little bit and squirt water into the car next to me. I had a bermuda bell, air horn, and CB radio. I didn't like that it had a 6v battery. The "heater" had a twist knob that regulated how much "hot" air it would let through. It worked though. One night I was returning to Flagstaff from the Phoenix airport and was unconscously twisting the heater knob and the car stayed warm. The first reader board I saw in Flagstaff said the temp was -35. The only gauges were gas and speed and the gas gage was introduced a few years earlier. Before then, when you ran out of gas, you twisted a lever to switch to a spare tank and looked for a gas station. I figured a tank of gas (8 gal) took me about 250 miles. I figured it cost me $4.50 to drive from LA to Flagstaff. The bug got around well in the snow. When everybody put on chains, I didn't need them. When no one could get out, I'd put on chains and be good to go. It would go places an FWD couldn't go. Four people could carry it. The engine access door wasn't squared off at the bottom like a 1970 so sometimes I needed to pull on the rear bumper to open or close it. No big deal, that was just a VW thing. It was probably the best car I ever owned and wish I still had it.
When I was growing up my Father had two of these Volkswagen Beetles. One of them was a 1965 Beetle, the other was a 1972 Beetle. The biggest difference between the two was that the 1972 Beetle had substantially more power than the 1965 Beetle. Otherwise both of these cars were very basic transportation and economy cars.
Simple is better in terms of functional design; that was the success of this Volkswagon.
SO TRUE- SIMPLE IS BETTER. I THINK IN THAT DAY AND AGE WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES ALWAYS COMING OUT, A LOT OF PEOPLE FOUND IT A LOT EASIER TO OPERATE A SIMPLE VEHICLE.
My first was a 1962. and second was a 1966. The car was amazing in snow and mud and needed regular maintenance but was otherwise worry free. You had to have one to understand.
My Dad bought one of these as a commuter. I learned to drive in a Beetle; I was one of the few who could drive a manual tranny. My Mom used hate driving it and would always make me go shopping with her because she could never find reverse! Lots fond memories, great little car!
"horse-hair" isn't actually hair from a horse... it's coconut fiber.
Damn had to read a lot to find your comment man
dorks don't know a horse hair from a coconuts arse !
I was going to say that too, I don't know where that myth started, but when people told me that about my old VW, i just thought about it and it sounded so stupid, there aren't that many horses, and things that have horse hair are really expensive. Glad someone else caught that too.
As a former car seat engineer, I can tell you that it’s a combination of coconut, pig hair and rubber. That stuff is great. Stiff as heck but takes A LONG time to wear out.
“That just makes it worse”
Brake pads? You mean shoes, I'm sure!
no this beetle had disc brakes so pads
@@EslayerTM The 1971 North America Beetle had drum brakes only. Disc brakes weren't available in North American until the '95 Beetle - same year they finally dumped the generator for an alternator.
oh well then thanks for the brainbreakfast lol@@NVRAMboi
@@NVRAMboi I had a '69 Karmann Ghia that had disk brakes in front, drums in rear. My '63 and '68 Beetles had drums on all four.
@@NVRAMboi Like a lot of people in the comments, i'm no expert but I would think the beetle didn't use pads because it was light weight and never got fast enough to require any immediate braking, they probably started adding pads because it was a more predictable braking and safer and the drums required adjusting every so often.
I had a 71 Super Beetle 30+ years ago. I used the running board to wash the roof of the car. I found it VERY handy.
The tail pipes are called resonators. When the inner metallic mesh lining loosen they rattle making that chirping noise. You can stop that noise by crimping the tail pipe tips to stop the rattling or replacing them with new ones.
if your heater has gone cold in the front then you have leaks in the system somewhere
And exhaust fumes :D
Most common problem is the large foil tubes coming off the fan shroud and or the ones coming from heater boxes to pan tubes.
Yup. Also, it was a good idea to lube the flap mechanism in the heater box once in awhile, to prevent the flaps from sticking in one position, and then when you pulled on the cable, you pull it out of the little cylinder with a set screw in it that held the cable in place. Same kind of little cylinder that was used for the throttle cable.
there actually is a thermostat on the engine in front of the blower box that needs periodic adjustment, it takes about ten minutes to adjust. If it's too open it won't really warm up and too closed it will overheat. Plus you need to open a window for the heat to work, crack the wing windows. the front air is either on your feet or the defroster not both.
Ever since "The Love Bug" came out, i've always wanted a Beetle.
I bought a sweet tan 1968 model two weeks ago, and it brought a smile to my face when I discovered the battery by accident as I was exploring the rear seat and how to fold it.
My Dad had two beattles during the late 60's (one beige and a red one that had a sunroof). One time he drove through a river with them and water never came inside the cabin. THE CARS PRACTICALLY FLOATED ACROSS it!
