1970 VOLKSWAGON BEETLE VS -21Fahrenheit Snow Storm Night Drive (POV)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ธ.ค. 2022
- I needed to make a grocery store run, so why not do it in a proven 1970 VW Beetle. This just goes to show you how capable these cars are in extreme conditions. Even without snow tires, and being RWD.
#sirdrifto#volkswagen#snow - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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This reminds me of my favorite VW commercial from the 1960s: "Did you ever wonder how the man that drives the snow plow gets to the snow plow?"
th-cam.com/video/cUnEbNgHFco/w-d-xo.html
My sister had a beetle. I remember one bad winter, she was on her way home in a bad snowstorm. There was a 45mph curve up a pretty good hill. All the cars were getting stuck and being towed up the hill by a 4x4. Of course, compensation was expected. When her turn came to climb the curved hill, the guy in the 4x4 asked her if she wanted a tow, to which she replied, " nope". Then, she proceeded to effortlessly drive up and through the curve. Everyone just gawked in amazement! It was hilarious. She loved that ol' bug.
The Australian Antarctic base used 3 bugs during the 60's. They performed admirably and were much loved by staff there. They were slightly modified to stand the harsh environment. They even towed loads with no drama.
I just watched the documentary. Absolutely fascinating
@@SirDriftowas the documentary from a TH-camr called Calum?
@@zenshy2139it is indeed
not to mention the modifications done were minimal
My husband is obsessed with Beetles. He had them in his 20s and 30s. He's 62 now and never shuts tf up about "back in the day" with them. I had/have a Chevy obsession. Can you imagine our bickering? 😃😂 We both still drive older vehicles because they are the easiest to fix. No computer ruled cars for us. Stay safe. 😊
That's hilarious. Glad you guys didn't loose the vintage passion!
@@SirDrifto Not at all...since we're both vintage now as well. 😁
I can just imagine the bickering lol 😆 awesome stuff
I’m 62 too! Driving a beetle in the winter was always an adventure. I had ice scrappers for the inside, tied to the rear-view mirrors. You either scrape, or don’t breath. Your choice 😊
@@JeffyG 😂 The good ole days eh?! I remember him telling me a story of how a semi truck passed him at high speed on a heavily snowed up mountain hwy here in Canada and it blew his beetle into a giant snowbank on the side of the road. He had good winter tires and was able to get himself unstuck, but the sheer force of the wind from the truck scared the bejeebus out of him. I think that's when he decided to buy a heavier vehicle after that. 😂
I had a 67 VW. Hit -42F once Finley ND. Wind 75 MPH. WC was -120F. Went out to try & it started right up. It had an oil pan heater and you plugged it in everywhere you went. Amazing little car.
That is cold! I wish I had an oil pan heater
@Sir Drifto just put a colman stove under the oil pan for a halve an hour before you start it, I use a model number 533
@@campervanbug7658😳
Windchill doesn’t affect cars
@@flight2k5not like people but a car in windy conditions will cool down faster then in still air
Beetles are just wonderful in the cold and snow. They handle German winters after all. I remember, when I was a kid, they had a commercial with a Beetle in the cold and snow, saying “Ever wonder how the guy who drives the snowplow gets to work?”… so, yeah.
I've always wondered how he ever saw where he was going...
@@ih302 It could be a challenge at times, to be honest.
I was just thinking about that commercial while reading these comments.
My daily driver until 2014 was a Vw Bug. Started in the coldest weather in Chicago and fantastic the in the snow. I also added a modern Espar gas heater, and that, along with the properly functioning standard heater, made it a truly great and comfortable winter car. I took it to bothering Wisconsin and the UP in Michigan to go skiing. Just a really great car. I drove it everywhere, regardless of weather or distance, every day for 13 years and it never left me stranded.
From 2014-15 and 2019-2020 my 1931 Model A Ford was my every day car- it too started up in the coldest weather and did pretty well in the snow. The manifold heater was halfway decent too. The key to staying warm in both besides the heater being in proper condition, is eliminating all drafts.
That's winter dedication my friend
As someone who will never drive due to lack of vision, hearing stories like this warms my heart. Knowing that there are people passionate enough to keep history alive and use it for its intended purpose gives me hope for the world.
