Volkswagon Mechanics Talk To Me

[Keith Outten]

I recently acquired this 1967 VW dune buggy knowing that it would be a bit of a project before I could get it on the road. It runs good just needs a tune up but I will need to replace some parts here and there to get it where it needs to be. Most of the parts are on order, new brake shoes, stuff for the shifting linkage, engine tune up parts and a couple new high back seats. The original fuse box needs to be updated and the wiring is a mess, some lights work and some don't :)

Once the mechanical work is done it needs a new paint job and interior which I will farm out to local shops.

475351

I owned a 1966 Beetle, a 1972 Beetle and a VW van in the past so I have some minor experience working on Volkswagon's but it has been many decades ago.
Friendly advice is welcome! I have questions...

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Keith, That is going to be fun! We have lots of experience riding in and learning to drive in VWs. Doreen's family had, Beetles, A Square Back and a Karman Giah. We had Karman Gihas and Beetles. I Learned how to fix stripped spark plug threads with a Heli Coil and to replace the clutch. My brother is a crack VW mechanic and still has some sleepers. I have been looking (dreaming) at the kits from Scotland for converting Beetles and Karman Gihas to electric.

[Cory Newman]

Fun - just sold mine a few years ago. I miss it terribly. Was a complete basket case when I got it, but after restoring it, took first at the TX VW Classic once. Put a 2276 in it. Sold it when the kids started doing wheel stands in the high school parking lot with it.

[Jack Frederick]

In an impetuous moment I cut 100% of the old wiring out of a ‘72 BMW 2002. Impetuous is the best I can give myself on this as all the other descriptions, well, you know. Anyway. If a wire wasn’t cracked when I grabbed it it was when I let it go. Once it was all out I took a wiring diagram to kingco and had a 3x4’ blow-up on the garage wall and went at it. I bought wire and a “Painless Precision” (it wasn’t)modern fuse panel from Summit to run things. The new wire was very nice to work with and the job turned out well, but it took the whole winter to finish it, but it was winter and I couldn’t drive it anyway. Make sure you source good connectors prior to starting. I had a problem tracking them down. I learned a lot and the car was reliable electrically and I got a lot of ooo’s and aaah’s at the car shows.

[Jim Koepke]

Friendly advice is welcome! I have questions...

The hardest question to answer is the one that isn't asked.

My VW experience was years ago, a few bugs, a few busses and a fast back. Helped a lot of friends fix or maintain theirs.

Got tired of changing the oil and adjusting the valves all the time.

Everyone thought I was crazy with my 1957 buss with the 40 horse engine. They all told me it would only get 30,000 miles before having to replace thee engine. It got over 70,000 before the speedo cable broke and went another year or two before selling it. It was always driven gently and was serviced regularly.

The guy it was sold to didn't take care of it and killed it within a couple months.

Everyone else tried driving them like a race car or a V8 truck and blew their engines with low miles.

jtk

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I can build a VW blindfolded with one hand tied behind my back. What do ya need to know?

[Rich Riddle]

I have a Ghia and owned several bugs. The book you want is "How to keep your Volkswagen alive" by John Muir. He was an engineer/hippie and it's the best book to help you in any endeavor.

[Jim Becker]

I can build a VW blindfolded with one hand tied behind my back. What do ya need to know?


Oooh...and you're nearly local to Keith, too. :) Sounds like a good opportunity to commiserate in person. :) :D

[Allan Dozier]

Just took my 78 convertible beetle for a spin. Mine is all original except I replaced the front drums with discs. They are fairly easy to work on but adjust the valves before you do any other work on it. You definitely need two books: the Muir book and the Bentley manual (the blue one). And join us on the samba forum, there are folks with incredible knowledge on there.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Just took my 78 convertible beetle for a spin. Mine is all original except I replaced the front drums with discs. They are fairly easy to work on but adjust the valves before you do any other work on it. You definitely need two books: the Muir book and the Bentley manual (the blue one). And join us on the samba forum, there are folks with incredible knowledge on there.To adjust valves on my beetle, I used to back it up on ramps, using fan belt for a lifting loop, lower engine out the bottom. Then pick it up (by myself) and place it on a work bench to adjust valves.

[Jim Koepke]

To adjust valves on my beetle, I used to back it up on ramps, using fan belt for a lifting loop, lower engine out the bottom. Then pick it up (by myself) and place it on a work bench to adjust valves.

