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buzzycrumbhunger

(1,522 posts)

120. '65 VW Beetle convertible with a standard transmission

Sat Nov 1, 2025, 07:50 PM

Nov 1

I’d learned to drive in a ’63 Beetle so it was comfortable to me. I think it cost me like $250. The rag top was FUBAR as the wood in the front had warped, so I had to use duct tape to keep the rain out, which meant we couldn’t really put the top down, but as a pasty Celt, that wasn’t really a negative.

I loved that car. At the time, (early ‘80s), you could get parts for a song at Target—fuel filter for like $0.75, a Haynes manual for $8. I think the most expensive thing was a muffler for $25. Over the years, the floorboard rusted out (heavy salt on the winter roads in Iowa!) and when the time came to admit the car had seen better days and it was more than a little concerning to see the highway whiz by at our feet, a guy from a monastery offered me what I’d originally paid for it, saying they’d be converting it to some Frankenstein creation to use in their huge garden. I figured that was a pretty cool way to go for the old girl.

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debm55

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What was your very first car that you owned. Mine was a 1965 Aqua Chevy Impala. Big tank for a 16 year old to drive. [View all] debm55 Nov 1 OP

63 VW bus BeneteauBum Nov 1 #1

Peace to you too, BeneteauBum. debm55 Nov 1 #5

40 horsepower with brand new plugs. Permanut Nov 1 #28

It got me from one place to the next BeneteauBum Nov 1 #83

Roger that.. Permanut Nov 1 #88

Excellent. I've had a 69, 64 and still have a 68. bullimiami Nov 1 #136

I had a 68 also...bought it in 1972. BeneteauBum Nov 1 #139

1969-ish Toyota Corolla. Ocelot II Nov 1 #2

thank you Ocelot II. I have never driven a stick. I always wanted to but it seemed too hard for me. debm55 Nov 1 #8

It's not that hard, but cars that still have it are pretty scarce now. Ocelot II Nov 1 #13

No lie...a 1965 Chevy Impala, Aqua...three on the tree. LuckyCharms Nov 1 #3

Thank you , LuckyCharms. You had one too? I had to sit on two pillows to see over the wheel. debm55 Nov 1 #9

Yes, Aqua. No power steering and a heavy clutch. LuckyCharms Nov 1 #11

Same here, No power steering, but it was not a stick shift.Edit. debm55 Nov 1 #14

Mine was on the column. I still remember the shift pattern. LuckyCharms Nov 1 #24

Sorry LuckyCharms. I made a mistake. it was not a stick shift. There was a handle on the steering wheel that would put debm55 Nov 1 #29

'67 Chevelle Lefta Dissenter Nov 1 #4

Thank you very much Lefta Dissenter. Your color description is funny. debm55 Nov 1 #10

1965 blue Mercury Monterrey with the inclined power rear window... wcmagumba Nov 1 #6

Thank you very much, wcmagumba. I had the automatic transmission , but no power steering. debm55 Nov 1 #16

Cool, mine was a nice car for a HS kid but the blue paint was a bit faded in spots... wcmagumba Nov 1 #25

A 1962 Oldsmobile F-85. LoisB Nov 1 #7

Thank you very much, LoisB. debm55 Nov 1 #17

First car 49jim Nov 1 #12

Sounds like my kind of car. My father was a Chevy guy. Always bought the Chevy brand. debm55 Nov 1 #20

1962 Ford Fairlane Convertible montanacowboy Nov 1 #15

Wow, thank you montanacowboy. That does sound like a classic. debm55 Nov 1 #21

Oh and by the way montanacowboy Nov 1 #55

Yes, the turn signals were on the left of the steering wheel and the shift into D, N,R were on the right. debm55 Nov 1 #117

19666 Corvair. It was smokin'. Three speed on the floor. Dimmer switch on the floor sometimes would turn the lights off. twodogsbarking Nov 1 #18

Thank you very much, twodogsbarking. Sounds like a great car. debm55 Nov 1 #22

1965 VW Beetle Ritabert Nov 1 #19

Thank you Ritabert. I always wanted one. But back then , they only came in stick. debm55 Nov 1 #23

