Wordless Outtake: A Boxer Four Lover Lives Here
– Posted on March 8, 2017
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American Brands: GM 
American Brands: Ford 
American Brands: Chrysler 
American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others 
Automotive Histories and Misc. 
Asian Brands 
UK Brands 
Australian Brands 
European Brands 
Cars Of A Lifetime & Auto-Biography 
Buses 
Trucks, Pickups and Vans 
Design 
Trains, Planes & Ships 
Motorcycles, Trikes, Bicycles 
Engines, Transmissions and other Tech 
Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment 
RVs, Motorhomes, Trailers, Campers
This photo pretty much shows the “bookends” of my auto ownership history to date, starting in 1970. Several other makes from all over the map in between.
I was going to make a comment about swapping a Subaru engine into a Beetle but that would be like strapping a 20 hp go cart engine onto a skateboard.
Fast but deadly.
This one is even the right color, big taillamps, small bumpers, sleeper look and turbocharged.
Needs a Honda Goldwing to be complete.
And a Cessna 140.
Or 2 Panhards.
….and a Citroen GS
As others have noted the collection is incomplete only showing the basics.
It’s funny how a sound can take you back to a different time. Every once in a while I’ll hear a Subaru with a bad muffler and instinctively I turn expecting to see a VW even though they are mostly gone now.
I agree; very nostalgic sound. Interestingly, smells can bring you back as well: my 1st generation Miata apparently used the same formula vinyl as the old Beetles, and smelled exactly the same inside. Conjured up a lot of good memories.
I know more than a few air-cooled Volkswagen owners who have a Subaru as his or her token modern car daily driver.
Looking at the “new-ish” VW (meaning any bug built after 1964) I realize what an improvement the rear engine hatch release button (*) is over the old turn T handle, which in my bug had to have the internal latch mechanism manually pulled down first before the hatch could be closed and twist locked.
(*) I think the engine hatch push button was first used in the 1965 models.
Hardboiled Eggs and Nuts: I too often look for an air cooled VW when a Subaru with a bad muffler goes by.
You are correct in that 1965 was the first year for the push button decklid latch.
Just as FYI, the Beetle pictured appears to be a 1973, “elephants foot” tail lamps but no 5mph bumpers put it at ’73.
The ’65 body shell was a major change that lasted until the very end of production for the standard beetle. Larger windows, including a slightly curved windshield and metal sunroof were the major changes, along with details like the hood release.
I think the change corresponded to the highly automated body welding that mostly replaced hand labor. No actual robots, but very close in concept for the 1960’s. I remember seeing a film in auto shop showing the VW factory at the time.
The early ‘T’ handle only gets funky after someone turns it too far and forces it bending the sheet metal or if the car was rear ended .
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It’s a fairly simple thing to fix .
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The all original one of my ’59 SDDX works *perfectly* although it looks pretty bad .
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After I took it apart, cleaned and lubricated it, it even locks using the original door key =8-) .
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-Nate
Another Boxer four lover here ! .
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-Nate