Modern Buddy

So, for the days there's too much funk on the road to drive the Buddy (or it's just too damned cold for me to brave the commute on the Buddy), I have this:



A 1970 Type 3 Squareback.


(Trust me, it's not nearly as bad as it looks.)


Granted, it's got no heater, but heat is over-rated anyway.

More pics are here if you're interested: http://www.personal.kent.edu/~cplasket/ ... eback.html


And, though by definition, it is most certainly a cage, I imagine I'd be much safer taking a hit on the Buddy.

That it sweet! I'm not sure how much safer you are in that vs the Buddy, though, as those old cars don't have much safety engineering. At least you'll be a bit more stable when it's slick out. IIRC, it's possible to get heaters you can place in the passenger area to keep you warm.

Is the Ghia yours too? I love those old VW's; in fact, my first car was a '68 Bug that ran for an entire week before throwing a rod!

In grad school I commuted for a while one winter using an old convertible with neither heater nor rubber gaskets to keep the rain out- it was an adventure!

I really need a bigger garage

No, the Ghia belongs to a friend of mine. It is definitely unsafe at any speed.


Yeah, as I said, I don't think the 3 is at all safer than the Buddy. And to be honest, it's not much more stable either.


The body is solid, despite the visible surface rust -- on the Squareback, anyway... the same cannot be said for the Ghia.

I'd be jealous if the winter vehicle was the Karmann Ghia.

Like VitC, I have a history with the old VWs. I learned to drive in a 68 Bug, and I also threw a rod in it by driving it up I287 from Rutgers at 75MPH with six people in it. The poor thing just couldn't manage and had to self-destruct on me. My dad wasn't happy.

--
Kevin

You're right. I am jealous.
That's a sweet ride.
-K

Nice, I like it.

yes I am jealous.

I had a 61 Bug - good memories.
Those cars of yours seem pretty low for driving in the snow.

Ohhh.... that is suuhhwweeet! I come from an "old vw family". I remember when I was a kid, my Uncle Bill had a light blue bug. I hated riding in it with him in the winter - no freaking heat! In the days (long, long ago) before snowmobile suits, I had to wear layers and layers of clothing to stay warm. I remember not being able to put my arms down at my sides - so much clothing, they stuck straight out... 'Course, just ask any Minnesotan...we all walked miles to school in the dead of winter...snow up to our waists...(at least, that's what we all tell our kids...)

Nice rims.

I had a '65 Beetle with dual-port heads and a Hurst shifter (really!). I put a ceramic heater in it with a fan that blew on the windshield. I miss that car.

I also had a '78 Combi with a gas furnace underneath and a 2 liter fuel-injected engine. I took it back to Europe when I was in the Army, and it completely baffled the Germans. Apparently, all the Combis in Germany had 1.1 or 1.3 liter engines. Diesel Mercedes DON'T like to be passed on long uphill grades on the autobahnen by a US-tagged Combi!

ECS

There's a definite correlation between scooter riding and driving a VW; it's been discussed in other forums. We have a 2 VW household: an '06 Beetle Convertible and a '92 Cabriolet. As much as I'd love a squareback, we put a lot of miles on our cars (well, I did before I got my scoot!) and need more, ah, reliable backups. Plus, if I was going to go for something along those lines, it'd probably be the Volvo P1800 ES. Woo!

also association b/t mini coopers and scoots (must like pocket sized transoirtation?)

Sweeeet ride!! I've always wanted to get a fast back. Instead I have a slightly modified 240SX.

Squarebacks are awesome.

I was into the VW thing for just a little while. It didn't really work out for me. I sold the Buggy and bought 2 Buddys.

peabody99 wrote:also association b/t mini coopers and scoots (must like pocket sized transoirtation?)

Yeah, and it's definitely a style thing, too. Minis far outnumber scootters around here, though, by something like 4 to 1 (based on the last time I counted while commuting). They're the new Jettas in LA!

ericalm wrote:Plus, if I was going to go for something along those lines, it'd probably be the Volvo P1800 ES. Woo!

The Lancia Beta HPE is another sexy option as 2 door sporty Euro wagons go.

Good Lord, Cat-man! It's got FOUR WHEELS!?!?!?!

--Keys

Keys wrote:Good Lord, Cat-man! It's got FOUR WHEELS!?!?!?!

I hear it's easier to negotiate snow and ice with the extra set...

Can't say that I've ever tried it on two, though -- at least, not with a motor.


But the cagers are scary enough when the weather (and roads) are nice... I don't wanna take my chances when they aren't.


(Yeah, as if the Sqare will protect me! )

Nice... I had a type 3 Notchback which was the rarest of the bunch. I loved it. I have a special place in my heart for beaters. Even though my notch was sweet.

Kick ass!

I'm a fan of the Notch, but I've only seen them (in any decent condition) at car shows and in photos from the west coast.

(Not that the Square is in particularly decent condition, but that's not the point!)


Is the one pictured yours? That's effing gorgeous.

My mom had a Fastback. I rarely if ever saw another one, but that whole era of veedubs were way cool.

AxeYrCat wrote:Kick ass!

I'm a fan of the Notch, but I've only seen them (in any decent condition) at car shows and in photos from the west coast.

(Not that the Square is in particularly decent condition, but that's not the point!)