The main problem for us was a non-working defroster in Boston Ritabert Nov 1 #26

Its not a Bug if it has heat. Lochloosa Nov 1 #60

My cousin used to always have blankets in her bug. debm55 Nov 1 #127

Same here!!! N/T Scottie Mom Nov 1 #34

Thank you very much, Scottie Mom. debm55 Nov 1 #42

1951 Blue Chevy Pickup BOSSHOG Nov 1 #27

I hear ya.. Permanut Nov 1 #30

It was a fun ride BOSSHOG Nov 1 #84

Oh that sounds great. Thank you very much, BOSSHOG for sharing with us. debm55 Nov 1 #44

'78 Datsun 210 dickthegrouch Nov 1 #31

Thank you very much, dickthegrouch. I hated those plastic seat covers add to that no AC. HOT. debm55 Nov 1 #48

55 Desoto Fireflite Coronado 4 Door marble falls Nov 1 #32

Nice!!! Nittersing Nov 1 #41

52 and 53 Chevy coupes have always been favorites of mine. marble falls Nov 1 #116

Oh, man, what a great looking car. Thank you, marble falls. Love it. debm55 Nov 1 #47

Mine was a 1956 DeSoto Fireflight UpInArms Nov 1 #134

Hemi? I had a flat head eight. marble falls Nov 2 #144

Yes, a hemi UpInArms Nov 2 #145

That 426 was a monster. marble falls Nov 2 #147

Oh wow, that is one neat car, especially in all black. Thank you , UpInArms. debm55 Nov 2 #190

'68 Mustang SheltieLover Nov 1 #33

Thank you SheltieLover. Sounds like a great car. debm55 Nov 1 #49

It was, Deb. SheltieLover Nov 1 #50

1968 Red Pontiac Lamans with black vinyl top Sedona Nov 1 #35

Great looking car, Sedona. Thank you. debm55 Nov 1 #37

'72 Saab 99 justaprogressive Nov 1 #36

Thank you justaprogressive. I always wanted one. Heard they were great driving. debm55 Nov 1 #38

My first Front-wheel drive justaprogressive Nov 1 #58

I hated my front wheel drive. I can't remember the name but it was by Chevy. I had to go down a hill to get to the debm55 Nov 1 #121

1950 Ford pickup List left Nov 1 #39

Thank you List left. What a great powerful truck. debm55 Nov 1 #51

67 Camaro, brand new. sinkingfeeling Nov 1 #40

Thank you sinkingfeeling for sharing. Nice car. debm55 Nov 2 #152

1965 Chevy Impala, powder blue, 4 door, automatic. The lead sled. dem4decades Nov 1 #43

Oh my. Thank you fellow 65 Chevy Impala owner, dem4decades. debm55 Nov 2 #153

Thank you to everyone The Wizard Nov 1 #45

no worries HappyH Nov 1 #75

Thank you for your concern. debm55 Nov 2 #154

;-{) 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Goonch Nov 1 #46

1956 and 1957 Chevy was THE car all the high school and college men wanted back in the yellowdogintexas Nov 1 #93

Thank you very much. My father had one in tan. Thanks, Goonch. debm55 Nov 2 #192

1966 Chevelle SS 396 Super Sport dual-Holley 4-barrel, 8 mpg Submariner Nov 1 #52

My roommate in college had one of those Turbineguy Nov 2 #158

HAHAHAHAHHAHA. Thank you very much for sharing with us. Submariner. debm55 Nov 2 #194

1976 Ford Maverick Arger68 Nov 1 #53

Thank you very much for sharing with us. Arger68 debm55 Nov 2 #196

I also had a 1965 Chevy Impala CanonRay Nov 1 #54

Thank you Canon Ray. That sounds great. debm55 Nov 1 #124

40 Chevy DRiggs Nov 1 #56

Wow, Thank you for sharing. DRiggs. debm55 Nov 2 #197

67 Delta 88. Loved that boat. The perfect car for high school. Lochloosa Nov 1 #57

Thank you very much for sharing the "the boat" with us. Lockloosa. debm55 Nov 2 #200

'57 Chevy Bel Air BarbaRosa Nov 1 #59

Thank you very much, BarbaRosa for sharing with us. debm55 Nov 2 #198

I had a 1971 Plymouth Cricket. markodochartaigh Nov 1 #61

That is very wise of you, markodochartaigh. Thank you very much. debm55 Nov 2 #201

