Aircooled VW South Africa

My theory has always been that a vehicle is a lot more reliable on the open road than in city traffic (at more or less a constant speed), based on the fact that:

- There are not a lot of temperature variations, once the engine reached operating temperature
- There are not a lot of physical 'movement' in the car (throttle, gear changes, brake system, etc)
- At speed (90k/h +), there is sufficient air flow to cool the engine, compared to slow city traffic

Most of the breakdowns I had with ACVWs in the past have been in town, not on the open road.

Do Beetles give endless problems?

Riceburner wrote:Do Beetles give endless problems?

With the last Beetle built in SA in 1979 - it means that ALL Beetles are at least 31 years old, most probably more. To answer your question in full will be impossible, but aspects to keep in mind are:

- How often was the car serviced (preventative maintenance)?
- Was the car damaged in an accident, and how well was it repaired?
- How was/is the car driven?

The SP I am after I am going to turn into a Monster Baja. I am planning a total strip down and repair myself. So I guess if its a newish well maintained Bug I can expect reliability. I used to build Hiluxes but that got to expensive. The cost of building a Baja to my spec compard to 4x4.s is about a quarter the cost.

SP - as in single port, or 1600SP? If it is indeed a 1600SP with all its original parts, it will be worth a lot more to try and save it...

Rather find an Oval and convert that into a Baja, don't butcher an SP Beetle

Its a SP edition bug. Maybe I can trade.

Pine wrote:

Riceburner wrote:How reliable are aircooled engines on long trips like 2000 kms etc?

A 100% more reliable than doing the same distance in town.

I agree. Goggo also likes long stretches. Remember it's an air-cooled VW, so longer trips at higher speeds = more cool air! Plus there is less wear and tear on the bits caused by stopping and pulling off at every stop sign and red traffic light! That said, I have a GREAT bug - bought him in near mint condition and doing my damnedest to keep him that way!

For the last 3 yrs we have travelled 2000km each year on a country wide trip, travelling 250-300km per day for +/-8 days per year. We have had no major hassles. ( each time we have had at least 5 aircooleds per trip)

Riceburner wrote:The SP I am after I am going to turn into a Monster Baja. I am planning a total strip down and repair myself. So I guess if its a newish well maintained Bug I can expect reliability. I used to build Hiluxes but that got to expensive. The cost of building a Baja to my spec compard to 4x4.s is about a quarter the cost.

Here isa my 2 Imperial Credits...

Find a bug that has had a bit of a front end ding... Note I said DING!! something that is in good shape otherwise and use that as a start. You are going to cut the nose off so some front end damage aint gonna matter much... then you can get it for less and do more to it.... Disks, gearbox, engine, dream here and Monster away....

hitlers revenge wrote:For the last 3 yrs we have travelled 2000km each year on a country wide trip, travelling 250-300km per day for +/-8 days per year. We have had no major hassles. ( each time we have had at least 5 aircooleds per trip)

Yep, the only ones that kept breaking were the water cooled ones...

And my electronic ignition...

How long does it take for mail to reach SA?

Splitz wrote:How long does it take for mail to reach SA?

1 day to 8 weeks depending on what you selected as a postage option

Tony Z wrote:

Splitz wrote:How long does it take for mail to reach SA?

1 day to 8 weeks depending on what you selected as a postage option

Or never! *&^&*ing useless postal service Sharks! WTF can you do with Porsche bearings any way!

Tony Z wrote:

Splitz wrote:How long does it take for mail to reach SA?

1 day to 8 weeks depending on what you selected as a postage option

Just normal postage nothing fancy, was £3 something, should have tracked the mofo