Buy a new coil and try it out, if it doesn't fix it then, well, they're pretty cheap and then you will have a spare. Thrown in a new condensor while you're at it.

That's my thought at this point - new Bosch coil. I have a spare (new) condensor in a box as well. We'll see if that improves matters with the Bug.

I'd like to get in a few more drives before the snow starts flying.

Winter is almost here - nearly 2 inches of snow yesterday. I'm going to put the Bug away for the off-season next week.

I did recheck the coil with an ohmeter and it showed within an acceptable range - so no quick fix.

I brought the Bug over to a friend who has a lift in his pole barn - very nice. It was helpful to get the car up in the air and look it over. We tightened up a few things and found a stripped bolt on the trans unit that will require pulling the motor/trans to fix. Might have to let that leak a little for right now.

I decided to check the valves. Number one cylinder exhaust valve was tight and the intake was a bit loose. A few others were a little tight so we adjusted them all by the book. I logged what I found in a little book; just to keep track.

The only other thing I might try to tackle before the winter layup is checking a fuel filter right before the electric fuel pump. I changed out the fuel filter by the regulator and it had crap in it. I suspect the first filter in line down from the gas tank would have some crud as well.

I also might pull the gas tank and have it boiled out - there is rust/junk on the bottom. However, my garage isn't heated so I might lack the motivation to do that job until spring.

For anyone who might be curious, I'm going to start a thread in the non-VW projects on my vintage Ski-Doo T'NT snowmobile.

Must be nice to have a lift near by!

Ditto!

Yeah, it's good to have friends with way more tools than you. He's way into Jeeps (as in 8-10) but he did have a Thing - so I can forgive him

Hey, did you still have that Weber info? I would be good reading material over the long, cold winter.

IIRc when my coil was bad the resistance still checked out fine.

I keep going back and forth on that one - a new coil wouldn't break the bank.

I also ordered a new dist. cap and rotor. The cap that's on now doesn't seem to totally fit right - it's kind of hogged out on one side by the clip. I wonder if it's a 009 cap? So I bought a 010 cap and rotor - just to take a variable off the table.

I'm also going to check out the fuel filter before the electric fuel pump. I suspect there is crud in it and thus a pea in the straw situation.

Well the Bug is put away for winter

The snow has started to fall ... so it's time to get out my winter project: a 1972 Ski-Doo T'NT. I've started a thread in the non-VW projects if anyone wants to see what this thing looks like. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one on the board with this type of air-cooled machine in his garage.

I'll post up photos on the T'NT thread over the winter as I try to keep my junk running, attend vintage snowmobile shows, go on some rides, etc.

Hope everyone had a holly, jolly Christmas. Here's to a better New Year in 2011.

And, no, Santa didn't bring Bella snow tires for Christmas.