Now I need to do more research on how the factory heaters in old bugs worked. I remember reading somewhere this was far from the only car that used gas heaters though.
There is no other engine that sounds like this, though.
Factory heat (if all intact) provided high temps, but weak airflow. Cracking open a window allowed more heat get in but then sucked most of it right back out. The best mod was adding a 2" cold-air return pipe from under the rear seat, back to the fan intake on the engine. This worked just like the furnace in your house, re-circulating heated air over and over thru the system, instead of heating it once and trying to force it into a closed cabin. Worked great, you could drive in short sleeves during January.
Great idea !!
Due to the rear engine making running the heater lines to the front of the cabin was problematic, the factory heat in a Volkswagen bug was a gasoline burner and was under specced. Improving airflow helped a lot as burning gasoline naturally produces high heat. Still the bug was one of the cars where you would always install a third party electric heater to run off your household power through a timer so the cabin would start out warm before you got to the car in the morning, sort've of an ICE version of preconditioning. That anemic gasoline burner heater was always the winter complaint of the VW Bug.
@@johnwang9914 Looks like contrary to the Soviet ZAZ cars. These had a gas heater that would make the cabin super hot super fast, but sometimes liked to make the whole car very hot aswell (i.e. set it on fire)
@@WymiataczPlays The VW bug in North America also had a gasoline fueled heater as the engines were air cooled, however the gasoline fired heater was famous for being undersized for a Canadian winter.
Wind chill is not what the car experiences. It is only what a human experiences. For you it feels like -21, but for the car it's -8 regardless of the wind. Common misconception. Anyway, cool video and love your car collection!
When an object is warmer than the air around it, heat transfers from the object to the air. The velocity of air flow around the object determines its rate of heat loss. Hence the term "wind chill effect."
Like all animals, our bodies generate heat, so we experience the wind chill effect in precisely the way you describe: that is, the faster the wind speed, the colder we feel cold, regardless of air temperature. Nevertheless, inanimate objects that generate heat are also subject to the wind chill effect. For example, when the hot engine of a vehicle is turned off, it loses its heat at a faster or slower rate, depending on the velocity of the surrounding air flow. This phenomenon is readily apparent in winter. The engine of car parked on a day when the wind is calm and the air temperature is, say, 20 degrees retains heat longer than if the car was parked on a windy 20-degree day.
Obviously, engines don't "feel" cold, as we do. Yet wind chill affects them until they're stopped long enough to equilibrate with the ambient temperature.
@@davidsarro538 that may apply for cooling off, but does not apply for a cold start. The air temp will be the same as the engine temp
No argument here. Wind chill--the rate at which an object loses heat to its surroundings--operates only when an object is warmer than the temperature of medium (in this case air) surrounding it. When the temperature of the object equals the temperature of the medium, there is no longer any heat to transfer.@@youtoobe169
@@davidsarro538 It only means that it will cool off faster, but it will never cool below air temperature, in this case -8F, regardless of how windy it is. That is why the thermometer reads -8F regardless of wind speed.
The Key to having decent heat in a beetle is multifaceted. You’d need the thermostat and flaps set up working properly. That allows the engine to heat up quickly and all the engine parts are warming up in tandem running actual heater boxes instead of J-Tubes. Making sure the heater channels are in good shape. Having all of the engine seals in place. When the system is not altered its actually good heat. My bug is so hot on the inside you have to open windows.
Those are some great points. I guess I haven't experienced that type of setup yet 🥶
I just put a thermostat and flaps in my 62 bug, along with the correct vacuum advance distributor for the 1200. Amazing how good it runs with the correct parts, who would have thought?!
Nah fr. My 69 beetle heater works like a champ. I leave it off while she warms up and then when I hop in I turn it on and it blows heattttttt
And if you AREN'T getting enough heat, opening the windows a crack will allow the hot air from the heater boxes to come INSIDE the cabin, instead of being held out by the cabin pressure.
I found mine was quite fast at warming up and the opening quarter lights were a necessity.
That 4 cilinder boxer engine sound never grows old, love it!
When i was just a toddler my father owned a orange beetle back in the seventiies.
