Mods And Repairs: November 2019 //////\\\\\\
I am painting my bug this week and i am trying to find a nice classic color to paint it. I think the best vehicles are two tone. Keep the colours light, cream or old english white on the bottom with a VW green or blue. Is a VW GTi or Rabbit a good car to buy? What are your opinions of these two cars? Do they handle well in the winter? Would either of them be a good car to buy? No. VW is notorious for over priced maint & repairs, and some models arent reliable. Honda has been one of Consumer Reports most reliable brands. Plus the reviews on them are very good and hold there value. When you want it to be smooth and comfortable it will obey while when you would like it to become wild it will again obey.. I don't know exactly how much maintenance cost are in the US but in EU it is within limits of equivalent cars.. You should also consider that such a car may be expensive to insure. GTI 5 speed problems?
Check the exhaust manifolds for cracks and leaks. Depending on the engine the pipes often go from 4 pipes to 2 pipes to 1 pipe - the 1 pipe runs under the body and to the other end and is known as the exhaust. So you may need to check the whole exhaust pipe as well. Sometimes a manifold can also leak hot exhaust gases due to rust. So also check for rust. This would be a good place to start the checks. You really need to get it plugged into a diagnostic unit. You can spend much time and money guessing and still not get the correct result whereas the diagnostics can pinpoint the problem straightaway. And use the search. Then if you can't find anything post a thread. Fair warning. Since you'll be a n0ob you may get flamed but don't worry about it, if your question isn't stupid and you aren't saying "heeeeeeellllppp!!!" or anything of the sort someone will come along and help.
Is your check engine light on? If so go to autozone and ask them to pull the codes. You can see the problem lies with your mass air sensor but unplugging it and seeing if the car runs smoother (at idle). Find your airbox. See that black hose running to it? Now see where something is plugged into that black hose? That's the MAF, unplug it and see what happens. A cam position or knock sensor could be the culprit as well. It doesen't hurt to check for exhaust leaks first as it only takes a moment with the help of a friend. Ask them to hold a piece of rag over the end of the exhaust pipe while the engine is running. The exhaust gas pressure will hiss from any holes instantly. If there are holes go to your exhaust specialist, if not go to your garage. Is it okay to put smaller winter tires on my 07 VW GTI? I currently using the OEM 18 inches wheels with summer tires on. I am wondering if it's ok to use a set of 16 inches wheels with winter tires on. Do I need to do something with the abs or the computer? Using 16 inch is ok and probably preferable. Go to narrower tires with taller aspect ratios (70 series) to try and match the diameter of the 18s. That usually is indicated in the tire specs as "revolutions per mile". I don't think you CAN do anything to the abs or computer. As long as you fairly closely match the diameter - everything will be fine. Oh - do make sure you have brake caliper clearance for the 16's. Might be getting close.
The new German Chancellor surprised the German motor industry with his speech in opening the 1933 Berlin Motor Show. A nation, Hitler said, was no longer judged by other nations by its miles of railroad track but by its miles of paved highways. He called on the manufacturers to bring prestige to Germany on the motor racing circuits and finally requested them to develop a cheap small car for the masses. On this last matter he was very serious, and as a motoring enthusiast himself and a great fan of Henry Ford he regarded the American car ownership to population ratio with some envy. The legend goes in early VW Beetle history that Porsche first met Hitler when obtaining a subsidy for Auto Union to challenge Mercedes in motor racing. 10,000's Of Extra Dollars From Home. He listened with great interest to Porsche's plans but insisted it be more economical and knocked 650 Marks off the estimated cost price. The German Automobile Industry Association was to coordinate the building of the car but because of great internal jealousy in the industry, there were immediate delays.
Nevertheless by the end of 1938 three prototypes were running and the following year Mercedes built another 30 cars for testing. These unusual hump backed cars had no back window at all, a low smooth sloping front and were powered by a four cylinder engine of one litre capacity with two banks of horizontally opposed cylinders. It was very much the forerunner of the air cooled VW Beetle. That year Hitler grew impatient with the stalling of the rival manufacturers and a company was established to produce the Peoples Car. To raise the necessary funds, the German Labour Front Organisation, the KdF - Kraft-durch-Freude or Strength Through Joy - was called in. In early VW Beetle history, the original price had risen from 900 to 990 Marks and there were promises of 1,500,000 cars being assembled annually in the near future. At the five Marks weekly rate it would take a saver four years and seven months to meet the planned purchase price. In return the saver was promised a document of ownership. There was nothing about actually getting a car and there was no guarantee of a fixed price and no warranty was offered.
