Before I make this thing go I have to be able to make it stop!

Life, work and weather have gotten in the way a bit so I haven’t done much to the car lately. I am reading and making lists and preparing to get to work on it though. I am still learning a lot about the 1967 one year only stuff.

At the moment I am working on an order list for the brakes. (About $250.00 with shipping from Keiths Auto Parts – 1-800-RACE A VW)

Including what I have already ordered:

• Master Cylinder
• Brake shoes for front and back
• 4 Brake kits (Springs and all that stuff)
• Brake cylinders for all 4 wheels
• All new brake lines
• Brake hose for the reservoir to master cylinder

With all this I will have some good working brakes. I am also ordering new wheel bearings while I am at it.

When I pulled off the front wheels I saw brake shoes that were literally falling apart. The pad separated from the metal and rust dust …

I pulled out the fuel tank and discovered it had rusted out. The bottom was very thin and there were numerous holes, eaten away by old fashioned oxidation. After a time even fuel will turn into mostly water and then begin to eat and corrode at the tank. If you’re going to put a vehicle into long term storage it’s a good idea to remove the fuel.

I checked around and learned that I was going to have to pay about $130 plus shipping for a replacement tank. I told my wife that I was going to use one of those red fuel cans instead. Spend the money on more important parts. Besides, I’d be 5 gallon tank and mobile. If you live in a rough neighborhood you could take your gasoline in with you every night!

As if it had been intended, I was checking the newly listed items in the Samba classified ads and found the fuel tank I needed for under $60 with shipping and all. I got a salvaged fuel tank from a 67 …

For the Beetle 1967 was “one year only” in many ways and even more so for the convertible.

I have been doing quite a bit of reading and researching to learn more about this particular car. I have learned that the 1967 was an unusual year in that there are many 1967 “only” parts and accessories.

I learned that the passenger side front fender is not an original although the driver side fender is. I haven’t found out for certain about the bumpers but the rear deck lid is original – and very rare I have been told. The thing you see attached to the underside of the deck lid in the photo is a rain catcher. Notice the drain hoses on either side of the rain catcher which directs rain water away from the engine. I have been an air cooled VW enthusiast (fanatic actually) all my life and had never seen a deck lid like this before.

The seats that were included; a back seat and a passenger seat – are not 1967s …

I started putting this website about 4 years ago but I haven’t owned an air cooled Volkswagen in more than 15 years. That is until this year. I just bought a 1967 VW Bug. It is a a “fixer-upper” that needs a lot of love and attention (and some cash money of course).

Right off the bat I can see that I will need 4 new tires, a muffler, a battery, a rear window, and some seats. But it does have a brand new top and maybe even the original bumpers. Most likely have to replace the entire brake system and a lot of wiring too.

I have already bought myself a copy of the “How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive” by John Muir.  Next I am looking to get the Bentley manual. To me those are the required materials from the start. The How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive is a great read even if you dont have one! I love the illustrations and the way John describes the procedures.

As I work on …

Here are some tips on how to tune up an air cooled Volkswagen. Most people can learn to tune up an air cooled Volkswagen engine with just a bit of practice.

A tune up is important for any car, but it is even more so for an air cooled engine. An air cooled engine will vibrate much more than a water cooled one. This vibration will cause engine components to wander from optimal settings a little quicker. The better tuned your engine is the less it will vibrate.

When you tune up an air cooled Volkswagen engine you should follow the procedures in a particular order. Some systems are dependent upon other systems to operate properly. For example an accurate carburetor idle mixture cannot be achieved unless the compression, ignition system and valve clearances are correct. In addition, compression readings will be adversely affected by improper valve clearances. You can take your VW to a mechanic, if you can find one who is familiar with air cooled engines, or you can do the work yourself. …

Setting the timing is step 5 in the tune up procedure. Ignition timing is dependent upon the rest of the ignition system being set up properly. Accurate timing cannot be achieved unless you have sufficient compression, correct valve clearance, correct ignition point gap, correct spark plug gaps and the engine is at normal operating temperature.

Here are three different methods that can be used to set your ignition timing:

These steps apply to all methods:Turn the engine using the crankshaft pulley nut until the rotor button (remove distributor cap so you can see the rotor button) is aligned with the groove in the distributor rim and the timing mark on the crankshaft pulley is aligned with the crankcase seem.

NOTE:

If your pulley has two timing marks the one on the right is 10 degrees BTC (before top dead center) and the one on the left is for 7.5 degrees BTC.

If your pulley has three notches they will be, from left to right, 5 deg. ATC, 7.5 deg BTC and 10 deg. BTC …

Your spark plugs will not need to be changed at every tune up, however they should be inspected and replaced if necessary. Most of the time you can clean up your spark plugs, check the gaps and reset if needed and get more mileage from your plugs. Some mechanics will replace the spark plugs at each tune up, but that is really a waste of both money and resources. “Experts” recommend that you replace your spark plugs every 12,000 miles.

When you take out your spark plugs be sure to arrange them in a way so that you know exactly which cylinder they came from. The condition of each spark plug when it is first removed from the cylinder head will give you insight into the internal conditions of your engine. For example, if all your plugs are relatively clean except for one that is burned or covered with oil or build up you know you have a problem in that particular cylinder. Your spark plugs should be dry and have little or no deposits …

If you have been following the tune up procedures your distributor cap is already off, if not then unsnap the clips and remove it from the distributor. There is no need at this point to disconnect the spark plug wires.

Pull off the rotor button and look at the tip. Is it burned, pitted or corroded?

Inspect the points. The contacts should be perfectly parallel and their surfaces should be smooth and clean. If the points appear burned the culprit is most likely the condenser.

As part of a routine tune up you will replace the spark plugs, ignition points, rotor button and condenser. You should also inspect the distributor cap and spark plug wires and replace them when necessary.The points are held in place with a small slotted screw and is attached to the condenser with a wire connector. Pull of the connector with your fingers or a needle nose pliers. Remove the screw and lift out the ignition points. Remove the condenser which is held on with a slotted screw.

Attach the …

A compression test is a basic part of a routine tune up for an air cooled Volkswagen engine. With these instructions you can check the engine compression yourself.

Compression is a measurement of the pressure that builds up within a cylinder as the piston rises and both valves are closed. For the fuel mixture to burn properly a certain range of pressure is required.

The two main factors that affect compression are the condition of the piston rings and the valves. Obviously, the valves need to be fully closed on the compression stroke to avoid loss of pressure.

Before you check the compression the engine needs to be at normal operating temperatures. Let your Volkswagen idle until the engine is completely warmed up.Turn off the engine and begin removing the spark plug connectors from each spark plug. Unless you are very familiar with the firing order mark each wire with something like masking tape so you can put them back on the correct plugs later.

Remove all the spark plugs and block the carburetor …

Step by step instructions on how to perform valve adjustments in an air cooled VW engine.

Maintaining proper valve adjustment will help your air cooled engine to run smoother and more efficient. Improper valve clearances are one of the primary core causes of mechanical and efficiency problems in air cooled engines. Due to the nature of the air cooled engine frequent valve adjustments will have a major impact on your classic Volkswagen engine’s life and performance.

If the valve clearances are too small the valves will remain open too long which will cause them to over heat. If clearances are too large the opposite will happen, the valves will stay closed too long and will interfere with the intake of fuel and exhaust of burned fuel. Either way, if your valves aren’t adjusted correctly your air cooled Volkswagen will not run smoothly.  Read on to learn how to adjust your own valves.

On many later model Volkswagens the cylinder order is printed on the engine cover. Whether or not your VW has the cylinder order …