I was just thinking of all the Air cooled VWs that I had. I started with my first car a 1958 VW Bug that I bought in 1968. $75. And a real piece of shit but my first car.
I went on to having more new VW Bugs and Campers in my life and got started with VW –Porsche 914 in 1978. Always loved the VW air cooled product and also enjoyed a new Rabbit Pick Up in 1981


Bob B

1966 VW Fastback..Learned to drive in.But I was only 14..

I had a 1964 Ghia in high school. I think 1983. I had it painted raspberry red! Empi Sprint Star wheels.

1968 Baja Bug was my first car. 1776cc screaming motor. Fun.
1965 Beetle
1967 Squareback
1965 23 window bus (wish I still had it)
1968 Ghia

So, yeah I guess you could say I had one.

Looking for the right bug to add back into the garage. But I'm out of space so it's going to have to be just the right one to make it work.

'58 bug with semaphores
'65 bus
'67 Karmann Ghia
'64 bug
'60 convertible bug
'67 Westfalia camper
'72 squareback
'60 ragtop bug
'69 Karmann Ghia convertible
'72 bus automatic

'69 912 Bahama Yellow
'64 356 SC
'63 356 normal
'63 356 Super

Started with a '63 Beetle project with my Dad when I was 12.
That was sold and we restored a '74 Thing that we still have and drive.
Then I went off to school and bought a sand rail, fixed and sold it.
Sold that and then bought a '73 Standard that I baja'd and sold.
After that I bought a '70 that I still have and is a Cal Look project.
Somewhere in there we had a '56 Oval project that we ended up selling.
Oh, and we had a '60 Vert live with us for a while that we fixed up for a friend.

Definitely have had a few aircooled VWs. It runs in the family, too.

Someday I'll have a notch...

Everyone!

Had a '74 bus in the late 80s that had a melt down shortly after I bought it. Rebuilt my first Type IV to replace it. It was a 1.7L 914 engine donated by a neighbor. Drove that rebuilt bus from central Kansas, through Indiana, then down to the Smokey Mountains, through Georgia, down to the Florida Keys, through the Everglades, then east along the Gulf to central Texas, then north to home. Somewhere between Alabama and my brother's house in Texas, the starter broke off its mount due to miles of rough construction along I-10. So the last several hundred miles had to be done without a starter.

I loved that bus. I could haul a cord of wood in it with the seats removed and then just hose it out to clean. I even spent a few miles driving down the road with a wolf jumping back and forth over the seats. I shit you not!

Ok here we go ;
58 bus ,
64 bus ,
56 beetle,
64 beetle,
71 bus camper,
66 beetle,
73 bus camper,
75 beetle ,
72 bus
homemade buggy 1200 industrial on twin 34 ICTs 1300 heads.
That's it really, kinda been there and wishing I hadn't sold the kombi's

Got this 1972 Convertible in 1987 when I was 19 years old. Still have it.Click to view attachment

Ha ha yep all ,been there,remember the 73 bus camper in the mix for special memories ,really shit running twin port after rebuild the PO parked up in a barn and gave up after a local guy had done the motor,took me an afternoon to work on it had a massive intake leak on one side.
My young kids loved this bus they thought it was a holiday from home on the way to our seaside place ,they would camp inside when it wasn't cold,I sold it and kids were really shit with me but we needed the money for a reno on the townhouse.
Got that out of the way then by that stage prices had gone mental ,my wife got sick and passed on, the kids no longer had interest and left home so got the 914/6 project.

First, second and third car.

At 18, yellow 75' 1600, kept it 2 summers.

Then 73' painted Corvette red (picture) with a 1776 dual Dell, front Ghia disks, Sway bars, Momo wheels...etc... Kept it 5 years with many summer trips down east cost. Unfortunately got hit beyond repair.

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Last one, 73' onto which I transferred all the goodies from the accidented one. Not as nice as the red. Kept it for a year then needed an all year round car (BMW E30).

