How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step by Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot [Paperback]

John Muir (Author), Tosh Gregg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: John Muir Publications; 30th Annv edition (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562614800
• ISBN-13: 978-1562614805
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #762,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must have for all aircooled VW owners, November 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step by Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot (Paperback)

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:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential if flawed -- great introduction to aircooled VWs, August 2, 2000

By 

Gordon M. Wagner (Suburbia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step by Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot (Paperback)

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:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best VW Book ever., August 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step by Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot (Paperback)

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.