1 Topic by Guest

  • Guest
  • Guest

Topic: 65 bug

so i have this 65 bug that i just got out of the shop. the day i got it back the fuel line caught on fire because the coil was arching on the carb right next to the fuel line. the car sat for three weeks as i had to fix some vacuume leaks in the intake manifold. once i got all the leaks fixed, i drove to the gas station near my home to give her a drink. on my way home i begin to hear this thumping noise from the rear of the car. sure enough, the back wheel came off. the shop that i had the work done at is 1 mile from my home, the gas station is 1/2 a mile. now my rear rim is bent the diferencial is messed up, the pully is bent and hits the tin and the car will not stay ideling.... this shop put my wheels and tires on, and now they are saying that i loosened the lugs. the want no responsiblity for there mistake. any thoughts or suggestions?

  • From: Colorado Springs, CO
  • Registered: 2004-03-27
  • Posts: 3,622

Re: 65 bug

Guest: Sounds like the proverbial nightmare! How long have you had the car? What was it in the shop for the first time? What is their explanation for your set of problems other than the loose lug nuts? It may be very difficult to get them to accept any kind of responsibility, but you should at least  get some very good answers from them and document everything they tell you. Not satisfied?...then report them to your better business bureau (some will say that this does nothing to solve your problem but maybe you can save someone else the same type of experience). And of course you can always file something against them in small claims court, but you had better be prepared to prove your claims. My suggestion is to find another shop (one with the recommendations of fellow VW owners) or learn to do most of the work yourself. In no way would I let the first shop ever touch the car again. If you're not mechanically inclined, a second shop should at least be consulted to see what other safety issues may be present. Finally, get yourself a manual (preferably the big Bentley manual for the 1961-1965 Type I at about $90, or at least a Chilton or a Clymer) and familiarize yourself with your car. If you don't want to do this, you should probably think about replacing the car with something else. Good luck. Clancy

3 Reply by Guest

  • Guest
  • Guest

Re: 65 bug

okay when the car went to the shop it was a 67. the electrical harness went up in smoke and i couldnt get it to stay running. i am a student for automotive repair technology. while i am maintianing a 4.0 and i am very mechanically inclinded, i had the car towed to them for time issues. they recomended a nice 65 bug that they had because it was an over much nicer car so i agreed. What was supposed to be a 2 week job of a motor and tranny swap, took 6 weeks, yes i know not very timely, if i would have known that then i would have never taken my car there. there excuse was that they had to send the front beam to get rebuilt on the new car that they sold me. so its finally finished 6 weeks later. but it doesnt stay idleing, a  problem for which i originally took it there. my grant gt steering wheel is on sideways. Im told its on the spacer wrong, yet it was on straigh on my 67. the stock steering wheel has mistiriously disapeared. which i have seen simialr ones one Samba for around 100. the front end doesnt sit level, the driverside is about an inch lower than the passanger side, ride hoeight controlled by front beam. which they serviced. i had a chrome firewall kit that they were supposed to install, they didnt. the tranny is brand new, a Rancho Prostreet trans that i paid very good money for from a very reputiable shop, i rebuilt the engine with all new parts, okay the case is the only thing not new on the motor, it leaks just a small amount near the drain plug, im not sure where the trans is leaking from but it leaks real bad,,,,,,, real bad,,, no leaks when i took it to them. This shop came recomended from multiple people, but aparantly the owner is ill and now his son runs it. Durining the 6 weeks that they had my car i never recieved one phone call, Im told that this is because the "new owner" has teenagers, and how dare i ask questions. While i might look like a teenager, im very far from it. Im 28 and have been in the automotive field now for almost 8 years. while none of this should matter regaurdless of my age i am a paying customer and deserve respect????????? Once again they only reason i took my car to them was a time issue, i was selling my other car and needed the bug finished fairly quickly, and betwen work and school full time, time is a big issue. I just find it very odd that there were no lugs anywhere to be found???????????? they were the last ones to install the wheels, with under 2 miles it comes off????????? i have never seen anything like that in the 8 years ive been in the industry.. Im told that they are liable for all the damage to my car and im going to the BAR(bueral of automotive repair) i have photos of the car when they gave it back to me. the drivers seat you could take with you, it wasnt in its track????????? kinda important???????? the fuel line from the fuel pump to the carb caught on fire in my driveway the day I got it back?????????? thats not cool not to mention numerous other things. 1350 is what i paid them, to get a car that is 2 years older, with 10X the amount of problems i had when i towed it to them
????????????????????????? thats not right

4 Reply by 6v

  • 6v
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Vancouver, WA
  • Registered: 2004-03-31
  • Posts: 116

Re: 65 bug

I don't really mean to be offensive here, but it sounds like they played you for a sucker, and you played right along with them.  Rule #1 for dealing with mechanics (again, no offense): Don't trade cars.  If they offer to 'trade,' find someplace else to do business.  They're trying to rip you off, I guarantee it, especially if you're trading for something they're going to do work on.  Always trade using known quantities.

If they didn't do it right, take it somewhere else or do it yourself.  Personally, I wouldn't trust a place I didn't know to swap a '67 tranny into a '65 and get it right.  You can try to get them to pay, or to refund the money for the work they failed to complete, but if they flat-out refuse, you're screwed, looking at small claims court or similar.  You could always just decide that this was part of your tuition for your automotive repair technology certification...