That sounds like a lot of work for a job that usually took me about 15 minutes.

jtk

[Keith Outten]

I suspected that there would be plenty of VW expertise here, its good to know I don't have to go elsewhere for advice.

1) I recently viewed a video that had very bad reviews of the EMPI disc brake upgrade. It seems that there is about 30 thousands of flex in their casting. I have just about decided to replace the brake shoes rather then to do the disc upgrade. What I have found is the the front end of the car is so light it doesn't make a lot of sense to change the front to disc brakes even though almost all cars rely on front wheel braking the most. If I decided to upgrade the rear brakes to discs I am not sure how that will affect the master cylinder or if it needs to be replaced. I have not determined if I should replace all of the flexible brake lines yet.

2) I would like to replace the existing fuse box. The old style ceramic fuses are probably ok but it seems to me that the new style fuses are more reliable. I found a new style replacement fuse box at CarolinaDuneBuggies but it is listed for $123.00 which seems a bit expensive. I expect I could cruise the junk yards here and fine a suitable fuse box pretty cheap from just about any model car or truck. I haven't been in a junk yard for decades so I don't know what to expect these days :)

3) the rear shocks are currently air shocks. They seem to be holding pressure ok but at higher pressures they raise the back end and force the wheels to turn in at the bottom. I won't know any more about the suspension until I get the car in the shop on a lift and remove the wheels so I can get a better look. I'm pretty sure that there will be suspension parts that will need to be replaced. More later when I get more information.

4) I ordered am EMPI shifter, its a clone of the orginal Hurst shifter I had in my 66 Beetle. I am waiting on the parts to replace the rear shift coupler and I already have the front (Heavy Duty) bushing kit replacement in hand. This should totally tighten up the shifting issue.

More later with pictures as I move forward and incorporate your comments/advise.

[Allan Dozier]

Just my opinion but changing the rear drum brakes to discs is overkill. Plus if you stay with drums there you don't have to change parking brake. Supposedly if you change to discs just in front you can keep the same master cylinder. However, I needed to replace my MC so I went with the larger one. I think even though the front end is light the weight shift when braking still is very biased to the front. Having said all that, the original drum brakes are plenty adequate for about town driving especially in flat geography.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Just my opinion but changing the rear drum brakes to discs is overkill. Plus if you stay with drums there you don't have to change parking brake. ...

Channel surfing, I saw a recent auto fix-it network show on upgrading to discs. They used new rear disc that preserves the parking brake function (a mini drum machined in the hub of the rotor?). Presentation of this feature was 3-5sec long, so details are sketchy - but they exist.

[Kris Cook]

Keith - that looks like a lot of fun. Curious in '67 if the MC is single or dual-circuit. Might be something to consider if single-circuit. I don't think the modification would be that hard.

[Jim Koepke]

I would like to replace the existing fuse box. The old style ceramic fuses are probably ok but it seems to me that the new style fuses are more reliable.

Funny story about this with my '57 bus. A previous owner changed the tail lights and wired up a single center brake light. This was legal in California for vehicles built in 1957 or earlier. There was also a wiring problem the would occasionally blow the brake light fuse. A few times police would pull me over for having no brake lights. After explaining this was a 1957 and the law only required one they would want to check. I kept a lot of spare fuses under the dash and could replace the blown one with out looking faster than they could walk to the back of the bus. They would come back, shake their heads and suggest something should be done about getting more brake lights in the back but never cited me for it.

This happened 3 or 4 times before finding the bad spot in the wire.


I ordered am EMPI shifter, its a clone of the orginal Hurst shifter I had in my 66 Beetle. I am waiting on the parts to replace the rear shift coupler and I already have the front (Heavy Duty) bushing kit replacement in hand. This should totally tighten up the shifting issue.

Back in the day you would occasionally see an ad for a VW with a note like BC 2nd. It stood for Bungie Cord 2nd gear meaning it came with a bungie cord to hold it into 2nd gear because the transmission or something was worn. Without the bungie cord it would pop out of second climbing a hill.

jtk

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Replies embedded below


I suspected that there would be plenty of VW expertise here, its good to know I don't have to go elsewhere for advice.

1) I recently viewed a video that had very bad reviews of the EMPI disc brake upgrade. It seems that there is about 30 thousands of flex in their casting. I have just about decided to replace the brake shoes rather then to do the disc upgrade. What I have found is the the front end of the car is so light it doesn't make a lot of sense to change the front to disc brakes even though almost all cars rely on front wheel braking the most. If I decided to upgrade the rear brakes to discs I am not sure how that will affect the master cylinder or if it needs to be replaced. I have not determined if I should replace all of the flexible brake lines yet.

