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What is the most stupid thing you have done working on your VW?

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68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#746303
Once My Automatic beetle was on the road and registered
I kept forgetting it wouldn't start in gear...

So, I used to give the idle screw a big turn...
hand brake on

and jack up the beetle with the VW jack..
and slide under and start the motor with a srewdriver on the solenoid/starter motor..

well, as soon as it started.. it wanted to go... YIKES..

the jack always dug into the tar/bitumen...

but always held... You can't beat a VW jack..

it took Me ages to remember that My beetle wouldn't start
in gear....

Once I had to do it three times in the one day...
including at a car show.... [I was one of the last to leave...lol]


LEE


PS: My Wife never has this problem...lol

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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Special Air Service Chief "Gunna"

1,769 posts · joined Oct 2004 ·

#746451
Started a freshly rebuilt engine before I put oil in it.
Calling all NSW Mid North Coast Veedubbers

Click Below
Mid North Coast VW

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#746458
68AutoBug wrote:S..

the jack always dug into the tar/bitumen...
but always held... You can't beat a VW jack..
you cant? I always thought they were widow makers.

beetleboyjeff Custom Title Time!

1,790 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#746470
Started a freshly rebuilt engine before I put oil in it.
I did the same thing once. The engine still went for many years after though.
From your ole' mate Jeff

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#746495
amazeer wrote:
68AutoBug wrote:S..

the jack always dug into the tar/bitumen...
but always held... You can't beat a VW jack..
you cant? I always thought they were widow makers.
x2,
ive never seen such a dangeroud jack setup,
the later wind up ones like my Lbug had arent too bad but those early pump up ones wtf were they thinking
to lower the car they just drop it
first thing i did when i got my first bug was get a scissor jack

Nearly as bad are those 70s falcon kangaroo jacks
that lift the car by the bumper 🤪

greedy53 Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,062 posts · joined Mar 2006 ·

#746507
while working on my first bug,i decided to fit ajusters on the front ,so out with the balljoint front and measure away than grinder in hand cut .must remember next time to take the bloody torson bars out
👍👍😂🙅🥷😬🤓

colonel mustard Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,829 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#746508
umm... on my bug... get a face full of fuel.

on any car...... probably force myself to change fan belts in a really hot engine bay because i had to get somewhere in car... stupid magna's! the burn scar is gone now.

greasykitchen Officially Full-On Dubber

375 posts · joined Dec 2007 ·

#746509
I was driving back from the country in my old bug. I'd had problems with lack of power, hesitation etc that would come and go. I pulled over in a servo and started pulling off the HT leads with motor running. Got a hell of an electric shock! Well, enough to remind me not to do THAT again! 🙅

BTW, I never did find out what the problem was - it just sort of fixed itself. Even though I spent time and money replacing various bits and pieces with no apparent improvement. 🤪
'76 Golf

mnsKmobi Wolfsburg Wizard

589 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#746658
When I first got my kombi I parked it on a hill and walked into the back to check something out. Lucky for me I didn't just walk away b/c it then started rolling downhill! I don't know how it got a roadworthy with only one brake drum working. I then had an object lesson in physics when I was rolling the kombi along the (flat) driveway to do something or other. Once they start moving they can take a bit of effort to stop!

And finally, I took off the fuel hose underneath to install an electric fuel pump and didn't get it blocked quickly enough. Soaked myself with petrol, which is fun!

djnee Officially Full-On Dubber

341 posts · joined Mar 2009 ·

#746668
Got some new leads for my first Beetle back in 1992...put the first one on and it seemed too long, so i cut it and put the end back on!!! Did the same for the next one...but then realised that they were all different lengths...i presumed they were all the same 😂
So i ended up re-joining 3 out of 4 of them with some electrical tape.

Didn't really run that great..
It May Never End

tiddles Learner Dubber

15 posts · joined Aug 2009 ·

#746864
before my bug was on the road had it parked under back patio.thought it was in neautral (didn't check) put right foot on accelerator,turned key,started moving across back patio. knocked me on my butt hit my head,back wheel ran over my foot,10 days off work and my hubby reckons i was trying to kill him because he was sitting on a chair in front of it.

HappyDaze Superannuated

2,887 posts · joined Jun 2009 ·

#746875
It was around November, 1963 when I decided to drain the vegetable-based race oil (my sponsor, Neptune Oil Co.supplied free race oil) from the Beetle's engine. Because the oil was not compatible with the mineral oil that I intended to use, I had an idea - why not flush the engine with a mixture of petrol and methylated spirit, this should get rid of the veg. oil from all the oil galleries etc. Not thinking, I hit the starter - without first removing the coil lead! Instead of just turning over on the starter, it fired up!
To this day I don't know why the engine did not explode into a ball of flames - just good luck I suppose, and I lived to tell the tale......

Cheers, Greg
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!