Itinerant Air-Cooled

Hello all,

My mom routinely helps me work on my bus, and she really loves helping out then driving it when I'm done. She keeps hinting at a convertible Type 1, so my dad has secured a nice '69 convertible (standard) bug for her. I have many questions that don't seem to be answered humanely on The other Site… I will try my best to communicate our goal with the car, and I hope I can get some opinions (and facts!) grounded in experience with these cars. I pick it up Saturday and have a full day to spend with it before the 500-mile drive home.

1) What tires give a comfortable ride in fair weather conditions? This car will not be driven in the rain, and our SoCal climate is not conducive to snow. We won't be putting huge road miles on it either, so they'll likely break down before we wear the treads out. WE DO NOT WANT TO LOWER THIS CAR so practically all the information online is not helpful to us currently. She would love whitewalls, but not at the expense of safety or ride comfort.

2) The T1 Bentley manual is in the mail with a ton of tune-up parts, spare cables, and a few odds and ends. Do I have to remove the gas tank to get at the front rubber fuel line? I'd also like to inspect the rubber steering coupler disc, and top off the steering box oil before I drive it back.

I know I'll have more questions along the way, and I'll be sure to post more information (and pictures) soon. Anything that correlates to my T1 bus is doable for me, but I honestly haven't dug this deep in to a T1 chassis before.

Thanks again,
Robbie

(The Christmas eve 2013 engine pull to test out the jack and nothing else…)

You can R&R the rubber fuel line by gaining access via removing the tire. You can also inspect the steering coupler then. The should be a access panel in the spare tire bay so you can pop off the steering box cover to top it off.

Bleyseng wrote:You can R&R the rubber fuel line by gaining access via removing the tire. You can also inspect the steering coupler then. The should be a access panel in the spare tire bay so you can pop off the steering box cover to top it off.

Awesome, thank you! I drove a T4 bus on the freeway today, and it was odd for me to see 70mph on an ACVW speedometer. I guess I could get used to it with this car. It's a real beauty.

Robbie

Nice vert Robbie. I restored my 69 about 12 years ago. If ya have any questions on your new acquisition, feel free to PM me.

BTW, I'm running the BF Goodrich 3/4" white radials on mine from Coker tire. I'm been very please with how nice and soft they are and have good driving characteristics. One thing though, make sure you have your tire inflations set right. The front tires don't have much weight on them and the correct tire inflations for best ride are 18psi front and 28 rear. The other thing is Cofab oil filled shocks on both front and rear. Any gas charged shocks make the suspension WAY too stiff.

https://www.cokertire.com/catalogsearch ... 65R15.html

asiab3 wrote: It's a real beauty.
Robbie

Very nice.

You can get actually decent tires with whitewalls too, from Coker Classic Tires. You'll pay up the nose a bit.

I got absolute correct 1962 Lincoln Continental whitewall bias belt tires from Coker in 1996, and I thought they would just wear down and fail like 1962 tires were want to do, but these things are still on the car in 2014, sidewalls fine, tread fine.
Colin

Amskeptic wrote: You can get actually decent tires with whitewalls too, from Coker Classic Tires. You'll pay up the nose a bit.

I got absolute correct 1962 Lincoln Continental whitewall bias belt tires from Coker in 1996, and I thought they would just wear down and fail like 1962 tires were want to do, but these things are still on the car in 2014, sidewalls fine, tread fine.
Colin

Those soud good. I'm looking for a non-whitewall option, though if they're revrsable I would like that too. We're thrilled to pay up the nose for anything that fits, looks good, and lasts.

Think I can go 500 miles with the top down?

Robbie

asiab3 wrote:
Think I can go 500 miles with the top down?

Robbie

Only on country roads with tree canopies overhead, the song of the engine reflecting off of them, and dappled sunlight filtering through . . .
Colin

yes especially if the heater works!

It's supposed to be a sunny 65*… The car has never been in the rain and doesn't have a wiper assembly. I'm playing favorable odds here, but weirder things have happened. Why does the 68-69 convertible bug system have to be so convoluted?

I think I'd rather go like this in the cold than put the top up:




If it rains?
I'll be installing a wiper system activated by my sheer pique.