Empi makes mostly junk. The later model bugs had a dual reservoir master cylinder. You want that one. A good kit will come with one, but not always. Check with CB Performance- I think they have a higher quality disc brake kit, but it has been a while. The front is lighter, but it still takes the brunt of the force when stopping. I would go discs up front first.

2) I would like to replace the existing fuse box. The old style ceramic fuses are probably ok but it seems to me that the new style fuses are more reliable. I found a new style replacement fuse box at CarolinaDuneBuggies but it is listed for $123.00 which seems a bit expensive. I expect I could cruise the junk yards here and fine a suitable fuse box pretty cheap from just about any model car or truck. I haven't been in a junk yard for decades so I don't know what to expect these days :)

You can get complete wiring kits fairly cheap. $123 isn’t bad for a fuse box, but make sure it’s got plenty of fuses. A lot of the dune buggy stuff only has the basics and you might want extra fuses for lighting, stereo, etc.

3) the rear shocks are currently air shocks. They seem to be holding pressure ok but at higher pressures they raise the back end and force the wheels to turn in at the bottom. I won't know any more about the suspension until I get the car in the shop on a lift and remove the wheels so I can get a better look. I'm pretty sure that there will be suspension parts that will need to be replaced. More later when I get more information.

Sounds like you have a ‘67 or earlier frame with the swing axle. ‘68 and later had IRS rear. ‘68 had King Pin front and IRS rear, then ‘69 and up they went to ball joint fronts. The ideal setup is the ‘68, but for just the rear suspension ‘68 and later.

4) I ordered am EMPI shifter, its a clone of the orginal Hurst shifter I had in my 66 Beetle. I am waiting on the parts to replace the rear shift coupler and I already have the front (Heavy Duty) bushing kit replacement in hand. This should totally tighten up the shifting issue.

You can also get a short throw shift kit which has a different bushing- as long as you are changing it out.


More later with pictures as I move forward and incorporate your comments/advise.

[Keith Outten]

I think your right Allen, given that the area where I live is flatland and the buggy is much lighter with the steel body removed the existing drum brakes should be more then adequate.

Malcolm, I will see if I can find out about the new disc brake but I am pretty sure that the drum brakes will be fine and less expensive.

Kris, I think the master cylinder is a single-circuit. Your right about an upgrade being worth the time and expense though for safety reasons. I will be most likely be replacing all of the flex hose anyway so the whole brake system purge will be necessary. I bought a hand style vacuum pump to bleed the system, have never used one though. My experience has always been to use a friend to pump the brake pedal when bleeding the brakes.

Anyone have a ball park guess what a new paint job and new interior will cost me?

[Kris Cook]

I bought a hand style vacuum pump to bleed the system, have never used one though. My experience has always been to use a friend to pump the brake pedal when bleeding the brakes.


I have one of these and it works great. Makes it a one-man job.

[Bill Dufour]

My BIL. 74? super beattle had a tire powered windshield squirter. I found a rabbit windshield wiper switch with squirter switch was an easy replacement.
Bill D

[Keith Outten]

Thanks for the comments, gives me more to think about.

I remember the windshield washers powered by air from the spare tire :)

Malcolm, its definately a 1967 type 1 Beetle 2 door sedan. The vehicle identification number on the title matches the frame stamp, had to verify the numbers to get my new Virginia title. I found out that in Virginia you cannot register a dune buggy that was built on a custom frame. The machine has to have a manufacturers vin or you cannot get license plates or a state title.

Jackie just called me to let me know the new seats are on the front porch :)

[Keith Outten]

I would appreciate anyone sharing links or information you have about vendors/suppliers. I have found a few but I doubt at this point I have been able to find the best and most reliable manufacturers or those who provide the most valuable information.

BTW the seats were delivered yesterday and I think they will be perfect for the new buggy. I will share pictures as soon as I move them to the shop. I still have a welder/generator in my working bay of the shop that won't start and a couple small sign jobs to finish before the buggy rolls inside.

