When it finally gave up the ghost, I had a box full of parts left over. Don't know how it still ran, but it did.
The bible of the shade tree mechanic. Made you wanna prop a Beetle up on milk crates and pull the engine out just to see how it felt. How did it feel to have that massive 1500 cc engine, btw?
That's exactly what I did. About 3 weeks after my father "sold" me the 69 Beetle the engine seized. He felt obligated to get me a new (used actually) one I remember us putting the car up on concrete blocks and dropping the engine block. I was 17 and my introduction to auto repair.
Do you remember changing the belt on the generator? (There was no alternator) You had to dismantle half the engine to get to it.
VW beetles and The compleate Idiot.
Now THAT was a match made in heaven. I LOVED that book, and still have one of the ORIGINAL books written.
Me, I have had the pleasure of owning three bugs and a bus. First was a 1967 Bug. I loved it-first "upright" lights, 12v vs 6v etc, 1971 Bug (BIG 1600cc with the "dual port heads"-now THAT was cool; and then later, I rebuilt a 1968 Bug "pan up" as they say and sold it. Now THAT was a learning experience. My other VW was a 1971 Bus-that was one I wished I still had; a beautiful orange bus that was complete, and everything actually worked. I put a lot of miles on that one, and again spent a lot of time with The Compleate Idiot. Also spent a lot of time in junkyards running down original parts like oil filled air cleaners, etc.
Ahh good car memories abound today!!!