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50 years old, well it looks totally rebuild to me. So that doesn't count really. Still I take the point of another interesting video. Datsun 120A F11 anyone?
I've been working in a vintage VW workshop, damn those cars are the easiest things to repair on Earth. There's almost no job even un untrained mechanic cannot do. Best car ever.
Taunus: because the world is full of Nancy yes men who only want to make a quick buck by doing as little as possible and think having experience doesn’t matter. Look at all the auto vlog channels, they just cater to young materialistic guys that think a Lamborghini will make their life better, but in a few years they trade that for something else. If those cars are so great why do they keep trading them up all the time, they’re just tools promoting a lifestyle that doesn’t actually make you happy, but they’re good at pretending it does.
Scotty Kilmer hahahaha Scotty you made my day, i'm still subscribed to that certain someone just to count how many cheap lamborghini titles he uploads. Me for example, i might be young, but i have a 71 beetle and an 86 celica that were from each of my grandparents, i'm never going to get rid of them, you won't find other car like that, also the modern aesthetics are just plain. The beetle failed to me a couple of times due to the lack of use, but the celica has never got me stranded, neither the beat up 86 cressida i got for myself. My parents 2005 Nissan primera on the other hand, has a bunch of stupid sensors that shut off the car while i was driving! I really enjoy my classics, you can understand what you're doing, and no brittle plastics. Your channel made me validate that point. Thanks a lot
After wanting one since I was a kid I finally pulled the trigger and bought a '68 Beetle this summer. What a breath of fresh air...they are SO easy to work on. Tasks that would be daunting on a modern car are simple and approachable on an old VW. Really makes you realize how ridiculously complicated new cars have become!
@@MrTheHillfolk I would absolutely love to daily drive a Mk1 Rabbit/GTI or even a MkII Scirocco. The thought of buying a new car when my current DD dies has become quite unappealing!
i have a 2012 tdi jetta. not bleeding edge new but modern. I live in an apartment and do all my own work on it, they really are not that complicated. i think the most complicated thing i have done was added a multi fuction steering wheel, and that was only because i had to lay on my back under the driver side console area with soldering iron to splice a wire. all of the modifications and enhancements i have done have been simple and really plug in and play. oil changes are easy, as they are on every car, transmission oil changes are a bit more complicated but thats what instructions are for. I have not had a part go bad on it yet but from the work and modifications ive done on it so far, it will probably be really straight forward. Soon I will be moving into a house that has a garage, im really excited about that, I wont have to pull my car apart in a parking lot when i want to install something new.
Thanks for the support, I don’t sweat it, those guys are just envious of this being the largest mechanic channel and are trying to make a name for themselves by bringing mine down. The only problem is, most of them have nothing to offer except criticism. It’s easy to criticize but hard to actually do the daily grind yourself.
@@scottykilmer Hey Scotty we love your work in down under Australia, and we love our cars, especially our older ones. I would be in absolute awe if you would come down under and see our Aussie muscle cars, especially Holdens.
Matt: this is the largest mechanic channel, Chris is not a mechanic and the only other person that's even close is Eric but he's fallen behind, it's just a fact not shit talking.
My grandfather had a hatchback 2 door VW. Was fun to drive. I remember the fuel pump would vapor lock and we would pour water over it. Then people would say hey your car is leaking water. My only compliant was poor heating. My grandfather was a mechanic and would rebuild VW engines with his eyes closed. Very smart man with no high school diploma or college degree. He taught me as much as he could before he passed.
Poor heating in an air cooled VW is only a result of heat exchanger air leaks and/or missing heater components. The needed parts are cheap, readily available, and easily installed by any handyman. With serviceable heat exchangers and a properly sealed path for the heated air, it will provide enough heat to ride with the window vents open, keep your toes toasty warm and defrost your windshield quicker than any water cooled car. I would have loved to have met your grandfather! He sounded like a super cool guy. Treasure the memories.
@@mikehurley7945 Yes he was, I miss him and I would like to think he would be proud of what I accomplished in the last 23 years. Sounds like long time ago but seems like yesterday. He told me to learn electronics as that was the direction the auto industry was headed. He wasn't lying. He worked for the City of Reno in NV where he worked on all the city vehicles. He knew a police officer that would remove the wing nut and air filter from a Ford Crown Victoria. After the third time my grandfather welded the wing nut to the carburetor. Besides having no air filter for obvious reasons he had to rebuild the engine twice. I love telling that story. He used to hand grind valves with his bench grinder. The skills he had and the list is long. I'm not welder by trade but he once had me weld something for him as when he did it would keep breaking. Told me my calling is welding. I disagreed. Driving a bus is my calling.
I loved that story about the troublesome cop! As a retired automotive engine machinist I can identify with, and respect your grandfather's skills, wisdom, and experience. I can't even guess how many VW engines I have rebuilt! From simple valve jobs, to align boring and assembling the cases. It sounds as though you fancy yourself as a modern day Ralph Kramden (with much respect!), but do you have a hobby welding machine? At least a small oxy-acetylene torch? I'll bet there's a tinkerer lurking within you still! Your grandfather saw it too!
We had one of those in the early 70's when I was a little kid. I remember riding in the back of it with my ear to the floor lstening to the engine whirr away. Our neighbor had one too. I remember one day all the kids in the neighborhood were gathered around the car looking into the window. Its odometer had "rolled over" from 99999 miles back to 00000. Back then that was a rarety to see a car last that long. So much so, most odometers didn't even have the 6th digit like they do today.
Awesome, scotty! I am a VW fan myself and even my channel is filled with tutorials on how to fix these babies. Thank you very much for the appreciation for these fine pieces of the automotive history.
I was given my grandparent's '69 Beetle when I was still in high school. Some of the other students thought it would be funny to disconnect one of the spark plugs (the engine hood had no lock so anyone could walk by and open it up). I drove it home that day, wondering why it was running a little different, and figured it out when I got home. Plugged it back in and it was fine.
No, it probably was #1. As this is the hottest running of the 4. That is why the lobe for #1 in the distributor is retarded 2 degrees, to keep it cooler.
@@shelbylover1359 You are me 8 years ago. Had to have a beetle, b4 prices jumped. Thought TWICE💡 Bought 72 fuel injection VW “Fastback” coupe. “Pancake engine” designed by PORSCHE. = WAY MORE CAR & 2 trunks😎 My VW sticks out. So happy I didn’t bug a bug.
The VW fastbacks of that era are treasures. I miss setting points and adjusting carbs. A few peers would drop 6 cyl Porsche engines that would bolt right onto that chassis. Those were screamers...
Yes the Fastbacks were treasures, had 2 myself. If only VW thought outside the box when designing it - extend the trunk lid to include the back window and make it a hatch/fastback like the Renault 16.
I bought my first car in 1978 which was a 1969 VW Squareback. I saved a whole month's waitressing salary and bought it for $500.00. It could fit just about anything in it. The main problem that I had with it was that the engine was not powerful enough to have air conditioning and it gets really hot in Central California. When it's that hot, those window wings just blow in hot air. Mine had the first fuel injected engine of it's type and it was problematic. When it wouldn't start, I'd have to run around to the engine, fiddle with the injector wire, hop back in and see if it would start. Fun times! If YTF396 is still out there, that was my first car.
Great video Scotty! Can you make a video telling us which cars have strong automatic transmissions? You've mentioned a lot of weak ones. Which manufacturers make strong automatic transmissions?
He will tell you Toyota does, but from my experience they make terrible automatic transmissions. When I bought my '14 Camry brand new, two months later the torque converter failed, and now its failing again. Not to mention that the touchscreen no longer works, it hesitates during acceleration, and it sounds like its running on 3 cylanders once you go past 3000 rpm. From my experience, Honda makes the best cars out there.