I want to buy one of these so bad this is literally my dream car
My very first car was a 1970 Beetle. One of the best cars I’ve ever owned! I drove it in Michigan winters and it never let me down! I even floated it in a river, sunk it, drained the float bowl and it started right up! And I put several thousands of more miles on it after that! My heater was stuck on all the time and if I wrapped some raw hamburger in foil and stuck it on the floor on the passenger side it would actually cook the burger medium rare after 3 hours of driving!
That is awesome. Get a fresh burger after a drive from thr Market. 😂😂😂
Had a 1971 super Beetle in the late 70’s / early 80’s living in Burlington VT. Back then winters were much worse than now, colder, snowier. Set my Beetle up with solid heater boxes, fixed the air channels running inside the rusted out rocker panels, installed one of those electric oil sump heaters and ran four snow tires in winter. Never had a problem starting, handled snow with ease and had more heat that I could stand (and always drove with the quarter panel widows slight cracked open). That car was wonderful in the winter and fun to drive. I still miss it
Thanks for this video! I had a ‘72 Beetle I bought for $200. It was great in the winter, but not much heat. I tied plastic scrappers to the rear view mirror, and passengers were encouraged to scrape the windshield inside, or not breath….LOL/ Lots of fun driving in Ontario snowstorms. It never let me down.
Right on!
I've had two 1970 squarebacks. Both had amazing heaters, no fan so you had to be moving to get heat to come out. That heat was hot! It would melt anything that was plastic and near the bottom back seat vents. The levers were little and down near the seat belt latch. About 6 months into my ownership of the first squareback, I was complaining to a friend about the lack of heat. My friend had a squareback of similar age. She was shocked, as hers had great heat. I didn't think there was any heat, let alone great. She asked if the heat levers were on the floor by the seatbelt latch like hers...I was like ...the what? I thought those were broken lumbar supports or other seat adjustments lol
With properly functioning heater boxes and cables in good nick the stock heating system is good down to about 0degrees F. Forced air blowers downstream from the heater boxes helps quite a bit as you arent dependent on engine RPM for heat in cabin. Anything below those temps a gas heater is the way to go. I live in the Midwest and drive my Beetle on all but the worst days with stock heater boxes and blowers downstream. A frequently overlooked aspect of the heating system is if your car is drafty.That makes a big difference. Frunk seal is the first to look at then make sure your dash is not leaky.That is often a problem. Check the defrost tubes to make sure they are intact as well. It is often these issues that separate a cold car from a comfy one. BTW salt on the roads will eat a vintage car is no time. You've been warned!
Love this. Brings back great memories for me. My last couple of years in HS 89-91 I used to go out in the middle of the night during snowstorms in my Scirocco when nobody was out. Had a few mix tapes just for that. It was my happy place back then.
I had a new 76 Beetle and it had a decent heater and actually had a fan to boost the air to the defroster. However everything was new and I certainly never drove it in subzero weather. It rarely got below 10 degrees in Southern Oklahoma and only then for a handful of days each year. Still, this drive brought back memories, drove it about 150 miles in a snowstorm and it never missed a beat.
I had a '74 Super Beetle that I drove all over northern Utah way back in the day. It never let me down and performed like a champ in the winter. Fortunately, we didn't get your frigid temps or windchill but we had plenty of snow. I remember those early winter morning commutes and having to keep a heavy blanket in the car. So cold. Completely agree with you on throttle steering. Such a fun car!
Normal daily operation in Finland in the '80s and early '90s with my white 1970 Beetle. I drove it just for fun even though I also had a "real warm car" Saab 99 in use. The most important was to get ALL heat to the windshield using extra ducting from the rear floor heater channels. But it is really great fun to drive in winter and snow. Happy days!
I own a rear engined and rear wheel drive Škoda 105. Als very good in the snowy conditions like this. They’ll easily come uphill without snow tires or snow chains. Heaters of the Škodas are excellent too because they’ve used water cooling. So heater gets really hot even at low temperatures. I love these old cars. Imagine people traveling like this back in the days. Happy memories for lots of people but for us, we still have these beautiful machines. Absolutely love to hear, feel and see them work for me under these extreme circumstances. Tough little cars. 🥰 greetings from the Netherlands.
