how do you treat your car?

[nicolas]

i have to ask this as i am using my car as a daily since a few months now and i am biased in doing so.

it seems like we have not the same nice warm, rainfree weather as there seems to be in California. let us not talk about the snow (white stuff that falls out off the sky, the yellow kind is the one not to eat). but i drive it through all this weather, normally fully loaded with the family, basket off clothes that need to be washed, carparts, Jeffs toys,...
So i have to come and ask myself if this is 'sane'. my car has cost me about an arm and a leg and i am not sure if i could finance a restoration any time soon. but i have build this car to be driven. so that is what my dilema is. do i use it and hope that it will last a very long time or do i get a trailer and keep it like it is?

[volksnut]

drive it, that's what you built it for right, but I wouldn't drive it after they salted roads though....I've seen what that does to even a new car as I'm from Detroit

[Donny B.]

I used to drive mine daily and never had any real issues.  Never got in an accident and I am talking about 250K miles.  So it's been sitting in the garage for the last few years not getting driven much and a shelf collapsed dropping about ten years of VW magazines on the car denting the driver side front fender.  Drive it and enjoy it.  Bad things can happen anywhere.

[Grelland]

I'd say drive it. I am retoring my Ghia at the moment, and plan on using it as much as I can. Consider the cost of buying a new family car every 3-4 years (as quite a few people do),  then consider the cost of restoring your VW every 10 or so years, and you can see it comes out cheap 

I live in Norway, so we definately have snow and salt, so I have to agree with wolksnut there, try to keep away from the salt...

[Wünderwolff]

I usually drive my cars as if I stole them 

But none of them is show quality (yet). And then there's the camo brick, already a bit dented when I bought it, so it seems to attract more of them every day. Yesterday I drove it through the snow, and if it wouldn't have been for my girlfriend, I would still have been drifting around. I do hate the salt though, you just know it is eating away at your car    But you're getting nowhere far by foot when loaded, so...

I'm not sure what I will drive my 66 like when finished. But to be honest I'll probably not drive it like I built it 

[Jim Ratto]

next week, I'll be driving my '67 more than its typical 3 or 4 days. My wife's car has to go in for a minor cosmetic fix, so she and the lilttle guy get my Suby, and I'll be driving the Bug everyday. And I just got home from Venezuela or wherever Doug Mische lives...   , probably need a new case by Christmas.

[Ivan]

How do I treat my car? 


Like the bitch it is! 

[Lee.C]

How do I treat my car? 


Like the bitch it is! 

DAM RIGHT DUDE Thats what we build them for - I even go shopping in the Manx 

[Zach Gomulka]

Good one Ivan!!

I beat the tar out of my car on a daily basis It's too much fun to leave parked! One day, when all the C-stripe decals have fallen off, I will restore it.

[streetvw]

How do I treat my car? 


Like the bitch it is! 

having been for a spin in the 67 with Ivan I can confirm that he does indeed drive that car like he's stollen it 

also worth noting that he has the mechaincal sympathy of a 21 year old blonde hair dresser 

[Jim Ratto]

hey guys, no bashing here, but I have to admit it kind of saddens me to hear you "beat" on your cars. To me that conjures up images of just being merciless and abusive. With as much time and effort goes into making these 70 year-old design cars do what they do (and aren't supposed to....), I don't know, maybe I am a whimp or whatever, but tend to see my VW as my friend or a pet. I think I am lucky to have a fun and fast VW, and try to be respectful and kind to it.
Not trying to upset anybody,

Jim

[Carlos De Alba]

hey guys, no bashing here, but I have to admit it kind of saddens me to hear you "beat" on your cars. To me that conjures up images of just being merciless and abusive. With as much time and effort goes into making these 70 year-old design cars do what they do (and aren't supposed to....), I don't know, maybe I am a whimp or whatever, but tend to see my VW as my friend or a pet. I think I am lucky to have a fun and fast VW, and try to be respectful and kind to it.
Not trying to upset anybody,

Jim

you are a dick.............. 

hahahaha.........kidding dude!!!

I share the same opinion as Ratto!!!  I see my car like a good friend ................!!!!

[Jim Ratto]

hey guys, no bashing here, but I have to admit it kind of saddens me to hear you "beat" on your cars. To me that conjures up images of just being merciless and abusive. With as much time and effort goes into making these 70 year-old design cars do what they do (and aren't supposed to....), I don't know, maybe I am a whimp or whatever, but tend to see my VW as my friend or a pet. I think I am lucky to have a fun and fast VW, and try to be respectful and kind to it.
Not trying to upset anybody,

Jim

you are a dick.............. 

hahahaha.........kidding dude!!!

I share the same opinion as Ratto!!!  I see my car like a good friend ................!!!!

hey look... it's "got a dollar?" DeAlabama... 

I'm going to get you a coil for Christmas. 

[j-f]

I use my car essentially during summer.
I live in the country with a lots of forest and farms. Lots of dirt, mud and wilds on the road and add some salt during winter time and you have the perfect cocktail to destroy a car in a short time.

I use my car to have fun with, and she likes to be beat sometimes. 

[Carlos De Alba]

hey guys, no bashing here, but I have to admit it kind of saddens me to hear you "beat" on your cars. To me that conjures up images of just being merciless and abusive. With as much time and effort goes into making these 70 year-old design cars do what they do (and aren't supposed to....), I don't know, maybe I am a whimp or whatever, but tend to see my VW as my friend or a pet. I think I am lucky to have a fun and fast VW, and try to be respectful and kind to it.
Not trying to upset anybody,

Jim

you are a dick.............. 

hahahaha.........kidding dude!!!