1970 Ford BigMin28 Nov 1 #62

Thank you very much for sharing with us, BigMin28 debm55 Nov 2 #202

1966 Dodge Dart Wicked Blue Nov 1 #63

Thank you very much. Wicked Blue. debm55 Nov 2 #203

It was an 1973 orange VW Superbeetle. rsdsharp Nov 1 #64

I almost bought one, but needed my money for college, so I stayed with the Impala. Thank you redsharp. debm55 Nov 1 #66

63 bug. turquoise. mopinko Nov 1 #65

Thank you very much, mopinko. All the cars from the 60s were tanks, I like the idea of a push button trans. Sounds neat. debm55 Nov 1 #68

My first car was a 1959 Volkswagon Beetle, a convertible. PoindexterOglethorpe Nov 1 #67

Thank you very much PoindexterOglethorpe. I guess we are opposites, I can't drive a stick, too much to do. I like the debm55 Nov 1 #71

I understand why most people prefer an automatic. PoindexterOglethorpe Nov 1 #140

That little car would be worth a lot today. Hard Emile Nov 2 #159

Mine was a '66 1/2 Beetle, a gray market car from Canada HappyH Nov 1 #69

Thank you very much, HappyH. It sounds nice. Did you give it your bother and get a new car? That was so kind of you. debm55 Nov 1 #73

Yep I had to HappyH Nov 1 #74

1973 Pinto Runabout ProfessorGAC Nov 1 #70

Thank you very much, ProfessorGAC. My cousin gave me her Pinto car. I think it was a lemon as it didn't go very fast. PS debm55 Nov 1 #72

i had a pinto. mopinko Nov 1 #76

I Had Mine For 5 Years, Too ProfessorGAC Nov 1 #78

1977 Pinto wagon my Dad gave me sdfernando Nov 1 #77

Thank you very much, sdfernando for sharing with us. debm55 Nov 2 #205

Forest green Flo Mingo Nov 1 #79

Oh, That is a nice color. Thank you for sharing, Flo Mingo. debm55 Nov 2 #206

Mine was a 1960 Ford Falcon. Very basic automobile; 6 cyl. standard. patphil Nov 1 #80

Thank you very much, patphil. Mine was 10 years old when it got towed. debm55 Nov 2 #189

1st car I owned that was not my parents wss kacekwl Nov 1 #81

Oh wow. Yes, I don't think your parents would be driving that. HAHAHAHAH. Thank you,kacekwl debm55 Nov 1 #119

'67 Ford Custom. boonecreek Nov 1 #82

Thank you boonecreek. My girlfriend had a Celica, We used to pretend we were in France and driving around. Oh to be debm55 Nov 1 #114

1973 International Travelall Hey Joe Nov 1 #85

Thank you very much Hey Joe. Sounds heavy duty. Do you remember when we would pick up change on the floor or in the back debm55 Nov 1 #125

1963 Plymouth Belvedere Onthefly Nov 1 #86

Thank you very much.Onthefly. That sounds like a great car. debm55 Nov 1 #113

A 1968 Mercury Cougar catbyte Nov 1 #87

Oh , I love the looks of the car, especially the color. Thank you catbyte. debm55 Nov 1 #112

1968 VW bug w/a sunroof CountAllVotes Nov 1 #89

That car does sound great. Wish I had one too. Thank you CountAllVotes debm55 Nov 1 #111

'68 Dodge Charger Flo Mingo Nov 1 #90

Great. Thank you very much, Flo Mingo. debm55 Nov 1 #110

1964 VW Beetle. I learned to drive a stick shift with that car. yellowdogintexas Nov 1 #91

Thank you , yellowdogintexas. I tried to learn on VW Bettle. Couldn't get it together to move. However. it did make a debm55 Nov 1 #108

1996 Mazda Elessar Zappa Nov 1 #92

Thank you very much, Elessar Zappa. debm55 Nov 1 #106

A 1961 Chevy red Corvair 3 speed stick floor shift. My doc03 Nov 1 #94

Wow, a red Chevy. Thank you, doc03. My shift was on my steering wheel. debm55 Nov 1 #105