Just buy a bottle of Rain-X....

asiab3 wrote:It's supposed to be a sunny 65*… The car has never been in the rain and doesn't have a wiper assembly. I'm playing favorable odds here, but weirder things have happened. Why does the 68-69 convertible bug system have to be so convoluted?

I think I'd rather go like this in the cold than put the top up:




If it rains?
I'll be installing a wiper system activated by my sheer pique.

I'm sensing a name for the bug if it doesn't have one yet, because of your posted Peanuts pic.
Hmmm, red convert bug, Snoopy's doghouse (plane) was red too...
Sopwith Camel? kind of fitting with the drive with the top down, all you need is the scarf!
jeff

weisswurst wrote: I'm sensing a name for the bug if it doesn't have one yet, because of your posted Peanuts pic.
Hmmm, red convert bug, Snoopy's doghouse (plane) was red too...
Sopwith Camel? kind of fitting with the drive with the top down, all you need is the scarf!
jeff

Ah the Sopwith Camel… reminds me too much of my day job:



Any names for our family cars have come out of necessity. Take Buddy, for example. Going 60 approaching a long 6% grade, my best friend and copilot gave me a worried look while I patted the dashboard and said "come on buddy, you can do it," and it stuck. We'll find a good name for the bug. We had a Big Red Bus named Clifford for a while, so that name is out. Snoopy is nice, but so is Lucy, Peppermint Patty, or Sally. I have a feeling this fweeny little 1500 single port won't be inspiring any overtly masculine names.

I think the guys on the bug forum on The Samba have a pool going- betting on how many miles we last and what ends up failing. My money is on making it all the way, with one stupid stop, like the condenser wire falling off or something. (It happened my first time going PHX-LA, two days short of two years ago.) I've also never posted in that forum, so they're offering well-intentioned yet "extremely helpful" advice like "pack a spare fan belt" and "tow the thing." Why involve two questionable cars, when I'm more experienced with the fun one that is better suited for fuel economy and comfort?

Robbie

asiab3 wrote: Any names for our family cars have come out of necessity. Take Buddy, for example. Going 60 approaching a long 6% grade, my best friend and copilot gave me a worried look while I patted the dashboard and said "come on buddy, you can do it," and it stuck.

Good thing I had no witnesses that would have stuck me with necessity-inspired names.
YoucantbeseriousREALLY?
Suchagoodlittlebus
Offtothecrusherifyouleakonemoredamndrop

asiab3 wrote: well-intentioned yet "extremely helpful" advice like "pack a spare fan belt" and "tow the thing." Why involve two questionable cars, when I'm more experienced with the fun one that is better suited for fuel economy and comfort?
Robbie

It's about coloring inside the lines versus outside. Have mercy on the neat ones.
Colin

I kept a thread (full of opinionated replies) on TS, so I thought I would post them here (with more technical content) to fill you in!

12/19
Capering from San Diego International Airport:

For the love of all things holy I DO NOT recommend taking a timing light and infrared thermometer through TSA security. The dutiful officers didn't seem to have any qualms with the distributor, coil, or SK offset box wrenches, but this shiny thing gave them a fit. I see my grandpa laughing from far upstairs, a man who fixed EVERYTHING he owned and started the VW genetics I carry with me. He wasn't the kind of man to simply fly a wife and five kids across the country. No. He drove them all. Every time. Thanks for the timing light, Grandpa.

12/20 - early morning
Capering from Phoenix, Arizona!

Another interested buyer purchased an inspection of the car two weeks before I arrived. I found two perfect tie rods on the car. As it turns out, the bug doesn't have a steering damper. This inspector sounds like a winner.

The distributor (205M, vacuum advance only) had a blown vacuum can, so I popped my spare German 009 in. Of course I fell for the rookie maneuver of the 009 being clocked differently, so I had an embarrassing backfire starting it up... The accelerator pump seemed to be squirting gas out of the carb body, so I swapped in my spare H30/31. Bummer, because I LOVE the vacuum only distributor/ carb combo. I timed it and took it around the block and gave him cash. Spent some time changing fuel lines and inspecting other mechanicals. All the valves were around .002 to .003 lash, so I know the shop that maintains this bug is questionable. Also, they did the $300 "inspection" and didn't catch the blown distributor and gas leak. Good god...