I had a 1968 Bug in the mid to late 1970's. Watching your video brought back memories of NY winters freezing my nads off and not being able to see out the windshield, but with the ability to go through almost any amount of snow with bias ply snow tires, at least the back ones were snows.
You should always keep the ventilationwindow slightly open to avoid moister and overpressure in the compartment. ;-)
That's good to know.
Correct. The car will get warmer faster with the venw window slightly open also.
is that why his cars windows never defrosted?@@mpinheiro
Father in law came from Germany to Canada and always drove Beetles. He was a VW tech and had those heaters dialed in perfectly. He always had heat in our cold Canadian winters. There is a trick to them for sure
Best car in the snow. All the weight in the rear lifts up the front wheels. Plus, it's no coolant to freeze and burst pipes. Loved mine, why did I sell it after 13 years? 40 years later I still don't know why.
Ain't that the truth, same here.
When I was a teenager my first car was a Corvair that belonged to my sister. She got married and they didn't need a second car and my parents forced me to buy it. I can still remember wiping/scraping the inside of the windows off of it in the winter too.
Aww the memories…. Never hesitated to hop in the Beetle and drive in the snow, always dependable, in any weather. So much fun driving Beetles in my youth.
Thanks for the memories…..
I don't usually watch long vids, but yours kept me on it haha. That engine sound brings so many childhood memories 🙂
There was no heater fan until they introduced the super beetle with curved windshield. Anyone who owned a beetle had a small ice scraper with them. Heat came from a heat exchanger under the back seat. Pure fun to drive.
Mostly wrong info here. The heated air was blown in the car by the engine cooling fan spun by the generator belt. This setup pushed ambient air through the heat exchangers which were off the engine exhaust under the rear mounted engine not under the rear seat.
I don’t know about a standard beetle, but I had a small scraper for the inside my 74 super beetle and a larger one for the outside.
@@joeswoods The scraper was a necessity for the standard beetle. My super had a 3speed fan that moved warm air for defrost and heat. The curve windshield helped too. A scraper for backup on extra cold or heavy breathing😉 days.
I know I am late to this party, but I used a rubber squeegee to keep the inside of the windshield clean my parents owned one when I was born. My mother told me to keep the side windows cracked to keep air blowing. Both helped tremendously
I'd say service the entire heating system, it should be way better than that!
Check the thermostat on the engine is functioning, check the cables to the heatexchangers and levers, check all the pipework is connected from fanhousing, to heatexchanger, and heatexchangers into the car.
Check the heater vents are all connected behind the dash. I have a 67 and it totally roasts me alive, even on REALLY cold winter days.
That's great to know. Thanks for the info
As the independent Volkswagen repair mechanic told me once when I lived in Edmonton, Alberta (winter temp often -20 F) to stay warm in a bug get a snowmobile suit. For better winter traction put a large bag of sand in the trunk. You describe the yo yo on a string effect.
The classy fade-outs are one of the best things about your videos. Very nice work.
Thank you very much!
That was a fun ride. These cars are so easy to drive. It brought back some good memories, thanks!
Grew up in Medicine Hat Alberta. My Dad owned a 61 Beetle. When it got to below 0 F the gas heater could not keep the car warm. We had plastic frost shields on the side and rear window to keep the ice off. I remember my Dad constantly scraping the windshield from inside. However it would always start, even when it got to -40.
I had a 67 Bug years ago and since it had some rust holes in the heater channels, it was pretty cold too. I bought a pair of flexible exhaust pipes and stuck them on the tubes coming out from under the back seat. They ended right at the front of the front seats, nice and toasty then.
Very cool!
My father bought a 69 VW in 72, kept it until 96. I drove it often, it would go through practically anything. I wish I still had it. Loved the Bug.
Driving in the snow is theraputic for me. Its gorgeous and relaxing
Cool video! my brother had a 1967 Beetle with a gasoline heater. Worked great with proper maintenance. These heaters are still available.
Those Beetles used to be a go cart for any weather my grandmother husband used to have one he used to go everywhere with it. I remember when I was a kid. And it was fun.
My Dad's first car was a 1956 Volkswagen ,back in the 70's .Since then we always have a Volkswagen car in the Family.Greetings from Patagonia Argentina,great video,beautiful Beetle and beautiful dog.