My grandma had one havent seen it it was in 1967 or something im from 2001, hope it drives still because i would like to buy it 😫
Hey, I'm an old guy still wanting an old beetle. You guys are very funny. Great video... Thanks
This review is so well done, and fair! My '71 Superbeetle was great. Not perfect, but great. It had after market air conditioning that pulled a lot of power from the motor. I put 265 thousand miles on that little yellow VW over 14 years, had it painted once. Never broke down, but the light front end was very sensitive to wheel imperfections and balancing issues. It would cruise all day at 75 mph. With snow tires on the rear, it would pass many other vehicles in deep snow. I always used radial tires, and they were great. It was so easy and fun to drive, and it was really neat to know that it was reliable. The brakes had two separate masters and slave systems for diagonally opposed wheels, front and rear, so that if one set failed, the light would come on, but the brakes were still operable enough to stop the car relatively safely. But that never happened over my 14 years. It was not a quiet car, not a cushy ride, but I rarely had any passengers, since it was my commuter for work and town errands only. Longer drives were comfortable enough as well! I loved that little car as much as any I have owned, and I have had all the new luxury/sport modern cars that I have wanted. There was just something great about such a personal, simple little car, even with all the quirks. Changing oil required a little time, but you did not have to deal with paper cartridge style oil filters. Driving in cold weather, it usually took about ten minutes for the forced air heat to come from the exhaust manifold....but when it did warm up, it would warm up the little cabin enough to bake bread if you did not adjust it down a little. I remember the car with positive sentiment, because it was the first and only "beater car" that I ever owned, and it was reliable and predictable. I do remember the voltage regulator under the rear seat, however, that needed replacement twice over the 14 years...and that was until I found a Bosch, a quality item, and never had to deal with that issue again. The beep of the little horn was indeed more like a "mmmeep", and useless, essentially. It was trying to yell with your mouth shut and blowing up your cheeks...There is just something about the Beetle that was special, and you guys are right - you either loved it or hated it. I might buy a 71 Superbeetle now and restore it just for s and g's.
Mine was a 1967 and I drove it for 15 years and 155,000 miles. Had just replaced the clutch for the first time when I sold it. 34 mpg on the interstate. Loved that car. Moved up to a 1982 Jetta which turned out to be a major lemon.
Felix is such an amazing Beetle, damn you lucked out finding one that nice.
This was such a fun "review" to watch. It was really neat seeing all the quirks & features of a beetle pointed out.
Please cover the terminals on your battery.
Mitchell Harden if you "do it" in the back seat there WILL be FireWorks
yes please had super cringe when saw it uncovered thats one way to heat up the back seat lol..
If you don't cover the terminals and someone is sitting in the back seat, the back seat can catch fire when the springs touch the terminals!
oh yes, i too have experienced the dreaded vdub hotseat
When I was 4, in 1965, and, luckily, wearing a snow suit, I felt a sharp impact on my leg and heard a huge bang from under the seat (which, in a '57, had an open frame). By the time I arrived at school, the car smelled like rotten eggs and during recess, I noticed that it was still in the parking lot. Who knows how I'd have fared if I'd been wearing shorts, but the car was back on the road with a new battery the next day. The same thing happened 15 years later to my 1973 Cadillac, but of course it was less obvious from inside the car. I think today's batteries, with bladders to contain the hydrogen, are less prone to that sort of explosion.
i had a few beetles. 1964, 1967, a couple of van/busses too. I could swop a bus or bug engine in 20 minutes. In my driveway. 4 bolts, 1 fuel line, 1 wire to the auto choke and it was out. Reverse to put it in. Jack up the car, slide the engine under, lower the car and connect the wire and fuel line, put in the bolts and she started right up. Loved those cars ! I own a 1967 now and it is all customized . Lowered, chopped, stretched, and very cool to see and to drive.
The frame having a built-in tube for the jackstand was so awesome because it allowed high confidence of it not slipping off the car should a small shift occur while jacking it.
It is the European version of Ford Model T, and did the same thing. It was a cheap but reliable car and now everyone could own a car in Europe as well.
Look for translation of word Volkswagen. Look at who ordered the production. The first import I think was in 49, they brought in 2.
I adored my Beetle. I wish I still owned one.
One endearing feature of the Beetle was that the windscreen washer did not use an electric pump but was pressurized from the spare tyre. A little water hose ran into the dashboard and then simply clamped shut until it was used. It runs very close to and above of the fuse box.
We had hours of fun working out why the high beam was on even with the ignition key removed only to find out the hose had split, water leaked into the fuse box and shorted the high beam lights to permanently on.
I had a 1971 Beetle, the same color.
They called in "Shantung Gold".
I never tired of the color.
I hope this series never ends!! #bugforlife
I've had 4 bugs, good cars. A little temperamental but they always got me home. The original parts that came from Germany are the best. Hard to keep them running on the cheap reproduction crap everywhere.
Oh and by the way... Most drum brakes adjusted the same back then and drum brakes have shoes, not pads. The rear engine gave the car amazing traction and it would go through more snow than any other car I have ever driven.
Thanks guys for the great vid. In the 70s my dad was a body & fender man at the local VW dealership in Bakersfield & we all had VWs of varying years & models cause dad would buy wrecked ones from the insurance companies & rebuild them at our garage at home. One bad thing about the VW Beetles was the clutch & accelerator were controlled by steel cables. So you always carried extra ones with you in the trunk.
