Greetings all. Well, once again, after 13 years, I have again been bitten by the bug.
My father and I rebuilt a 1967 bug (with factory sunroof) from the ground up back in 1988-1991 (I was in high school). Candy Apple red paint, full chrome suspension, custom interior, 2400 cc engine with .044 heads from Brazil (wasn't all that common back then I guess) and dual dillortos, flared fenders with Vega head/tail lamps from Creative Car Craft (when they were in Cape Coral, Fl), adjustable lowered front end, rocking stereo....the list goes on. Sold it in 1992 for $1500 after driving over a raccoon which knocked the oversized oil sump off the bottom of the block, thus, killing my engine. I remember the expressions on the faces of people who drove cameros when they would pull up next to me at a light and think, how cute, look at the little bug. I remember taking it for a few runs at the Desoto drag strip in Bradenton, Fl, but don't remember what it ran - but it was quick.
I remember showing my bug at the bug jams in West Palm, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa....what a blast. I had a guy from VW Trends do a photo shoot of my bug at a jam in West Palm (probably 1990 or 91), but it was never featured. Back then, they sent their photographers to the shows to take photos of anything they liked, then they decided which bugs got in back at the office I guess.
Well, over the years, I'd moved on to other things, started a family blah blah blah. Recently pulled out some old photos of my old bug and next thing I know, I'm searching fields and Ebay for a junk bug to fix up!! Great thing in, when I mentioned it to my wife, she thought it would be a great idea to fix up another bug!!! Sounds like a green light to me!
Picked up the latest issue of VW Trends and Hot VW's and man, things have changed over the last 13 years. I have a few questions that maybe someone who is up to speed could answer:
Anyone selling a bug in Florida? I've noticed that the value of an old VW bug has skyrocketed. That is great to see. But unless I find one sitting out in a field, I see that I'm going to have to spend a few grand.
Are the adjustable front ends still the thing to use to drop the front? When I first dropped my bug, I ripped out some leaf springs. Ride sucked, installed lowered front end two weeks later. Is this new Airkewld Air Ride kit any good?
How about the back. If I recall, I just adjusted the torsion arms a few clicks.
Is a 2400 engine still considered high-end or just average now?
Where is the best place to purchase a good turn-key engine? I may built it myself, but just in case.
As I recall, it was very hard locating parts for my 67. Are parts for the newer bugs (like the 71-73) more widely available?
Anyone here from Venice, Florida remember a guy who used to work on bugs out of a garage by the old Galaxy Lanes on 41?
Well, that's all for now. I hope I posted this in the correct group!!