VW owners

[pflaming]

Who has once or now, owned a VW? I have owned four (4). Three bugs and one Ghia. . 

[Eneto-55]

During the last years we lived in Brazil, we owned a 1984 VW Voyage 4 door (the Fox here in the States).  An alcoholic (burned straight alcohol).

[Merle Coggins]

My wife's car is a VW Tiguan.

[hi_volt]

I've owned quite a few over the past 46 years.  Right now, I have a 61 Bus (Camper), a 71 Bus (Bay window Kombi) and a 76 Beetle.  In the past, I've owned the following, in chronological order:

 

1969 Type 3 Fastback

1976 Beetle (purchased brand new in '76)

1962 Splitty Bus

1961 Splitty Bus

1971 Bay Window Bus

1965 Splitty Bus

1964 Type 34 Ghia

1974 Karmann Ghia

1976 Beetle (a different one)

1968 Type 3 Fastback

1961 Splitty Bus (a different one....this is the camper I still own).

1965 Type 34 Ghia

2000 New Beetle

1974 Karmann Ghia (a different one)

1966 Type 3 Fastback

1971 Bus (a different one.  I still have it)

1976 Beetle (my third one....I still have this one too)

 

I think that's all of them.

Edited February 28, 2020 by hi_volt

[RobertKB]

I owned a 2003 Passat for a few years. Used but low miler and had very few problems with it.

[greg g]

Three rabbits, 1 Scirroco, and a Jetta wagon.

[busycoupe]

'66, '71, '74, '79 busses as well as a '66 fastback and '66 squareback.  

[DonaldSmith]

19?? bug, $600.  I drove it for maybe half a year.  I don't remember driving it in the show.  Should have been great traction, with a rear engine.  The steering started working hard when I was driving on a serpentine section of road.  Lubed the kingpins and it was better.   Added a 12 v aux battery, for a CB.  (Remember those?) 

 

1973 bus.  Automatic transmission.  Would not drive up portable ramps.  Fuel starvation on a sharp turn; added an electric fuel pump.  Bounced it off the rail on an icy bridge;  bus was in drive, wheels kept moving when I hit the ice.   Steering column pivoted forward, but still broke my breastbone.  Couldn't breathe for what seemed an eternity, and I feared that was where I was headed.  Ambulance came for me, but I insisted on disconnecting the battery first, since the steering column sheared off the ignition key, and the fuel pump was still powered.    Bus totaled, bought 1976 Fury wagon, POS.  After the bridge episode, i practiced bumping the transmission lever into Neutral when anticipating slippery conditions.  

 

197? rabbit.  Decent design idea, front wheel drive, good traction in the snow.  Leak at the antenna rusted the brake line running along the floor.  Headed for the grass beside the road.  Fixed the brakes, and the kids drove it for a while. 

 

[Dan Hiebert]

Four of us GIs bought into a '66 square back pool car when I was in the Army in West Germany in 1980.  I ended up doing most of the work on it, but the least driving so I sold my share before my tour was up.  I bought a new 2013 Beetle and drove it for a couple years, really liked the car but decided it was not a good principle driver (for me, anyway) for northern Maine once we moved here.  Now I have a '70 Beetle that we bought four years ago that I use for my summer driver and to have something other than the D24 or Terraplane to tinker with. 

[Frank Elder]

73 bus, no problems with fuel or transmission but the throttle cable liked to stretch robbing the bus of what little power it had in the first place, so I installed a solid rod bell crank system and that problem was solved. No heat in the winter, stupid air cooled engine.

 

Edited March 2, 2020 by Frank Elder

[plymouthcranbrook]

Owned a 61 Beetle for a short time in the early 70’s.  In the winter so cold as bleep anytime it was below freezing.  Took it in trade from my brother for some other car that I don’t remember.  Pretty much a junk and I sold it for $75 and thought myself ahead.

[keithb7]

I owned and drove a 1968 Beatle in about 1991. Wish I kept it. I don't even have 1 photo of it.  Seems like it might be a fun future project some day perhaps.

