Did I Buy a Deal or a Dud of a VW Beetle? A Classic Volkswagen Expert Gives Me The Verdict!

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In this video we take an in-depth look at the condition of my VW beetle and we learn if it's any good!
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#VW #Volkswagen #Beetle

[@TFLclassics]

Big Thanks to Heidi & Franny for their help! Check them out HERE: kzbin.info

[@HeidiandFranny]

Thank you and we are super excited for your new beetle!

[@myabyrnemusic]

@@HeidiandFranny y’all are so cool and I’m looking forward to your new content!!

[@oakcor]

@@HeidiandFranny Franny makes great videos. I replaced the rear axle shafts and bearings following her instructions. What looked like a hard job was actually fairly easy.

[@kafisher44]

Great video and collaboration with Heidi and Franny's Garage. Would love to see more!

[@regsparkes6507]

You guys ae lucky to have 'found' a repair shop like this. Those Ladies appear to be very knowledgeable in their Trade. They are going to be good 'teachers' for Tommy,... and the viewers too. Thanks for this.

[@HeidiandFranny]

We are not a repair shop, but thanks for the compliment. We are a KZbin channel with air cooled content. Heidi

[@regsparkes6507]

@@HeidiandFranny Then I'd say too bad! :) If I lived near you folks, Heidi, I'd be buggin' you to work on my car too. Hahaha! P.S. Tommy does need some mechanical education,... this is by his own admission too. If I sent you a compliment, then it was deserved.

[@rancosteel]

BTW, one of them is not a lady.

[@santileonsteinberg1441]

@@rancosteel She IS a woman though

[@plus790]

Great and knowledgeable resource. Camera work could use a little work. Bonus though: Adam's apple cam at 10:18.

[@arcademania7544]

🤢

[@GettingthruLife]

Wow, Franny is super knowledgeable and has a garage with lifts at her home. What a woman, we need more of her. Awesome hearing her talk and sharing her passion.

[@johnnyd5687]

That “woman’s” adams apple is hard not to see bud. He knows a lot about bugs tho.

[@randoorlando443]

​@johnnyd5687 i thought she had a masculine voice who knows, may just a tomboy

[@eyesurgeon69]

LOL. Nope.@@randoorlando443

[@markj331]

The fresh air hoses in back do help with cooling in an additional way other than what was mentioned in the video. The heat exchangers sit against the heads and heat transfers from the heads to the heat exchangers. The fresh air hoses direct air through the heat exchangers which helps remove heat from the heads. If your heat levers are on, that heat goes in the car. If your heat levers are off, that heat exits outside under the engine (another reason to be sure the rubber gasket along the engine is in place as mentioned in the video.) If you remove the hoses or even the heat exchangers from the equation your engine will run hotter.

[@Vancouverpug]

You know someone is an expert/knows their craft when they never answer questions with a binary answer. Instead these ladies provide pros/cons and context for all of these trade offs with these older air cooled cars. Love it! Awesome knowledge!!

[@fritty9927]

Nothing like a woman who knows her way around a car!👍🏼😄 I had a 66. It leaked oil into those heater/cooling tubes. When I would first start it up the entire inside of the car would fill with blue smoke. I’d roll the windows down until it burned off and then it was all good.

[@t.s.racing]

For what it's worth Sir, I'm not only a Engineer, but a Master Tech from 3 motorcycle manufacturers, and I still build racing engines for a select few. I have over the years watched several of Frans videos and I am always VERY impressed. Not because she's a woman, because she's a INCREDIBLY TALENTED Technician. My first car ever was a 1969 VW, convertible. A good friend had a 356 Porsche engine in a 65 Bug, and when I decided that he wasn't going to beat me ever again racing, it pretty much started my whole career. Enjoy Sir. T.S. RACING

[@3.2Carrera]

Franny and Heidi's videos were absolutely critical for me so far in my Porsche 911 project. Franny is detailed and knowledgeable and all I had to do it follow her exact procedure to not make a mistake dropping my engine and early teardown. It was filmed and edited by Heidi in a step by step process.and easy to follow and I can't thank them enough. My engine is out at the machine shop now, but I'll be re-referencing their series when it's time to get things back together.

[@divindave6117]

If you feel you are loosing power as you continue to drive, its most likely getting too hot. Most often it happens in stop and go traffic on hot days. Iv'e watched several of Frannie's videos and they are spot on. The videos not only show you whats wrong and fix them, but why something went wrong. The true mark of a natural educator!