Had a blast and really enjoyed that 1776 motor. I always wanted a 914... many years later, I hit 40 and moved to SoCal. Timing was right and got my Bahia 73'

60'-80's - here goes:
58 Karmann Ghia Convertible
67 Squareback
68 Karmann Ghia Coupe
58 Bug, ragtop
62 Van
64 Bug
71 Bus
75 Rabbit (not air-cooled, but so what?)
78 Puma
76 914

After 80's:
73 Super Bug
62 Bug Convertible

Currently own:
74 Thing
73 914 2.0
14 Audi A6 TDI
13 Audi Allroad
65 Mustang Conv.
06 Expedition Diesel Pusher M/H
03 BMW R1150 RT M/C
and a partridge in a pear tree.

Not too many
A white '70 Beetle and a Green '68 Convertible come to mind.
Oh ! a Black Baja Bug with red interior too.

1972 1300 Beetle Light Orange
1973 1303 Beetle marine Blue
1973 1303 Beetle Texas yellow
1972 1300 beetle Marine Blue
1962 Beetle Turkis
1964 Karmann Ghia
and I now have a 1974 Karmann Beetle which I am rebuilding with my son


Hated Bhaia red so now Kolibri Green, not finished...


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I had a '70 Bug and a '67 Type II Deluxe.

Lots of watercooled VWs but nothing aircooled.

Dad and I restored a 72 super (crashed )

Have a 60 ragtop (decent condition) and a 73 super (in pieces)

'62 Beetle, Bahama Blue......circa '73-'80

My first driving experiences were on dirt roads in my mother's '74 Love Bug edition (orange with blacked out trim). She sold prior to my turning 16 so I never had it on the street. Several friends had them in high school, I wanted to buy one and build it, but never did.

My DD is a GTI MKVII these days, quite a departure from the modest Beetle.

Still have
1967 Bug T4 conversion, 2.6L with all the tricks and a 911 5 speed
1967 bus 2.0 full 78x90.5 Gene Berg engine kit with 42mm DCNF carbs
1974 914 1.8 now converted to 3.0 /6

previous
1966 bug, first car at 12 years old, bush buggy
1967 bug
1967 bug
1967 bug....yes for some reason I'm a '67 magnet
1976 bus stabbin' wagon
1978 westy
1972 squareback
1971 Superbeetle really my mom's, but my first car in HS
1971 superbeetle bought it to flip, no one wanted it, wife drove it for 8 years.

Not counting for about 10 years (late 80's/90's) I'd buy about 4 bugs a year, fix and flip. So that would be around another 40 cars.

oh man, bringing back the memories!

my first car, a 74 white VW bug. Graduated high school in 1990. Lowered the front end. Gold empi wheels. Cal-look windows. Ran on three cylinders half the time but I thought it looked cool.

69 white bug
Red White & Blue Thing

I as I was reading everyone’s VW of past I was reminiscing on the past. At near 65
I am doing that a lot. I still remember that first VW bug and removing the back seat top and going to the drive in theaters in Los Angeles. One that was 1 mile from where I now live and making out in the back. At 16 then that was great. Steamy windows.
Anyway I bought a new 1972 Marathon Blue special edition at the VW dealer 6 houses from where I grew up. $2,700. I remembered the price because my dad had to loan me the money for it. I bought a new $3,400. 1973 orange Westfalia and took delivery in Germany and drove through Europe for my summer.
I remember my 1974 Metallic gold VW convertible bug. I was remembering the color and CAIRO's SIX and his deciding not to go with gold. That gold had the sunburn like Crackers Motor home.
Different postings take me back to a time where VWs had no rust on thought of rust.



Bob B


Maybe I will go on with motorcycles I had. I think VW guys like motorcycles and Guns, and cars



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Nope. Lots of water cooled VWs, but no air. First air cooled car (after several bikes) was my '84 911 bought not quite 6 years ago. Then the 914 this spring.