Emin Marookian Honda is really a great car company every thing they make last’s I’d say the Chevy gmc pickup automatic transmissions are some really strong stuff My personal experience
Honda's are great but they had a lot of problems with transmissions in the early to mid 2000's. Transmissions are their weakest point. Engines are the best.
I have owned three VWs in my life. An '86 Golf, '87 Jetta GLI and a '92 Cabriolet. The GLI had about 230k miles when I gave it to my brother. The Cabriolet was my favorite. Simple, reliable cars that often just needed oil changes or a fuse replaced.
I own two Type 1 VW's and have always wanted a Type 3 squareback "wagon" I love the little metal cars and when my friends were slipping and sliding in the snow in South Dakota, my bug, was warm and toasty inside and cruisin right along with my 1500cc engine. I collect model cars and I have several ones of this model. I am glad Scotty, that you made a video of this beautiful car, that you have been teasing us with, in the background for the last few videos :-). I am installing a 1641cc engine in my early 68 model (my 1st car) and leaving my late 68 model stock, since it has 485k one owner miles from my great uncle, and runs like a charm. Thanks for your videos and making my breaks at work, educational and fun.
Ooohhh my !, you brought back so many memories. My dad had this volks Variant 1.6 liter 1969 german made since i was born till i had 10 years. I helped him change the oil, and spark plugs,air filters, front brake pads and the infamous clutch cable that always failed after a red light in the middle of the most important city street. My dad almost died after a c-30 pick up truck crashed him in the left door.....the volks was sent to a friend who left him straight and running again. A couple of years later we went overseas so we sold it. I have never seen a reliable car like that. Cheap and easy to fix . When german cars were good.
Thank you @Scotty Kilmer, I really enjoyed this episode! I still daily my 1972 Beetle. I don't need a lot of speed, it's never had a radio mounted, it's simple to work on, and I get better than 20 MPG regularly. It had its 1st major repair at 49 years old. It's not original anymore, but I love it just the same. No complaints from this guy! ;)
Scotty, considering buying a 1969 Squareback in low humidity California, 2110cc pancake engine. Owner restored it to just less than showroom quality, but maintained with European parts & style. Everything works! If not, there's a '69 Beetle restored by an aviation mechanic, perfect condition with a 1776cc "U" shape dual carb engine. It's a tough call.
Ive been a mechanic for 29 years here in England and work solely on Volkswagen 5 days a week and I couldn’t agree with you more scotty. Modern Vw’s are junk. Love your videos keep up the good work 👍
That's what i like from you work Scotty, no nonsense, straight to the point, and looking to the whole picture in the long run. We learn a lot from you. Thank you! Greetings from the South of the Americas.
If all cars were like that today you wouldn’t have much repair work to do, and far fewer ill-conceived gizmos to gripe about on YT, so count your blessings. Coming up: Scotty praises the virtues of the Model T as a daily driver.
You are absolutely right. I think this new compuerized trend in cars is just a scam. My mom had a mid 70s beatle and her throttle cable broke in the parking lot. She called me (i was a 20 yo car enthusiast who could wrench). She was nervouse when i had a bunch of parts laying on the ground but when i fixed the car ( in about an hour or so) she realized i knew what i was doing. Cant do that now. Keep preaching Scotty!
Remember the National Lampoon VW ad that said "If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagon, He'd be President today"? I serviced alot of VWs in the late 60s and early 70s. I liked that 1 1/2 qts of oil went into the engine and the other 1/2 qt went into the oil bath air cleanner. That was good planning. Is the squareback yours?
Scotty, not as an argument but just a point of view, I had an 'OLD' VW Beetle and I found it had more space than I could have imagined or maybe it just stretched when I needed it. I had five children at this time and we would go grocery shopping and people from the store would actually watch from the windows as we loaded 1 1/2 to 2 grocery carts into the rear space and the front bonnet of the car and still have my wife who was pregnant then, myself and the five children get in. Of course this was before any laws about seatbelts and car seats. A few months later after picking up our twins on Thanksgiving night, with the whole family, because the hospital called me at dinner to come pick them up (???) we decided to get a VW Bus. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do and with the Grace of God,we did.
Brings back memories of my '70 VW Fastback. Though not much in the power department, it was a reasonably reliable car with parts readily available. Removed the gas tank for cleaning due to some sort of buildup (probably corrosion), took it to the local pressure washer and cleaned out good, reinstalled it and it ran just fine afterwards. Sold it sometime in the mid '80's.
That squareback is gorgeous, one of my all time favorite cars. I have a 70 camaro that my dad did just enough work to get running when I got my license and now I'm going through and fixing it the rest of the way up. I didn't care much for cars before I got my license but now I'm having a blast watching your videos and making my car into something I can be proud of.
I had a 98 tdi Jetta. I miss that car , I sold it as a donor for a drivetrain swap and the guy put the engine in a rabbit. Great swap,they will run mid 14s easy.
My first car was my dad's '00 Jetta TDI, had to sell it off though because the car spend most of it's time in Canada and northern USA, meaning it rusted out and was too expensive to fix. Got myself an '04 WRX after that
Yep! I had a '98 Jetta GT, 5-speed, 2.0. Power sunroof, but had to roll down the windows!! Put 140,000 trouble-free miles on it in 10 years. In 2007, traded it for an Audi S4. 10 years later, and I traded the Audi on a 2018 Passat.
Scotty, I don't care what any of your haters say, you give sound, practical and entertaining advice! All the videos you post have been either been very helpful, informative or at the very least entertaining. I don't agree with the notion that turbo cars are bad, I will agree that for the speed advantage there is a higher maintenance trade-off. Other than that, I agree with all of your great advice, keep up the great vids and God bless you, Scotty!
I have had a 1961 Type 1 for 24 years now. I was given a really nice Mercedes and for a few years I used the Beetle as my car to take the dogs to the beach. After several years of terrible mileage, as well as annoying and/or expensive repairs (wiper transmission, all new fuel injection seals, passenger window regulator and such) I cleaned out the Beetle and made it my primary car once again.
My father had the same VW when I was growing up. I learned to drive in that car, so much fun, I wish we still had it in the family as it was cheap on maintenance & relatively cheap on fuel. I would also like to say thank you for your channel Scotty, you brought me down memory lane & I always enjoy your great car advice! Keep up the great work.
When I was a teenager my friend Danny put a tricked out 231 Buick V6 engine in his VW fastback and got the rear hatch to close. Nothing could beat it. Word got out not to challenge his car or you might lose your pink slip.
Not even close junior, you can bet your arm, that this 52 yr old car has had numerous engine change outs. Fortunately, with those old cars, you could do that inside of an hour.
Scotty - I had a '71 Type 3 Squareback which I purchased in Europe. Unless I'm mistaken, it was the first large scale production vehicle with what was then called electronic fuel injection (in actuality it only had electrical components). I believe it was the Bosch K-Jetronic model fuel injection system. I drove the car all across Europe and shipped it to the Puerto Rico, back to Europe and eventually to the US . I did most of the repairs myself from replacing the clutch pack, replacing injectors, replacing push-rod tubes and seals and all the normal maintenance. I had it for over 13 years but eventually gave it away to a relative who was in dire need of a reliable car. It and an early model Volvo 100 Series where built like a tank with thick gauge body metal and simplified engine design, which was easy to service and repair. The old adage of "They don't make them like that anymore" is apropos for these two vehicles.
I love the old VWs! Owned a '63, '64, and '72 Bugs, and a '71 Square-back. The Square back was my favorite. It had fuel injection though and was super fun to drive.