[@jimquigley2382]

Man, I thought it was Roman in the video from the thumbnail. Man Tommy, you are looking more and more like your dad. My 10 year old son is going to love this video. He loves Beetles.

[@craigtiano3455]

I'm impressed by Heidi and Franny's knowledge. Too many people say that they're "experts" in air cooled VW's, but aren't. These two know what they're talking about, even if they incorrectly referred to the transaxle as the "transmission" (which I would guess is a habit they've gotten into when speaking to customers, as opposed to them not knowing it's a transaxle). I can take a VW air cooled engine from fully installed to sitting on the ground in right around 20 minutes, and 30 minutes going the other way (that fiddly seal takes some time, as does lining up the bolts and studs). It takes some practice and a car lift to do that. I credit the Miur book for showing how to do it efficiently.

[@HeidiandFranny]

We are far from experts and do not claim to be. Thank you for the compliment. There is always room from growth with us. Heidi

[@brianchisnell1548]

There are swing axles and double jointed axles. All VW's are IRS. Bad info that has carried on. These gals know what they are doing. No China or Brasil on a German car!

[@LawrenceCamera]

Love this collaboration with Heidi and Fanny. Hope you have a series where they go through and help you fix the Volkswagen

[@globalcitizen8321]

The beauty of these cars is that, even if they had been mistreated, their simplicity allows them to be easily repaired. In my family we also have a VW 1302, which by now will fill 50 years of service and still is driving strong !

[@mromatic17]

if i lived by them id drop by and nerd out about cars with them. Deffinatley not your typical type of car nuts, but I love it when people love their cars! They’re more than just an appliance that you buy!

[@Paulorama]

Wow Heidi and Franny are so cool. I'd watch them talk and work on cars all day.

[@HeidiandFranny]

Thank you!

[@poppyneese1811]

Wow what two awesome ladies! Their love for these ole cars shows. Enjoyed how she really was educating us all about these Bugs, I knew people that swore by their VW’s and we had a old German guy in our area that was known for being The VW guru, I don’t remember him being as nice though. GREAT SHOW!!!

[@mj6493]

Buying a VW Beetle is never a mistake.

[@martinharris5017]

2:12 Easy fix for excessive fuel pressure on the pump? Add an extra gasket to reduce the stroke.

[@markj331]

The original fuel pump was made by Pierburg. They were rebuildable and are easily sourced as various members of the VW community rebuild them. You won't have a problem with pressure if you go this route. I would do this rather than add a regulator to a Brazilian pump.

[@joserobertozanchetta]

It's funny because here in Brazil we use Brosol pump that was the original VW Beetle part and never heard about pressure issues, when the carburettor overflow its becouse the floater regulation

[@michaelconverse5127]

Replace the fuel pump with a good rebuilt original and make sure the pressure is correct. Pressure can be adjusted by removing or adding gaskets. You should not need a fuel pressure regulator with a stock pump, just the proper gaskets. I’d also get rid of the aftermarket carburetor and replace it with an original rebuilt one. Don’t just slap a rebuild kit…the throttle shaft bushing would wear out and that needs to be corrected. Volksbitz does a great job on vw carbs and you can purchase one outright or exchange from them.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

I'm a huge fan and a friend of Heidi and Franny. So glad you got to spend some time in their garage.

[@darrenwilliams4489]

I wish I lived in Colorado, because I would definitely take my '74 Super to Frannie.

[@obscurerides]

Love your car! I just picked up a 2000 Mexican Beetle (here in St Augustine Florida) but someone swapped in a 1600 from the 70s. It looks like a fully restored classic! Glad to see your videos. So much fun to watch!

[@ArtCFartC]

Always good to see collaborative KZbinr videos like this. Thank you!

[@HoosierDaddy_]

Those two really know their stuff. I had a hard time seeing what she was talking about because the camera was mostly focused on her instead of the car parts when it was on the lift that she was talking about. It looks pretty good for an old car. Should be fun to drive in the summer.

[@alexcallas8222]

There's lots of room for improvement- basically it's really poorly and sloppily filmed.

[@grumpyengg5978]

This is not typical of Tommy’s filming skills. I think he was really trying to learn and focusing with his eyes on what she was pointing at vs focusing on where the camera was pointed. Not an easy thing trying to do both those things at the same time.

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

Speaking or rubbery things -- check the fuel hose(s) in that engine bay. They rot out and cause fires. So just change them. Given the previous owner's less than diligent maintenance, this should be near the top of your list.