My god that looks like FUN!!!! A bug in the snow is absolutely the best fun you can have on 4 wheels. Loved seeing this video. Thanks Sir Drifto!
I remember when I was a kid my neighbor had a few of these beetles. He would put snow tires on all four wheels to aid in steering on the snow. Also the local pharmacy had one as a delivery car. When they put the tire chains on , it was unstoppable. Yes the heater and defrost were pretty much non functioning. Great little car
My 61 was fantastic in snow, off-road in any season.
I would sleep overnight in winter snow during hunting trips.
Amazing traction with bias ply snow tires, unstoppable performance. Traveled forest roads with nice 8” fresh snowfall. Unforgettable memories.
Nice video, giving me flashbacks.
Thank you for the video.... Driving, it's all about the experience!
Thanks for watching!
These cars have the windshield just in front of the driver, so your breath is hard to evap because of the poor airflow from the defroster vents.
To get the maximum possible from the stock airboxes, go underneath and replace the door springs with stiffer ones available at ACEhardware for about $3 each. Every time you adjust the valves and change the oil, spray the hinges with WD-40. Just make it routine. You will be amazed at how much hot air gets into the cab and the defroster vents. I've had three early 60's Bugs and one 67 Bus. Works on ALL VW air cooled vehicles. The original airbox springs were always weak and never open the hot air doors completely.
Also, bear in mind that the Type 1 engines have no electric heater fan, and are completely dependant on engine revs to move the air to the cab thru the airboxes. The faster you go, the more airflow, so get those airbox doors to open all the way. Should be adequate.
I learned a lot of tricks from my brother, who owned a German car garage for 35 years, specializing in Mercedes, VW, and Porsche. Re-knowned engine builder on the west coast.
Nice car. Your dogs loves the snow.
The 1963 beetle was the first commercial production car used in Antarctica. It did really well with only a few modifications
That car is so adorable 😮
That’s one thing I do remember about my bug. The heaters are terrible. I had a 73, and that thing was so great in all conditions, and I definitely wish I still had it. Great video
Couple of things from my experience driving air cooled in the cold ( -30F once or twice). First, spray deicer is your friend. Second.....based on the ice on your intake, your pre-heat tubes are probably clogged up. I'd see about dealing with that. They also make a little 12V blanket element that wraps around your intake to help with manifold icing. And get rid of that air cleaner and put a stock one back on with the heat tube. If you plan on doing much cold weather driving.
My first car was a 74 Super Beetle from senior year of HS, and I drove it through college in NW Ohio. A little tip learned was to apply lemon juice on the small towel to wipe the inside of the windscreen, during winter. It made far less prone to fog up and ice over inside. I loved that car and have fond memories (except winter driving.. God, so COLD), in the late 80s I bought a 73 Sun Bug Super Beetle to re-live the memories, then sold it 3 years later for a tidy sum. Great little cars I still love but my children never wanted one!..Go figure! LOL
I'm about to buy a beetle, so I've been doing some research...
I've read that if you crack a window, the heater works much better. It sounds backward, but having air flow through the cabin is the key... as long as your heater channels are solid!
That being said, I've never tried this... ymmv! Hope this helps you stay warm! :)
Also, my wife's subaru legacy sedan is an absolute monster in snow like this, just a blast to drive. If you haven't driven a subaru in the snow, borrow one and give it a shot. The heater works great in it, and it has seat heaters too. No need to suffer for fun. Turn off traction control, mash that gas pedal, drift around corners, blast up hills, just brings joy.
