VW Beetle

[Lloyd McClelland]

I'm another one with a couple of old Beetles and  a quattro car.. To make
money you have to be lucky ( buy cheap) just like any other car AND prices
are going up A  LOT especially on OLD and STOCK Beetles . Check out the
prices on  THESAMBA.COM.. Also in putting the big motor Audi,V8, Subie are
never worth as much, but would still be fun.  My fast street beetle is in
the 180 hp range(built for torque)using VW case . 200-220 hp (vw case) are
getting pretty common.  It doesn't sound like much but you have to remember
the stock early Beetle weighs in in the 1600 LB range.   When the 88 80 Q
was totaled I did think about putting a bug/bus body on it for fun... but
didn't-- more of a project than I needed.   Lloyd in Eureka,CA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Keith Lawyer" <LawyerKG at co.laplata.co.us>
To: <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 3:37 PM
Subject: Re: VW Beetle


> I've got a friend in WI who is convinced that the Beetle is the only
> vehicle he could own and actually *make* money while driving it, ie
> they're allegedly appreciating (I can't say either way) and he claims
> when time comes to sell he'll get more than he paid for it.  He seems to
> love it for a daily driver.
>
> I think they're fun, practical, inexpensive vehicles.  The aftermarket
> is huge (obviously), but I have to agree with Tom's concerns on a big
> power motor swap.  Of course you're asking the wrong forum here (surely
> there a dozen + Beetle mailing lists or forums), but from what I've seen
> the Beetles are basically a floor pan with a body dropped on them....
> and I have to wonder how much bracing and stiffening the chassis might
> need to stand up to an MC turbo or more.
>
> Keith L
>
> >>> tom winter <tom at freeskier.com> 11/02/04 04:33AM >>>
> Ben - I used to be a big fan of air cooled VW's. I owned two camper
> vans.
> The reality of air cooled VWs, though (and this is only my opinion) is
> that
> they pretty much suck. if you want something fun to tool around in the
> summer, then a bug could be cool. But the construction is tinny at best
> and
> if you need heat, forgettaboudit. The usual upgrade is to find an old
> air
> cooled Porsche engine and install that (I never did this, but my
> understanding is that some just bolt right in). But once you do this,
> you'll
> need to consider upgrades to the suspension and brakes because the bug
> wasn't built for that kind of power. I'd avoid getting in deep with a
> MC
> turbo install or small block V8. While I'm not sure, I think it would
> be a
> total PIA and the car will probably be worth more in the end if you
> style it
> out back to its original condition.
>
> Still, I must admit that the second campervan I had ('78 w/ the 2.0 fi
> air-cooled engine) was wonderful on trips to the Utah desert. And the
> simplicity of these cars means that they're exceptionally easy to work
> on.
> In fact, I owe a big thank you to both of my VWs as far as teaching me
> to
> not be afraid of tearing apart cars and trying to fix them. I learned a
> lot
> working on those suckers!
>
> A  great source of info on parts, modifications, etc is the magazine
> Hot
> VWs. I've seen it at many grocery stores. Check it out and you'll get a
> good
> feel for what enthusiasts are doing to the old air cooled 'dubs.
>
> All the best,
>
> Tom
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