And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
In '69 I worked at a Chevron station with a wonderful old WWII Navy veteran. He was married to a big, sweet lady and together they had eight kids. He drove a VW Pickup, she drove a VW Microbus. Being the sole breadwinner in the family he was very frugal and took care of everything he owned. That meant that every thousand miles, his two rigs were up on the rack getting an oil change, a screen cleaning and a valve adjustment. Those had to be the best maintained VWs in the territory.
When we were younger, although owning and driving a Volkswagen was not considered cool, they did have a reputation for being easy to work on. If they still made them today, or something similar, I wonder if that would even be a selling point. Most young people today have no desire or knowledge to do that sort of thing. A lot of them only have the bare minimum of tools. I went to the store the other day, and I wanted to buy some Liquid Wrench. The man had no idea what I was talking about. He asked, "What's it used for?"
I taught a girl I was sweet on in high school how to do a valve adjustment on her VW Bug. Some time later, when I went to visit her, there she was, laying on the ground, doing a valve adjustment. That sure put a smile on my face.
Those buses don't have turn signals.. My first bus was a '59 (it had turn signals but no gas gauge), I really liked it, especially the DIY maintenance part. I did have John Muir's book "How to keep your VW alive and well for the complete idiot". From time to time I did think about getting an air cooled VW again but the idea of a cold valve adjustment every 3,000 miles put me off.
If you didn't want it to be dropping a valve in the #3 cylinder, it was every 1k miles for adjustment. That oil cooler blocking airflow to #3 was so stupid. Best was to add the aftermarket oil cooler and filter. 5 quarts of oil with a real filter, instead of a screen, really helped those engines last longer. Still had to adjust the valves, but not as often. Most people would not add the cooler setup. My sister and her German husband demanded they remain stock, and replaced at least 3 engines on each of their '67 bug and '71 transporter. The transporter/camper would run the oil temp over 260*F just running around empty. Common to see the temps run over 280F on the hills. The life expectancy of normal oil was measured in minutes when you got near 300F.
Muir & the owners manual called for 3,000 miles... The '71 I bought came with an oil temp gauge, my goodness that engine ran right up there in oil temps! I put an external oil cooler on (Reeveco???) and the temps went down and the engine lasted longer. That was all back in 1983, I remember that bus & that wife... :-)
IIRC, the reason the VW's held so little oil in the engines was oil was VERY expensive in Germany. Something like 7x what it cost in the US, maybe more.
Had a number of VW bugs, German and American spec. Sold last one a bright yellow California Sun Bug super beetle in 2000. Daughter desperately wanted to take the Sun Bug to college. Told her there was a dad rule that said never, ever, send your daughter to college in a bright yellow convertible. Would love one of those vans to rebuild but they’re pretty pricy in any shape.
In '69 I worked at a Chevron station with a wonderful old WWII Navy veteran. He was married to a big, sweet lady and together they had eight kids. He drove a VW Pickup, she drove a VW Microbus.
ReplyDeleteBeing the sole breadwinner in the family he was very frugal and took care of everything he owned. That meant that every thousand miles, his two rigs were up on the rack getting an oil change, a screen cleaning and a valve adjustment. Those had to be the best maintained VWs in the territory.
When we were younger, although owning and driving a Volkswagen was not considered cool, they did have a reputation for being easy to work on. If they still made them today, or something similar, I wonder if that would even be a selling point. Most young people today have no desire or knowledge to do that sort of thing. A lot of them only have the bare minimum of tools. I went to the store the other day, and I wanted to buy some Liquid Wrench. The man had no idea what I was talking about. He asked, "What's it used for?"
ReplyDeleteI taught a girl I was sweet on in high school how to do a valve adjustment on her VW Bug. Some time later, when I went to visit her, there she was, laying on the ground, doing a valve adjustment. That sure put a smile on my face.
DeleteThose buses don't have turn signals..
ReplyDeleteMy first bus was a '59 (it had turn signals but no gas gauge), I really liked it, especially the DIY maintenance part. I did have John Muir's book "How to keep your VW alive and well for the complete idiot".
From time to time I did think about getting an air cooled VW again but the idea of a cold valve adjustment every 3,000 miles put me off.
If you didn't want it to be dropping a valve in the #3 cylinder, it was every 1k miles for adjustment. That oil cooler blocking airflow to #3 was so stupid. Best was to add the aftermarket oil cooler and filter. 5 quarts of oil with a real filter, instead of a screen, really helped those engines last longer. Still had to adjust the valves, but not as often. Most people would not add the cooler setup. My sister and her German husband demanded they remain stock, and replaced at least 3 engines on each of their '67 bug and '71 transporter. The transporter/camper would run the oil temp over 260*F just running around empty. Common to see the temps run over 280F on the hills. The life expectancy of normal oil was measured in minutes when you got near 300F.
DeleteMuir & the owners manual called for 3,000 miles... The '71 I bought came with an oil temp gauge, my goodness that engine ran right up there in oil temps! I put an external oil cooler on (Reeveco???) and the temps went down and the engine lasted longer.
DeleteThat was all back in 1983, I remember that bus & that wife... :-)
IIRC, the reason the VW's held so little oil in the engines was oil was VERY expensive in Germany. Something like 7x what it cost in the US, maybe more.
DeleteThe 23 window bus and the pickups are worth some money nowadays.
ReplyDeleteWe always set the #3 cylinder exhaust valve gap a little wider.
ReplyDeleteYou could also install a deeper, finned oil sump to hold more oil and cool it better.
Had a number of VW bugs, German and American spec. Sold last one a bright yellow California Sun Bug super beetle in 2000. Daughter desperately wanted to take the Sun Bug to college. Told her there was a dad rule that said never, ever, send your daughter to college in a bright yellow convertible. Would love one of those vans to rebuild but they’re pretty pricy in any shape.
ReplyDelete