I had one of these back in the late 1970s. It was not stock, but lightly modified to go off road. Drove it from Santa Rosa CA to a ranch a few miles outside of El Paso TX. Took a lot of tinkering/ maintenance to keep it running properly, more than my skills were up to, so I sold it. But it was a fun car to drive!
I totaled one and walked away with a bump on the head. Went over a mountain in West Virginia and landed in a river. Water didn't enter the car until I opened the door.
@@beard295 that is actually what the national traffic administration tests for and yes many autos can now; crumple zones, airbags, and higher seating positions are just a few of the engineered controls introduced and embraced by consumers. SUV technology especially. Look up a video of a smart car crash test - formula 1 style cage that nothing from the 50's or 60's could meet 😿
Yup 100% I daily drive my 1970 Ford Maverick and I'm always extra cautious because if I crash I probably won't be able to walk out of it! My dad got t-boned by a semi (semi blew a red light) on the drivers side door. Luckily he was in a truck (2012 F150) and survived with only a few injuries. If he drove my car that day he probably wouldn't be here today!
My dad had one just like that many moons ago. I had an 84 Scirocco that never died. I sold it for a 91 GTI that did nothing BUT die. You're are right about the quality tapering off the newer they got. Now I stick to Honda Accords! Thanks for your entertaining videos!
Go get into an accident in one and then try and say they are the best. A large part of the reason cars have so much plastic today is purely for safety.
I bought a used 67 VW square back when I was stationed in Germany in 74. It was truly one of the best cars I ever owned. Drove that thing all over Europe.
It was a great car unless you lived up north where they put salt on the road. After a short time it rots out and your seat falls thru the floor boards. Happened to my neighbor.
There weren't any such things as car under frames NOT damaged by moisture (+salt). You are correct about the floors on VW's rotting out over time; it's what happens because owners didn't have too many people around (like Scotty) to tell them to rinse off the car's underside with a garden hose. Nothing like prevention that few people thought/think about. A nice dry garage is where it's at.
Had one of these VW wagons in 1972. Bought it used. In a moment of stupidity I called the former owner a week after I bought it on a used car lot. I asked the former owner about the car and his experience with it. OMG what a shock! First he says his white VW was pretty good but needed a lot of body work. OMG my car was ' red', not white. Then he said it ran great until the big accident. 'What accident?' I asked. He replied, 'THe accident where I got rear-ended. That's why it needed so much body work and why I got rid of it.' Then he said, 'By the way, you know that spring on the carburetor?'. 'Yes', I replied. To which he said, 'That spring is off my wife's sewing machine.' OMG ... I swear this is all true. Anyhow I drove it for 2 years and had a few problems, but not too many when I consider it was a used car.
I was told, when buying a used car, spend some money & hire an unbiased mechanic to check it out for you. Then you drive it hard on street & interstate (with the mechanic or mechanic drives). When you give that $$ to the salesman, only then the truth comes out. Buyer beware.
+Louis Morano Unless you meant LESS things went wrong back then you're lying. Besides, routine maintenance every couple of months which takes you a few minutes ain't that bad. Especially considering you can't do ANYTHING on modern cars anymore and fixing it proper will cost you a small fortune. On my old car, if something breaks, 9/10 I can fix it myself, if not, a mechanic will charge you far less to fix it than on a modern car.
2:25 When you said that I remember my parents talking about how they used to put concrete sacks in the back of their Ford Capri to get better grip on snow. Makes me wish they had kept it, always interesting to listen to them talking about the old cars they used to have.
You’re absolutely right , Scotty. Thanks for the great video. The first oil change I did was on my Grandmothers 66 Beetle. Great car ,simple and fun to tinker with.
That was Ralph Nader saying that garbage. He also cried about the old Cadillacs from the 50's and 60's that had those wing type rear end/taillights. He said they were a hazard because they were too pointy or some nonsense.
Corvair had no rear sway bar which made them dangerous on taking sharp curves, now you can buy aftermarket one, attach it, and it makes it as safe as any car.
Buick Mackane My father was in a geo metro head on collision with a old lincoln. The engine broke through the front of the car and ended up in one of the seats, not the driver thank god. I’ll never ride in a front engine car again.. just kidding LMAO obviously it’s more about how the cars built
Dragon Skunk VWs also do not have a rear sway bar. They had an IRS version which was better than the swing axle design where the axles cant the bottom of the tires inward making it easier for a tire to dig in and flip. I have built a number of Dune buggies through the years. I currently own a VW powered desert buggy with a built engine running on 110 octane racing fuel. Power steering, disk brakes, bus IRS transaxle....
I had a 1969 VW Squareback that I kept from new for 19 years. Drove all over the USA. Unlike your '67, mine had fuel injection. I had to replace the computer once, but only because moisture got in the box. Loved that car.
I had one of these in the early 70s. It was a great little car---drove it across the country 4 times. Handled really well, and you could even sleep in the back. Before the last cross country trip I rebuilt the engine from the bottom up. A good old car!
I think one of the reasons the Manual Transmission is dying in America is because alot of single moms are raising kids by themselves these days. They only know how to drive automatic therefore that's what they teach their kids.
My stock 67 squareback was an amazing car. Practical hauler, super fun to drive, cornered incredibly, unbelievable off road and snow performance. I called it my all terrain Porsche tiny home
The problem with Volkswagen is that it came under the sway of Ferdinand Piëch of the Piëch family which is a branch of the Porsche dynasty that controls the company. He became infatuated with converting Volkswagen into an emporium of automobilia, particularly exotic automobilia. I guess he wanted to prove Volkswagen's mettel as more than just a manufacturer of pedestrian automobiles. He started the company along the road of focusing on prestige brands, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche, and even the defunct Bugatti which at that point was nothing but a marque, while ignoring the mass market. The end result was junk produced for the masses because the prevailing wisdom in luxury brands is that the affluent is willing to pay premium prices for electronic gizmos that provide the lure of sophistication and progress while ignoring the question of quality. This same philosophy was applied to consumer brands under the assumption that the average consumer could be beguiled with the slogan that Volkswagen was building cars with the same commitment to German engineering that they applied to their luxury brands notwithstanding the fact that these German engineered products were actually substandard.
My story ---> Owned and drove ONLY 2 VW's and a carmen ghia from 1972 until 1999. No problems, easy and cheap to maintain, did all of the oil changes AND valve adjustments myself. I was never more than an average backyard/garage 'mechanic', and sold those three in good condition. My ride after the Ghia? A Honda civic crx. Who made good cars before 1999? Toyota, Honda and Nissan.
Adjusting the valves when you do an oil change only adds about 5 minutes of work. The wire bail that holds the valve covers on only needs a screw driver to flip it open. Slip the feeler gauge in and rotate the engine by hand. A 10 mm wrench to loosen the lock nut on any valve out of adjustment, holding the adjuster with the same screw driver you opened the covers with and tighten the lock nut. If I remember right, #1 would need a tweek every third or fourth oil change. Maybe 0.001". As for emissions, after a rebuild in '77 my engine in NY, it ran as clean as the new engines with catalytic converters. I have had a '68, 71, and '74 beetle, and a '69 and '73 bus. And a '65 and '67 Gia. Great cars.
Hello Scotty, Jose here. Just a quick observation about that 67 type III square back. With those carbs, that has to be a larger than 1600cc engine. Also, surprised that the engine doesn't have a full flow engine oil setup. Or at least a 1.5 oil sump addition. Thanks for the videos.
Sweet ride. BRM wheels, Berg shifter. I did a clutch in a 67 squareback for a women when i was 16 years old in a few hours. Loved driving that car on the longest test ride ever!
I think the same way. I have old panzer wagen Audi 100 c4 1991 and driven 407000 km, automatic ZF 4 gang. It's the best Audi ever made except c3 too. 5 zylinder gasoline engine, inline of course, what sound wow.......chassis is comfortable and good driving, no rust the body. I love this car and now I owned them one year, gasoline to tank and go....greetings from Finland to you Scotty. Thanks the videos.
