Air Cooled Volkswagen Enthusiast

T he Volkswagen originated in the 1930's in Germany and was designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Since that time the VW has gained world-wide popularity and recognition.

The Volkswagen Beetle

Few, if any, vehicles in the history of auto manufacturing can claim the worldwide cult status of the Volkswagen Beetle.

Naysayers said that the people's car would never last, but boy, were they wrong. Popular culture prevailed, and the Beetle has become nothing short of an icon.

So what is it about this particular model of Volkswagen that makes it so special? The aesthetics are an obvious answer after all, few cars can answer to an adjective like "cute" and get away with it. But we must also consider what lies beneath - the hood, that is. (Remember, that hood's in the back, not the front!) Like many other Volkswagen models, including the Bus, Thing, Kharmann Ghia, Squareback, Fastback and Notchback, the Beetle is air cooled.

The air cooled engine is definitely alive, well, and present on our streets, but it definitely requires a much higher level of commitment from its caretaker. One problem these VW enthusiasts face is the lack of qualified mechanics familiar with air cooled engines. This can be a real issue. Oftentimes it's worth it to simply learn how to service the vehicle yourself rather than trust someone who claims to know what he is doing. After all, you are the best mechanic you know, and no one cares as much about your engine as you do! That's why it may make sense to simply tackle these projects yourself. 

Don't be overwhelmed! Fortunately, there is a huge wealth of information out there to aid and abet the air cooled enthusiast. The internet is home to countless numbers of clubs and organizations dedicated to this very topic. Forums make it very easy to communicate with others and get specific answers to your vehicular problems. Whatever it is you're trying to accomplish with your air cooled engine, the chance is very good that some other enthusiast has already attempted and succeeded with the very same project. And you're in luck, because he took step-by-step color photos and posted them right there on his website so you can follow along. It simply can't get any easier than that!

The less Internet-savvy VW fans can rely on many of the tried and true servicing manuals you'll see referenced over and over on these sites. One is John Muir's renowned book " How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Complete Idiot" This unknowing forerunner to today's "for Dummies" and "The Idiot's Guide" book series was first published in the 1960's and is still in print today. It's an enduring classic that VW fans swear by!