Leaving German Look behind, but not air-cooled...read on

[mabus013]

I am officially giving up the gost as far as the German Look goes. There are a number of factors contributing to this;

1) I don't own/have access to a shop or garage, and when I move to LA, I might not even have a driveway.

2) I'm pretty good at math. I started adding up the cost of doing things the way I wanted on my bug (well, the one I woulda bought). Then I compared it to what I'd have to do to, say, a late 80's GLI, 240SX, or my dream car, a 67-69 Camaro (flame on! I love that car no matter what people say about old american ****boxes). Simply put, even if I didn't go turbo and went the cheap route with nitrous, building a motor to take the abuse (then adding the EFI induction, exhaust, ignition, on and on) would be comparable to, say, a Chevy 350 EFI buildup or just buying an SR20DET and throwing it in a 240SX. Both have the capability to make some insane power, and the air cooled VW just really doesn't have the same potential (at least without custom everything, paying a shop to build my motor for me, and having it be comepletely unstreetable). Even if I just wanted to do basic mods to a 1600 to give it some balls, it's just futile. An A2 chassis Jetta is a mere 150-200lbs heavier, has a much better suspension (stock), has more room, a cavernous trunk, 5 speeds, a better after market...and even the 1.8l sohc motor puts out a lot more than a mildly breathed on 1600 variant, and the 16v... forget it. I'm not denouncing anyone's decisions here - I still love beetles, and do think that they have absolutely huge potential as a chassis, but I just don't have the ability or wallet to upgrade or fabricate every single f-ing component on the car to make it enjoyable. I love what you all are doing, it's a lot more interesting to see people actually making their own stuff instead of just bolting things onto a Honda, but I just don't have the necessary environment to be able to do that. I wanna go fast, really fast, and handle (remember my spouting first post about going after the SCC magazine's Ultimate Street Car Championship?), brake, the whole deal. I don't see this happening for me with a Beetle, at least not right now.

3) My main project, automotive-wise, has to my Dad's Type III/Honda Goldwing hybrid trike. Unfortunately, he passed away last year, and he never got to finish it after it basically got ruined by the Long Island winter (everything chrome rusted, water got everywhere in the engine, the wiring's a mess, and my old dog Bandit buried the back half of it the summer after it began sitting while digging to avoid the heat ). I'm going to customize it, rebuild everything, basically from the ground up, and try my damndest to make it into a worthy tribute to my Dad. It's about the only thing I'm going to be able to pour my time and money into, and I'm too emotionally attached to let it sit - it might be different if my cousin were helping, but his fox-bodied Mustang and house payment are more than enough of a money-sponge, and he works a lot. This thing has huge potential, though - completely custom, looking like something from WWII that Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth got ahold of (and did tastefully), it only weighs about 700lbs, and does wheelies in 2nd!!! Granted, it won't be able to do much more than go fast in a straight line, but it'll make one hell of a drag bike. Er, trike.

So I'm trading one air cooled project for another. Hopefully, I'll be back to messing around with four wheeled projects soon enough - I'm looking into cobbling together a semi-homebrew turbo kit for my 87 Jetta GL from same-era Dodge/Chrysler Turbo parts (they used a VW-sourced sohc 1.7l for the turbo LeBarons, Daytonas, etc). I'll still be around from time to time - more so after I relocate and find a place to keep the trike (and not have to worry about it getting stolen ). So I'm going over to the water-cooled camp for now, but still working on some aircooled projects. Hopefully I won't get crucified for it .

-<M13>-

[Alex]

You should build/do what you really like.
I love the bug....even spending all the money on it.
I would like to have a 911 too but the only reason is because my project takes so long and I can not afford to spend that kind of money at the same time.

As soon as my bug is done the 911 is forgotten.

Hmmm....maybe a 911 as a daily driver?

Alex

[NYBugman1972]

You do what you want to do. It really sounds like you want to go fast for less money, which is totally understandable. However, there is a certain satisfaction in taking the ugly duckling and making it into the beautiful swan, which is where my mentality is. Also, Im not a competitive person, so I have no desire to be in the SCC Ultimate Street Car Challenge. It's all about having MY kind of fun, in which the only contest is to see how well I can impress myself.

No flames here. I want a 68 Camaro also. I was taught Muscle Cars way before VW's entered my life.

Here's wishing you good luck in your future projects. And remember one thing..... you'll be back

[vujade]

there aint nothing wrong with change..
if you had to eat the same food everyday it would get boring.
so if you want to take a break from acvw's, go ahead!
i did it myself 4 years ago for about 2 years off.
i really missed them after a while and had to go out and buy another bug.
I am sure you will too some time down the road.

