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swebster · 07-25-2005, 08:04 AM

Ken,
Sounds like you have some campfire stories to tell.

I had a 69 in college, my sister had a 72 Super later on. My parents had a Squareback which got washed down the street in a flash flood in Philly (they actually do float). My Dad tells stories about wading out to it with a rope and tying it off to a telephone pole.

Since I brought it home most of my neighbors have come by to che it out. Everyone smiles when they see it and if they sit in it and they all say "it's smells just like my Beetle". Turns out one of my neighbors has a 66 in the backyard he's been working on over the years. I guess it truly is "the people's car".

ALANSD · 07-25-2005, 02:09 PM

As for the first car stuff- I had a 59 Triumph TR3. Beat up quite a bit when I got it, so I learned how to do body work, interior repair, then when I blew the head...engine work.
I had it painted BR Green and drove the heck out of it..had split fire plugs from JC Whitney that made it go like a turbo, then they would burn out after 500 miles or so.
All the training I got from owning that ride made me able to tackle so many repair and upgrade jobs. My Dad got me a tool set when it broke down and tol dme to learn how to fix it. Best thing that ever happened to me.( not counting my wife and kids!)

swebster · 07-25-2005, 02:38 PM

Funny. Same kind of deal. First car was a Honda Prelude, then a CJ-7, 914, Beetle, etc. A good set of tools and a Haynes manual from my Dad and I was a shade tree mechanic by college. Rebuilt a Chevy 350 in the basement when I was 19, then parts swap modified a Datsun straight 6 in my 280ZX (260 head, dual Stromburg carbs).

Seems like it prepared me for so many things in life. Not to mention my Airstream.

TomW · 07-25-2005, 03:05 PM

Don't mean to deviate from the thread tooooo much, but were those Stromburgs side draft carbs? If so, did you have a flooding problem?

Tom

wahoonc · 07-25-2005, 04:07 PM

Must be a common thread in Airstream ownership...we all owned cars where we made the monthly payments at the parts stores

My first "car" was a 51 Ford pickup with a crash gearbox, painted it with black screen laquer and a "flit" gun. Next was a series of MGB's got real good at electrical trouble shooting, carb balancing, and motor rebuilds; then moved on to VWs, Vegas, Datsuns, Hondas and Airstreams

seems that somewhere along the way I should have learned

Aaron

overlander63 · 07-25-2005, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomW

Don't mean to deviate from the thread tooooo much, but were those Stromburgs side draft carbs? If so, did you have a flooding problem?

Tom

They were, and I did.
Special screwdriver to adjust them while the car was running, without causing a vacuum leak, was about $50 at the time. Former Midget owner, plus a 68 Beetle,, 72 Beetle, 72 Bus, and a 68 Bus, as well as a host of diesel-powered water cooled models.

Chaplain Kent · 07-26-2005, 07:41 AM

My first was a 1962 Chevy Impala SS 327. White with a red interior. An eight track player with a console full of tapes. I still dream about this car. Needed to sell it for college tuition so I could make the big bucks and own a Rambler American station wagon.

shadejo · 07-26-2005, 04:31 PM

Aaron, some of us have still not learned. Original purpose for buying a motorhome was to tow my austin mini(s) to car show once they are completed. Then having found airstreams decided my classic car habit should be supplemented by a classic motorhome (read more things to fix.....)

Current "toys" include an MG Midget, Porsche 356, multiple minis, and a Morris Minor.... This collection keeps my electrical troubleshooting skills fresh !

John

wahoonc · 07-26-2005, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadejo

Aaron, some of us have still not learned. Original purpose for buying a motorhome was to tow my austin mini(s) to car show once they are completed. Then having found airstreams decided my classic car habit should be supplemented by a classic motorhome (read more things to fix.....)

Current "toys" include an MG Midget, Porsche 356, multiple minis, and a Morris Minor.... This collection keeps my electrical troubleshooting skills fresh !

John

John,
I haven't learned

we are in the market for a MoHo...Classic....of course

and I just found a 70 Tradewind for $400 today...it should be delivered to the collection point next week

Currently my 12 volt electrical expertise is being used on my AS, a 57 Chevy, and multiple tractors. I would love to get back into sports cars but I am not sure I would want to strain my marriage quite that far

I never found one of the old mini's for sale when I had the money to buy one. The closest I ever came was a Lotus Europa...problem was I was too tall to drive it

So on to the search for a MoHo

Aaron

swebster · 07-27-2005, 07:53 AM

We're all completely nuts!

