VW

VW questions and answers

Q: How much will it cost to buy an old VW Bus and Convert to Hybrid and update body and all working parts?
Figure you buy an old '73 VW Bus that obviously needs lots of care an attention. So, You Convert the Bus to Hybrid, Update all rust & non working parts, maybe a new paint job. How much are you looking to be spending on a job like that? Also...can you find people to actually do all that for you? The bus Im looking at is About $1000. Everything is intact, but it doesnt really run. Need new paint and interior. Thanks

A: For all the things you want to do to it, you will probably end up spending well over $25,000, if you aren't doing all the work yourself. A paint job and restoring the body panels that are rusted will cost over 6,000 depending on the amount of body work to be done. Mechanical replacements could be a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, again, depending on the amount that has to be repaired or replaced. And to convert the engine to a hybrid type power plant, I would guess upwards of 15-20 thousand, given all the modifications, either a new or used hybrid engine and modifying the body and chassis to mount it. It's a real novel idea to update an old classic like the VW Bus to hybrid technology. But when you consider that your $1,000 van will end up costing you 25-30,000 dollars to restore and transform into a hybrid powered vehicle, it makes more sense just to rebuild the existing VW engine, and take care of the cosmetics. If I remember right, the VW buses got great gas mileage just the way they were

Q: How much horsepower can you get out of a VW TDI?
I know you can get some horsepower out of other diesels such as powerstroke, cummins, and duramax's but I am curious as to how much horsepower you could get out of a VW TDI?

A: It depends which VW TDI you're talking about. There are several TDI engines with a variety of different turbos etc. Check out www.revotechnik.com. They remap all of the VW/Audi group cars.

Q: Why do so many VW New Beetle owners keep flowers in their cup holder?
I've seen a trend with these cars. About 1 out of 4 VW new Beetle cars has a flower in the cup holder. What does this mean? I never see flowers in cup holders on any other type of car.

A: because the new beetle is a gay car

Q: How much does it cost to fill up an older VW bug?
I own a 69 VW bettle BUG, how many gallons can this car hold? I'm trying to guess more less how much money it will cost to fill it up.

A: Tank: 40 L (10.57 gallons)

Q: Can I put the engine and transmission from a 1974 VW Super Beetle into a 1970 VW Karmann Ghia?
I would like to take the engine and transmission from my 1974 VW Super Beetle into my 1970 VW Karmann Ghia. The Super Beetle has the manual transmission, and the Ghia has the autostick transmission. Will the engine and transmission from the 74 Super Beetle fit into the 1970 Ghia? What kind of work will I have to do with the electrical system?

A: you shouldnt have any electrical problems. you will probably need to get a 1970 ghia shift rod. the auto-stick tranny has a different nose cone and the linkage will not work. you can use the 74 shift assembly though

Q: How easy is it to remove and put on a VW Golf MK4 passenger side wing?
Some clown must have opened his door as I was driving past and messed up my wing. So I had a browse on ebay and managed to find a wing from another vw golf from the same year. I purchased the wing and it turned out to be a perfect match. Now I just want to know how easy it is to put this wing on the car? What tools would I need and how long would the job take?

A: It depends how the wing is fixed on the car. If it is bolted on , then it is not a problem, but you may need to remove the headlight and indicator. The wing is also held bu a metal strut underneath. If the wing is welded on, then you need a special tool which is a vibrating steel chisel to break the weld. This is a very noisy tool. Good luck.

Q: why is my tempreture light coming on intermitently on my vw transporter?
i have a 1992 K reg VW transporter T4. And sometimes the the tempreture light comes on? The tempreture is fine and working ok but it still comes on? It is running great and not overheating etc. But it still comes on.? Arghh its most annoying. If anyone could help i would be very very greatfull. thank you.

A: It's either a bad connection, or if the light flashes it indicates the coolant level is a bit too low.

Q: How much lighter in weight can I make my 66 vw stock bus?
How much lighter in weight can I make my 66 vw stock bus? So, I can get better gas mileage?

A: Do you think reducing the weights going to make the bus get better gas mileage. you have a 50 hp motor pushing for all its worth, seem to me raising the hp would be a place to start.

Q: Can anyone name all of the models of vehicles that VW has ever made?
VW has made a lot of vehicles over the years. Can you list them all?