[@keithmattioli5159]

If and when you pull the engine, remove the fan shroud and clean the oil cooler. It's likely caked in dirt and oil, which will reduce its efficiency. I upgraded the oil cooler on my 356 given that at altitude air cooling is less effective.

[@benblack9657]

Yaaassss! Two of my favorite channels and my favorite car! Great collaboration!

[@1guyin10]

I would agree with her on the difference between the SuperBeetle and the regular Beetle suspensions. The SuperBeetle handled better than the regular Beetle. However, I had a SuperBeetle with 70,000 miles on it and the front suspension had to be completely rebuilt. I also had a 1965 Beetle with 265,000 miles on it had received two sets of shocks and one set of tie rod ends since new. It was really hard to kill those torsion beam front ends.

[@greathornedowl3644]

Wow, Heidi and Franny really know their stuff, and even better - great teachers. Very car wizard like maybe Der Wagen Queens?

[@Czechbound]

Heidi and Franny are THE BEST !

[@secoff1]

Frannie knows her stuff. She does good work.

[@shitloveaduck]

Great load of knowledge!!! She clearly knows her stuff. Now your video skills Tommy,,,,,, hahaha. I believe you were so fully engrossed in what she was teaching you that you kind of forgot the angle of the camera,,,, heh heh. It happens,,,,,. I think a follow up video with her diagnosing, and pulling the engine for that new seal would be great. I have rebuilt these and I used to watch Mustie1 on KZbin and he has done many rebuilds showing how easy they are to work on. The valve adjustment could be done inside the vehicle and that might be nice to see just to show it can be done like that. It’s also very easy to do,,,, Comparatively. Just getting the engine, seals, grommets etc finished completely underneath would be a huge step forward in building and retaining the value of the car. The rust repair??? You are looking at (in Canada) a few thousand dollars to fix it with an attempt at matching the paint. If you want all the bodywork perfect and a full paint, it’s closer to $15,000 at a custom paint shop. You are still looking at close to $10,000 at an average shop. It will put you very far backwards on the value of a Super Beetle. I could be wron on the labour regarding the rust repair granted,,,,, and all my quotes are what it costs here in Canada and in the region where I live. I know I did a 69 Bronco that needed extensive rust repair and just getting it to a full bare steel stale after having it dipped and the tub rebuilt,,,,, I spent over $20k. It was nearly perfect mind you. The seams for the rust were barely perceptible if at all in most cases where it was possible to grind down and finish both sides of the welds. That was an excessive job. I still made $$ off of it!!

[@Surestick88]

It's always great listening to someone that really knows a machine talk about it. Tyrel's Classic Garage has the same think.

[@alexg.2633]

I'd love to see you take other older rigs to seasoned professionals. This is a great way to understand the nuance of certain vehicles.

[@theredspatula3454]

Great video. Love hearing people talk about topics on which they have so much knowledge. Also can't help but be very jealous of their vehicle lift/storage setup. The way they took their garage doors to the ceiling to accommodate a lift? Yeah... I'm stealing that idea.

[@michaelyoung3337]

This is a great collab, what a wealth of knowledge and a bright personality! I wish I had an analog to visit for my Jeep CJ-5 project.

[@ronvanr5359]

I always enjoy a good cross over

[@jdd3993]

Fun car, love Heidi and Frannie's Garage also...

[@chrisb2844]

WOW I like her a lot she knows her stuff!! I could talk to her all day about VW's.

[@grahamstefaan]

TFL has a Citroën 2CV6. I saw Tommy driving it today.

[@derrickschultz6871]

Interesting camera work here

[@ArizonaHotSauce]

I think Tommy was alone so when she was pointing things out, he was busy looking and learning. Having to continuously point the camera in the right spots became a nuisance. He was enthralled by her knowledge as much as we were.

[@franzvanjulio5523]

That was cool. She almost convinced me to buy one for my son’s first car. She knows those so well that I imagine that she and her friends get together in the garage and disassemble one over some glasses of wine.

[@missingremote4388]

As a first car■■ would recommend a 2005 to 2009 Chevy impala 4 door. Also, Pontiac or better yet, Buick lacrosse V6 engine. 4 speed automatic. Nothing past year 2009 , because GM switched engine emissions or stopped using over head valves (OHV), type of power.