[greg g]

That antenna leak got me an early rabbit for 150 bucks.  Owner said it was out of brakes and two places quoted him near a grand to fix it. When I opened the door to look at it, I got a very strong oder of brake fluid and I noticed the carpet was wet. So I bought it, topped up the mc, drove it home and fixed it for the cost of a new section of brake line.  So under 2 bucks and a bout 20 minutes time. I drove for a daily driver four 4 years and used it as an ice racing car for three of them.  On our last race weekend, there was a lot of water on the ice and it sucked up some water and hydro locked.  I was able to get it restarted after pulling the plugs, but it must have bent a rod as there was a knocking when I drove it home.  I subsequently sold it for parts for 200 bucks.  That turned out to be number two on my list of car deals.  Number one was buying my 46 coupe for 200 bucks.  I believe over my 50 years of ownership it has appreciated a good bit.  Time will tell.  That leak in Rabbits and Golfs rendered a lot of vws inoperative and  junked early with corroded fuse boxes another cheap fix if you were aware of it.

Edited March 1, 2020 by greg g

[Ulu]

Just the one '66 Type 3 fastback. This was my hobby car and I hopped it up with 1700+cc kit and dual (Brazilian) Webers. Basket O' snakes in back. Bosch 009 distributor, reground cam, dual external oil coolers and spin-on filter. I converted to 12v and put 5 speakers in it.

It was fast enough but used to overheat in summer and burn up the charging system. I sold it and bought a brand new Subaru 1600cc which was a fabulous little car. Never gave any trouble at all. Not as fast as some similar Japanese cars, but the #1 in JB Powers, 1981, beating out the M Benz in reliability. Fantastic traction in the snow.

 

The engine and trans looked 99% like a VW, turned backwards, and mounted in the front. Except it was water cooled.

 

[Ulu]

16 minutes ago, greg g said:

 . . . a lot of vws inoperative and  junked early with corroded fuse boxes . . .

All air cooled VWs had crappy fuse arrangements. I put a regular Buss fuse block in mine. First mod I always recommend.

[Dodgeed]

Had a 76 Rabbit in the late 70's & early 80's. Great little car w/lots of pep. 

[plymouthcranbrook]

And then there was Karmen Ghia that my brother had in college. On the way from north of Chicago to southern Il. he had to turn back because he had to fill the gas tank twice before he got south of the city. And of course our Mother prevailed upon me to let him use one of my cars for the trip. So, although not technically mine I ended up with it for three months. Had to pull the gas tank and basically coat the entire thing with fiberglass.  Holes everywhere.  I did not drive it to much as I had experienced his cars before and did not want to have to fix anything else.  Poor College Student.

[Frank Elder]

Forgot about my 81 1.5 liter 3 cylinder Rabbit.......I loved that car!

[plymouthcranbrook]

14 hours ago, Frank Elder said:

Forgot about my 81 1.5 liter 3 cylinder Rabbit.......I loved that car!

Rabbits had a three cylinder?  Never new that.

[Frank Elder]

1 hour ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

Rabbits had a three cylinder?  Never new that.

Everything I said was so wrong.......1.6 liter 4 cylinder so sorry.....still loved the car.

[plymouthcranbrook]

On 3/2/2020 at 11:13 AM, Frank Elder said:

Everything I said was so wrong.......1.6 liter 4 cylinder so sorry.....still loved the car.

I drove a diesel Rabbit for work in the late 70’s and remembered it a a four but with the many engine variations over the last 30 years or so(think Geo Metro 3 cylinder for one) I thought maybe I had forgotten about a smaller Rabbit engine.  Good to know at least some of my memory still works a little.

[P15-D24]

Had a 66 bug, got it for $300 cause it was "dead". Presale check out revealed a dead coil. Drove it for years around town. 

Back in those days, 1975, you had to put on a NOX device under the carb to pass smog. Made the car run like crap.First thing after getting your smog sticker was to remove the NOX device till next year.