[Ron Roberts]

What !!! You mean I could have gotten a good looking, fast ride for less money? Now you tell me!! I'm not sure I agree, but I hav'nt really looked into it. You can buy a 69 comaro (one of my favorites too) and pay I guess about 5K for a beater and it will be alot faster than a 2K beater bug. From there start the money race. Turn them both into a really nice ride, 10K in body work and paint, 2 K on interior work. Give both a new engine that can run all day and put you in the 12s in the 1/4 The comaro will save you only about 3-4k. An 8K T4 with a shot of nitrous for the bug, or a crate motor with a shot of NO2 for the Comaro. As for the fox or the jetta, they just are not as cool as a bug or ghia. I have had a 73 Ghia for a few years now. They really turn heads of all ages whether it is in fair or excellent condition. Add the simplicity and power and gas milage of a well built T4 and nothing else comes near it. For other cars--simplicity, power, economy, Pick two. To me the simplicity is the beauty of our hobby. It is amazing what a well built aircooled motor can do with only the basic moving parts. Open a new car hood and look in at the engine, and the bay is so full of crap you can't even see the ground! And its not because of the cooling tin!

Ron

[Tim]

I think you can't compare the costs because when you are really addicted to something, you will just spend on it generously and endlessly (as long as you can afford). IMO, If you are purely looking for speed, bug is definitely not your choice because it wasn't designed for handling high speed (at least on the street). So, just spend on what you really love.

Tim

[screwcity]

I drive the most hideous VW, with aspirations of making it great. and some day it will be. It's my first VW. I have never worked on one before and now finding my self absolutley caught up in it. My other passion is Vespas. (Old Italian motor scooters, Air cooled 2 stroke) I liken it to be about the same, I drive a vw now because I feal like I do when I ride a vespa, Like I'm in a parade. I wish I had a picture of either of them because it would really help make my point. The point is...the looks, the fealing you get from driving it, when someone walks up and asks you about you bike/bug.
I had this old guy walk up to me at the gas station the other day and ask me about my bug. He was ancient, but for those moments it took him and I back to a different time, where everything was maybe a little simpler. He smiled and walked away only to get into a newer Vw. People find a conection to it. They had one Their dad, friend, brother, cousin had one. And it makes them a for a moment happier to have a memory of when a VW or a Vespa made their lives a little happier.

Rio Rigotti

[H2OSB]

I am in agreement with most of what's already been said. I adopted the German Look (I actually refer to my car as having the KaferCup look), because it was the most fitting style to what I wanted to do with my car. People should do what they want.

Personally, I like ANY brand of car when the mods being done are thought out. Some cars are just plain ugly, but still cool because the owner used type III Squareback rear torsion bars becasue it gave him the correct suspension stiffness he wanted or N/A 944 brakes onto a 1303 because he got big effective brakes and they virtually bolted on.

It's doubtful ANY AC VW (or in my case, formerly AC) can be made to satisfy someone looking for modern conveniences of a modern car, but they can sure be made to deliver the elements of any modern sports car and look cool while doing it.

[oasis]

Cost, schmost. If you are pursuing what you want and it's within the confines of what you can afford, then you're fine no matter what anyone says.

I have purchased two new 2002 VWs (Cabrio GLX and Golf GLS TDI) in the past year and a half. It is possible when it is all said and done with my GL project, I will have spent more on it than either of the above two (not counting the future plans for the Cabrio). Then again, it will be virtually new when it's eventually unveiled.

BTW, my first VW was an '86 Jetta GLI. Sixteen years and more than a quarter million miles later, I finally sold it to make way for the TDI. That was the car that got me hooked on VWs eventually. (Oh, my first car was a '69 Mustang but I will withhold my babblefest on that.)

-René

[dgluyas]

OK fine ! We have available high horsepower Japanese turbos that kick arse. Yet when it comes to the nitty gritty tuning a design that is over 40 years old to also kick butt requires money and persistance. I have been on the road to this objective for over 14 years and I am still not finished. Some wil agree its the trip you take not always the destination you arrive at that gives all the pleasure. For me its a sense of pioneering into the unknown and produce something no one else has. Anyone can have a cheap Jap import. Only a few will have a spirited German -Looker .

[i heart vw]

mabus013, I support you 150% i have fliped floped between water and air (GL bug)...i have owned a 2-point-slow 98 jetta and now a 83 533I BMW and a 62 resto-GL (it is a new thing that i just invented)...i don't think that it is a question about being a true fan or "finding" the money i just think that it is that there is just no money, and with water pumpers there are more things that you can do for less money, like you can find a 90 16v gti that has 140hp for 5k or less or you can find a super beetle for 2K and then you still have to get a big t4 motor to come close to those numbers...but you don't have that same damn cool look like you do when you drive a air cooler...so you have to decide what you want inexpensive fun or expensive looks...either way you chose the right one for you...and good luck with the t3/goldwing bike..er..trike

tim