[@franzvanjulio5523]

@@missingremote4388 You're right. That's likely what my son will be looking at. :) Hopefully something that really struggles to move. Knowing the shenanigans me and my friends got into in high school, there's not much else one can do but provide something that's less than exciting.

[@missingremote4388]

@@franzvanjulio5523 I have the 2008 buick lacrosse V6 and put a lot of miles on it. About 200,000 miles myself. The car Still looking new! And I've used it for uber (as a taxi) over 10,000 happy customers/passengers. In Wisconsin Lol

[@missingremote4388]

The V6 is fast and economical but if you want 0 to 60mph speed ? Premium models Available with 5.3 liter V8 engines; impala SS, Pontiac G8, and 2008 year Buick "super" lacrosse. Tires are less expensive than newer cars. Because the 16 inch rims, or 17inch tire cost less , compared to today's 20 inch tire fad.

[@nielsdebakker3283]

Hint for Tommy, sometimes it is better to zoom out so the viewer can see where the lady is pointing at.

[@Abolish101]

What a great video! Very informative!

[@BernonCars]

This was a fun video Tommy!

[@jefferysmith3930]

Glad to see you teaming up with Heidi and Franny. Wish I lived near them. I need help with my Beetle. They probably would not appreciate me drooling all over their lovely cars though

[@johnmoser2689]

The main problem with rebuilding old carbs is eventually the gas eats away at passages and makes it nearly impossible to get to work like they should. Weber makes new carbs as well as a few other good quality manufacturers

[@wordreet]

It's Heidi and Franny!!!! 😁👍 Hehe yes, world record for Beetle engine out, back in and drivable is 1 minute 6 seconds! And of course, the Beetle's front suspension was designed during WW2, so a long time before the McPhereson strut came along. Oh wow, a collab with H&F to show these kind of servicing items would be epic! It could be shown on both channels and give everyone more views! I would watch both just out if interest.

[@notstin]

I'm pretty sure these ladies helped me change the battery in my 996. Thank you!

[@Tiffany.1970]

The one thing to look out for when buying a VW beetle is the body and floor pan mechanicals are easy to fix ....

[@LafemmebearMusic]

She’s awesome I’m going to her channel ASAP! Women love cars too! ☺️💁🏾‍♀️

[@johnmoser2689]

Best way to monitor your temperatures in an air-cooled beetle is a cylinder head temperature sensor.... it should be mounted to cylinder number 3 as it is the hottest of all four

[@timrolfes9761]

I'm glad you brought your car to Heidi and Franny. I would have liked to see what Franny was pointing at, as far as the oil leakage goes so the rest of us can get a view. Good Luck with the car!

[@barrywinslow9798]

Thanks for a great informative site. Love my Dubs

[@malcolmscott4150]

Great collaboration Tommy I hope more to come🥳👍 nice Beetle too

[@Doncan0823]

What a lovely, knowledgeable lady

[@pgilb70]

She's super knowledgeable!

[@AKB_48]

Thanks, I got educated this morning !

[@J.W.W.]

GREAT collab!!!!

[@stephenmiller6690]

My brother and I rebuilt a 65 in the 70s using Muir's book. Was fun! Did it in the basement. Not sure how many trips we took to the machine shop.

[@RobbieHerrera]

So nice to see Heidi and Franny on the channel!

[@benkrom2737]

Half an hour to remove including electrical and throttle, gas and heater box linkage. As far as thermostat, they had this contraption hooked up to a flap to block air from cooling engine and was told by an old German guy that when they fail they over heat engine so just rip it out since it only starts working below 20⁰. Oh, yeah when buying a bug always grab front crank pulley and push and pull to see how much end play there is. Even with just a little bit, it will sound pretty bad and you can subtract some money from your offer 😉

[@rzu7120]

I look forward to seeing the restoration.

[@kewlbean]

Well done. 3 of my faves on one video.

[@Zanderthelab]

Couldn’t find the super like super smash button! Will have to make a series of these! Let’s do it!

[@techman9634]

You definitely need to do more videos with Franny. Heck do a VW history series with her

[@gregholloway2656]

Tommy, if you want to learn more about repairing beetles, have a look at Mustie1’s channel. He’s done pretty much everything, over the years.

[@jackp160]

Franny and Heidi, I am a subscriber, watch all of your air cooled videos and enjoy them more than anything that I see on KZbin. So helpful. My question is this. Is it realistic for a novice mechanic to purchase a CB performance air cooled engine kit and build a 2017cc engine for a speedster replica? I have lots of enthusiasm, but only basic automotive mechanical skills. I am willing to learn! I just don’t want to be stupid. Does it make more sense to have a professional build the engine? Lastly, it would be great if you did a speedster or 550 Spyder replica construction. I would be riveted watching each episode! Thanks again for your great channel.

