VW question

[J Man]

I have to ask, those of you that do not like them, why?

[El_Gato_Scott]

I'll think you'll find that alot of the younger guys on here cut their teeth wrenchin on VW's. It's not that we/they don't like them but it's just that this is a forum for traditional hot rods and customs.

[J Man]

I have just noticed that all the non likers seem to bash them and never give a real reason. I understand that is is not the proper forumn but people talk about there bikes as well and that doesn't seem to bother anyone.

I am sur this will probibly end up starting a lot of crap but curiosity killed the cat and this morning I am the cat.

[HOTRODPRIMER]

I have had both,,,in fact I still own a 66 VW,,,,,,,,,I've Had it for many years,,,,,Had a lotta Harleys, mostly panheads.

This forum is about traditional rods and customs,,,,

You won't find Hambers going on the VW boards and talkin' about their 32 ford or their 54 chevy,,,,

If you like VW's thats fine with me,,,but,It is something thats needs to be kept off this board!

[willowbilly3]

I hate them because I don't think a mechanic should have to wear kneepads to do a tune up, unless he is the head mechanic.lol
Actually I don't hate them, I just hate working on them.

[Fidget]

My step-dad is a VW mechanic, so I've been around a few of them. I don't dislike them, they just don't do a lot for me in my older years. They were way cheap to run when I didn't have the income I now do. However, I still own a '72 Porsche 911T that I brought back from the brink. I think I last drove it almost a year ago http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif.

~Scott

[JamesG]

I love them. Have had a 57 oval rag, a 63 15 window, a 66 bug and a 66 Squareback.

Now I want either another oval or a split window sittin on a 4" narrowed beam with Randars. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[RaggedyRacing]

[ QUOTE ]


Now I want either another oval or a split window sittin on a 4" narrowed beam with Randars. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a company here in the UK that makes gorgeous replicas of those rims, called Java Global Enteprises or JGE http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[trey]

i grew up building vw's. then i moved on to hot rods. i got tired of seeing the same shit. it was either restored, cal look, or gayly customized. i guess its fine if thats your kinda thing, but this is the hokey ass message board.

trey

[TooMany2count]

the main reason i dont like them now is because of my bad knees, hell i have owned about 8 bugs, 3 early 60's van, 6 fastbacks, squarebacks BUT my favorites were the 63 & 65 Notchbacks that i had. at one time i was going to V8 one of the Notchbacks but then someone offered me lots of $$$$$$$$$$$ for it so i sold it......joe

[squirrel]

VWs are okay if they're someone elses ride....

the kid next door finally got his squareback going, second engine (first one lasted a week), motor's been in and out several times fixing stuff. His dad put in a lot of time helping him, instead of working on the 53 Ford hardtop (with flatty) that he should be working on.

although I did see a neat bug in Tucson several years ago, roof cut off, no fenders, black primer. That would almost be on topic except that no one ever built them that way back then, did they?

[JamesG]

[ QUOTE ]
VWs are okay if they're someone elses ride....

the kid next door finally got his squareback going, second engine (first one lasted a week), motor's been in and out several times fixing stuff. His dad put in a lot of time helping him, instead of working on the 53 Ford hardtop (with flatty) that he should be working on.

although I did see a neat bug in Tucson several years ago, roof cut off, no fenders, black primer. That would almost be on topic except that no one ever built them that way back then, did they?



[/ QUOTE ]

People weren't building Hudson hiboy sedans with tractor grills either, but........ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[kustombuilder]

i was at the book store the other day and looking at a book of old Gassers. it was all pics from the 60s. and what do you know, right in amongst all the Willys, Fiats and Henry Js was a Gasser VW Bug. they're not traditional WHY?? enlighten me.

[squirrel]

Dean Lowry would probably argue that they're traditional. He was racing his is Tucson in the early 80s when I was first drag racing my truck. His daughter's bug broke almost every weekend....

[Mutt]

[ QUOTE ]
Dean Lowry would probably argue that they're traditional. He was racing his is Tucson in the early 80s when I was first drag racing my truck. His daughter's bug broke almost every weekend....



[/ QUOTE ]

80's? Traditional????

Mutt

[Assdragger]

Because there are TOO many fags driving bugs and we cant be associated with that....where all big macho men!!!....Well, except for Nads and Mikey(DL)..Oh and Fat Hack AND Germ and........ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[squirrel]

He made a name for himself racing the inch pincher in the 60s....

[Mutt]

I know that. Once again - 80's? Traditional??

Mutt

[Nads]

I've never had a VW, but we've had them in our family. A '66 Bug in Pakistan and two pop top campers in the '70s that our family took vacations in all over Europe.