[Keith Outten]

Pulled the dune buggy into my shop yesterday and got the front end up on a set of stands. Started by pulling the right front wheel so I can start replacing the brake pads, bearings and seals. I couldn't find the hole to loosen the brake pads to get the drum off of the spindle, but it was just loose enough to wiggle and remove. Turns out that there are custom adapters to adapt the VW studs to chevy style rims. They are bolted to the front of the VW drum and cover the brake adjusting hole that is for some reason on the front of the drum not the back. My half inch air impact will not remove the five bolts connecting the adapters so I will be fighting this battle in just a few minutes.

I still have some parts on order for the brake rebuild and a new brake fluid reservoir on order, turns out that the reservoir has a crack in it just above the lower fluid level. Some knucklehead mounted the reservoir in the wheel well instead of under the front cover, can't say hood because there isn't one. I will have to build a metal bracket to mount the reservoir under the covered area and move it, another nasty chore since there is not any easy access to this area.

And so the adventure begins :)

[Jim Koepke]

brake adjusting hole that is for some reason on the front of the drum not the back.

It was a lot easier and safer to adjust the brakes that way since a person didn't have to crawl under the car while it was up on the original jack that came with VWs.

jtk

[Michael Cuthriell]

How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Complete IdiotThis book is updated and still available and covers anything you would ever need. My experiences with VW air cooled engines is that oil changes and valve adjustments are most important. Regular spark plug changes as well and coating the plug threads with anti seize keeps you from getting a stuck plug, especially in the #3 cylinder which seems to run the hottest.

[Jim Koepke]

the #3 cylinder which seems to run the hottest.

My recollection is the oil cooler is mounted right above the #3 cylinder and lessened the flow of cooling air available to the #3 cylinder.

jtk

[Curt Harms]

The hardest question to answer is the one that isn't asked.

My VW experience was years ago, a few bugs, a few busses and a fast back. Helped a lot of friends fix or maintain theirs.

Got tired of changing the oil and adjusting the valves all the time.

Everyone thought I was crazy with my 1957 buss with the 40 horse engine. They all told me it would only get 30,000 miles before having to replace thee engine. It got over 70,000 before the speedo cable broke and went another year or two before selling it. It was always driven gently and was serviced regularly.

The guy it was sold to didn't take care of it and killed it within a couple months.

Everyone else tried driving them like a race car or a V8 truck and blew their engines with low miles.

jtk

I had one in high school. A guy who seemed pretty up to speed on VWs recommended about a cup of heating oil or diesel fuel per tank of gas. He claimed that European gasoline had better lubricating properties (less refined?) than U.S. gas. I guess it was supposed to be better for the intake valve train. It didn't seem to do any harm. Do you know anything about that?

[Jim Koepke]

I had one in high school. A guy who seemed pretty up to speed on VWs recommended about a cup of heating oil or diesel fuel per tank of gas. He claimed that European gasoline had better lubricating properties (less refined?) than U.S. gas. I guess it was supposed to be better for the intake valve train. It didn't seem to do any harm. Do you know anything about that?

Don't recall that one. Have heard of using diesel instead of oil in the engine before a rebuild to knock the gunk loose.

jtk

[Keith Outten]

I decided to machine long slotted holes on the back plate to access the upper and lower brake adjusters from the back side. It makes more sense in the long run rather than fighting with the five bolts installed for the rim adapters.

Most of the brake rebuild parts are in my shop, the only exception is a couple of grease seals. I picked up the new brake fluid reservoir today but the local parts store didn't have any hose, I need a couple short pieces to replace existing the hose and was told that the hose is a special type just for brake fluid. I may have to purchase a standard brake hose and remove the fittings and cut them to fit.

Michael, thanks for the book reference.

[Allan Dozier]

Keith, are you replacing the master cylinder also?

[Keith Outten]

I don't see a need to replace the master cylinder right now based on what I know so far. It's a dual cylinder and until I get all the brake work done and start bleeding the system I won't know what condition the master cylinder is in, it would be difficult to replace since the area forward of the fire wall is only accessible from the wheel wells. The right front bake shoes are installed, just need to install the new wheel bearings and it will be complete.

I am working around the daily schedule right now. Yesterday we had the worst rain storm here since hurricane Isabel, everything flooded and I had a doctor's appointment about twenty miles from home. I picked up a large bag full of car parts on the way home and when I got here the day was over. Today won't be much better, I only have this morning to work on the brakes.

[Jim Koepke]

the local parts store didn't have any hose

One of the problems with VWs in the early days was with gas line hose. VW used 6mm, American vehicles often used 1/4" hose. Close but not close enough. Occasionally the fuel pressure would cause the hose to slip off.

