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79 bug as everyday drive


careydeza
07-02-2007, 04:54 PM
I want to make my 79 beetle an everyday reliable vehicle. I just got a tune up on it but it still runs a little ify. What else, mechanically, should I get checked out to have it be a reliable car?

thanks!
Carey :icon16:

denisond3
07-08-2007, 09:52 AM
To start with, I think having an older car for a daily driver is going to require you to do a lot of your own work - unless you are wealthy.
Your car is close to 30 years old. There will be things needing repair/adjustment/lubing that never fail in the first 20 or 25 years. Most of the work isnt very complex, but is labor intensive. Thats why owners seldom have a mechanic do this type of maintenance. Hobbysits are the ones that have the interest and the time. My priority order would be: 1. brakes. 2. fuel system. 3. steering and wheels, 4. wiring. 5. body rust. My list of things to look at is too long to post here, so I will send you a private message when I type it up - it will take a couple of days, as we are going out of town. The work can be done at your leisure. Some folks call it preventive maintenance, some call it restoration. I prefer to call it preemptive repair. You should keep a journal of all the work you do or have done, with the date, the mileage and a description of what was done. It will help a LOT when you want to sell the car someday; or if you still own the car in ten years, to decide what you might need to do over again to keep it running. ( I have several cars that I have owned for over 30 years, that were well over 20 years old when I bought them. I only list modern cars in my profile.)
I always carry tools in the trunk.

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