They're fine cars, but I don't have a deep down love for them. I like big American tanks and speedy little American hot rods. I like old British cars, plain jane ones like Ford Zodiacs and Vauxhall Crestas. I don't dig E-Types or TR6s.

There are plenty of places for people who dig whatever they're into.

[John_Kelly]

There is a huge online VW community..everything from customs to anal-retentive purists...from high 6 second 1/4 milers to old camper busses.

www.volksrods.com (http://www.volksrods.com)

www.thesamba.com (http://www.thesamba.com) (look in the galleries)

www.shoptalkforums.com (http://www.shoptalkforums.com) and many more...and since we are off topic already a picture of a customer car...I made the steel flares, they were installed by someone else.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com (http://www.ghiaspecialties.com)

[kustombuilder]

[ QUOTE ]
Because there are TOO many fags driving bugs and we cant be associated with that....where all big macho men!!!....Well, except for Nads and Mikey(DL)..Oh and Fat Hack AND Germ and........ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

now that is a perfectly acceptable answer. thanks for your honesty http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif...

[radarlover]

Ive got three. A baja- helluva lotta fun off-road, a sedan, thats lifted, for daily driving in these $2.00+ a gallon gas days and a volksrod project 57 oval ragtop with extended front end and red steelies/wide whites.
Hell they're cheap.

[yorgatron]

krappy kraut klown kars http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[willowbilly3]

Well, I did own one once. A customer gave me a bus with no brakes but some kids broke out all the windows before I could get it fixed. I am glad they did or I might have turned into one of those annoying people that are always the last one to get moving from a stop light and then with a hunkering and shivvering like a dog shitting razor blades and with my face all pushed foreward like it might make the dam thing move faster.

[Paul]

I don't hate them, but I seem to feel better when they're not around.

the motor is too small, it's air cooled and it's at the wrong end of the car,

that, and I threw away all my metric tools years ago.

I've had a couple v dubs, once when my brother's '67 fastback motor was about to shit the bed, I bought a new motor for my '66 squareback, pulled my old motor, installed the new one, pulled his old motor and installed my good old one in it's place- all in an afternoon.

Paul

[Scotch]

Can't speak for anyone else but me...

I grew up in Buffalo, NY. There was no VW scene, no skateboarding, no surfing. Plenty of fast cars, lots of customs, and a healthy street racing scene on warm summer nights. Plenty of images and experiences to build the hot rodding foundation in me, but it was always about pure V-8 horsepower fighting for traction and hauling major ass. Most of the fastest cars were less-than-pretty.

When I moved to the West Coast in '85, the local scene was filled with a mix of street racy musclecars, traditional rods, customs, VWs, and mini truckers.

They all kept to themselves, by choice.

I never got into VWs because I was into V-8s. Always.

I understand them. I've helped others with them. But they were never an influence on me and probably never will be. They were always a for a different genre of enthusiast (much like the current winged Honda crowd is today) and true V-8 guys just had no reason to waste precious time and limited resources on anything but what we were so squarely focused on ourselves.

Reading how many HAMBers are reformed VW guys gives me hope for the current crop of import drivers. Maybe someday they'll grow up too.

Scotch!~

[Paul]

sorry guys, but I got a question here,

certain words here are turning into shortcut links for me.

I think it's only on the HAMB.

for instance the word "bed" in my last post. does anyone else see this?

it seems to be a search engine with the name searchmiracle..
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Scotch]

'60s style- You've been hijacked by a search engine worm. Run Ad-aware or Spy-bot to get rid of it.

Happened to me once and I hated it too.

Less-popular search engines sneak their software into yours without your asking, and what you're seeing is the result. It's not cool and there are ways to fight it.

Ad-aware is a free download at www.lavasoft.de (http://www.lavasoft.de), and there's a link there to spy-bot too. Run them both and cleanse thyself...Your computer has cooties.

Scotch~!

[JamesG]

Oh my, is that Petty about to get wooped up on by a VW.....?

Then again, I'm not too sure if that thing is VW powered. But this is a traditional picture.

[Paul]

Thanks Scotch!

that did it!

now, back to the gratuitous bug bashing!

I'm so happy I could smash a bug! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Paul

[kustombuilder]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh my, is that Petty about to get wooped up on by a VW.....?

Then again, I'm not too sure if that thing is VW powered. But this is a traditional picture.






[/ QUOTE ]

now i think that Bug looks neat. picture a snarling big block of some sort sitting about midway under the windshield, driver sitting waaaay in the back. having the front fenders removed gives it sortof a Fiat look in the front. i can dig it.

[kustombuilder]

[ QUOTE ]
krappy kraut klown kars http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

carefull with the racist type remarks Yorgy. i know ya don't mean it in a racist manner but i've seen Ryan kick a guy out for as much.

