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Working on a VW bug project and need parts? Even know original parts can be found sometimes it's just next to impossible to find exactly what you need. The rebuilt parts can be difficult also. But you can find them. You just need to look around online at some of the larger sites.
Also on the used parts you can always check the feedback of the person that is selling the part on eBay which is good. If they get a consistent good rating or at least most of them good, then it's probably a safe bet the part you need will be a perfect fit and you will have a good experience.
You can always look into the return policy of the vendor and on a lot of auction sites, the availability is good to the point if you don't like one seller you can find another one.
And of course the good thing about vw beetles is a lot of time the parts are interchangeable from year to year. Which is why one reason it's known as the People's car. I wish cars of today still had that philosophy but so much for dreaming.
VW Bug Heaters
Driver and passenger heating in a VW is accomplished by blowing air over hot pipes. Most of the time, these hot pipes ('heat boxes') are removed and replaced. Many VWs no longer have windshield wipers, a windshield wiper motor or seat belts.
If you plan on having a working heater, the heat boxes must be restored. When all the parts work, the heater works fine. True, a VW heater can never be accused of being too hot but it does the job. VW heaters have a very bad undeserved wrap.
Rebuilding a VW engine can be make a lot of sense, money-wise and be a good learning experience.
Finding Bug Parts.
Even know the price for restored beetles can be high sometimes, fortunately the parts are easy to find and can be fairly cheap.
When looking around online for parts there are places like eBay where you can find unbelievable deals sometimes. Some mechanics just want the parts gone and an online auction is a great place to do it.
Auction can be a misleading word sometimes because most of the time there will be the "buy it now" feature that enables you to get your part right away.
A lot of online parts houses have a presence on eBay also because that is where all the traffic is sometimes. And they're more than willing to give a good price on a bug part. I've noticed that companies go on eBay to get rid of extra inventory.
There's nothing wrong with the parts, it's just there are so many people looking for beetle parts on eBay it is only logical they set up a store and sell their parts.
Here's a cool video, I had a Renault Dauphine years ago that had this same feature.
Here's a nice sound after your hard work!
In it's heyday, there were many 'kit car' replacement bodies offered for sale. For the most part, you would unbolt and remove the VW bug body leaving the motor and running gear and bolt on the new body.
Separating the VW body from it's chassis is a simple affair. There were a few items that tied the car's bottom to it's top. Things like the electrical wiring, the steering wheel and assorted odds and ends on the dashboard. But aside from these items, it is a breeze.
What has always amazed me is the motor is removed with only four (4) bolts. Since the motor is air cooled, it's very self contained. And because of the motor's simplicity, it's very easy to modify to get a lot more power.
A wild camshaft or bigger pistons or throatier exhaust will turns heads.
There are a lot of sites on restoring vw bugs and news articles with vw pictures.
Latest eBay Listings when available:
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