A: 1938 Beetle 1940 Kubelwagen Type 82 1940 Schwimmwagen 1949 Beetle cabriolet 1953 Beetle 1955 Karman-Ghia coupe Type 14 1955 Karman-Ghia coupe Type 34 1957 Beetle 1958 Karman-Ghia cabriolet Type 14 1958 Karman-Ghia cabriolet Type 34 1961 1500 1961 1500 break 1961 1500 cabriolet 1965 1600 TL 1967 1302-1303 (Beetle) 1968 411 1969 181 1970 K 70 1972 412 1973 Passat 1974 Golf 1974 Passat variant 1974 Scirocco 1975 Polo 1975 Rabbit 1977 Derby 1977 Iltis 1977 Jetta 1977 Passat 1977 Passat variant 1979 Golf cabriolet 1980 Passat 1980 Passat variant 1981 Polo 1981 Polo Classic 1981 Santana / Passat 4d 1981 Scirocco 1982 Polo coupe 1983 Golf 1984 Jetta 1985 Passat 1988 Passat 1988 Passat variant 1989 Corrado 1990 Polo 1990 Polo coupe 1991 Golf 1992 Vento 1993 Caravelle 1993 Golf cabriolet 1993 Golf variant 1994 Polo 1995 Sharan 1996 Caddy 1996 Passat 1996 Polo berline 1997 Golf 1997 Golf variant 1997 Passat variant 1998 Golf cabriolet 1998 Polo variant 1999 Bora 1999 Bora variant 1999 Lupo 1999 New Beetle 1999 Sharan 2000 Polo 2001 Passat 2001 Passat break 2002 Phaeton 2002 Polo 2002 Polo Notchback 2002 Touareg 2003 Golf 2003 New Beetle convertible 2003 Touran 2004 Caddy 2004 R32 MKIV 2005 Fox 2005 Golf Plus 2005 Jetta Sedan 2005 Passat 2005 Passat Variant 2006 Eos 2006 Polo 2007 Jetta Fahrenheit 2007 Gti Fahrenheit 2008 R32 MkV

Q: How do they film the VW commercials which demonstrate the air bags deploying during an accident?
These are the commercials where a couple get T-boned in their VW, while talking about thier eveving. The commercials are pretty good (since most car commercials are horrible) a looks realistic!

A: I think what they do is an actual simulated crash. First i bet they have the people actually in the car then take them out maybe 1 frame before the crash actually happens, making it look like it was real. Another way would be to also digitally put them in.

Q: I lost my VW key fob. Does anyone know the process for changing the locks on the car?
I lost my VW key fob, and while I think it's somewhere in my apartment building and that I have trustworthy neighbors, I'm still worried about it getting stolen. I was wondering what the whole process is for changing the locks on a VW. Will they have to re-program the internal computer? How much would replacing the locks cost? Any information that can be offered would be appreciated.

A: Depending upon the year, some VW's only have a driver's door key lock and a trunk lock. If it is a late model with the immobelizer, then if your concern is strickly to prevent the car from being stolen, then just get another key cut and with the remaining keys/fobs, have them programmed to the vehicle. This will prevent the car from being started, but won't prevent them from getting inside the car. You can just replace the drivers door cylinder (if its a late model VW) that comes with its own key and if you're still worried about them getting into the car thru the trunk, disable the trunk (boot) cylinder. I've done this for people and it seems to work well. Most insurance companies will not pay to have the locks replaced. VW sells a set of locks that are keyed alike: ignition, door, glove box and trunk, but they aren't cheap and depending upon the year of the car you expect to spend anywhere from 1.0 to 3.5 hours of labour at the posted rate, plus the lock set. Lock sets run anywhere from 100.00+ up! As I said earlier, the best thing I think, is to replace the door lock(s), reprogramme the keys to the car, thus eliminating the possible use of your lost key to steal the vehicle. You can disable the trunk lock so that only the key fob or the trunk switch can open the trunk (boot). The lock set would require the removal of the door handle(s) to replace the lock, the trunk lock would have to be removed (remove the noise liner on the trunk lid to gain access to the lock retainer and linkage), pop the lock from the glove box door, but the big thing is removal and replacement of the ignition lock cylinder. If you replace the lock in the ignition, you will have to reprogramme the keys to the computer; you cannot do this, it will have to be done by the dealership or a VW specialist that has the VAG scanner with the correct software and is familiar with the proceedure. I wish you a lot of luck. Best wishes always, a car nut.

Q: What is the best filler and technique to use when removing the rust on my VW Camper 1973?
My 1973 VW camper van has minor rust that I would like to remove before the summer season starts. I'm gonna sand it down, fill it with a filler and spray it over with "Krust" and paint. I've been to Halfords to look for fillers but I'm not sure if I need a special kind for it. Anyone out there who knows a bit about classic cars/VW camper vans?

A: I would go the hardcore way and cut out the affected area, or remove the entire panel, weld in a new piece of metal (or a new panel) in place and then prime and paint it. But that's just me. I don't care for bondo or fiberglass patches.