# Volkswagon Mexico restores woman's 1966 Beetle. 400kmiles **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122 "2025-09-22T15:23:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/1 "2025-09-22T15:23:01Z")
[![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/a/1a52cd2c8f343bc6e5a593b718936c94442b4a62.jpeg "The 1966 VW Beetle Annie Is Just Old, Not Useless. #proaging #vwbeetle #sweetstory") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcnLxvjOH30) ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 3:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/2 "2025-09-22T15:44:07Z")
I wonder how many engine rebuilds/replacements have been done over the 400,000 miles. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/3 "2025-09-22T15:52:57Z")
You can build a 1966 Beetle from scratch without a single original part. Everything is available as a reproduction. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 7:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/4 "2025-09-22T19:21:41Z")
Not like a normal engine where rebuilding the engine block on very old and high mileage might not be possible. With this (air cooled) engine you can unbolt and replace each cylinder. It’s an extremely easy engine to work on. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/5 "2025-09-22T19:28:37Z")
Additionally, there must be many tons of Volkswag **e** n parts available in Mexico. I recall VW bugs being the most common taxis in Mexico City, and they were also very popular as personal cars. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/6 "2025-09-22T19:40:53Z")
VW Beetles were built in Brazil until after turn of the century. The museum I volunteer for teaches engine basics. They buy brand new VW engines, carb, points distributor and all for the class. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/7 "2025-09-22T20:34:48Z")
I just checked out VW engines from EMPI, a performance brand: $3000-$9000, depending on what you want. I’m sure base engines can be had cheaper, and one often only needs parts, like cylinders/pistons/rings, for much less. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/8 "2025-09-23T15:04:51Z")
There is a small market for vw bug stuff, so it’s good to have a source of parts. For folks who want to go that way. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/9 "2025-09-23T19:48:07Z")
> [@Cavell](#): > > There is a small market for vw bug stuff, It’s NOT a small market. It’s actually quite large. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 7:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/10 "2025-09-24T19:56:09Z")
Every dollar wasted on a bug should have been spent on a better car. Bugs are terrible, outdated, tech. They are underpowered and unsafe on modern roads. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/11 "2025-09-24T20:36:57Z")
> [@Cavell](#): > > Every dollar wasted on a bug should have been spent on a better car. If I had a place to keep one I would have one. It certainly safer than the motorcycles I rode. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 11:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/12 "2025-09-25T11:56:10Z")
I would like a Karmann Ghia. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 12:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/13 "2025-09-25T12:08:36Z")
One of my fraternity brothers had a Karman Ghia in the early 1970s. We used it for our pledge trip. Fortunately, we had the southern route and stopped at my house. That’s where the VW gave out. We took our Austin American that my sister was using for the remaining 80% of the trip. Amazingly, the Austin worked well throughout the entire trip. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 12:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/14 "2025-09-25T12:33:26Z")
> [@Purebred](#): > > I would like a Karmann Ghia. I had one, and–overall–it was a good car. Of course, it was painfully slow, and the heater/defroster was such a joke that I installed a '55 Chevy heater blower in the driver’s side heat duct in order to provide some barely-adequate heat on that side. I would have installed a second blower in the passenger side duct if the electrical system had been more robust. Because of the way that the vehicle’s “nose” protruded beyond the front bumper, street parking easily resulted in body damage when people parked “by ear” in front of my car. I paid for body repairs twice on the nose of that car, but I eventually gave up on that seemingly-endless problem. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/0/f/0f2866c54860d208e907d58ad149a644f89b049e.jpeg) And, of course, by modern standards that bog-slow car didn’t even get very good gas mileage. (only 24-26 mpg IIRC) But, for its time, it was an enjoyable car and it was actually very reliable. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 2:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/15 "2025-09-25T14:08:42Z")
> [@Cavell](#): > > Bugs are terrible, outdated, tech. They are underpowered and unsafe on modern roads. You can say that about many classic cars that people collect. The VW bus was much worse in terms of technology and being so underpowered. But they go for a lot of money. Just ask [Fluffy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Oe7PvCfeXw) ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 2:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/16 "2025-09-25T14:29:09Z")
My 6th grade teacher had a Beetle, I was very impressed with the headroom the time he let me sit in it. “Roomy” and “small car” didn’t usually go together. A friend still has the Beetle he bought in ‘71 to commute to work in Alberta (talk about cold weather!). It has seen several engine rebuilds, but still runs great. He later bought a Karmann Ghia to go with it, had to have lots of body work done on the ‘nose’, which was full of Bondo. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 2:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/17 "2025-09-25T14:29:22Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > You can say that about many classic cars that people collect. +1 By modern standards, almost all cars manufactured prior to the '80s provide inadequate protection for occupants in the event of a crash. And, VWs were not alone in terms of being underpowered. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 9:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/18 "2025-09-25T21:57:57Z")
+1 There’s a 1967 Corvette tri-power L68 for sale at Hemmings. The asking price is $219,000. You can buy 3 new C8 Corvettes for the same amount. The C8s do everything better than this C2. [https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/listing/1967-chevrolet-corvette-sarasota-fl-2895889](https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/listing/1967-chevrolet-corvette-sarasota-fl-2895889) ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/19 "2025-09-26T01:18:43Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > There’s a 1967 Corvette tri-power L68 for sale at Hemmings. The asking price is $219,000. You can buy 3 new C8 Corvettes for the same amount. The C8s do everything better than this C2. And I’d LOVE to own a Retro Mod C1 vette. But one fully restored start at $150,000. Still won’t be as good as my C7 vette which you can buy for around $50,000 ---
**Author:** ![hsn\_19](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@hsn\_19](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hsn_19)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 10:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/volkswagon-mexico-restores-womans-1966-beetle-400kmiles/204122/20 "2025-09-27T10:19:04Z")
This is a great story. This is what true appreciation is all about!