vw beetles

Gnurb

Golden Member
Mar 6, 2001
1,042
0
0
I just started reading Michael Moore's book, Stupid White Men and in the introduction he mentions the fact(?) that the new bugs won't start up unless you start them every day, for at least a couple minutes. His mechanics reasoning is that VW designed it so that if it isn't started at least everday it assumes the battery is dead so the car shuts itself down(!?!) Any owners of bugs, can you attest to that? I tried to do some research on the net, but couldn't find much. I'm not looking into buying one, but I was just curious.

Next vw question, I'm thinking of building an ultralight aircraft. the volksplane looks interesting and within my budget (and skill hopefully). It uses a vw aircooled engine, which I think is from the super beetles circa ~1960/70. All of this is very preliminary, and may just be a phase for me, like lots of things ;) but I was wondering if anyone has any experience or dreams of doing something like this. Maybe they can give me a few pointers on how to get started.
 

Brutuskend

Lifer
Apr 2, 2001
26,558
4
0
When I was working as a VW Mech. I did work on a few "experimental" VW powered aircraft.

It's a bit scary fine tuning the carbs with a prop. spinning 4 inches from your head.

Though I had had some experience with this, since I was a Turbo Prop Mech. in the service.

VW used air cooled engines from the 40's through the late 70's BTW.
 

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
I have a 2002 Golf, which has the same everything but the body, Moore is FOS, he threads enough truth into his BS so it appears to be fact...
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,512
22
81
Moore is, as usual, full of it.

Although I do have a 914 (uses a 1976 VW flat four) that won't start if you leave it sit with the battery in it all winter. Of course, in that case the battery is dead. Batteries don't like sitting for nine months in sub-freezing temps without being charged every now and again.

ZV
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
Moore is an idiot, plain and simple. His methods of convincing people is very similar to beating them over the head with a shovel and then giving them BS padded as the truth.