You're wrong, old car steels were not treated for rigidity, they bend and crumble uncontrollably during accidents. The car will choke you to death even in very low speed crush. If you still drive a old car today, you couldn't even survive a crush from a Smart car.
You have a better chance of survival in a newer "plasticity" car than you would in an old one. Modern Safety standards are way tougher than it was in back in those days.
I love it when all people think of is crashing. Driving properly you shouldn't be in a crash. I drive over 100k a year in trucks cars an on motorcycles and in 26 years have crashed once because I wasn't taking care an went to hot on a bend and hit a tree. Every one I talk to who has a crash says they fucking about not driving, as in look at fit bird/ lighting fag/ changing cd/ txting/ driving to close.
I have a 2002 golf TDI and I have to say I'm super impressed with it. I'm over 300,000 kms now and constantly see ones forsale with over 600,000. lots of torque, amazing mileage and so far to me, super reliable.
These were so popular when they were available I remember people having to get on a waiting list to get a new one and finding a good used one was a hunt. Beatles were everywhere but these were so much more useful. Thanks Scotty!
Machines sounded like machines....AKA....what a lawnmower sounds like. 54 hp was respectable for the day? WHAT? The era of the muscle car and 54 hp is respectable.....Gawd what a load. All that weight in the rear....none in the front.....Understeer is a HUGE problem even on dry pavement. 52 years old and I will PROMISE you NUMEROUS engine rebuilds. Not reliable at all. The ONLY reason they became popular was because they were cheap. The roaches and hippies bought them.
@Discofelsi You guys are barking on the wrong tree. By early 60's all US car factories were unionised. Workers were overpaid and lazy. Quality was atrocious, news cars were delivered to customers with average 20 or so faults. One in five new cars had to be returned to dealership for mayor repairs. Small VW's were better bang for bucks. They were affordable, well made and were not breaking down Not convinced ... Just look at today's motorbike scene. "Patriots" are buying HD, the ones who want to ride really good bikes, metric ones.
Old Vdub ad states "Anyone for half a station wagon?", guess that was the market. A Ford Squire wagon was about $3300, $2200 for the Squareback. Bout 8 grand difference today.
I HAD THIS CAR AND LOVED IT,CRUZE AT 70 MPH, CLIMED THE COUNTRY HILLS GREAT WITH WINTER TYERS ON THE BACK, CARRIED MY 12 FT BOAT ON THE ROOF AND 15 HP OUTBOARD AND NEVER BROKE DOWN OR COST ME EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. TAM AUSTRALIA
My family bought a 1966 VW Fastback Variant new. Best shifting transmission I have ever shifted, that was not direct linkage. It had 2 problems from the start, carburetors and distributor. The carbs were linked on a gimbal post and had turnbuckle to adjust. The carbs would get out of sync and have to be adjusted back. It ate points, to the point that an extra set was kept in the glove box. It was a great car except for those things.
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scotty, excellent video, and i wonder how many miles per gallon it got hauling all that steel around, thanks man!
Scotty Kilmer morning Scotty - we had one in the late 60s In Dallas Texas! Beautiful car . My Brother Totaled it 😞
@Ron valic Same here, mpg?
50 years old, well it looks totally rebuild to me. So that doesn't count really. Still I take the point of another interesting video. Datsun 120A F11 anyone?
Hey Scotty. What do you think about TGDI engine? Can someone help me? Scotty Kilmer
You can tell Scotty is having a blast with this thing! Never seen him so happy before lol. Bless you Scotty!
And everytime he points, it gets distorted
I know right? Giddy as a kid in a candy store. Got to admire his enthusiasm.
I'll tell you what.
I've been working in a vintage VW workshop, damn those cars are the easiest things to repair on Earth. There's almost no job even un untrained mechanic cannot do. Best car ever.
long live the old vws
Mustie1 wasn’t expecting to see you here Mustie!
Long live guys like Mustie and Scotty...
Wow 😃😃 mustie1 here 😄
l get around
👍👍🤘
"When men were men and cars were made of metal!"
Pepperidge farm remembers
What happened to the world? People these days don't have the balls to talk like scotty, that's why i like the guy
Taunus: because the world is full of Nancy yes men who only want to make a quick buck by doing as little as possible and think having experience doesn’t matter. Look at all the auto vlog channels, they just cater to young materialistic guys that think a Lamborghini will make their life better, but in a few years they trade that for something else. If those cars are so great why do they keep trading them up all the time, they’re just tools promoting a lifestyle that doesn’t actually make you happy, but they’re good at pretending it does.
When men were men and the rest stayed in the closet.
Scotty Kilmer hahahaha Scotty you made my day, i'm still subscribed to that certain someone just to count how many cheap lamborghini titles he uploads. Me for example, i might be young, but i have a 71 beetle and an 86 celica that were from each of my grandparents, i'm never going to get rid of them, you won't find other car like that, also the modern aesthetics are just plain. The beetle failed to me a couple of times due to the lack of use, but the celica has never got me stranded, neither the beat up 86 cressida i got for myself. My parents 2005 Nissan primera on the other hand, has a bunch of stupid sensors that shut off the car while i was driving! I really enjoy my classics, you can understand what you're doing, and no brittle plastics. Your channel made me validate that point. Thanks a lot
After wanting one since I was a kid I finally pulled the trigger and bought a '68 Beetle this summer. What a breath of fresh air...they are SO easy to work on. Tasks that would be daunting on a modern car are simple and approachable on an old VW. Really makes you realize how ridiculously complicated new cars have become!
I'd love a pre 67.....
I'm a mk1 guy ,I got much love and respect for the air cooled stuff.
Wish I had the time and money to have an air cooled.
@@MrTheHillfolk I would absolutely love to daily drive a Mk1 Rabbit/GTI or even a MkII Scirocco. The thought of buying a new car when my current DD dies has become quite unappealing!
...had a '78 Beetle years ago, used tell my passengers to rock back and forth in sync so it would go faster, of course it didn't but I had fun.
i have a 2012 tdi jetta. not bleeding edge new but modern. I live in an apartment and do all my own work on it, they really are not that complicated. i think the most complicated thing i have done was added a multi fuction steering wheel, and that was only because i had to lay on my back under the driver side console area with soldering iron to splice a wire. all of the modifications and enhancements i have done have been simple and really plug in and play. oil changes are easy, as they are on every car, transmission oil changes are a bit more complicated but thats what instructions are for. I have not had a part go bad on it yet but from the work and modifications ive done on it so far, it will probably be really straight forward. Soon I will be moving into a house that has a garage, im really excited about that, I wont have to pull my car apart in a parking lot when i want to install something new.
I have a 2007 MK5 Jetta 2.5L. Base model so not too much electronic stuff which is what I wanted. Manual tranny, manual AC. Great car.
I don't care how much lots of idiots complain about you, keep teaching us about these cars, you're the best scotty!
Thanks for the support, I don’t sweat it, those guys are just envious of this being the largest mechanic channel and are trying to make a name for themselves by bringing mine down. The only problem is, most of them have nothing to offer except criticism. It’s easy to criticize but hard to actually do the daily grind yourself.
@@scottykilmer Hey Scotty we love your work in down under Australia, and we love our cars, especially our older ones. I would be in absolute awe if you would come down under and see our Aussie muscle cars, especially Holdens.
Yes!! I love your videos!! This is my dream car!! I hope to own one before I die.
@@scottykilmer you always do a great job Scotty , thank you .
Matt: this is the largest mechanic channel, Chris is not a mechanic and the only other person that's even close is Eric but he's fallen behind, it's just a fact not shit talking.