Is the one pictured yours? That's effing gorgeous.

I had that one for about 2 years. The picture is flattering. The clear coat was starting to go, the floor pans were starting to go, and so was the interior. But all in all, a sweet little machine. It had a brand new Mexican 1600 in it, and with the type 3 gearing, it could do about 80-85mph. I loved that little ride. I sold it becuase I could either let it go for $200 less than I paid for it, or put thousands into bringing it back. It went to a good home. I miss that machine.
I really dig that beater squareback, and I like the photo too.

Lagerhead wrote:Squarebacks are awesome.

I was into the VW thing for just a little while. It didn't really work out for me. I sold the Buggy and bought 2 Buddys.

You didn't happen to sell that buggy to a guy in Elyria named Jon, did you?

My dad had the first VW in our town; a '59 ragtop sunroof. Over the years, our VWs were '59, '61, '63, '63, '65, '67, '68 convert, '68 buggy, '69, (all used) plus new '75 Scirocco, and now our '01 A6.

I remember when the fastback, squareback, and nothcbacks first came out saying "those aren't *real" VWs!"

smorris wrote:

Lagerhead wrote:Squarebacks are awesome.

I was into the VW thing for just a little while. It didn't really work out for me. I sold the Buggy and bought 2 Buddys.

You didn't happen to sell that buggy to a guy in Elyria named Jon, did you?

No I sold it to a guy named Charlie in BFE Ohio. (About 70 miles straight east of Cincinnati.)

That body was made by B&N fiberglass in Springfield Ohio and generally speaking it's pretty unique. Since they were produced "locally" they're fairly common around here. I've seen more of them on the road in Ohio than I have in pictures online.

my favorite vw memory, besides( breaking down halfway to newport beach in my friend's '69 squareback, and then halfway on the way back, every time we went, whenever we could... to the point where there were designated underpasses to stop at to spray out the carb, get it going...)

would be a license plate frame on a vw baja, which rang so true...

"no fat chics... my v-dub will rub"....

grew up in a vw family, have owned 4 different vw's.. '78 kawasaki racing green rabbit, '73 super beetle, '81 rabbit gti, and '98 jetta vr6...

do have a deep appreciation for the classics, air-cooled, learned to drive in a '71 camper bus...

here's a pic from the 'ol water cooled category... my customized rabbit, lowered nicely to going around a neighborhood corner at 60, with no complaints from tires!

o.k., i jumped a bit in the years from the air cooled beaters, but the corduroy pants are 70's!

then the pic below is my car now... (in my dreams!

I've been a watercooled VW driver/enthusiast since I started driving (back in the '96).

This is my first forray into aircooleds.

'91 Fox
'83 GTI
'92 Corrado (which I still have, but it's a project car)
'87 Jetta (which is going to be delivered to its new owner in Colorado Springs today -- it had a VR6 turbo swapped into it... Great car!)
'01 TT (which I still have, but it's sitting at APR)


... And now a '70 Squareback.

My mom had one when I was in high school in MN. Whenever we went somewhere in the winter time, whoever was riding shotgun, had to scrape the frost off of the inside windshield....no defrost

dahuffy wrote:My mom had one when I was in high school in MN. Whenever we went somewhere in the winter time, whoever was riding shotgun, had to scrape the frost off of the inside windshield....no defrost

There's a squeegee on the pass. side for precisely that reason.


I refer to it as 'the defroster'.

Boooo VW - Volvo for the win.



j/k I have had a number of VW's over the yrs from Super Beetle Rally car, Thing, and RHD Rabit. All of which were a love/hate relationship. So I finally broke down and bought a Volvo 240 5spd for when I dont like riding one of my scooters.

http://scoot.net/gallery/pic.html?pic=192086

http://scoot.net/gallery/pic.html?pic=192084

Saw a bumper-sticker promoting the state of Vermont once. It read; "Vermont, where even the rednecks drive Volvos".

--Keys

ericalm wrote:There's a definite correlation between scooter riding and driving a VW...

Yep. Turbo New Beetle convertible here.

ericalm wrote:There's a definite correlation between scooter riding and driving a VW...

Yep. Turbo Cabrio here. Before that Cabriolet. Before that, Superbeetle semi-automatic.

Never had a squareback or fastback or even a notchback, but I had a '60 with a big-bore kit and dual webers I'd run at the local dragstrip back in, um...1972. Also had a 1962 and a '64. All Bugs. Then I built a trike out of a '65 and a bunch of Harley parts. Flipped it in a toy run in Grand Jct., CO. Don't think my ex-wife will ever forgive me for that...

--Keys

I guess I show my beater

No more Squareback for me.


My fiance used to date a guy who drove a Fastback, and she decided she couldn't deal with having it around -- at least, not riding in it.



Anyway, I ended up selling it.


I miss it. Already.

Awwww man.... It was a FASTBACK! Not a squareback. And that was a long time ago. So no more type 3's for you, or no more vdubs in general? I'm sorry to hear of your loss. At least you still have the Buddy!

VWs are fine. Just not Type 3s apparently.


TOTALLY different cars, his 3 and mine -- totally!! I know because I rode in it, and I even helped him wrench on it from time to time.


Oh, well... It's not like I don't have enough to work on as it is.