When How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive was first published in 1969, launching John Muir Publications, it was affectionately adopted by VW enthusiasts, and John Muir found himself regarded as the "sage" of air-cooled VWs. As one reader put it, "This book is a philosophy lesson disguised as a repair manual." With clear instructions on how to fix absolutely everything in an air-cooled VW, it covers all models built through 1978, including the Bug, Beetle, Karmann Ghia, Bus, Camper, and more than 20 other vehicles. Full of funny stories, philosophical ponderings, and Peter Aschwanden's easy-to-understand illustrations, this special anniversary edition includes readers' accounts of how the book made them laugh out loud while they fixed their VWs and saved money.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
John Muir is regarded as the expert in the field as far as aircooled VW's. This book is extremely easy to read. It makes capable mechanics out of "compleat idiot"s with its easy going style.
For a complete collection, buy the VW service manual by Robert Bentley to complement the Muir book. With these two references, available through amazon.com, you have everything you need to perform any and all repairs on your aircooled VW.
46 of 52 people found the following review helpful
I've had three or four copies of this book over the years. If you buy it, take your book to the printer and get them to trim off the binding and three-hole-drill it for you. Keep it in a binder. The book is an excellent introduction to aircooled VWs, but it is slightly flawed and has a bias towards OLDER VWs... I have a '76 bus and the margins are full of notes correcting slight inaccuracies... such as today, I needed to replace my brake light switches, the book says "remove splash pan," I did that... sure didn't see any master cylinder revealed. Damn. 100 degree heat today. DEFINITELY get a Bentley shop manual reprint AND READ AND COMPARE BOTH OF THEM... get a parallax that'll help you figure out what to do. The tone of the Idiot Book is perfect, however, it's a truly empowering experience to realize that you can work on your own vehicle -- keep it running forever. It's a heck of a change from the "disposable car" attitude today. [...] You really need this book. There's nothing like it.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
I have owned 5 VW's in my life time and wouldn't be with out this book. I have overhauled several bug engines and a bus engines following this book with great success. I have had everything from a '63 bus to a '75 bus with a few bugs in between (a friend and I even put together a 2 cylinder bug engine) with each vehicle I would purchase a copy of " How to Keep your VW Alive" and when I sold the Vehicle I would offer the book to the new owner. I have given copies of the book to friends with VWs and a copy to my son when he bought a '74 bug several years ago. In the summer 1973 my sister, her child of 5, and husband left the USA for a tour of Europe by VW bus. I gave them a copy of Muirs book and it helped keep them "Keep on Trucking" on thier merry way.
39 of 47 people found the following review helpful
By Simon South
Anyone who sets out to buy an old Volkswagen will hear this book mentioned again and again, usually with great reverence and a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. Well folks, it is simply not all that. Don't get me wrong -- I'm happy I bought this book, and I refer to it often -- but like other reviewers here have pointed out, it's awfully overrated within VW circles. The instructions are biased towards pre-68 cars and often gloss over details; it's very hard to track down specific solutions when all you know are the symptoms; and the diagrams, though extremely well-drawn, aren't always as effective as real photographs of the car and its parts. When I'm trying to learn how to repair something on my Beetle, I read this book first to get a friendly introduction to the work involved... but the other manuals are the ones I actually take outside to the car.
So if you've just bought a "new" Beetle or Bus that needs a lot of repair, buy this book -- but get the Bentley shop manual for your model and year at the same time as you will need to refer to it a lot. I recommend the Haynes manuals, too; they give the same procedures but in a highly effective "steps + pictures" format.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
If you own an aircooled Volkswagen, you *need* the famous Idiot's Guide. Even if you've never worked on a car in your life, the Idiot's Guide can have you performing your own repairs and maintenance before you know it. Everything from the simplest routine maintenance task to a major engine overhaul is explained clearly, step by step, in plain English. Even if you plan to outsource your VW's repair needs, I still recommend this book, because it can give you enough knowledge about how your VW operates to help keep you from getting ripped off by an unscrupulous repair shop.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
This book has paid for itself again and again. Problems that seem big can reveal themselves to you as small when you follow the trouble shooting procedures outlined by Muir.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Most car manuals can be a chore to understand, but this one about fixing your VW bug will tell you everything in plain English.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
I've owned three editions of this book. I love it so much. It is just so much fun and informative at the same time. No classic VW owner should be without this book!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must have
If u have a VW that's not working or u want to keep running. U MUST have this book. It's in a simple language that's easily translatable even if u have never picked up a wrench.
Published 29 days ago by Pen Name
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best VW Book ever written!
I fell in love with this book 20 years ago when I first started working on Bugs. I was recently telling my friend about this book and figured that it was the perfect reason to... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Fish
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to Keep your VW alive--great manual
We love this manual. We recently got a 79 Superbeetle and I borrowed this copy from my local library. I didn't even know they carried this kind of thing. Read more
Published on October 4, 2010 by dalzwyf
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Manual
The book is excellent and a must for VW owners. It gave some valuable information regarding a few maintenance items and how to drive the 4 speed transmission.
Published on September 5, 2010 by Tom
5.0 out of 5 stars
How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive
This book changed my life. Totally Zen. I was 22 years old and the year was 1978. I never met John (the author) but I feel like I know him as a very good friend. Read more
Published on April 25, 2010 by Paul W. Brainerd
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolute MUST-HAVE for anyone wanting to work on their own...
This is "THE" book in how to maintain and work on the classic air cooled VW's. It is not a mechanics manual, its written for ANYONE to understand. Check [... Read more
Published on November 30, 2009 by Michael P
5.0 out of 5 stars
IF YOU BUY ONE BOOK BUY THIS ONE
First bought this book in 1973 as a very poor, non-mechanical college student who needed the cheapest transportation. Read more
Published on August 20, 2001 by Susan Tanner-Hosford
5.0 out of 5 stars
IF YOU BUY ONE BOOK BUY THIS ONE
First bought this book in 1973 as a very poor, non-mechanical college student who needed the cheapest transportation. Read more
Published on August 20, 2001 by Susan Tanner-Hosford
5.0 out of 5 stars
The VW Bible for any vintage owner!
I am a female who had never worked on any automobile before buying this book. While John Muir admits to favoring buses, the bulk of the book covers all vintage beetles from the... Read more
Published on August 17, 2001 by "atlanta_says"
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to get across the country in a VW
I had this book and travled across the United States,(many years ago)My 1973 van broke down in Arizona in a Indian Reservation, and I was able to figure out what was wrong with the... Read more
Published on July 18, 2001 by Cathy J. Clark
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