My grandfather had a hatchback 2 door VW. Was fun to drive. I remember the fuel pump would vapor lock and we would pour water over it. Then people would say hey your car is leaking water. My only compliant was poor heating. My grandfather was a mechanic and would rebuild VW engines with his eyes closed. Very smart man with no high school diploma or college degree. He taught me as much as he could before he passed.
@Steven01001 The other flaw was when the heat exchanger leaked you got exhaust fumes inside.
Poor heating in an air cooled VW is only a result of heat exchanger air leaks and/or missing heater components.
The needed parts are cheap, readily available, and easily installed by any handyman.
With serviceable heat exchangers and a properly sealed path for the heated air, it will provide enough heat to ride with the window vents open, keep your toes toasty warm and defrost your windshield quicker than any water cooled car.
I would have loved to have met your grandfather! He sounded like a super cool guy. Treasure the memories.
Leighton Elliott
He was better off not finishing brainwashing school
@@mikehurley7945 Yes he was, I miss him and I would like to think he would be proud of what I accomplished in the last 23 years. Sounds like long time ago but seems like yesterday. He told me to learn electronics as that was the direction the auto industry was headed. He wasn't lying.
He worked for the City of Reno in NV where he worked on all the city vehicles. He knew a police officer that would remove the wing nut and air filter from a Ford Crown Victoria. After the third time my grandfather welded the wing nut to the carburetor. Besides having no air filter for obvious reasons he had to rebuild the engine twice. I love telling that story.
He used to hand grind valves with his bench grinder. The skills he had and the list is long. I'm not welder by trade but he once had me weld something for him as when he did it would keep breaking. Told me my calling is welding. I disagreed. Driving a bus is my calling.
I loved that story about the troublesome cop! As a retired automotive engine machinist I can identify with, and respect your grandfather's skills, wisdom, and experience.
I can't even guess how many VW engines I have rebuilt! From simple valve jobs, to align boring and assembling the cases.
It sounds as though you fancy yourself as a modern day Ralph Kramden (with much respect!), but do you have a hobby welding machine? At least a small oxy-acetylene torch?
I'll bet there's a tinkerer lurking within you still!
Your grandfather saw it too!
We had one of those in the early 70's when I was a little kid. I remember riding in the back of it with my ear to the floor lstening to the engine whirr away. Our neighbor had one too. I remember one day all the kids in the neighborhood were gathered around the car looking into the window. Its odometer had "rolled over" from 99999 miles back to 00000. Back then that was a rarety to see a car last that long. So much so, most odometers didn't even have the 6th digit like they do today.
God bless you Scotty for being a literally honest mechanic !!!!
Had an 88 VW scirocco. Loved that thing and it never let me down. Had it for 16 years. Miss it every day.
Awesome, scotty! I am a VW fan myself and even my channel is filled with tutorials on how to fix these babies. Thank you very much for the appreciation for these fine pieces of the automotive history.
My mom grew up driving a 70s beetle. Had one dead cylinder but still ran on the other three. Old VW's are nearly indestructible.
I was given my grandparent's '69 Beetle when I was still in high school. Some of the other students thought it would be funny to disconnect one of the spark plugs (the engine hood had no lock so anyone could walk by and open it up). I drove it home that day, wondering why it was running a little different, and figured it out when I got home. Plugged it back in and it was fine.
No, it probably was #1. As this is the hottest running of the 4. That is why the lobe for #1 in the distributor is retarded 2 degrees, to keep it cooler.
I'm planning on buying a 70s VW Beetle
@@shelbylover1359 Volkswagen make the most practical and ergonomical cars.
@@shelbylover1359
You are me 8 years ago.
Had to have a beetle, b4 prices jumped.
Thought TWICE💡
Bought
72 fuel injection VW “Fastback” coupe.
“Pancake engine” designed by PORSCHE.
=
WAY MORE CAR & 2 trunks😎
My VW sticks out.
So happy I didn’t bug a bug.
The VW fastbacks of that era are treasures. I miss setting points and adjusting carbs. A few peers would drop 6 cyl Porsche engines that would bolt right onto that chassis. Those were screamers...
Yes the Fastbacks were treasures, had 2 myself.
If only VW thought outside the box when designing it - extend the trunk lid to include the back window and make it a hatch/fastback like the Renault 16.
I bought my first car in 1978 which was a 1969 VW Squareback. I saved a whole month's waitressing salary and bought it for $500.00. It could fit just about anything in it. The main problem that I had with it was that the engine was not powerful enough to have air conditioning and it gets really hot in Central California. When it's that hot, those window wings just blow in hot air. Mine had the first fuel injected engine of it's type and it was problematic. When it wouldn't start, I'd have to run around to the engine, fiddle with the injector wire, hop back in and see if it would start. Fun times! If YTF396 is still out there, that was my first car.
Great video Scotty! Can you make a video telling us which cars have strong automatic transmissions? You've mentioned a lot of weak ones. Which manufacturers make strong automatic transmissions?
He will tell you Toyota does, but from my experience they make terrible automatic transmissions. When I bought my '14 Camry brand new, two months later the torque converter failed, and now its failing again. Not to mention that the touchscreen no longer works, it hesitates during acceleration, and it sounds like its running on 3 cylanders once you go past 3000 rpm. From my experience, Honda makes the best cars out there.
Sounds like a lemon to me. where I am, all the cabbies praise the camry, and you can only imagine how they drive/maintain them!
Emin Marookian Honda is really a great car company every thing they make last’s
I’d say the Chevy gmc pickup automatic transmissions are some really strong stuff
My personal experience
mtb_d4n Toyota Toyota Toyota
Honda's are great but they had a lot of problems with transmissions in the early to mid 2000's. Transmissions are their weakest point. Engines are the best.
I have owned three VWs in my life. An '86 Golf, '87 Jetta GLI and a '92 Cabriolet. The GLI had about 230k miles when I gave it to my brother. The Cabriolet was my favorite. Simple, reliable cars that often just needed oil changes or a fuse replaced.
In days of old when knights were bold and cars were made of metal.
David Corbin I remember!
Pepperidge farm remembers
LOL, awesome
I might have to steal that one
Once a King, always a King ... Once a Knight is enough.
I own two Type 1 VW's and have always wanted a Type 3 squareback "wagon" I love the little metal cars and when my friends were slipping and sliding in the snow in South Dakota, my bug, was warm and toasty inside and cruisin right along with my 1500cc engine. I collect model cars and I have several ones of this model. I am glad Scotty, that you made a video of this beautiful car, that you have been teasing us with, in the background for the last few videos :-). I am installing a 1641cc engine in my early 68 model (my 1st car) and leaving my late 68 model stock, since it has 485k one owner miles from my great uncle, and runs like a charm. Thanks for your videos and making my breaks at work, educational and fun.
I miss my '66 Pontiac Catalina 50,000 times more than I ever missed my ex wife.
Was it Forest Green ? We had a 68' that was a very popular color for Pontiac back then.
xrcrx ftfghjg HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT(?)
Hahahaha
Great comment, Randy. I've had motorcycles and cars in the past that I miss. Ex's??? Miss them??? Well . . . ah . . . no comment.
That's because cars can't talk back
Ooohhh my !, you brought back so many memories. My dad had this volks Variant 1.6 liter 1969 german made since i was born till i had 10 years. I helped him change the oil, and spark plugs,air filters, front brake pads and the infamous clutch cable that always failed after a red light in the middle of the most important city street. My dad almost died after a c-30 pick up truck crashed him in the left door.....the volks was sent to a friend who left him straight and running again. A couple of years later we went overseas so we sold it. I have never seen a reliable car like that. Cheap and easy to fix . When german cars were good.
