mmmmmm....... tough decision today

I have daily driven my beetle for most of my working life
I had company cars early on but for the last 20 years I have driven L bugs as the company car

My L is at a VERY nice stage. 1916, Recaros, resprayed, etc etc

Put new heads on the other day and trouble started,
Starter motor went
Starter motor bushing (should have chaged when the motor was out )
heap of rain - running like a pig
rotor, cap, leads, plugs, etc etc
Plug on the Dells popped out ( that big phillip head screw above the mixture screw)
Hex bar worn - causing to go off song on half throttle
Replace that on Saturday morning - AND IT WAS ON SONG!

Drove down to Balmain to pick the Mrs up from the hair dresser and she was purring.

On the way home, coming up to Vic Rd and "clatter clatter clatter"

Thought it was a loose nut behind the pulley

Nope - something more sinister. Dunno. Big end bearing more likely
Whatever - it needs a full rebuild

I dont do big miles, but I do important miles. Everyday.

Anyway - went down to the local VW dealer and some one cancelled on a Polo GTi

Couldnt help myself and said YES!!

One voice in my head says "barstard" 20 years of L bugs every day

The other one says "finally the clients have AC !!!"

This thing rocks - 6.9 secs 0-100, DSG, leather, even air conditioning!!
Al the options I wanted.
I have reache a stage in life where I shouldnt be spliting cases late at night or on the week end - still I feel sad.

I'm going to keep the L and give it some balls.
I will spilt the case and put a new CW crank in and a cam with a bit of mongrel. Take my time and do it properly

Anyway - looking forward to Friday 10.00 am

welcome to the dark side I know how you feel

a mans gotta do, what a mans gotta do

I'm not sure whether to show happy face or sad face?!?!

Sad that after so long an air cooled car will no longer be the daily driver, but completely understand why.

Truth is that they are at least 35 years old and lack some of the standard items of a modern car. I'm just pleased you're keeping it and will keep improving it.

I guess now you'll find out whether new VWs are more reliable than old ones and can contribute to the various arguments that go on around here.

I have 5 VW's at the moment

My Polo GTi
My L bug
Wife New Beetle TDi
Son Vanagon
Son mk 3 golf

The good part is the L can turn into a weekend warrior. Can idle like a pig
I wank to turn it from a 70HP daily to a 100HP "I dont care if it doesnt start barstard"

Still - a part of me is hanging out big time for Friday
pisser is I have to go to melburg for the weekend

Interesting typo in your last post bizarre. Made me giggle.

typo - wjhat typppo?

Lucky someone cancelled.I heard there is a nine month wait for a Polo GTI.
Congrates.

That is why I jumped

What springs are on the "new" heads ?

Please DONT say heavy duty singles or duals.........because if thats the case you will have chewed your lifters/cam...hence the clacky clacky.

Congrats on the polo GTI. Now you have the best of both worlds!

im in the same boat but only had the Type 3 for 8 years. Its been hit up the ass and written off. Now the wife wants me to buy a Golf because its more sensible and i have 3 kids. Big decision but might go a golf for a few years and see how i enjoy heating, aircon, no leaks, no smell of petrol etc etc etc.

And then there was one.

Gone both ways. Years in bugs then new, have Passat turbo "peace of crap, endless problems", Polo "great car" but only made to last 10 years max before they are supposed to crap out "throwaway items these days", and going back to 61 KG as soon as I can finish it. Yeah, looking forward to no aircon, no power this and that, petrol smell, people saying hello, able to fix most problems and service myself.

Bizarre, new cars are great for a while but down the track you'll always be happier in cars that are made to last.

Barry, you haven't sold out, I have, I just bought a Commodore Wagon for my wife, we sold our Passat, it was a great car to drive but 140,000 K's and stuff starts happening, and it gets expencive if you can't fix it yourself.

I registered it in my wifes name so it's not mine, I have only ever had VW's registered in my name

9 months isn't too bad waiting for a gti. Its 6-8 months for a regular 77 tsi polo.

It probably isn't impossible to make a little money selling the next day if someone doesn't want to wait and you have something identical to their order.

The current polo (non gti) came out in 2009 didnt it? Eventually people are going to order a car and then the new model is going to be announced. VW will get a flood of of cancellations and dealers will be hurting. (more than they currently are)

You havent sold out mate you bought another VW hell i drove aircooleds for 10 years then bought a MY04 golf GTI, now i got a MY10 T5 transpoorter. IF you bought a holden then that would be sold out and we would have you banned from this forum,

Tough question. I've never owned anything besides a beetle; first car was a 65 baja, 2nd was a 71 super, third was another 71 super and the fourth '76 i'm still 'driving' (in restobuild zone atm). In some ways I stick to it because i've invested so much time and money in them that they're a kind of ongoing project that i can't bail from without making a laughing stock of my years of investments in both time and money to perpetuate, and in others I truly like the fact that i know the car, its idiosyncrasies and its history. I rely on it because i have faith in it, and i have faith in it because I know what drove the designers to make it such a success.

This is another reason why people are so often divided about the whole watercooled engine conversion thing; some people see it as sacrilege to keep the look, but transplant the heart, and others see the vehicle as more than a shape, but as an amazing collection of parts and 'enginuity'. For me the beetle means more than just reliable transport. It's an honest, tough, no frills character that does more than it was meant to, and gives as good as it gets. When it gets too much to keep it on the road and when comfort starts to outweigh the philosophy, i'll probably get a modern, practical supercomputer car with bluetooth, traction control, super suspension and whisper-quiet engine to drive me to the supermarket and pick up the grandkids etc etc. They're great cars to drive.

But they're nothing next to starting up something you've skinned your knuckles on, burnt yourself on, worked on, personalised, fixed, driven to hell and back, and been proud of. Anyone can buy a 2010 car.

Who drives a 30 year old icon with a driver comfort list shorter than a jewish foreskin, and deals with the ravages of the elements like they're part of the car? We do. And we nod and smile at each other at servos and on highways because we're all in the same dumb club

Well said Peter

Congrats Baz!

Saw the L in front of Five Dock VW service looked sweet.

Polo should be great fun talk to Guy to get the APR/Oettinger love and it will be amazing!

Well - back on the road in a BIG way

Picked the GTI up the other day.
GREAT car.

Never realized how wonderful it is to turn up to meetings with clean hands and no oil smell

Seriously - after so many years, I need a change.
The Polo is a rocket - but I have joined the Watercooled forum and will bother them there
Not quite the same though - they have so many catagories it is hard to see what is going on

Anyway - the L is back and going better than ever.
Holzl has had it for a month and been fine tuning it.
New clutch and a few tune ups and he is purring
Not quite the power of the Polo but damn near

Go it made. You have the daily and the mistress on the side (beetle)