Shop Shots Vol 9 Insider Pictures of Automotive Service
Hey folks, it’s Thursday, so it’s time for another round of Shop Shots! This week we have some strange add-ons to a Beetle, a Jetta that was in a wreck, and some bad news about a timing belt. If you have some shop shot, or you want your car featured, please just contact me! There is also a section on the Forum for you to post up your car!
First up we have this Beetle. I took this picture a few years ago so I forget what I was doing to it. I have no problem with folks customizing their car, but I am not really a fan of this. As you can imagine, I got laughed at when I pulled the car in the shop. Pink lips, eye brows and Tinkerbell seat covers. Yep!
This is just outside the shop. I was coming back from lunch and the car was towed in. I believe this car came from a body shop. When cars are being repaired at body shops, they will “sublet” them to dealers for repairs. One of the guys in the shop removed the engine so the body shop could straighten the front end. The engine sat in our shop of about 3 weeks.
This WAS a timing belt on a 1.8t Beetle. If you notice all of the teeth are missing. A timing belt drives is the main belt that connects the upper and lower part of the engine. When a timing belt breaks, it can do catastrophic engine damage. I think that the water pump seized and ripped all the teeth off of the belt. Just another example of anything can happen at anytime to anyone.
So this is a shot of my home shop. You are seeing a picture of my 1996 VW Cabrio. When I got it, the car didn’t run, the top had a hole in it, and the car was NASTY. I paid about $500 for it. I installed a new battery, put a new ignition coil in it, and drove it home. When I bought this car, I was driving an Acura CL type-S. I sold that and drove the Cabby for almost 2 years. I really did like that car, and I wish I still had it. i might have some more pics of it somewhere, maybe I will post them up in the future.
Well, another week of Shop Shots in the books. Are we on the right track with the pictures? Do you want to see more carnage? If there is something you want to see featured, let me know! Oh, and don’t miss tomorrows interview. Bill will be joining us for a great interview from a guy that has been in the industry a long time. Don’t miss it!
I see now why VW definately needed a refresh fro the beetle, also, are you planning on doing anything with the cabrio? fix it and upgrade it into a sweet little convertable?
Brandon,
I sold that cabby when I had to get a truck. I never realized how much I liked that car until I didn’t have it. I have been looking for another Cabrio ever since. I don’t car what people say, I like the Cabrio and Cabriolet.
Beetle is cute, pink lips and all. In college it seemed my VW was always getting hit. We had to decorate a friend’s black Jag carefully, if we did any harm to his baby we’d have been toast. Gave it a tail, and eyes on the windshield. Nothing on his special paint job at all. Got finished and back to my bug and it was covered by someone else. When I got married, friends covered it in oreo cookies and make it a spotted bug.
PLEASE tell me you have pictures of your car covered in oreo cookies!
Somewhere, I’d have to scan them in, after I remember where I stashed them. I would have been better if we’d washed them off right away instead of waiting a few days.
HAHA, I don’t think that Oreos are good for the paint of your car.
I laughed at the duct-taping on your roof…hoping that wasn’t permanent 😀
The Beetle with the lips painted on it is frightening… it is going to take a while for that to disappear from my mind! At least the newer models of the Beetle are a little more manly looking…
Matt,
I got the top replaced before I started driving it. It took about a month to clean all the mold and nasty out of it. It was the best car I ever bought for $500
Charles I have a 1996 Vw Cabrio working perfectly I went to work a he shut off on me replace the crank sensor and it haven’t started still need heel here