Volkswagen squashes the Beetle

[braumeister]

Volkswagen squashes the Beetle

After seven decades, the longest-running car in automotive history is about to disappear. Volkswagen will end production of its iconic Beetle by the end of the 2019 model-year, the German automaker announced Thursday.

Kind of sad. My first car was a 1968 Beetle, and I loved that thing. Couldn't wait for each new JC Whitney catalog to come in the mail so I could get something else to trick it out with.

In fairness, it really wasn't much of a car, but there were so many of us who couldn't get enough of it.

 

[Breedlove]

The old Air Cooled bugs were very dependable and I thought a good car. The new water cooled bugs have not did as well . Once looked at buying a used newer bug . After reading reviews I walked away.

 

[travelover]

The old Air Cooled bugs were very dependable and I thought a good car. ..........

Yea, as long as you lived somewhere where heat was not necessary.


The new Beetle was a completely different car with retro styling.

 

[aja8888]

Yea, as long as you lived somewhere where heat was not necessary.

I had a few old Beetles when living in Connecticut as a youth. Yes, dressing warm and having an ice scraper for the inside of the windshield on winter days was a requirement.

BTW, I restored a 1971 Beetle last year:

 

[MRG]

I had a few old Beetles when living in Connecticut as a youth. Yes, dressing warm and having an ice scraper for the inside of the windshield on winter days was a requirement.

BTW, I restored a 1971 Beetle last year:

View attachment 29566

Nice!

We had two. In the winter I'd put a space heater in the back seat. Twenty minutes later, nice and toasty.

 

[Walt34]

Yea, as long as you lived somewhere where heat was not necessary.

Yes, my sister bought a new one about 1970 and I refused to ride in it during the winter months for that reason. And as far as acceleration went, if you downshifted all it did was make more noise.

 

[Breedlove]

Yes the heat was nonheat . Didn't they have those little heater boxes . But man what fun back in those days .

 

[aja8888]

Yes the heat was nonheat . Didn't they have those little heater boxes . But man what fun back in those days .

Yes, heater boxes around the exhaust manifolds and tubing and body channels to the floor vents. Worked pretty good as long as the engine was warm and you were going 60.

Going 60 and a warm engine were not always simultaneous!

 

[Walt34]

Found a pic of my sister's VW and nephew about 1970ish. He's not her child, but my older sister's. Taken with a Polaroid camera, color film was about a dollar a shot then so I didn't take many.

 

[Breedlove]

Now everyone has me thinking , tomorrow is the big Volkswagen show in Tomball Texas . Might get me a turkey leg and look at some VW's

 

[aja8888]

Found a pic of my sister's VW and nephew about 1970ish. He's not her child, but my older sister's. Taken with a Polaroid camera, color film was about a dollar a shot then so I didn't take many.

Nice photo. Great memory!

I recall selling my last VW Beetle, a 1977 bright red one, when living in California in 1983. My two daughters were 4 and 6 then and still remember me hauling them round in that bug.

 

[aja8888]

Now everyone has me thinking , tomorrow is the big Volkswagen show in Tomball Texas . Might get me a turkey leg and look at some VW's

Where exactly in town is the show? If it's not raining I may go there too.

(got a link?)

 

[Breedlove]

I have seen it advertisments on the Net …………..I believe it is in Tomball proper , probably in the Kroger parking lot . Just guessing but they are having Tribute bands all day.

 

[Breedlove]

Try This
https://patch.com/texas/conroe-montgomerycounty/calendar/event/20180915/397136/groovefest-2018


I was wrong , it is being held at the old railroad station . Bring on the Bugs !

 

[Nemo2]

Yea, as long as you lived somewhere where heat was not necessary.

I recall driving in an Ontario winter, the 'heater' full blast, and an unfrozen part of the windshield, the size and shape of a protractor, to attempt to see through.

 

[sengsational]

I don't remember any winter in the bug, but my mom drove one, and I remember climbing into and riding in the scratchy carpet covered space behind the back seat.

Talking about "squashing"...the night of the tornado, a tree fell on it and it "cried" all night long, having a tree limb pressing the horn.

 

[travelover]

I recall driving in an Ontario winter, the 'heater' full blast, and an unfrozen part of the windshield, the size and shape of a protractor, to attempt to see through.

I ran a piece of flex tubing from the rear seat heater outlet to the front so I could direct it at the windshield. They actually delivered a fair amount of heat to the rear seat occupant's ankles, but any directed to the front through channels in the unibody never seemed to make it to the windshield.

 

[ERD50]

I had a few old Beetles when living in Connecticut as a youth. Yes, dressing warm and having an ice scraper for the inside of the windshield on winter days was a requirement.

BTW, I restored a 1971 Beetle last year:

View attachment 29566

Nice! Did the value just go up?

-ERD50

 

[aja8888]

Try This
https://patch.com/texas/conroe-montgomerycounty/calendar/event/20180915/397136/groovefest-2018


I was wrong , it is being held at the old railroad station . Bring on the Bugs !

Thanks! If it's not raining I will go there around noon.

 

[aja8888]

Nice! Did the value just go up?

-ERD50

Not a whole lot since I put a few $K in parts and paint in it. It may be my last restoration project as I am getting to old to get up off concrete floors anymore.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

You could get aftermarket gasoline-fueled cabin heaters like these

 

[aja8888]

You could get aftermarket gasoline-fueled cabin heaters like these

Many old VW's had those, but none that I owned!

 

[travelover]

You could get aftermarket gasoline-fueled cabin heaters like these

I had one of those in my Karmann Ghia. It lit with a bang and scared the hell out of anyone riding with me.

 

[imoldernu]

Guess I'll have to wait 'til 2022 to get the new I. D. Buzz. They're going to have to work hard to beat my 72 Westfalia.

 

[HFWR]

Yes, heater boxes around the exhaust manifolds and tubing and body channels to the floor vents. Worked pretty good as long as the engine was warm and you were going 60.

Going 60 and a warm engine were not always simultaneous!

Drove a ‘66 in high school, then a ‘70. The ‘66 mostly had oil fumes for a heater, though the ‘70 actually had a fan!

Speaking of going 60, the ‘66 had a 6v system, so to power the 12v 8-track tape player, a transformer was used to get the required voltage. Alas, doubling the voltage halves the current. During regular play, no problem, but the current required to switch tracks meant revving the engine to get the necessary current...