I share the same opinion as Ratto!!!  I see my car like a good friend ................!!!!

hey look... it's "got a dollar?" DeAlabama... 

I'm going to get you a coil for Christmas. 

  ................  ................... 

[Lee.C]

"I use my car to have fun with, and she likes to be beat sometimes."  Very well put sir 

[vwcab]

Try to stay of the salty roads  ,(yeah I know,for the moment it's impossible)

[Sam K]

I tend to drive my cars aggresively but I maintain them meticuluosly. My Bug and my Camaro shared the dialy driver duties year round until I bought a WRX about three years ago, so they don't see snow anymore. They started putting magnesuim chloride on the roads in Colorado and it shows because when I was changing my torsion bars a couple months ago, I noticed that the rear suspension mounts have begun to rust out  . I'll fix them as soon as I finish replacing the other winter driving casualty which is the trunk floor in the Camaro.

[Jason Foster]

Mine is garaged, and cleaned every time I drive it, once in a while I take off all four wheels and clean under the fenders even. I take it out at least 1 to 4 times a week some times over 100 mile round trips. I like my car too and share the feelings of Ratto and Carlos but I do wring it's neck from time to time. I also take my car to the track about 3 times a year. My car is not driven in the rain and actually it's only been wet 3 times since I built it. It's not a daily driver by any means but a driver it is and I have the rock chips to prove it, like Jim I too made the trek to Dougs it was only abot 50 or so miles from me one way. These are cars and cars are meant to be driven.
Jason

[lawrence]

I perform all the maintainence and upgrades on my beetle. Cleaning, tuning, general stuff, etc. It gets all the love it deserves and I drive it aggressively, sometimes, but that is why I built a big engine. I do not neglect it. Don't be a wuss, Jim.

[Jim Ratto]

I'm aggressive at times, but nothing that I would call "beating" my car. You have to remember, I was on the other side of things from you guys. I had lots of people come to the parts counter wanting to warranty "defective" parts. I know a lot of the claims that the part was "defective" were bull. Clutches were my favorite. "I don't know what happened....!" as the guy would hand me a clutch disc with no material left on it. 
I take my car to redline probably a few times every time I drive it. But you won't catch me banging gears or catching 2nd or 3rd gear chirps any more.

[Lee.C]

""I don't know what happened....!" as the guy would hand me a clutch disc with no material left on it."

I said it before and I'll say it again - there will always be a few idiots 

[Harry/FDK]

Redwagon:" Magnesium chloride on the roads in Colorado".

Holy shit 

[Jim Ratto]

""I don't know what happened....!" as the guy would hand me a clutch disc with no material left on it."

I said it before and I'll say it again - there will always be a few idiots 

there were more than a "few"... trust me.

I had one guy buy all of his engine parts "online" from some other shop, then come to our counter, 15 min before closing, asking "how do I put this together?" I tired giving him a few basic pointers, and...
He ended up in our parking lot trying to put bottom end together on the ground. I couldn't believe it.
We had another guy that took apart his "killer 1776" because it ran hot. Turned out it was a 87 x 69 (1641) with .030" under stock crank, Engle 130 and blown out stock heads. We bored his case for 90.5's, sold him some rebuilt dual ports that were poked open for 90.5's and the rest of the stuff to make the motor work (with a 120  Engle this time). He went home and less than an hour later he was back with all his stuff, bottom end all glued together, and some barrels/pistons slid on (sort of). He claimed he couldn't get the barrels to seat against the case. Upon closer look, all the barrels had these nicks or notches beat into the top sealing surface! Well the guy didn't get the expander rings setup right, hence the barrels getting stuck, so he BEAT them with an axe (I kid you not), trying to get them to seat in the spigots. I couldn't believe how this guy hacked these beautiful brand new 90.5's to death, such a shame.  

[Lee.C]

""I don't know what happened....!" as the guy would hand me a clutch disc with no material left on it."

I said it before and I'll say it again - there will always be a few idiots 

there were more than a "few"... trust me.

I had one guy buy all of his engine parts "online" from some other shop, then come to our counter, 15 min before closing, asking "how do I put this together?" I tired giving him a few basic pointers, and...
He ended up in our parking lot trying to put bottom end together on the ground. I couldn't believe it.
We had another guy that took apart his "killer 1776" because it ran hot. Turned out it was a 87 x 69 (1641) with .030" under stock crank, Engle 130 and blown out stock heads. We bored his case for 90.5's, sold him some rebuilt dual ports that were poked open for 90.5's and the rest of the stuff to make the motor work (with a 120  Engle this time). He went home and less than an hour later he was back with all his stuff, bottom end all glued together, and some barrels/pistons slid on (sort of). He claimed he couldn't get the barrels to seat against the case. Upon closer look, all the barrels had these nicks or notches beat into the top sealing surface! Well the guy didn't get the expander rings setup right, hence the barrels getting stuck, so he BEAT them with an axe (I kid you not), trying to get them to seat in the spigots. I couldn't believe how this guy hacked these beautiful brand new 90.5's to death, such a shame. 

I remember you mentioning "That Guy" before - Like I said there will always be a few

[Sam K]

Redwagon:" Magnesium chloride on the roads in Colorado".

Holy shit 

No joke! The first time I drove my bug in the snow after they started putting it on the roads, it took a solid eight hours to polish my Porsche alloys. After that I tried coating them with both grease and vaseline for the winter and both helped, but it still took a lot of effort to clean them.