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EvanB wrote:jrw1621 wrote:You wouldn't happen to have any proof of this Scirocco winter driving ability, would you?
There are a few here:
You did the durocco?? I'm impressed. I love that car. We got enough talent here to start a car company. Somebody here should work out the details.....I got $5 on it.
No, definitely wasn't me. I don't have skills like that.
my family bought a 1973 beetle new and my teenage twin sisters ran it into the ground.
heat was a joke in the Chicago area except the rear engine was great in snow. scrapping the inside of the window was reality.
Marty! wrote:Can't speak for a Vee-Dub but I drove a Corvair through the winter once.
Notice I said once......
I did learn one lesson from that experience though. Those disposable hand warmers can burn genitalia when used not as intended.
Me too! Thanks for curing me, I was starting to pine away for an old Corvair.
I've used both AC Vws and Corvairs in serious winter conditions. The VW would go anywhere with snow tires mounted, but the heater (it was a '63 in very good dondition) was nearly useless - commonly drove with a blanket on the lap and an ice scraper at hand for the inside of the window.
The 'Vair, though , was great! It was a '63 (this was in '68 - 70, so the car was in very good condition) and the standard heater would roast you out of the car. I could commonly drive with a light jacket when the outside temps were below zero. The only thing about 'Vairs is, you have to be sure that the pushrod tube o-rings have been replaced with Viton, and that the exhaust manifold packings (gaskets) are in excellent condition, or you can get exhaust fumes or hot oil fumes in the heater boxes that blow straight into the passenger compartment. These parts are commonly available from places like Clarks or Oregon Corvair Underground, and you can replace all of the above easily in a weekend. The exhaust manifold/heater design is really the only true design flaw I can note with Corvairs, particularly late models.
Both my father and I drove through snow over the headlights on more than one occasion with our various Corvairs. Without snow tires or chains.
Heat?? I always just wrapped a blanket around my legs...
Well I found a solid early 'Vair Monza (63) in my budget with a rebuilt engine. Just needs a new clutch. New Viton seals, no rust, etc. It is very tempting. The only problem is that it has a glasspack and my neighbors would probably start to hate me very quickly if I warmed it up for 15 minutes in the winter.
EDIT: It's actually a 64
If that glasspack is the only thing holding you back I'll provide you with pro-bono lift/welder/pipe expander access to install a proper muffler.
Doing my best to enable 
Didn't you just call me crazy for considering this? 
Yes, it's a terrible idea... but I'll help you make it happen anyway.