[@rastrellialberto5162]

this girl is amazing. Surely better than my mechanic

[@GT.Bugger]

That's interesting about the fuel pump. Never considered that to be an issue as they're made for a beetle.

[@rerun5150]

Love the car, love the video, but one piece of criticism..when she's pointing out things on the bottom of the car, please don't focus on her, move the camera to the spot she's talking about. Again, hate to sound like a troll, but overall great series.

[@ArizonaHotSauce]

I think Tommy was alone so when she was pointing things out, he was busy looking and learning. Having to continuously point the camera in the right spots became a nuisance. He was enthralled by her knowledge as much as we were.

[@rerun5150]

I agree, I was also amazed at their knowledge and I found myself straining to see what she was pointing to..but working alone and not use to running the camera makes sense.

[@HeidiandFranny]

That might have been me getting in their way as well, I was also filming for our channel. Heidi

[@rerun5150]

@@HeidiandFranny don't defend Tommy...lol, just kidding. Great channel by the way.

[@douglasvieira1990dv]

Great video

[@kevinbarry71]

Heating system in a beetle; that's funny. I just subscribed to their channel

[@ryanlange1158]

Great video series would be a engine rebuild on this

[@Tiffany.1970]

Ed china learnt his trade from working on VW beetles also check the pulley for play

[@Mixwell1983]

Don't forget to make sure your coolant levels are full Tommy.

[@patriley9449]

This lady is sharp !

[@hotcheetos1435]

Really planning on getting one of these soon, will be heading to Mexico to get me one

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

not a fan of vw 's but did learn from that gal, things to know,.look for if I was going to buy one maybe

[@mj6493]

You might also check out Chris Vallone's channel. He's a VW restorer. Lot's of good information on securing parts.

[@Hotpack7279]

A Mechanic once said to me : As long the Transmission is Oily on that Kinda Cars - there is Oil. If it is dry you should be concerned. I had also a TüV Certificate and the Testperson writes in the Sheet: Shock Absorbers Moist or already dry !! My Luck was there was no need for funcional Shock Absorbers back in the Days .. Passed it !

[@jwilson6086]

Nice buy. Congrats

[@bryanhallman8183]

I often wondered how far the TFL guys were from Heidi and Frannie. You ought to barter a chance for your dad to drive and review their 308GTS QV.

[@fredv7487]

VW's mostly leaked from the push rod tubes, valve covers, or the oil coolers.

[@brianmott9427]

My dad had a ‘79 ( show cond.)what year was this one? He said it was a desirable year IDK he sure wishes he never sold any of the six 356 Porsche’s he owned when I was growing up since they were all mint!

[@bobvedder2451]

I had a '65 beetle in Germany. It cost me $150 from another soldier. I drove it for three years and when i left Germany, i sold it to another soldier for $150.

[@oakcor]

Majority of beetles have corrosion where the battery sits and the tray below the back window.

[@bobw9297]

there is nothing you can not fix on your work bench at home with that bug

[@mickdoyle3443]

why did you not pull on the crankshaft pulley to check the end float . It will determine a worn engine

[@pelewads]

Cool vid

[@a2jettagli]

Gosh, I really liked this video. More of her!

[@HeidiandFranny]

Thank you. We hope to do another collab with Tommy soon. Heidi

[@jcnavas86]

Hi There, the question now is... Will you keep the car after the diagnosis?

[@vintage76vipergreenBeetle]

You sold a nice vintage diesel w123 MB, and a bought a air-cooled vw Beetle. That going backwards in my book.

[@jayrichards3672]

Is a larger capacity oil pan be obtained to help with oil cooling. I believe I've seen aluminum pans with fins. I'm sure that would work too.

[@brianchisnell1548]

Bad Idea. Stock is rock.

[@timkirkpatrick9155]

Tommy no dud bugs. Just some that take more work to rebuild. 2 days instead of one.

[@Mikefngarage]

FLOAT LEVEL is a BIT HIGH....and you were on a Hill. so that is why it was flooded. I would not worry about the Fuel pressure. I NEVER need to do anything about that.

[@TheCarterMan]

Love the colab with channels but can we focus on what she is talking about :)