My buddy had one of those in high school back in 85. We surfed (San Diego) back then. Lots of road trips. Good times.
Thank you @Scotty Kilmer, I really enjoyed this episode! I still daily my 1972 Beetle. I don't need a lot of speed, it's never had a radio mounted, it's simple to work on, and I get better than 20 MPG regularly. It had its 1st major repair at 49 years old. It's not original anymore, but I love it just the same. No complaints from this guy! ;)
I actually want that car!
Scotty, considering buying a 1969 Squareback in low humidity California, 2110cc pancake engine. Owner restored it to just less than showroom quality, but maintained with European parts & style. Everything works! If not, there's a '69 Beetle restored by an aviation mechanic, perfect condition with a 1776cc "U" shape dual carb engine. It's a tough call.
I learned everything I know on old aircooled VW's.
Me too!
Ive been a mechanic for 29 years here in England and work solely on Volkswagen 5 days a week and I couldn’t agree with you more scotty. Modern Vw’s are junk. Love your videos keep up the good work 👍
I would like to have that car.its really nice
Me too, it looks reliable and fun to drive, take your friends to the beach 😎
That's what i like from you work Scotty, no nonsense, straight to the point, and looking to the whole picture in the long run. We learn a lot from you. Thank you! Greetings from the South of the Americas.
Scotty’s neighbors are like “Hey Scotty! Shut up over there!”
Scotty you are bring back tears of nostalgia, My first car was a T2 with the same motor, perfect teen passion wagon
If all cars were like that today you wouldn’t have much repair work to do, and far fewer ill-conceived gizmos to gripe about on YT, so count your blessings.
Coming up: Scotty praises the virtues of the Model T as a daily driver.
Then people would cry at a lack of power, cooling, heating, muh luxury features and the 20mpg less that goes with all of that. Oh and muh safety too.
😀 funny you mentioned that because the Beetle is the very car to outsell the Model T.
You are absolutely right. I think this new compuerized trend in cars is just a scam. My mom had a mid 70s beatle and her throttle cable broke in the parking lot. She called me (i was a 20 yo car enthusiast who could wrench). She was nervouse when i had a bunch of parts laying on the ground but when i fixed the car ( in about an hour or so) she realized i knew what i was doing. Cant do that now. Keep preaching Scotty!
Remember the National Lampoon VW ad that said "If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagon, He'd be President today"? I serviced alot of VWs in the late 60s and early 70s. I liked that 1 1/2 qts of oil went into the engine and the other 1/2 qt went into the oil bath air cleanner. That was good planning. Is the squareback yours?
Great Video Scotty! I have a 1966 beetle, bone stock, easy to work on and fun to drive!
Scotty, not as an argument but just a point of view, I had an 'OLD' VW Beetle and I found it had more space than I could have imagined or maybe it just stretched when I needed it. I had five children at this time and we would go grocery shopping and people from the store would actually watch from the windows as we loaded 1 1/2 to 2 grocery carts into the rear space and the front bonnet of the car and still have my wife who was pregnant then, myself and the five children get in. Of course this was before any laws about seatbelts and car seats. A few months later after picking up our twins on Thanksgiving night, with the whole family, because the hospital called me at dinner to come pick them up (???) we decided to get a VW Bus. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do and with the Grace of God,we did.
Great video man! I have two Karmann Ghia VWs and they are pretty cool!
Scotty, can you make a video about the SEAT cars? Especially the 1.9 TDI ones.
1.9TDI enige is awesome! Mine did 370.000km and was still pretty much perfect.
Yesss! Best diesel ever!
Maybe because your used 5000Eur car had 10 times that km ;)
U have a wv engine so is a good engine. Wv put same engine and shassis in seat, skoda, audi.
Seat cars aren't available in the United States
Brings back memories of my '70 VW Fastback. Though not much in the power department, it was a reasonably reliable car with parts readily available. Removed the gas tank for cleaning due to some sort of buildup (probably corrosion), took it to the local pressure washer and cleaned out good, reinstalled it and it ran just fine afterwards. Sold it sometime in the mid '80's.
I love the Dr. Porsche designed Volkswagens timeless. I had two type 1s no other car was produced for 7 decades 1932 to 2003.
That squareback is gorgeous, one of my all time favorite cars. I have a 70 camaro that my dad did just enough work to get running when I got my license and now I'm going through and fixing it the rest of the way up. I didn't care much for cars before I got my license but now I'm having a blast watching your videos and making my car into something I can be proud of.
The best car I ever owned was a 98vw jetta 2.0 manual. That thing took a BEATING, and somehow the parts werent too bad (got lucky there).
I had a 98 tdi Jetta.
I miss that car , I sold it as a donor for a drivetrain swap and the guy put the engine in a rabbit.
Great swap,they will run mid 14s easy.
My first car was my dad's '00 Jetta TDI, had to sell it off though because the car spend most of it's time in Canada and northern USA, meaning it rusted out and was too expensive to fix. Got myself an '04 WRX after that
Yep! I had a '98 Jetta GT, 5-speed, 2.0. Power sunroof, but had to roll down the windows!! Put 140,000 trouble-free miles on it in 10 years. In 2007, traded it for an Audi S4. 10 years later, and I traded the Audi on a 2018 Passat.
Hey Scotty, I’m 52 years old and I still work great! Thanks for this video, that old VW looks stunning!
Well imma try to keep my 2017 VW Jetta 1.4tsi for as long as 50 year x) I hope that goes well
Scotty, I don't care what any of your haters say, you give sound, practical and entertaining advice! All the videos you post have been either been very helpful, informative or at the very least entertaining. I don't agree with the notion that turbo cars are bad, I will agree that for the speed advantage there is a higher maintenance trade-off. Other than that, I agree with all of your great advice, keep up the great vids and God bless you, Scotty!
I remember one time my engine fell half way out. just had to jack the engine up and put wing nut back in and I was back on the road.
I have had a 1961 Type 1 for 24 years now. I was given a really nice Mercedes and for a few years I used the Beetle as my car to take the dogs to the beach. After several years of terrible mileage, as well as annoying and/or expensive repairs (wiper transmission, all new fuel injection seals, passenger window regulator and such) I cleaned out the Beetle and made it my primary car once again.
Yes, with the 4 bolts off and you have the engine block on your "lap"
Had a new 69 Squareback in 69 daily driver till 73 still have a 71 Squareback ran when I parked it in the 80s.
Whats funny is the men that aren't men, now want the old cars that were made of metal. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Haha! Love ya SK!
My father had the same VW when I was growing up. I learned to drive in that car, so much fun, I wish we still had it in the family as it was cheap on maintenance & relatively cheap on fuel.
I would also like to say thank you for your channel Scotty, you brought me down memory lane & I always enjoy your great car advice! Keep up the great work.
scotty you are a hundred years old man and still works great .
When I was a teenager my friend Danny put a tricked out 231 Buick V6 engine in his VW fastback and got the rear hatch to close. Nothing could beat it. Word got out not to challenge his car or you might lose your pink slip.
Rev up your antiquated Volkswagen!
🏎💥🗯🗯...the days when they were built Toyota strong. Lol😅🤣🤗🌴☀️🌴
Junior Lexus you have a Toyota/Lexus obsession
Nah mate. I'll stick with my Studebaker, Packard, AMC, etc. thank you very much.
@@forc3ofxf3ar51 why thank you!.... I am obsessed with quality.👍🏽🌴☀️🌴
Junior Lexus I drive a Lexus, but the amount of times u comment, Jesus it’s just a car.
Not even close junior, you can bet your arm, that this 52 yr old car has had numerous engine change outs. Fortunately, with those old cars, you could do that inside of an hour.