Did that with a 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit 5 door. Easily could rally slide that little thing. Even freaked out a lady when I did a power slide into a sharp right hand turn on a gravel road. 😊😅
I have two words for you. "Diesel heater." Mount it in the tire well. Route the intake and outtake tubs through the glove box. Run the exhaust through the inevitable rust hole at the bottom of the tire well. They're even thermostat controlled! They have self-contained briefcase sized ones! No remote fuel tank! ;-)
My friends had Beetles. Eventually they all had the optional gas heater installed. Huge improvement that made them actually usable in our cold mountain winters
I had a 1968 in 1978… ten years of WI winters and salt took its toll, but I started and drove great in the snow and cold… NO HEAT and a lot of fumes…. Just bought another ‘68 last spring. I’m the third owner of a CA beetle… it has Heat! BTW, use a cassette case or credit card for a scraper inside😂 your breathe is fogging it up😮. Thx for this
I had a VW van when I was a kid, mainly for it's snow capabilities. I got rid of the rust-perforated heating tube under the van, tapped it from the rear ports into piping inside the vehicle. Still not great but, with an added bus fan, I was able to better clear the windshield. During a heavy snowstorm I was able to leave my p.m. job, managed to crawl through the deep snow to the adjacent freeway and found it freshly plowed with not a soul on it.
Very very Cool!!
I remember having studded snow tires and mini chains on some Beetles. I have seen some with a little external mini heater for the interior with one of those mini dashboard fans that solves the cold problems. Having owned 2 Beetles they’re like Chocolate Chip Cookies and Warm Milk, you just can’t get enough. Great Video, Thanks 🙏
I had a 1970 Standard I drove for a few years as my daily in Montana. I feel this video in my bones. When the cold awakens the ache from commuting like this I simply reach over to the heating control in my 2019 Impreza and turn it down just a touch. Don't want to get too hot ya know. Good stuff!
One thing is often missing on the Bug is the thermostat and air control parts. Lots were tossed years ago. Makes a big difference for the heater.
You know it's really icy when you step on the brake and the speedo drops to zero while you're still moving...the speedometer cable connects to the left front wheel.
Learned all about counter steer in my early years of this stuff. Lack of heat is the only thing that put me in Japanese cars....
Smart man " Lack of heat is the only thing that put me in Japanese cars" not to have bought into the American car cult (that I was in). I wasted so much time and money keeping them going that I have PTSD from them (joke). Honestly though, the last 20 Japanese cars have restored my faith that some cars actually ARE reliablel!
Excelente Guerrero😊
Man I love those old beetles!👌🥰👍I learned to drive on one of those in the 70s!
They're wonderful cars
@@SirDrifto yes they are! I wish I can find a good one! Stock! But they’re expensive!!
Great video man I’m up in Buffalo in white out blizzard conditions all weekend and the wind chill is - 25 rn so I fully understand what you’re going thru, great video I have a 2006 carolla stick shift but it’s front wheel drive and it’s a beast in the snow! People that don’t live in and never drive in these conditions automatically think little cars and especially manual ones are horrible in the snow and it’s def not the case! Sure some small cars suck in the snow but at the end of the day it mainly falls on the driver and considering I’ve driven in these conditions for 20 years I can whip anything around town in a blizzard and I’m sure you can too. I planned on putting two front snow tires on already but my car still whips around in snow fine. I’ve had 4 wheel drive trucks and of course it’s night and day but the little cars are a way better time lol
Brings back good memories ! In 1972 I used t drive a 1964 six volt solid axles ,no cv's in rural Pennsylvania ,never got stuck it just kind of hammered the back wheels against the snow. Later bought a 71 with the standard front end ,that was great but less traction guess due to the "modern" rear axles.
Awesome video! I had a '73 Superbeetle. I took it from Washington State up to the Ottawa area to visit my mom.
Struggled a bit on the way back thru Montana. Big mountains which meant alot of 2nd gear driving. I did have a toolbox in the trunk. Oh...and burned a pair sneakers next to the heater vent behind me.
I had a 56 VW Convertible that I had to drive in minus 23 degree weather. I had to park it outside in the blowing snow. So, every night I had to: 1. Remove the battery and store it on top of the hot water heater, 2. Hang a 150 watt light bulb in the engine compartment, 3. Cover the rear with a thick sleeping bag. My reward was the car always started (even with the 30 weight oil VW dealer always used) and I had a car that with snow tires on, was invincible in the snow. I had to wear mittens, a sweater and a heavy coat for the ancient air cooled engine gave up not a wisp of heat for the interior. In fact I often had to pop open the side wing windows to let some air in to keep the windows from icing up with my breath.