Tom W - on the Stromburgs; yes and don't know. Got it running and sold the car shortly thereafter.

Chuck · 07-27-2005, 08:08 AM

Hey, I'll keep my eye out for ya, if you're still planning on coming this way.

I'd say, "stop by for a beverage", but I'm going camping this weekend. (imagine that??

)

GlenCoombe · 07-27-2005, 08:27 AM

Steve, I can only speak for myself. And often I do so. "I'm not nuts,....just a carrier!

swebster · 07-27-2005, 08:33 AM

Glen - thanks for the laugh...very funny.

chuck,
Say hey if you see us. We'll be stopping in Billerica so my kids can see the house I grew up in then two days in North Andover at my sisters, followed by four days in Rye Beach NH so visit with my wife's family then on up to Freeport for a day or two with some of our best friends. Really looking forward to a day on Casco Bay in his "Gentlemen's Lobsterboat"

pbnjsellers · 08-02-2005, 06:37 PM

I had always considered myself a Beetle purist, and had only '67s - the last year for the old body styling (bumper overriders!) and the first year for 12 volt, no more weak eyes. The front fenders look especially nice with the 12-volt headlights sitting upright, yet the old bug lines prevail. I took one from a junkyard with a tree growing through the floor pan, fixed her up and took first place two years running in the local VW dealer shows, back in the days before I had kids and a mortgage, of course. Fitted her out with 356 chrome rims, throw-out windows, added a rear-window defogger and shoulder belts. I cried big when I sold her, and often think of wanting her (or one of the many others) back, especially now that my boy is 16 and laments for one too. I never expected to stroll down that particular memory lane on an Airstream forum, though!

swebster · 08-03-2005, 09:32 AM

Well we made it towing the Beetle with not problems. Had to disconnect it once when I zigged instead of zagged getting out of a truck stop turnaround. But it all worked better than expected. Now I can't imaging not having the car with us....very reassuring to have a second set of wheels with you.

pbnj...wanted a sixties beetle (love those lines) but this little "fat chick" was too good to pass up. I can see a standard restoration in my future but not until the Airstream is done. (read...my wife won't let me)

abruzzi · 08-03-2005, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbnjsellers

I had always considered myself a Beetle purist, and had only '67s - the last year for the old body styling (bumper overriders!) and the first year for 12 volt, no more weak eyes. The front fenders look especially nice with the 12-volt headlights sitting upright, yet the old bug lines prevail.

IIRC the 1967 was also the first year with the independant rear suspension for much improved handling. Without a doubt, 1967 was the pinnacle year for VW.

Geof

TomW · 08-03-2005, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abruzzi

IIRC the 1967 was also the first year with the independant rear suspension for much improved handling. Without a doubt, 1967 was the pinnacle year for VW.

Well, I do know that 1967 was Airstream's pinnacle year

, but VW did not incorporate independant rear suspension on all Beetles until 1969. 1968 was the first year of the semi-automatic transaxle, and it incorporated the double CV joint rear suspension while the manual transaxles still used the swing arm design of previous years.

Tom

overlander63 · 08-03-2005, 05:23 PM

So, keeping with the Beetle trivia:
What was the first year Beetles were offered with front disc brakes?
What was the first year Beetles were offered with Factory A/C?
What was the first year Beetles were equipped with alternators?
There is enough of this to fill a whole forum, and I am sure there is one.

swebster · 08-03-2005, 06:02 PM

Quote:

There is enough of this to fill a whole forum, and I am sure there is one.

There is one....www.thesamba.com

swebster · 08-09-2005, 08:18 AM

We made it home last night and the beetle towed beautifully. I'm really glad we did this. It really changed the way we thought about camping. For example, while in Freeport ME, we all jumped in the VW and headed into town for some Starbucks Coffees and then on up to LL Bean for some back to school shopping. It was also nice to know we had another set of wheels if we had a mechanical issue with the motorhome.

The towbar setup worked well. I checked and rechecked everything at rest and service stop we made. The car tracked well, really never even knew it was there unless I looked in the backup camera.

A few times it did scare Suzanne as she would head back to get something from the fridge and freak out that some jack#$% was tailgating us. After a few of those, we got used to it and everything was fine.

I have to tell you, the combination of a classic VW behind a classic AS Moho nearly doubled our usual "thumbs up" and "happy honks". Had to answer a lot of questions at almost everything fuel stop. We felt like rock stars. Who knew it would be that much fun?