[Kinky6]

I think 1LowLeSabre may have nailed it - its not that bugs are so much hated, its just that the intersection between bugs in general and traditional hot rods is very limited to examples like V8 powered drag strip freaks from back in the sixties. Kinda like some of the other oddball light-weight metal bodies that were used for drag racing back in the day; Topolinos, Croslys, Anglias, Morris Minors, and others.

While Anglias, and sometimes a Topo are seen hot rodded now, most of the "street freak" type bodies that made it onto the strip are not considered as traditional hot rods. Cars like Henry J's and Willy's Aero's were also used for drag racing, but the bodies are to new to really be hot rods.

There are other examples that have been raced, but rarely rodded, but I think that's the general idea.

Later, Kinky6 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Baumi]

I´ve never been into VW´s either, but I got a 60ies bug for my mom´s 50th birthday.

She really appriciated it but VW are definatly not my cup of tea.Too small and way too slow.

Being a German I´m not offended at all by the name"kraut". It sounds more like a nickname to me.. There´s even a car club around here called the Krazy Krauts... I can handle that. Back in the days poeple had to handle stuff that was worse than a nickname.
Chris

[zman]

They don't bother me. I've owned my share. It's all a "time and place" thing. The boss says this is neither...

[choprods]

I'd build one for me- I'd build one for a customer....But I wouldn't post about it on the HAMB.Its Ryans place and its for TRAD HOT RODS. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Fordicator]

My take on the VW thing. I used to be really into VWs. My first car was a bug. I've even been into the watercooled stuff. I liked being the underdog but could not bring myself to ever buy a Honduh. I spent lots of money and had lots of fun but it got old. What really gets old is the jackasses that are into those damn things. I have found that over the years there are only a handfull of cool people out there that are still into them. I think the pioneers have moved on to bigger and better things. What is left is a bunch of whiney, annoying fucktards. Its like the PC hippies of the world had children with the Trekkies and they all decended on the "cute" car. Even though I am secure with my sexuality, I thought I would go crazy if another person referred to my car as cute. I have finally sold off a majority of the rare 60's period EMPI stuff that I collected over the years. And I got to tell you that it was a seriously big pain in the ass. I finally go rid of my original Sprintstars after haggeling with this dumbass for over a month. It got so bad I was just about to tell him that I didn't even want to sell them to him out of principal. (P.S. I still have an EMPI eliminator shifter, 82 mm forged crank and small interior parts if interested) So basically it is not the car its the people. VW went to far with the "driver's wanted" slogan and they got a bunch of lame asses with a need for acceptance.

There is a place for period VWs and this not be it. Try www.cal-look.com (http://www.cal-look.com) if you need that fix. You will find better stuff there anyways. Even those of you that aren't into them but enjoy the late gasser era should check out the nostalgia section. There were a fair number of VWs hitting the strip back in the day. And you can find some of them on the website provided. I like the old racecars and still like the original cal-look cars but those Volksrods are an abomination. They are clearly trying to be something they are not so don't come on here and call your car traditional or hot rod because you took the fenders off and put a straight axle under it. Some here might appreciate the work and craftsmanship that went into it but you must be ready to be flamed for it. And I know there is a lot of stuff on here that is not trad such as airbags but at least that fits into a theme and allows some of these people to drive cars that look like traditional show kustoms that were too low to be practical but now can be.

And lets face it people there are far more VW dedicated sites that you can go to. Why come here and piss on Ryan's parade. After all it is his site and I believe he said he didn't want them here. So if you got a VW, enjoy it but leave it in another forum. Hell, even the billet barge people get that concept.


Sorry for the rant but this is getting annoying.

[John_Kelly]

I come here to share whatever knowledge about cars I might have developed over the years, and because I like interacting with creative people. I don't care what brand a car is, it is what someone does with it that interests me. If it has wheels, is made from steel or aluminum, and has been tastefully modified, I probably like it. The fact that someone does not appreciate the cars that I like based on whatever brand they might be strikes me as narrow minded...which is fine, but it won't scare me off. If Ryan wants me to leave, he can tell me to go, and I will. Nobody else matters.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com (http://www.ghiaspecialties.com)

[pigpen]

I once had a '66 1300 with really wierd headers that made it almost impossible to get the valve covers off to adjust the valves (every 3K miles). A big PITA. In '67 I was 150lb, very limber, and my friend called the VW a sports car. In '68 I got vitually everything I owned in the VW, guitar, amp, and seabag, and drove from San Diego to Jacksonville. Now, I'm 220lb, old, fat, ugly, mean tempered, and my other friend calls a VW a death trap, tin can, on four skinney wheels. The last time I moved it took the largest Ryder they had and I had to leave some car junk behind. Nevertheless, I've always wanted to chop one. They say it's like trying to chop an egg!


Gone back to flatheads, pigpen