Conjures up lots of memories. I've scraped more ice off the INSIDE of a bug than I have from the outside of most other cars I've had. And yeah, the Bug usually started heating up right about the time I pulled into the parking lot of wherever it was I was going. One other thing I can confirm is that Bugs will float. In fact, my grandfather had a saying that I proved true on multiple occasions. He used to say "A Beetle will definitely float but it won't float indefinitely."
I'd ride in the back with Nugget... nice Pup. I would have put blankets all over the back seat for him, so he could be warm and toasty on the way to the store... WOW.. I didn't realize how sturdy those little Beetles are. Great video. "Cheers from So Cal"
Driving a this speed, with a VW beetle with almost no front visibility in the snow, you got some balls
Really really cool video.
I knew a couple of people that had these in Upstate New York, and the heaters sucked! You were lucky to get luke warm on a 40 degree day.
My parents escaped East Germany and settled in Northern Wisconsin.
Their first new vehicle purchase was a 1960 Beetle and after dealing with its inadequate heater and defroster they bought Opels and they never needed the inside of their windshield scrapped!
Как я хорошо понимаю это!!! Я живу в России. Сами понимаете - зимой здесь довольно холодно. У меня vw t3-двигатель сзади. Я не трогаюсь с места до тех пор, пока двигатель не прогреется до определенной температуры. Постоянно приходится лопаткой снимать слой льда со стекла внутри автомобиля. Первые 20 минут лобовое стекло выглядит примерно так, как у Вас на видео!!)) С большим удовольствием смотрю Ваши видео!!! Жду 124 видео!)
I remember my mother in laws VW sat buried in snow all winter not used at all. I touched the key and it started right up. Great cars.
My 67 was a blast in the snowy winters in Boston! Had snow tires on the back and never got stuck! Defrost and heater was horrible, froze my ass off, eventually worked better with aftermarket fan system, but added to the interior exhaust effect when the heater boxes rusted out lol
I had a 66’ in Alaska with an Eberspacher B2 gas heater. My favorite thing was to go to the movies in -10 to -20 weather when it was snowing. We would leave the gas heater running. After the movie the whole car would be clear of snow and nice and toasty inside(T-shirt weather). Just brush off the fenders headlight and tail lights and go! Everyone else’s cars would be covered in snow and ice. Definitely was a delight! The only bad thing about the heater was it had around two settings hell and off! We also had a 68 beetle without a gas heater, it put out decent heat but in cold North Dakota weather (same -10 to -20) the stock heat even on the interstate would keep your body warm, but your pedal foot was way upfront out of the heat zone and your right big toe would get frostnip. Have definitely had to call it a night of driving and check into a motel from a frozen big toe. To be fair it was a gnarly snowstorm and all semis were off the road. The beetle is a beast in the snow. I’ve been through some roads that I definitely shouldn’t have driven! One time I took a trip from Los Alamos to Cuba, got yelled at by the cop long time closed road. Did it in stride picking up the bugs rear end when it slipped off track.
Brings back memories of my '70 Beetle. Gas heater worked well for Canadian prairies especially as my exhaust pipes had rusted out in places and every time I opened the heater flaps I'd gas myself. And also those clear plastic window things that you'd stick on your windows so frost wouldn't form where it was placed, good times.
That is a super clean beetle. Nice.
As an old time bug driver the real problem is their anemic heating and defrost system. The air cooled engines would benefit from a dipstick heater and a heated blanket over the engine. With the new synthetic oil’s viscosity is not a problem. I’ve driven in lots of snow with radial all season tires, but for Ice we chained up.
I had a '72 Beetle during high school in Saskatchewan, Canada. It was fun as hell and could drive through anything, and I looked for deep snow to play in.
Wow, still sounds great dude…
My Dad owned beetles his whole life and I even owned a 1971 Super Beetle when I was in my 20's. The engines were super reliable and performed well in all kinds of conditions, even places that were arctic like this, and even extreme heat in the desert. They were naturally good in the snow because of the engine being over the rear wheels. The heat system was the achilles heel and even when working, the defroster was weak. I will say from personal experience the heat was very warm when it worked and the tubes were not rotten. Sadly most beetles that my Dad owned the heat did not work, which I'm sure was the case for most of them. My 71 had great floor heat but no defroster! Super cool video!