Water cooled?

1978 Scirocco
1981 Scirocco S
1986 GTI 8v
1990 Corrado
1991 Jetta 16v
2010 Golf TDI (bought back)
2016 Audi A3 e-tron (sorta VW)

1956 bug
1957 bug
1957 bug
1960 bug
1961 bug
1960 panel bus
1963 bug
1966 bug
1969 bug
1970 bug
1970 bug
1975 bug
1970 914
1974 914 BB

Current:
1974 914 2.0
1963 356 S 90

Jack

Well, my 73 914 is essentially an aircooled VW.

My 1st car was a 68 Opel Kadett that I bought in Fall 69, but I looked at both VWs & Corvairs too (my parents had a `63 Corvair Greenbriar passenger van from new til 67), but condition within my budget was an issue.

Later, by the time we got our 88 Westy they were all waterboxers, & the Mrs. ("She who must be obeyed" Rumpole) wanted a new car - so aircooled Westies were out.

And since I've only owned 5 cars since 1969, & still own the 914, Westy & BMW (all but 914 are currently drive able) - that's as far as I go!


Tom
///////

I learned how to drive on one and it was also my first car.

Here is my history in chronological order

1. 75 FI Beetle
   Because the FI system began to give me problems and it was more than I could afford to fix at the time I had to rebuild another engine out of necessity. This is what started me on the air-cooled path of madness
2. 69 Beetle
3. 74 Super Beetle
   This was a pan-off restore, with a sliding vinyl sunroof and a 1776 engine built with mostly Berg Parts. I wish I never sold the car, pictures are attached
4. 69 Camper
5. 63 Beetle
6. 65 Beetle
7. 74 Super Beetle Convertible

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My first car, a early 60's with the Canvas Sun Roof and Nerf Bars on top of the Bumpers, Gas reserve flipper handle under the dash, 36HP, Burnt Orange Color with Gray Primer Fenders and the Flipper Turn signals on the Door Posts. It was a Chick Magnet in High School. back in 1966, not many 16 year old Freshman had their own cars.

Did any one else cut the exhaust pipe chrome tips to make them shorter and take the baffles out?

1961 1200 Beetle
1964 1500S Squareback (domed pistons)-carbs
1965 1500 Squareback - carbs
1967 1600 Squareback -FI
1967 1600 Fastback
1968 1600 Squareback
1971 1600 Squareback

1970 914/4 1.7

Current 2011 Tiguan
1970 914/6

I was thinking of my 1958 12-window bus I bought when I was a junior in High School. It had a for sale on it with blown engine. It was $150. I had it towed to a place in Long Beach called House of 101 Engines. With a name like that you could just imagine what the quality was like. They had engines all over the place and put it together for $150. With a new exhaust.

This place was like a Motor Meister
For VWs You ended up with a part from one engine and rings parts from a number of different cars. They fixed the engine and it blew in under 500 miles. They fixed it under warrantee. I sold it when I got it back for $500. With new engine with a warrantee from House of 101 engines. I never heard from the buyer.

What did a 17 year old know?

Bob B

I also had a 1990 Corrado G60......Supercharged! Loved that car.

Actually, the Corrado was my least favorite. Great to look at, but heavy feeling and complex. The G60 helped, but the performance was underwhelming.

The one my wife and I both wish we had never sold is the '81 Scirocco S we bought new. Cirrus Gray, 5 speed, factory A/C, the cool red trim, sport seats and air dam. With 14" snowflakes, euro-GTI springs, Bilsteins and sway bars, it was a great looking fun ride.

Mine was white on a gray interior. It was heavy as you say. I recall at 90+ mph, it felt like it was standing still.

Had a red '64 Beetle when I lived in Md and wrenched for a VW Dealership. Sold it in '78 when I moved to AZ. Met my (now) wife in '80 and she had a light blue '72 she bought new, we sold in '81 to buy a car with AC.