I'll take those steel throttle cables over computer driven throttle motors any day. I learned a hard lesson one day when my computer controlled engine tried to wreck me.
I literally just bought a 1971 Super Beetle like that two weeks ago, its just awesome Lol
For some strange reason I want a Beetle, I always liked it
I got one about two months ago, Not a super, but 1971 beetle convertible. Its in the show now, hoping to get a couple rides out of it before the fall.
Dan, if it is a 1971 convertible, it has to be a super beetle. They did not make regular beetle convertibles in 1971. Very last year of a standard beetle convertible was 1970.
A few tips for the beetle! GET THAT FUEL FILTER OUT OF THE ENGINE BAY!!!!! Move it under the car near the transmission or under the gas tank. And, don’t lock the engine when you’re driving. If you have a fire, you won’t be able to lift the engine lid to put it out!
C P. My 1973 beetle didn't have a lock on the engine compartment. Maybe volkswagen removed it for this reason?
Tubmaster 5000 I own a 75 and mine didn’t come with a locking engine deck lid. It can be added after if you want.
The cars did not come with engine compartment locks. You could buy a lock as an accessory. Both VW and aftermarket companies made them.
Mike Faix it’s a protection against a possible fuel leak and fire. Some filters are glass and the vibrations of the engine can cause it to shatter and spill gas on any number of places including the coil and distributor. Beetles are getting old and a lot of fuel lines are dry rotted and brittle and doesn’t take much for a fuel leak. Imagine having a fuel leak on the distributor. You might not be able to get the fire out
@Mike Faix- By far the best option is maintain in a timely fashion whatever needs to be maintained and fuel lines just happen to be one.
Always use a fuel filter, independently of the location you end up choosing.
Always check and replace fuel lines if/when needed.
ALWAYS use clamps in the fuel line connections.
Even if the rubber gets brittle it won´t pop of right away. Worm screw type clamps are my preference, over "spring" versions. ;-)
Had several air cooled VW´s and maintained several others. All had the filter in the "wrong" place. Never had any hint of fire or issues with the fuel lines/filters.
Checking fuel lines, should be a second nature when the engine compartment is open. Like for checking oil or anything else for that matter.
Takes a few seconds only. ;-)
Cheers.
My grandad had a several beetles in his lift time. I remember being in my grandad beloved beetles when I was a child. I'd so love to have one in his memory.
There in my VW I felt safest of all. I could lock all my doors.
My uncle daily drove his super beetle up untill about 5 years ago, I loved that car and will buy one for myself one day.
Bug is the kind of guy who buys his pants at the Caldor
Bug the guy who wears Dri Fit socks over Gold Toe socks
...and while there 'buys everything except what he was trying to buy in the first place"...
it was my first car, I bought a 68 in 76 for $250, ran great, got me around, sure beat a Pinto or Vega!
I had a 1957 Beetle. I bought it in Saarbrucken in 1957. I paid about $1,100 dollars. I was in the army stationed at the Landstuhl Medical base in W. Germany. I had been saving money since joining the army in 1954. This was about May of 1957. Saarbrucken had special status at this time. It was controlled by France. I wanted a VW and I would have had a wait if I wanted one in Germany proper. I had heard you could get a VW within a short time in Saarbrucken by paying about $75 dollars more than in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Within two weeks I was on a 3,000 mile trip to the Alps,Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France and back to Germany. I had special coupons (from the us military) to buy gas real cheap along the way. Met a family from the Netherlands while camping in Vienna and took a couple trips to Holland after the long trip. I was very fortunate that the military would ship your vehicle back to the US for free. I then started college and kept the VW for another year. It was basic. Nothing extra. Not even a gas gauge. It had a small back up tank which you switched to when the main tank went out. You had better find a gas station before the back up tank ran out. You could drive at 65 all day with this tiny engine. No heater. Great little first car. I now have a Toyota Corolla which passed the Beetle as the most popular car ever.
The Beetle (and 356) isn't *exactly* a unibody; it's more like a body-on-frame layout but the floor is part of the frame. That's why it's the go-to basis for kit cars, it's really easy to rebody one.
Yes,Herr Porsche copied both the chassis design and engine from Ledwinka at Tatra. Famously saying that he "looked over Ledwinkas shoulder"
Myth. The entire similarity starts and ends with "air cooled, rear engined". Doesn't share any more than that. Might as well also compare dozens of other cars.
@@kyle8952 Ahh! Your "myth" would explain why VW paid damages out of court for infringing on the design patents? Which had more to do with chassis, suspension and gearbox/engine design.
omg I can't believe u guys did this LOL
Whenever I see a bug with ashtrays I can only imagine:
It's a family road trip and the kids are being routy
Dad eventually gets tired, shoves his hand back and say "here kids, it's gonna be a long trip without these"
You here the ashtrays pop open, the kids are calmer, and Dad is happy...
My dad has a 70 Beetle he bought from a German who moved to Charleston SC to work at the new Bosch plant. I wrecked it 1 month after I got my license. He bought a new one from the VW dealer for less than $1,700. I have had two 70s Beetles, a Passat, and a Jetta. Great cars.
13:38 "If I had the right tool, I could start jackin' with an extension."