Brake hose has fitting of course.

Are there no foreign auto dealers in your area?

jtk

[Keith Outten]

Strangely enough the two lines between the brake fluid reservoir and the master cylinder have fittings only on one end. They are flex hose but I don't know what their composition is? There is a fitting in both master cylinder ports but they are designed for slip on hoses or this is a bad hack that someone installed. My local O'Reiley's auto parts doesn't have any information in their system concerning the connections between the reservoir and the master cylinder.

At this point I am considering ordering another reservoir and hoses from a more modern car. I don't see where that would present a problem.

Jim, we have a VW dealer in Newport news about 15 miles from my home. I think I will call them this morning.

[Mike Henderson]

If that reservoir includes the brake master cylinder, there's something to consider. On most cars, the brake fluid pressure is different between the front and rear brakes. That's because the front brakes do most of the stopping. If the pressure was balanced, the back brakes would lock up before the front and you could spin.

The problem with putting a brake master cylinder from another car is that it will be balanced for the weight distribution for that car.

Mike

[Keith Outten]

The reservoir is remote to the master cylinder. It's located under the drivers side wheel well which is part of the problem. The reservoir has a crack in the plastic bowl and has leaked to the point it is almost empty. Putting a brake fluid reservoir in a wheel well is not a good choice in my mind, it was probably damaged by a rock thrown from the tire. I intend to relocate the reservoir over the top of the master cylinder which is probably the best location. I think is was originally mounted in the trunk of the VW about 2 feet above the master cylinder.

I don't intend to replace the master cylinder just connect it to a new reservoir which shouldn't be a problem except the the stock reservoir has hose connectors, no fittings which is the most common means of connecting the reservoir to the master cylinder. I don't trust the existing hoses, they look pretty old and need to be replaced. If I obtain a modern reservoir it will have fittings so I can use a manufactured brake line hose with fittings on both ends.

[Bill Dufour]

Make sure the hoses are compatible with brake fluid. It is not a mineral oil. Gasoline is bad for brake hoses.
Bill D

[Keith Outten]

I have ordered a 24 inch piece of hose made specifically for brake fluid.

[Bill Dufour]

Hose barbs and a screw clamp are probably fine for this. It is only holding back. the pressure of 12-24 inches of brake fluid. A low pressure, easy to hold back with your thumb on the hose.
Do not over think it.
Bill D

[Tom Stenzel]

My recollection is the oil cooler is mounted right above the #3 cylinder and lessened the flow of cooling air available to the #3 cylinder.

jtk


That's exactly right. The points cam in the distributor was cut so that #3 cylinder would fire 4 degrees retarded to lessen the load on it and make it cooler. If the distributor was removed and replaced with the rotor in the wrong position -and spark plug wires moved to correct the firing order that created a big problem.

As I remember there were two major failings with the engine. If the engine was run hard and the valves not adjusted #3 exhaust valve would break and drop into the combustion chamber. The other was the flexible crankshaft would beat down the center main bearing if run at high RPM. I had a book on hot rodding Bug engines (an oxymoron, I know) and it said that engine life at 5500 RPM was measured in minutes. For all the racket they made they weren't high revving engines.

The engine was pumping out about 70 hp at the end of its life. When it was first designed 25 hp at the rear wheels was considered plenty.

I remember driving with a date to a concert in my bug. On the way to the concert the windshield washer hose in the dash decided to split spaying blue washer solvent all over my white bell bottoms. In spite of everything I have fond memories of the car.

(edit: when I rebuilt the engine I had Manley stainless steel valves put into the head to make it more durable.)
-Tom

[Keith Outten]

Hose barbs and a screw clamp are probably fine for this. It is only holding back. the pressure of 12-24 inches of brake fluid. A low pressure, easy to hold back with your thumb on the hose.
Do not over think it.
Bill D

Thanks Bill.
Since the reservoir does not have a pressure style cap (vented) I had decided that it was just a trickle fill with no pressure to speak of.

[Keith Outten]

I ordered a new reservoir that was supposed to install on top of the 67 VW type one master cylinder but the barbs were to large for the master cylinder. I am now back to mounting the first reservoir on the fire wall and using hoses to connect it to the master cylinder. I fabricated an aluminum bracket this morning and will mount it after lunch today. Assuming there will be no leaks I will start servicing the back brakes tomorrow.