Scotty - I had a '71 Type 3 Squareback which I purchased in Europe. Unless I'm mistaken, it was the first large scale production vehicle with what was then called electronic fuel injection (in actuality it only had electrical components). I believe it was the Bosch K-Jetronic model fuel injection system. I drove the car all across Europe and shipped it to the Puerto Rico, back to Europe and eventually to the US . I did most of the repairs myself from replacing the clutch pack, replacing injectors, replacing push-rod tubes and seals and all the normal maintenance. I had it for over 13 years but eventually gave it away to a relative who was in dire need of a reliable car. It and an early model Volvo 100 Series where built like a tank with thick gauge body metal and simplified engine design, which was easy to service and repair. The old adage of "They don't make them like that anymore" is apropos for these two vehicles.
🤓 I have a Samurai, its kinda like this vw, its all manual with an aftermarket carb, Keep It Old School 😎🚙
had a '92 Toyota Tercel.....4 cyl, 4 speed man trans, no power steering........
no power locks, no power windows.....best car i ever had.....
@@driver4011 😎 cool, yes i had 2 friends with old beater tercels, both were good and economical 🤓
I love the old VWs! Owned a '63, '64, and '72 Bugs, and a '71 Square-back. The Square back was my favorite. It had fuel injection though and was super fun to drive.
just wait until this guy hears about the trabant
I’ve been patiently waiting for you to show off your new wheels. Sweet ride!
And ladies were ladies. There aren't so many of those about any longer. It's a shame.
And bushes were bushes, none of that Brazilian pervy stuff.
I had one of these back in the late 1970s. It was not stock, but lightly modified to go off road. Drove it from Santa Rosa CA to a ranch a few miles outside of El Paso TX. Took a lot of tinkering/ maintenance to keep it running properly, more than my skills were up to, so I sold it. But it was a fun car to drive!
You forgot to adjust the valves and regap the points...
Yea the valves need adjusting i can hear it
Never took the oil filter screen out to clean it.
Yeah but I didn't want to bust his balls too much.
One of Scotty’s best vids! He makes me want to go buy one and start tinkering with it this weekend!
Love these little old autos, at least until your in a wreck. 🚑
I totaled one and walked away with a bump on the head. Went over a mountain in West Virginia and landed in a river. Water didn't enter the car until I opened the door.
@@alcoleman5261 let me know how they do against an f250 t-bone style or head on !
@@nosoupforyou425 Well tbf there's not a whole lot out there that can actually handle getting T-Boned by an F-250 js ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@beard295 that is actually what the national traffic administration tests for and yes many autos can now; crumple zones, airbags, and higher seating positions are just a few of the engineered controls introduced and embraced by consumers. SUV technology especially. Look up a video of a smart car crash test - formula 1 style cage that nothing from the 50's or 60's could meet 😿
Yup 100% I daily drive my 1970 Ford Maverick and I'm always extra cautious because if I crash I probably won't be able to walk out of it!
My dad got t-boned by a semi (semi blew a red light) on the drivers side door. Luckily he was in a truck (2012 F150) and survived with only a few injuries.
If he drove my car that day he probably wouldn't be here today!
My dad had one just like that many moons ago. I had an 84 Scirocco that never died. I sold it for a 91 GTI that did nothing BUT die. You're are right about the quality tapering off the newer they got. Now I stick to Honda Accords! Thanks for your entertaining videos!
Scotty talking great about a car other than Toyota ? AMAZING!!😃
Love these old VW station wagons the most too! They are like mini woodies.
Yes! The Older Cars were/are the best! I have to have a car made of metal!
Go get into an accident in one and then try and say they are the best. A large part of the reason cars have so much plastic today is purely for safety.
And because it's cheaper.
I thought it was because it made them lighter, so better fuel economy.@@taunuslunatic404
Scotty your right again, Have an 86 1/2 16v Scirocco since 1989 and still the most fun to drive.
" When men were men and cars were made of metal " love that saying scotty 🤘
I bought a used 67 VW square back when I was stationed in Germany in 74. It was truly one of the best cars I ever owned. Drove that thing all over Europe.
It was a great car unless you lived up north where they put salt on the road. After a short time it rots out and your seat falls thru the floor boards. Happened to my neighbor.
There weren't any such things as car under frames NOT damaged by moisture (+salt). You are correct about the floors on VW's rotting out over time; it's what happens because owners didn't have too many people around (like Scotty) to tell them to rinse off the car's underside with a garden hose. Nothing like prevention that few people thought/think about. A nice dry garage is where it's at.
Had one of these VW wagons in 1972. Bought it used. In a moment of stupidity I called the former owner a week after I bought it on a used car lot. I asked the former owner about the car and his experience with it. OMG what a shock! First he says his white VW was pretty good but needed a lot of body work. OMG my car was ' red', not white. Then he said it ran great until the big accident. 'What accident?' I asked. He replied, 'THe accident where I got rear-ended. That's why it needed so much body work and why I got rid of it.' Then he said, 'By the way, you know that spring on the carburetor?'. 'Yes', I replied. To which he said, 'That spring is off my wife's sewing machine.' OMG ... I swear this is all true. Anyhow I drove it for 2 years and had a few problems, but not too many when I consider it was a used car.
I was told, when buying a used car, spend some money & hire an unbiased mechanic to check it out for you. Then you drive it hard on street & interstate (with the mechanic or mechanic drives). When you give that $$ to the salesman, only then the truth comes out. Buyer beware.
I owned quite a few old air-cooled Volkswagens………...No power, no brakes, no heat, no AC, no PS, what's not to like.
You got that right.
More things went wrong back then, plus more things needed routine maintenance.
+Louis Morano
Unless you meant LESS things went wrong back then you're lying. Besides, routine maintenance every couple of months which takes you a few minutes ain't that bad. Especially considering you can't do ANYTHING on modern cars anymore and fixing it proper will cost you a small fortune. On my old car, if something breaks, 9/10 I can fix it myself, if not, a mechanic will charge you far less to fix it than on a modern car.
No heat?
2:25 When you said that I remember my parents talking about how they used to put concrete sacks in the back of their Ford Capri to get better grip on snow. Makes me wish they had kept it, always interesting to listen to them talking about the old cars they used to have.
Ah yes ... glad I still drive my '71 VW Beetle 👌
The new Atlas is cool.
You’re absolutely right , Scotty. Thanks for the great video. The first oil change I did was on my Grandmothers 66 Beetle. Great car ,simple and fun to tinker with.
How did VW make a safe rear engine car, while the Corvair was "Unsafe at Any Speed"?
That was Ralph Nader saying that garbage. He also cried about the old Cadillacs from the 50's and 60's that had those wing type rear end/taillights. He said they were a hazard because they were too pointy or some nonsense.
Corvair had no rear sway bar which made them dangerous on taking sharp curves, now you can buy aftermarket one, attach it, and it makes it as safe as any car.
True. Back when I was 17 I almost wrecked one for that same reason.
Buick Mackane My father was in a geo metro head on collision with a old lincoln. The engine broke through the front of the car and ended up in one of the seats, not the driver thank god. I’ll never ride in a front engine car again.. just kidding LMAO obviously it’s more about how the cars built
Dragon Skunk VWs also do not have a rear sway bar. They had an IRS version which was better than the swing axle design where the axles cant the bottom of the tires inward making it easier for a tire to dig in and flip. I have built a number of Dune buggies through the years. I currently own a VW powered desert buggy with a built engine running on 110 octane racing fuel. Power steering, disk brakes, bus IRS transaxle....
I had a 1969 VW Squareback that I kept from new for 19 years. Drove all over the USA. Unlike your '67, mine had fuel injection. I had to replace the computer once, but only because moisture got in the box. Loved that car.