My second car was a 1964 Agua Chevy Impala doc03 Nov 1 #95

That is funny. Hope no one was hurt. My brother totaled mine. Thank you doc03 debm55 Nov 1 #104

1964 Ford Fairlane. Paid $50 bucks for it, sold it for $200 to my Uncle's kid SWBTATTReg Nov 1 #96

Thank you so much, SWBTATTReg, That sounds like a good deal. debm55 Nov 1 #102

1975 Ford Maverick. OldBaldy1701E Nov 1 #97

Love the color combination, Thank you OldBaldy1701E debm55 Nov 1 #100

not gonna count the shitty 80's delta 88 my paternal unit got me. i got a 72'delta 88 w/ 56k miles. i drove the ss queen pansypoo53219 Nov 1 #98

Thank you very much, pansypoo53219. Wow you get a lot of milage from your cars. debm55 Nov 1 #99

back when we did emissions tests, every year mine were lower. mechanic paternal unit said i cleaned it driving faster + pansypoo53219 Nov 2 #215

HAAHAHAHAHAHHA. I drive like a little old lady that I am. slooooooow debm55 Nov 2 #216

That was a pretty cool car for a kid. viva la Nov 1 #101

Thank you viva la. Yes, I loved the color. Somewhere along the line, I had a burnt orange second hand car. It was a debm55 Nov 1 #103

1972 Ford Gran Torino Americanme Nov 1 #107

Thank you very much, Americanme. Yes, free is great. debm55 Nov 1 #109

A craptastic 1976 Datsun B-210. Aristus Nov 1 #115

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA. Thank you so much, Aristus. debm55 Nov 1 #118

'65 VW Beetle convertible with a standard transmission buzzycrumbhunger Nov 1 #120

HAHAHAHHAHAHAH. great post buzzycrumbhunger. I cried when my Impala got towed. debm55 Nov 2 #187

I hear ya! buzzycrumbhunger Nov 2 #207

Brand new 1968 Ford Mustang. Fla Dem Nov 1 #122

Wow, that's great. Thank you for sharing. Fla Dem. Lime Gold Mustang. That sounds very sharp debm55 Nov 1 #123

1985 Chevy Cavalier exboyfil Nov 1 #126

Thank you very much, exboyfil. for sharing. debm55 Nov 2 #181

My mother's 1971 Plymouth Duster - My mother got a new car every 10 years so I was lucky to inherit this one! Rhiannon12866 Nov 1 #128

When we met, my husband had a Duster. It had this dustball emblem on the back. He had just started working and traded it debm55 Nov 2 #179

Yup, if you look close, this car has the Duster emblem, just like my mother's Rhiannon12866 Nov 2 #218

1968 Camaro SS. Paid $1,370 used of course in 74. chicoescuela Nov 1 #129

Oh, a Camero. I always liked those. Thank you for sharing. chicoescuela. debm55 Nov 2 #178

1965 AMC Rambler Ambassador SARose Nov 1 #130

Yep, that is how things were back then. I had a second hand AMC Rambler. Last two years. Thank you SARose. debm55 Nov 2 #177

1967 Plymouth Fury gopiscrap Nov 1 #131

HaHAHA. Cheap beer and broken bike. Oil burner. You did get two years out of it. Thank you for sharing, gopiscrap. debm55 Nov 2 #176

Dad bought me a tank Tree Lady Nov 1 #132

Thank you very much, Tree Lady. I think that is why my father sold me the Impala. debm55 Nov 2 #175

'84 Ford Tempo n/t multireeds Nov 1 #133

Thank you very much for sharing with us, multireeds. debm55 Nov 2 #174

68' Chevy Nova LogDog75 Nov 1 #135

Same here with the Impala. It was a pain to drive. Thank you LogDog75, debm55 Nov 2 #170

Mine was a 1963 Plymouth VIP in dark green woodsprite Nov 1 #137

I understand, woodstprite. My car didn;t have power steering. It was so hard to turn. debm55 Nov 2 #168

'69 Chevy Nova TygrBright Nov 1 #138

My 68' Nova had one really annoying problem LogDog75 Nov 2 #143

HAHAHAHAHAH. Thank you LogDog75, debm55 Nov 2 #166

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA. TygrBright. I am glad that you still miss it. Thanks for sharing, debm55 Nov 2 #167