Yesterday I removed both sides of the interior upholstery, they were sun weathered pretty bad, I will remove the upholstery around the back of the back seat later today. Based on the configuration of the sides and rear of the interior I am considering wooden panels instead of traditional upholstered panels. The car is a roadster style and I think wood might look real nice. I have seen some dune buggy's that have wooden rear seats the look real nice. There would be some steam bending involved and although I don't have much experience with it I have a friend who repairs music instruments that I might be able to talk into helping me. My only goal right now it to make the necessary repairs to get the car inspected.

[Keith Outten]

I started working on the back brakes many days ago and have been stalled waiting on O-rings to be delivered so I can replace the bearings. Starting my garden and replacing my shop refrigerator has been taking up the time waiting on parts which are scheduled to be here tomorrow. I will finish planting today and sharpen my mower blades so I can cut grass, with luck I will be back working on the VW tomorrow.

The rear bearings are oil fed from the transmission so I lost a considerable amount of oil when I removed the cover for the passenger side bearing. I was a bit shocked when I went to the auto parts store and had to pay $56.00 per gallon for oil. Since I had to remove the right rear metal brake fluid line to replace the brake caliper I ordered a complete kit so I could replace of the the old lines as needed.

[Rick Potter]

I had a glass dune buggy in 1968 when they were still pretty new. Bought it from a coworker for $800, who had just built it. 40 horse, we kept it till '74 and put a lot of desert miles on it.

A couple years later, I bought a home made, street legal rail job from another coworker. It had a 1600 and a bus transaxle with reduction gears. This gave it some low gears to climb, along with 11" of ground clearance. It would go over almost any trail and could climb 'suicide hill' (where I once watched a bronco tumble end over end) forward AND backward. It was fantastic, but butt ugly. After owning it about 5 years, it caught fire while being towed and was a total loss.

When My son was about 15, we bought one of the last glass bodies available, and built another one from scratch. He got to use it a lot, and it was a great father son project. Wiring is about as simple as you can get.

We still own a cabin near Pioneer Town.

I may have a VW manual. I will look for it, and let you know.

[Keith Outten]

Thanks Rick,

Not surprised that you have owned 3 dune buggy's since you live in the land of dune buggy's. They are pretty rare to see on the east coast anymore, I wonder if that's true in California.

[Rick Potter]

Don't see many on the street, but there is an annual weekend in Big Bear Lake where there are literally hundreds of them, including REAL Meyers Manx's.

I see yours is not on the usual shortened chassis, should be a bit more room in it than most. A friend recently sold one just like yours.

I will try to find my manual.

[Keith Outten]

My research indicates that my Dune Buggy is a Berry Mini T4 model. There are so many knock-offs of this design that it can be difficult at first to be sure. The ID plates have been removed, there should have been one on the dash board and one over the engine if my research is accurate. The body shape is a prefect match but the dash board details I have not been able to find one like it.

Like most of these buggy's they turn into a major project all to fast. Once you start looking close at the details there is more work than expected. I'm OK with the overall condition of the machine but I am concerned about the time it will require to get the car back to pristine condition. I am trying to decide now what my limits will be based on the fact that I just intend drive it around the county, no shows or events. I am committed at this point to a new paint job and interior after I get the car inspected and road worthy.

I have an opportunity to purchase a 1976 Beetle from a friend. I am planning a road trip to New Jersey soon to pick up the car, it will become a source for parts as the running gear is in good shape, particularly the engine.

[Rick Potter]

Keith,

I have searched for that book, but cannot find it. I know it is here somewhere, and will let you know when it surfaces.

It has to be somewhere under these piles of cash.:rolleyes:

[Keith Outten]

Thanks Rick, I appreciate your efforts and understand completely how things disappear over time :)

[Keith Outten]

I acquired a 1976 Beetle from a friend of mine last week. I have not had the time to look very close at the car yet but it came from New Jersey so the sunny side looks really nice but it has lots of rust underneath. If I could save the body I would like to get the car running again but it will probably be a parts car for the dune buggy. The fuel injected engine should be ok, it was running when it was parked ten years ago. The transmission won't fit my 67 frame but it has some beautiful wheels and lots of other parts I can use or trade.

[Keith Outten]

Question - Does anyone know if the steering column from the 1976 Beetle will fit my 1967 VW?

The newer steering column has turn signals, windsheild wiper, the ignition key and a couple other features built in. The 1967 column only has turn signals.