Can't Wait!

Russell 66 · Post by **Russell 66** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 4:26 pm

Hi All,

I'll be receiving my '66 in 4 days! I'm so excited I can hardly stand myself. My poor husband has had to listen to nothing but buggy talk for the weeks we've spent looking. Since we've found our bug (don't know if its a he or a she yet) I've been doing nothing but reading HOW TO KEEP YOUR VOLKSWAGEN ALIVE and sharing all my new found knowledge with him. What a guy!

Anybody out there from Jacksonville Florida? We have a place called Hilltop Motors which specializes in VW and Audi and has been operating since 1966. I'd love feedback anyone might have about them or other bug guys in the area.

Gosh I can't wait!
Chick Russell

rokemester · Post by **rokemester** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:48 pm

Wow I can see why you are excited! What a great looking little Bug. Good luck with your new car and welcome to the 66 forum.

Mike

Post by **jmartini** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 3:43 am

What a sweet looking 66! Congratulations and welcome!

Russell 66 · Post by **Russell 66** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:55 am

Thanks! New mommies love to here pretty baby sentiments.

I'm thinking its so sweet its probably a girl but really won't know until we spend quality time together. Another tell-tail sign its a girl is . . . . a wide backside. Prior to seeing the car in person, the previous owners hadn't told us the rear fenders had been widened to accommodate wide back tires. It's just as well because we probably would have chalked it off our list when planning our bug-searching road trip. I hate admit we didn't even notice until we found no spare in the front compartment and started talking about tires. You'd think the restorer they'd purchased it from would have kept one of the originals for a spare. I suppose he sold them separately to someone like me who needs a spare. Sheesh.

The restoration was done in 2007 and only driven to shows and on weekend fun rides. Inside, underside and compartments are as immaculate as the outside. Still has the 1300 and 6 volt. Clean clean clean. Well maintained. The previous owners had the top half rebuilt and a remote oil filter put on so my guess is they had trouble with overheating after they purchase the car. Said they don't have any contact info for the restorer other than he's from Knoxville, Tennessee. Don't know whats up with that. Guess we'll find out what quirks this car has on our own. It's peppy now and not a drip of oil to be seen. It will be my daily.

In any case, we ended up liking the look just fine. After all, who's backside doesn't spread a little with age?

Blue Baron · Post by **Blue Baron** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:09 am

Gorgeous car, but I think those fat fenders may need to go. But that's the purist in me talking.

Are you coming down for the Pasco Bug Jam Nov. 14? My wife and I will be showing our just-finished '66 sunroof.

fatalifeaten · Post by **fatalifeaten** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:24 pm

Wow, how wide are those rears that they stretched the fenders 3 (4?) inches?

Looks real purdy though, enjoy!

Russell 66 · Post by **Russell 66** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 10:19 am

We're old school too so, had we been told she had wide tires and widened fenders, we probably wouldn't have made the trip to see her. Totally glad they didn't tell us till we got there. Four disc brakes make non-stock wheels worth it to us.

As far as the rear fenders, in person, they don't look dramatically different. People notice the fat tires but not the fat fenders. The direct lighting in the rear end shot takes away the depth on the passenger's side flattening the image making them appear even wider. A mechanic at the old school VW shop here thought they might be a very early model fenders because, if they were widened, it was so seamless you can't even tell from the underside.

As far as the tires back there, the side of the tires say, “Firestone”, “Firehawk”, “Indy 500”, “P235/60R15”, “985” and “M+5” I haven't the foggiest what any of that means. I measure about 8.5 – 9” at the widest bulge. Turns out the front wheels are also wider than stock, to accommodate the disc brakes. The "no spare" thing makes sence now. I just purchased a spare to fit the aftermarket nut pattern and found it doesn't fit down where it belongs. Thank goodness it still fits in resting horizontally. Someone told me I could have it sliced to fit in it's correct place at a metal shop.

Whatever, I'm in love and, as they say, love is blind. In my eyes she's perfect.

We've got a family wedding in Denver on the 13th so we'll have to catch you at a later date, Blue Baron. We're bummed to be missing it.

fatalifeaten · Post by **fatalifeaten** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 1:14 pm

hahah..

Ok, they're 253/60x15" tires. Why they put them on an 8" rim is beyond me, you could stick a 235 on a 5.5" wheel without difficulty and fit it under the stock fenders (5.5" wide is like an empi 5 spoke wheel) They could also be fibergalss fenders instead of steel which would explain the seamless widening.

I could see needing to widen them a bit if the disc kit adds a significant amount of track to the rear end. I run 225/60's on my car out back on stock drums and axles. If I added 3/4" on each side from a rear disc kit they'd be in the fenders though (granted, My car is lowered almost 4 inches in the rear). You can clear a 245/60 out back at stock height with no issues.

It's cool you like it the way it is. There's plenty of room for you to use a wider tire on those rims down the road without adding any actual width to the end product since they have such a narrow tire on there now. Gives you room to shop for a good price on a tire that will work well for you and not have to be locked in to a narrow range of choices as can happen to our cars in many instances.

Russell 66 · Post by **Russell 66** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 3:33 pm

They're steel for sure. Checked it with a magnet to prove the point to someone. That's why the mechanic wondered if they were just taken from a very old model. They're just so clean.

I bought a stock tire from my vw place but had to get a wider wheel/rim/whatever because I was told at 5 different places they don't make a stock-size wheel/rim/whatever that matches the bolt pattern on whatever you call the part of the wheel that's left on the car when you take the tire/wheel/rim/whatever(!!!!) off. Soooooo when they put my stock size tire on the modern bolt patterned wheel/rim/whatever, . . . . it got wider. I can't imagine deciding to make the back ones even wider than they already are. I've got teenagers at every parking lot in which I stop drooling as it is.

Truthfully, as much as I thought I wanted a stock bug, I like the decisions made on this one. It's one of the reasons I'd love to find out more about its history. I've posted pictures and info about the car in a VW club in Knoxville where I was told the restoration was done. I'm hoping someone there will recognize the shop.

Thanks for the info, fatalifeaten.

Blue Baron · Post by **Blue Baron** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:14 am

Russell 66 wrote:As far as the rear fenders, in person, they don't look dramatically different. People notice the fat tires but not the fat fenders. The direct lighting in the rear end shot takes away the depth on the passenger's side flattening the image making them appear even wider. A mechanic at the old school VW shop here thought they might be a very early model fenders because, if they were widened, it was so seamless you can't even tell from the underside.

Sounds like you're in denial to me.

Just kidding.

At any rate, we'd love to see you come down for Pasco Bug Jam Nov. 13 and 14. It's the biggest VW event in Florida.

Russell 66 · Post by **Russell 66** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 12:43 pm

Boy we'd love to be there too but we have a family wedding in Denver that weekend. Bummer.
As far as denial, "baby's got back", I know it. Hey, shake it if you got it.

Blue Baron · Post by **Blue Baron** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 5:33 pm

We also have New Beetles, so we're used to big butts.

Russell 66 · Post by **Russell 66** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 4:40 am

toni52291 · Post by **toni52291** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:31 am

very nice bug im diggin it...is that bahama blue?