I'm still proud to be a modern Volkswagen owner tho 😁
My best friend has a 66 vw bug, it's clean as a whistle. It was a Christmas present from her hubby.
She loves the heck out of that car.
Scotty will always be my dad.
I had one of these in the early 70s. It was a great little car---drove it across the country 4 times. Handled really well, and you could even sleep in the back. Before the last cross country trip I rebuilt the engine from the bottom up. A good old car!
I think one of the reasons the Manual Transmission is dying in America is because alot of single moms are raising kids by themselves these days. They only know how to drive automatic therefore that's what they teach their kids.
Not true...A lot of women drive stick...In fact, my mom and sisters drove stick cuz that's all we had in our family.
torque converter is a big advantage for traffic jams, but in every other case automatics are slower, more expensive to maintain and waste fuel
Kids call manual transmission "3 pedal" nowadays.
And it's a great anti theft device.
@@Bruce12867
My mom got a 90 Jetta automatic back in the day.....
Hated it ,next car went back to standard.
And she's never worn a clutch out either.
My wife loves manual transmission. We both do.
My stock 67 squareback was an amazing car. Practical hauler, super fun to drive, cornered incredibly, unbelievable off road and snow performance. I called it my all terrain Porsche tiny home
The problem with Volkswagen is that it came under the sway of Ferdinand Piëch of the Piëch family which is a branch of the Porsche dynasty that controls the company. He became infatuated with converting Volkswagen into an emporium of automobilia, particularly exotic automobilia. I guess he wanted to prove Volkswagen's mettel as more than just a manufacturer of pedestrian automobiles. He started the company along the road of focusing on prestige brands, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche, and even the defunct Bugatti which at that point was nothing but a marque, while ignoring the mass market. The end result was junk produced for the masses because the prevailing wisdom in luxury brands is that the affluent is willing to pay premium prices for electronic gizmos that provide the lure of sophistication and progress while ignoring the question of quality. This same philosophy was applied to consumer brands under the assumption that the average consumer could be beguiled with the slogan that Volkswagen was building cars with the same commitment to German engineering that they applied to their luxury brands notwithstanding the fact that these German engineered products were actually substandard.
My story ---> Owned and drove ONLY 2 VW's and a carmen ghia from 1972 until 1999. No problems, easy and cheap to maintain, did all of the oil changes AND valve adjustments myself. I was never more than an average backyard/garage 'mechanic', and sold those three in good condition. My ride after the Ghia? A Honda civic crx. Who made good cars before 1999? Toyota, Honda and Nissan.
You forgot to mention how often you had to MANUALLY adjust the valves on those babies!
Adjusting the valves when you do an oil change only adds about 5 minutes of work. The wire bail that holds the valve covers on only needs a screw driver to flip it open. Slip the feeler gauge in and rotate the engine by hand. A 10 mm wrench to loosen the lock nut on any valve out of adjustment, holding the adjuster with the same screw driver you opened the covers with and tighten the lock nut. If I remember right, #1 would need a tweek every third or fourth oil change. Maybe 0.001". As for emissions, after a rebuild in '77 my engine in NY, it ran as clean as the new engines with catalytic converters. I have had a '68, 71, and '74 beetle, and a '69 and '73 bus. And a '65 and '67 Gia. Great cars.
Hello Scotty, Jose here. Just a quick observation about that 67 type III square back. With those carbs, that has to be a larger than 1600cc engine. Also, surprised that the engine doesn't have a full flow engine oil setup. Or at least a 1.5 oil sump addition. Thanks for the videos.
Terrific cars,I remember all the air cooled VW's when I was a kid,there were dozens of them,it all started to go down hill with the Golf.
golf was great what are you on about?
Sweet ride. BRM wheels, Berg shifter. I did a clutch in a 67 squareback for a women when i was 16 years old in a few hours. Loved driving that car on the longest test ride ever!
LOL@picture of STI driving soyboy at the end
I think the same way. I have old panzer wagen Audi 100 c4
1991 and driven 407000 km, automatic ZF 4 gang. It's the best Audi ever made except c3 too. 5 zylinder gasoline engine, inline of course, what sound wow.......chassis is comfortable and good driving, no rust the body. I love this car and now I owned them one year, gasoline to tank and go....greetings from Finland to you Scotty. Thanks the videos.
That car will fail every modern crash test even it has more metal parts than a modern car.
You're wrong, old car steels were not treated for rigidity, they bend and crumble uncontrollably during accidents. The car will choke you to death even in very low speed crush. If you still drive a old car today, you couldn't even survive a crush from a Smart car.
You have a better chance of survival in a newer "plasticity" car than you would in an old one. Modern Safety standards are way tougher than it was in back in those days.
I love it when all people think of is crashing. Driving properly you shouldn't be in a crash. I drive over 100k a year in trucks cars an on motorcycles and in 26 years have crashed once because I wasn't taking care an went to hot on a bend and hit a tree. Every one I talk to who has a crash says they fucking about not driving, as in look at fit bird/ lighting fag/ changing cd/ txting/ driving to close.
@@crabby125 less than 0.3 percent od civilian cars participate on geometry-changing accident during their lifetime.
@@DomWeselnyBrzozieLub and those. 3 percent will fare off better in a modern car vs a classic car when it comes to an accident.
I have a 2002 golf TDI and I have to say I'm super impressed with it. I'm over 300,000 kms now and constantly see ones forsale with over 600,000. lots of torque, amazing mileage and so far to me, super reliable.
Better then lame Toyotas!
Than, you're welcome
These were so popular when they were available I remember people having to get on a waiting list to get a new one and finding a good used one was a hunt. Beatles were everywhere but these were so much more useful. Thanks Scotty!
Machines sounded like machines....AKA....what a lawnmower sounds like. 54 hp was respectable for the day? WHAT? The era of the muscle car and 54 hp is respectable.....Gawd what a load. All that weight in the rear....none in the front.....Understeer is a HUGE problem even on dry pavement. 52 years old and I will PROMISE you NUMEROUS engine rebuilds. Not reliable at all. The ONLY reason they became popular was because they were cheap. The roaches and hippies bought them.
Jep ... That's propably why there are milions od those still on the road as daily drivers, and "muscles" are mostly in "collections"
@Discofelsi So why VW dealers were selling 300.000 of those yearly in US for 15 years?
You would if it was the only one you could afford.
Why doesn't everyone drive an Escalade??
@Discofelsi You guys are barking on the wrong tree. By early 60's all US car factories were unionised. Workers were overpaid and lazy. Quality was atrocious, news cars were delivered to customers with average 20 or so faults. One in five new cars had to be returned to dealership for mayor repairs. Small VW's were better bang for bucks. They were affordable, well made and were not breaking down
Not convinced ... Just look at today's motorbike scene. "Patriots" are buying HD, the ones who want to ride really good bikes, metric ones.
Old Vdub ad states "Anyone for half a station wagon?", guess that was the market. A Ford Squire wagon was about $3300, $2200 for the Squareback. Bout 8 grand difference today.
I HAD THIS CAR AND LOVED IT,CRUZE AT 70 MPH, CLIMED THE COUNTRY HILLS GREAT WITH WINTER TYERS ON THE BACK, CARRIED MY 12 FT BOAT ON THE ROOF AND 15 HP OUTBOARD AND NEVER BROKE DOWN OR COST ME EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. TAM AUSTRALIA
That’s a beautiful ride Scotty!!! You presented it brilliantly. 😉
My family bought a 1966 VW Fastback Variant new. Best shifting transmission I have ever shifted, that was not direct linkage. It had 2 problems from the start, carburetors and distributor. The carbs were linked on a gimbal post and had turnbuckle to adjust. The carbs would get out of sync and have to be adjusted back. It ate points, to the point that an extra set was kept in the glove box. It was a great car except for those things.