Werner’s Tips

By: Werner Alker

Any trip, short or long, should be planned, but – anything could happen.

Regular service ensures that your car is safe and roadworthy in general, but – it is good to do a long trip check as well.  Tyres, tyre pressure, V-belt, wheel bearings, battery even light – can let you down.

A toolbox with essential spares like V-belt, clutch cable, accelerator cable, petrol pump, points and a condenser and even a few fuses and some globes can make life easier when you have them on board.

Nowadays Beetle spares are not as easily available as cigarettes or beer continues to be, they are hard to come by.  When I went to Part Zone today and asked for 2 sets of late model Beetle points (1971-1979) they told me, they keep only one in stock!  What will happen if you ask for a 1968?

Be sure to make yourself a nice little spare kit, just in case.

Now you can go off – enjoy your trip!

PS:  Even keep a blanket in the boot, imagine your windscreen breaks in winter or when it’s raining.

Click on “comments” and tell me what you believe is important to take along on a air cooled wonder trip.

How to fit standard size brake shoes to bigger size drums. (Drums that have been skimmed)

Sooner or later your drums will need to be cut due to wear and ovality, which will make the diameter bigger and the end result is that you’ll have to match the brake shoes to the newly cut drums.

How to make bigger shoes?

There are two ways that you can make your shoes bigger. The first option is to strip the brakes off the car and take the old shoes in so that bigger linings can be fitted to the old shoes. Doing it this way will mean that you will be without a car for at least a day.

The second option is a lot quicker and easier. Buy a set of new brake shoes in advance. These shoes will be standard size and too small to fit correctly. Here is how to make them fit:

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The Beetle was never intended to be a Rolls Royce, rather to serve the working class. Over time, Beetles earned the reputation of being reliable, economical and long lasting. What I’m talking about, is the post war years before 1961, when car makers where struggling to make it in the marketplace. However, there where shortcomings. Some inherited by design, others by manufacture or even poor service. In this article we are going to take a look at some of these problems. To solve problems you need solutions, not excuses and advertising propaganda is like pulling a sock over one’s head.   There are facts.

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