The 1966 VW Beetle Forum

jmartini

How to keep your Volkswagen Alive - A Manual of Step by Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot. John Muir. 477 pages. Soft Cover.

John passed away in 1977, but his legacy lives on through this wonderful book, which will tell you how to maintain your VW (step by step) in terms that anyone can understand and much, much more.

I bought my first copy back in 1975, I wish I still had it. This book taught me all I needed to keep my 66 and 72 running well. It was covered in grease and oil after about a year - and it served me well.

If I could only have one book about VW's - this would be the book. Some have referred to it as the "Bible" of VW repair but it’s really more than that. The '66 model was his personal favorite - need I say more?!! Thank you John Muir!

scruffy · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:25 am Post subject:

Hey John, I was thinking of that one being added to the list.I have my copy and it's always close at hand.John Muir is truly is the guru of VW.When in need of reading material,this book is just down and out fun to read. Laughing

jmartini · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:01 pm Post subject:

I couldn't agree more Scruffy!

chris · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:30 pm Post subject:

someone told me about that book but i never had the chance to take a look at it, but i have been told that its pretty helpful.

jmartini · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:13 pm Post subject:

Hi Chris: The thing that is really nice about the book is the way it's structured, like easy to understand drawings and explanations. This book gave me the confidence to do my own valve adjustments and tune-ups when I was 18, and then people I knew started bring their bugs to me for tunes ups. Also as Scruffy said - it's just "down and out fun to read". If you get it I would suggest reading through the book before you even do any work - there’s some great stuff in there that doesn't really even pertain to mechanical repair. You will learn a lot about John Muir and his philosophy on life as well. I always enjoyed reading the part about his contempt for automatic chokes and how he would roll a cigarette while he would wait for the car to warm up with his choke disconnected. Fun reading then – still fun today! You won’t regret adding it to your collection.

scruffy · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 2:49 pm Post subject:

I like the one when the red light comes on when your engine overheats.He tells you to jump in the backseat and take a nap til it cools down,better yet if you got a girl with you!

motorheadkev · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:56 am Post subject: yes yes John Muir

very funny book my copy (only 27 years old) has a brown cover or did it just fade to that cover.
this is a must have for any bug owner
i also have the Richards Rabbit Book when i got my first rabbit.
written by the same company since John passed before the Rabbit caught on.
good day

AdelaideBug · Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 5:15 pm Post subject:

Heard a lot of good things about this book Hopefully it will help a total mron noob like me!

jmartini · Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 6:45 pm Post subject:

If it can help me it can help anyone! Laughing

SeeBlauKafer · Senior Member Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 134

I was also schooled in the 'College of Muir'. My Father bought this book back in '73 and I read it as a child. When the wire spiralbound pages finally came apart he glued new edges to them, punched new holes and re-threaded the spiral wire back through them!

There are hard spined and spiralbound versions of this book ... be careful to get the spiralbound version as it lays nice and flat while you're doing that valve adjustment, etc.

The illustrations are equally great ... love the "exploded parts view".

jmartini · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:40 pm Post subject:

Ditto! I love the art work in general - I have often looked for posters of the art work in the book - some really clever drawings for sure.

elkluvadore · Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:03 pm Post subject:

one thing about this book, it is mainly mechanical, so if your looking for an all around book go with the haynes manuals, but the dummies book is far more entertaining to read, definiatley a must have

Blue Baron · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:09 pm Post subject: The Pure Muir

The later editions have more illustrations and extra chapters, but I prefer the early editions, or what I call the Pure Muir.

I suggest looking for a 1972 or earlier edition, before there was anything written on disc brakes, fuel injection, or even Type 3 VWs. (Muir thought the Type 3 was too "bourgeoise," but relented once they started filtering down to the proletariat.) I don't agree with him about throwing away the thermostat, and I laugh that he refuses to explain how to adjust the automatic choke, but I prefer the work as originally written. Altering it is like tampering with The Bible.

jmartini · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:51 pm Post subject:

I agree - there is something about the early versions. I have no idea where my copy from the 70's went, but I sure would like to have it back!

phononocd · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 1:43 pm Post subject:

I found my 1980 copy at an antique store before I even had my bug! The thing is falling apart and some of the pages are full of grease prints, but it still does it's job. I like the pic. of the guy in bed thinking of all the gears and mechanical tings while his wife sleeps!