Only new car I've ever owned was a '73 914 1.7 that I got by trading in a '66 Mustang 2+2, 289 4V. 3 years later I moved to Washington state and traded the 914 on a '72 hardtop Westy. I've had 4 914s since then plus a couple of wbx Westy's. Currently have 2 914s and a Syncro Westy with a 3.3 Subie.

My parents bought a 1970 Squareback (Sahara Biege) 2-weeks before I was born. They handed me the keys the night I turned sixteen. My Dad was a pilot in the Army and that was the only car that was shipped from Alabama to Cali to Washington (state) to Hawaii to Tennessee to Florida to Georgia (where it was given to me). Great little car!

Tony

'69 panel van
'73 Westy

(and the five 914's: '70. '72, '73. '74 & '75)

Learned to drive on a 55 Beetle. My dad had a new 1964 beetle that cost $1 a pound with a sun roof and stone guard shields and radio. 1967 Ghia. Super beetle, 69 square back and a 1969 bus.
We used to buy bugs for under $100 in the 70's to smash them at a 4th of July party. We would remove the glass and gas tank and hand out sledge hammers and pick axes.
I remember taking the remnants to a scarp yard and getting leas then $10 in scrap steel for one of them.
Was amazed at how the the women got into beating the crap out of a car. Figured it was a way to take out the anger for all the times a car failed you.
Also learned just how well they were built and tough to destroy.

Hey Bruce. Are you talking about the women or the cars?

My dad bought me a 1969 Beetle as my first car in 1976. It was showing its age with high miles at the time and I drove it until it would no longer run. I learned to drive stick shift on that car. No lessons, just got in and had to figure it out.

In 2002, I bought a new Turbo S Beetle to check out the new VW lineup and with some nostalgia about my old car. That was a great car. I wish I had kept it.

69 bug
68 square back
many moons ago...

My first car was a '58 VW in 1965. Over the years I've also had VW Type 2 campers, '62, '72, and '76.

Here's me in 1985 with my wife's '66 VW and my 914s , a '72 and a '76.

We still have the '66 VW and the '76 914.



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Not as long a list as many, but all type 4's. Learned to drive in the family '73 412. Had a '73 bus in college (first car I bought). Now a '72 914.

58 Bug, Green
62 Bus, Salmon/Ivory camper
64 Bug, black
65 Bug, Ivory
66 Ghia, Brown (a real POS)

Air cooled VW's were my first four cars. My High School offered a small engine shop where you rebuilt VW engines. I was hooked.

1st car: 1969-1970 VW Karmann Ghia. The year is not a typo. I paid $100. My Dad and I pulled it out of a guys field when I was 15. Along the way I discovered that the front end of a 1970 had been welded to the rear end of a 69 at the rocker panels and rear window. I could never get it to track properly - ended up in the junk yard.

2nd car: 1969 VW Beetle. I added the custom Fuch 5-lug wheel covers:

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3rd car: 1972 VW Super Beetle. Custom rattle can painted wheels. Mullet & high tops. What can I say, it was the 80's:

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4th car: 1972 Karmann Ghia. Bought from same guy as 1st car. Put rockers and a rebuilt engine in it, painted it with rattle cans and traded it for a VW Rabbit.

Aircooled engines have always been in my blood.

1988

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1972 we used to go to the drivein movies in my 66 fastback. back then you were charged by the bodies in the car so we would put one of the girls in the front trunk and the other in the rear trunk. two guys going to the movies back then didn't raise any eyebrows.
Randy

5 bugs & a notchback,

still have an engine-less '69 Vanagon Westfalia camper on the back forty - open to offers - as-is-where-is zipcode 95635

- great project opportunity for your old sixer engine in the barn

My first car was a 1970 Squareback in 1985. The second one was given to me by my brother - a 1972 Super Beetle - when he went in the Marines in '86. That's what started all this.