Heat works good in a bug, they were designed in germany after all. Right lever opens up the heater boxes, left lever switches it from rear floor to front. If you want defrost, you have to close the rear heat valves, and the front floor vents, forcing the hot air up to the windshield. You have to have the original "heavy" style heater boxes, all plumbing in good shape, cables working and adjusted properly. Mine was missing the engine thermostat when I got it, so it doesn't have one, but it makes plenty of heat. If I were in a colder climate, I might want to install those parts.
I enjoyed your video! Back in the late 1970's I owned a 1963 VW bug. I drove it everywhere without a problem. However, like you mentioned, the heater sucked!! In fact, during one heavy snow storm, I had a 4 X 4 truck run me off of the road, but my VW bug kept on going! I wish I had never sold it!!
My father drove beetles for many, many years. When I was about to see the light of day, he had to take my mother up a German Alp, to the hospital, also in a snowstorm. I was told that the people at the hospital asked him what kind of car he had, and decided against sending an ambulance. That was 58 years ago...
Wow, my first comment was made after only having watched the first few minutes. I just saw you lift the rear hood.....wow, that looks to be in great shape!
Man that thing floats on the snow good grip
I grew up driving one of these. I know it super cold, but it always helped keep the windshield de-fogged by just barely cracking the vent windows and directing the airflow onto the windshield.
Good tip!
When I saw the tree this video went to another level again! 😮
My dad used a Beetle as a winter car all through the 70's. He was a bar owner and this is back when you couldn't get Coors light east of the Mississippi river. He would make winter trips to Kansas City and back to Ohio in the VW with 20 cases strapped to the top of his car. He has hundreds of funny Beetle stories.
Such a ZEN episode, love it.
I used to have one when i studied in Austria between 1990 to 1995, no car was smoother and reliable then my VW .
The winter driving inside a bug, sound beyond amazing. hahaha
Love the muffled engine sound.
I once had to drive my grandfather's 85 Merc 300SD in a really bad winter storm in Maine. I'm talking about one of the worst storms. My cousin laughed at me and said "Ok let me know when you get stuck, stupid" An hour and a half later I'm the one that made it, he's the one that went off the road and into a ditch. Doesn't matter what you drive as long as you have SOME ground clearance and good winter tires. You'll make it. Just don't be a moron about it.
This video is really making me miss my first car, 74 super beetle year round costal Maine.
That's how the man who drives a snow plow gets to the snow plow.
Remember that commercial ?
It's never gotten that cold where I live, but it gets cold in the winter months. I have an ice scraper inside of my 69 bug for the inside, anti fog spray & rain x living in Washington state with all the rain. Also, have a window towel hanging on the oh shit passenger handle. : )
Also, a plug-in heater that plugs into your cigarette lighter. I keep mine on my trunk handy. You might find this helpful. They work great. My heater is amazing in my bug, but I'm not in negative degrees. These are such great little classic cars. Excellent video & perfect description of how you drive them in the winter. They are reliable & dependable if taken care of properly.
I've driven a lot of vehicles in snow and ice and while the bugs we've had were okay in bad weather I think the absolute best car I ever drove was a late 80's Chevy Baretta. Front wheel drive, that thing would go anywhere I wanted in ice and snow. The absolute worst on the other hand was a 1973 Ford F250 flatbed. That thing couldn't get out of its own way in a gravel driveway with a half inch of snow, lol. I've had surprisingly good luck with standard rear wheel drive cars on ice and snow with an '89 Firebird and an '88 Fleetwood Brougham being two of the better ones. The roads around here are hilly with dog leg curves (rural southern Indiana) where if you're lucky the County might put down a few cinders on the roads on packed snow. The only car I ever put in a ditch that left me stranded was a 1985 Ltd Crown Vic. I currently drive a little '98 Ford Ranger...and as long as I keep cinder blocks in the bed in the winter it does just fine. Take the weight out of the bed I'd be lucky to get out of the driveway, lol. My Sister's bug handled good in ice and snow provided you could get it cranked. It was a '64 with a six volt system. We had a '71 that had the gear shift, but no clutch pedal, having a vacuum clutch that engaged when you grabbed the shift knob. Surprisingly it would put out enough heat to keep the windshield defrosted and defogged, but it wouldn't heat much else, even with the floor vents opened.