Intro To My Bug Story a bit Delayed

[rrb6699]

Apologies,
I came out here firing questions away without sharing my Bug story. I'm relatively new to working on bugs although I have owned one for a few years now (10?). Anywa I didnt have a place or means to do much to it until just recently after a lengthly storage time.

yea,
I was the muscle car finatic. more power, faster, faster!! I still am - dont get me wrong. I love anything classic. But, Then it happened... I was busy restoring boats from salvage and selling them when one guy drives up in a 1972 Beetle. I remember it had this huge hesitation in it when he tried to accellerate it. I sorta laffed at the guy because he was a known "piece of junk" collector who penny pinched ya, but, had $10million in his bank account.

Anyway, he wanted my 1977 Sea Ray for about $1000 less than I wanted to get for it, so, just to be funny I said "Throw in the Bug and you got a deal". Well, he went for it and I started doin some cleaning and checking on the bug. It started out as a adversarial relationship... i'd change the oil and the headlights would stop working. It would get me stuck here & there regular. I'd Put new windsheild wipers on it and the thing wouldnt start. Then it stopped running once and wouldnt start. A Real "Ghosts in the Machine" type stuff! So, I decided to start learning what makes the thing tick....

Then I fell on some hard times. I had to pick up a pizza delivery job to make ends. the only vehicle I had was this broken down '72 Beetle with no clutch or brakes. I delivered pizza for 6 months in this condition and it helped me keep food on the table.

Reasons why I decided i'd never sell this bug:
1) drove 6 months with no clutch or brakes delivering pizza and getting me around. I would start it in first gear to get rolling, if I had to stop at a light same thin - shut it off and start it in first. emergency brake did work. did a lot of "slow rolling" too.
2) on bad tires I got thru muddy snow also delivering pizza when 4-wheelers were getting stuck. I remember learning how to get thru the worst of the snow and crud by "fishtailing". As long as I had momentum, and kept fishtailing- I could get thru anything.
3) during the time I didnt have brakes, I was driving about 45 when all the sudden the road had a hairpin turn! I couldnt believe it for an instant. then already knowing I didnt have brakes, I said "I have to go for it!", and either roll it or somehow recover. Well, I hit the turn and gave it gas as I passed mid turn. Made It!

well, when I went back to take a look at the turn and it actually had a reverse negative bank to boot!

I will bet you the backend maybe slid 4" going around that 10mph turn at around 45mph. Well, that was the last straw!

At that moment I said I will never sell this Bug! I was driving around in eastern rural Virginia when all this was taking place to get to know the area which is why I did not know this road had such a god-awful turn with no signs.

I remember hiding all my problems from the pizza shop owner by parking where I could start it on a roll or slight downhill because you wouldnt be able to work there if your car wasnt reliable.

Since then I have worked on it and gotten the engine right plus floor pans, clutch & brakes, interior, window seals (orig glass), and a bunch of other stuff. I kept having problems with the points, so switched to electronic igntn.

Well, im ready to finish body work and paint it after I install an A/C system.

That's my Bug story. Stay tuned...... more to come..
RayRay