Since there are many lurkers out there that are contemplating ditching their boring rides for an air-cooled, I wish to share my experiences during the last 18 months.
After decades of owning some boring (but very good) cars, I finally took the plunge last summer and bought a nice 72 super to replace my
2000 Maxima. I have owned many water-cooled VWs in the past but nothing like the sweet Super I picked up. From the moment I brought it home, it has been nothing but pure bliss. I drive it every day and it has never let me down. I have now driven it in everything from 12" of snow to 100 degree summer days and now feel qualified to share my thoughts on the subject of owning a 35-year old VW.Firstly, I would like to caveat the following by letting everyone know that I still own the Maxima. Although this car is fast and fully-loaded (CD, heated leather, power everything), I seldomly drive it...Occasionally, I will drive it when we go away on family trips or if we have a long drive ahead of us...For the every day, going back and forth to work type of driving, I drive the bug.
While I was doing my "research", I was cautioned that owning a beetle was more expensive and required much more time. To that I say....True!! and True!! There is always something that needs to be done. From brake adjustments to oil changes, I always have something on my "to do" list. Obviously, alot of these things are not wholly necessary but I vowed to do something to the car every week. Even if it is just checking the air pressure/oil or just washing it.
So far I have redone the rear brakes, cleaned all the electrical connections and fixed some electrical problems, changed the oil 3 times, redid the window washer and wiper shafts, sealed up the heat, redid the window regulators and a host of other things (mainly cosmetic). All these things were done with the help of this group and the Bentley manual.
For the knowledge I have acquired, I will be eternally grateful to this group. I have learned a great deal. It took me almost a year to finally understand what you guys post. Now, reading the posts are more fun since I understand mostly what is being discussed.
As for driving the car...the winters can be a bit harsh. The car runs rough (and cold) the first 10 minutes every morning. After that the heat starts kicking in and the warmer engine makes it run a whole lot better (Oh..I also installed the warm air hose and some missing tin). As some have mentioned, it gets toasty after about 20 minutes. Overall, not the most comfortable ride in the winter...but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
The summers are a lot better. The car runs great and the vent windows more than compensate for the lack of an A/C. Although, rainy days in the summer can be rough. With the windows closed, a few people in the car can really fog up those windows.
Overall, I do not regret my decision one bit. Learning the little nuances of the car has been great fun. Every time I drive it, I feel connected to this old little car. After a year, I am finally getting her figured out. I know every sound and smell.
The thought of getting rid of the other car has entered my mind but I still would not feel very comfortable having the super as my only car. I guess I like the comfort of knowing that if something should go wrong; I will still get to work in the AM. That's not to say that I will never sell it. In my head, I am already formulating plans for getting rid of the Maxima and getting a flippin' sweet Type 2...Who knows?
Sorry for the long post but I felt compelled to give back...I am still learning so I am not able to help others with the technical stuff but hopefully others can take something away from this post.