There are many necessary tools needed for the repair and/or regular maintenance of your vintage VW. I thought it’d be a good idea to share some information on those tools from time to time that may help others out.

This first is a must have for working on any car. There’s nothing worse than losing nuts and bolts when it’s time to put everything back together. I use this Titan Magnetic Parts Tray that I believe I bought on Amazon for a little over 7 dollars. It has a magnetic base that allows it to hang securely from your toolbox, car hood, etc. They come in various shapes and sizes and they’re a great to keep your parts organized while you work.

Next is a Half Moon Wrench, size 13mm and 11mm. If you’ve ever tried to remove your carburetor or generator stand without one, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Yes, it can be done with a regular open face or boxed wrench, but this 6 dollar investment makes things so much easier. I picked this one up on Summit Racing for about $3.50. It’s a must have!

I had planned on doing some regular maintenance on my carburetor before it got too cold outside, but since the Beetle is running fine, I think I’ll wait til spring. I had it apart last fall to replace the float, but I didn’t clean or replace the jets as I had planned. I also think my accelerator pump diaphragm isn’t working as well as it should. Ethanol in today’s fuel is hard on the diaphragm and it’s probably a good idea to change them every couple of years or so. I’m also going to relocate the fuel filter to underneath the car and away from the engine bay. I know that there’s much debate on this, but I still feel that it’s a good idea. I picked up this rebuild kit and new fuel line from the Dune Buggy Warehouse a while back, it has everything I need for the carb rebuild. I believe the rebuild kit was around 12 dollars and 1 meter for fuel line (the good stuff) was around 13 dollars. You can never have too much spare laying around.

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