1967 Chevy Biscayne..... fantase56 Nov 2 #141

Thank you very much for sharing with us, fantase56. debm55 Nov 2 #165

1970 Plymouth Baracuda Bayard Nov 2 #142

HAHAHAHAHAH. I agree with the green. You are right it is a cool car. Thank you for sharing. Bayard debm55 Nov 2 #151

1946 Chevrolet Fleetmaster sedan. Emile Nov 2 #146

Thank you very much Emile. debm55 Nov 2 #150

1963 Ford Galaxy XL 500 Rincewind Nov 2 #148

Thank you very much, Rincewind. If I remember correctly. Thunder Birds were huge. debm55 Nov 2 #149

The mid to late 70's Thunderbirds Rincewind Nov 3 #219

Thank you Rincewind. debm55 Nov 3 #220

63 Ford Galaxy 500 NH Ethylene Nov 2 #155

Yes, I liked the big old tanks too. Thank you very much, NH Ethylene. debm55 Nov 2 #164

1958 292 Ford Fairlane, shift on the column. gab13by13 Nov 2 #156

HAHAHAHAHAh. thank you very much, gab13by13. debm55 Nov 2 #163

55 ford SarasotaDem Nov 2 #157

Wow, a 55 Ford. Great. Thank you very much, SarasotaDem debm55 Nov 2 #161

First car Rebl2 Nov 2 #160

Thank you very much, Rebl2. I had one car with no AC, It was terrible. It was a Saturn. debm55 Nov 2 #162

nash rambler. sold it as i was moving here . AllaN01Bear Nov 2 #169

Thank you AllaN01 Bear. I had a Rambler too. But we called it the Rumbler for various reasons. It was second hand. debm55 Nov 2 #172

A Lincoln 61, huge tank of a car. lark Nov 2 #171

Very sorry about that. I know about the Providence RI police. and I agree. Thank you very much, lark. debm55 Nov 2 #173

Chevy here too! Brand new 1974 Chevy Nova. 50 Shades Of Blue Nov 2 #180

Got that right--Chevy. Love red cars. I heard that about the Novas. Thank you very much 50 Shades of Blue. debm55 Nov 2 #183

An old Beetle, don't know the year. chowmama Nov 2 #182

Wow, I couldn't imagine doing all of that. Great job,chowmama. Great job. debm55 Nov 2 #185

1959 VW Beetle lapfog_1 Nov 2 #184

What a great post thank you for sharing with us. lapfrog_1, Love it. debm55 Nov 2 #186

1972 Toyota Celica. waterwatcher123 Nov 2 #188

Thank you very much, waterwatcher, You are very talented, debm55 Nov 2 #195

'72 Chevy Nova with a 350 V8 LudwigPastorius Nov 2 #191

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAH. Sweet. Thank you LudwigPastorious. debm55 Nov 2 #204

first car wow tmars505 Nov 2 #193

HAHAHAHHAHAH. Thank you very much for sharing with us. tmars505. debm55 Nov 2 #208

1972 Olds Cutlass virgdem Nov 2 #199

Very good and thank you very much, virgdem for sharing with us. debm55 Nov 2 #209

1970 SS 396 Kammer Nov 2 #210

HAHAHAHHHAHA. and did you look for change on the floor to pay for gasoline like I did? Thank you very much, Kammer. debm55 Nov 2 #211

1974 VW Beetle, dark green. Dale in Laurel MD Nov 2 #212

Thank you very much, Dale in Laurel MD. My first love had a dark green, 1974 VW Beetle. debm55 Nov 2 #213

1964 Chevy Impala PikaBlue Nov 2 #214

HAHAHAHHAHHAH.That is great, Thank you PikaBlue. debm55 Nov 2 #217

1976 AMC Hornet Eugene Nov 3 #221

You are so right about the Hornet. Thank you very much, Eugene. debm55 Nov 3 #222

1971 4 door beige Pontiac Catalina Pas-de-Calais Nov 3 #223

Wow, sharp car. Thank you very much, Pas-de-Calais. debm55 Nov 3 #224