| CONSIDERING BUYING A VINTAGE VW? KEEP THIS IN MIND, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE KNOWS IT ALL NO MATTER HOW GOOD THEY MAKE IT SOUND. THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT IS ENTIRELY UP TO YOU. USE YOUR BEST JUDGEMENT AND GOOD EXPERIENCE. LISTEN TO YOUR DAD & MOM. DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND OBTAIN SOUND ADVISE. READ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN: THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION AVAILABLE BUT YOU MUST BE WILLING TO WORK FOR IT. SEARCH OUT AND SEEK MANY OPINIONS BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY FINAL DECISION. OWNING, OPERATING AND MAINTAINING A VINTAGE VW MAY REQUIRE A LOT OF WORK & MONEY UNTIL YOU WORK OUT ALL THE BUGS. IT MAY BECOME VERY DISCOURAGING AT TIMES AND IN FACT MANY PEOPLE LOOSE THEIR DESIRE EARLY ON DUE TO ISSUES AND PROBLEMS THAT COME UP. MORE THAN LIKELY, YOU FIX ONE PROBLEM AND YOU ARE ON THE ROAD ONLY TO PUT A FEW MILES ON IT AND ANOTHER ISSUE POPS UP. THIS IS VERY, VERY TYPICAL WITH ANY VINTAGE AUTOMOBILE AND NOT JUST THE VW. BUT REST ASSURED. ONCE THAT BEAUTY IS DIALED IN, IT IS ABSOLUTELY PURE SATISFACTION!! Now I know I did not change your mind about buying that Vintage VW. I just want to bring to your attention some truth to the matter. More things for you to consider before the purchase: First and foremost. Do You Like It? & How much are you truly willing to spend? debgdr rule of thumb: "It Is Only Worth What You Are Willing To Pay For It & Only What You Are Willing To put Into It" First off: Walk around the vehicle. Study the body features. Lye on your back and look under it. What do you see? Oil? Dirt? Mud? Holes? Rust? All of the above? None of the above? Okay..... Oil, Dirt, Mud? You must consider a good cleaning so you know how much rust, (if any) and how to approach it. Pay particular attention to the area directly under the battery tray. This is an area we see that is a potential rust bucket of problems due to battery chemicals knawing away at the area over a period of years. debgdr says, "Buy a plastic battery box at Walmart and keep your battery in it" This will virtually eliminate corrosion from taking place due to battery acid. Now Then. What about those obvious holes. You know like Fred and Wilma have in their "Rock Mobiles" Those holes can be a tremendous task for the "Do-It-Yourselfer" While small patchwork can Safely & effectively be done by oneself, It is critical to note that the Safest and Best Floor Pan repair for your Vintage VW is complete replacement. This will require Body Removal so the old pans can come out and the new ones can be welded in. If you are considering this task yourself, eMail me and I will go into great details... NEXT Go to the front driver side squat down at the tire & wheel. Now. Take a firm grip of each side of the tire and turn that tire towards you and away from you. It will take some force so Carefully and Safely put some heavy force into it. Ideally, the wheels should move smoothly over the ground as you work it back and forth. If you feel motion which is kinda of lumpy or catching or you hear clunking noises it is very possible that the front end is in need of servicing and the cost of front end alignment along with component replacement needs to be considered. Also, depending on the year will depend on the cost of components. (King/Link Pin vs Fully Independent with Transverse, Multi Leaf Torsion Bars Telescopic Dampers) How about the Front Tires? Take a good look at them while you are there. Ask how old they are? How much wear is there? Is the wear on the inside? Is the wear on the Outside? Is the wear even and not noticeable¿ Some prefer a lowered front end. Lowered front ends require special attention and certainly can lead to undue wear, tear & grief on your car. debgdr says, "A Lowered Front End Looks Great! And The Farther Away It Is, The Better It looks" "Stay Away From A Lowered Front End Unless You Absolutely Know It Has Been Done By A Qualified Specialist & You Have The Paperwork Stating So" While you are up front, open the hood and look at the engine. Is there oil all over the place? Is the radiator leaking...................... Oh Brother, I know I didn't really fool you but I made you think about it didn't I?¿ But anyway go ahead and open the "Luggage Compartment" so you can get a good l@@k. Ideally you will find a fully carpeted compartment. A nice spare tire with all the tread. A covered and completely untouched wiring harness, thoroughly labeled and all of the correct amp fuses in the correct fuse terminals. "And I See A Heard of Flying Pigs Soaring Over The House Too" That is nice thoughts but unless you are really fortunate, you will more thank likely need to consider the time and cost of some wiring, carpet kit and wiring cover. Carpet kit and wiring cover are incidentals but now is the time to check and make sure the following components work or not. Headlights. High and Lo Beams. Turn Signals. Emergency Flashers, If Equipt. Brake Lights. Tail Lights. Parking Lights. Instrument Panel Lights. Interior Overhead Light If Equipt. Backup Lights If Equipt. How About The Radio? Windshield Wipers. How is the upholstery? Is the horse hair falling out or are springs going to jump up and bite you on the___ Is the gas gauge working properly? What about the seats themselves? Are they Original or not? Are they affixed to the floor pans Safely? Seat belts installed and functioning properly? debgdr says,"SAFETY FIRST" Making your way to the rear of the car... Look underneath again and look at the ground directly under the engine and tranny...Do you see any fluid drips? Now get down on your side and look at the undersides of the engine and tranny. What do you see? fluid all over the engine and transmission? PAGE 2 |
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