Victoria & The Beetle: No clue, but stubborn enough to try

Following on from our popular 'Get Behind The Build' campaign on Social Media this Summer, we're pleased to offer you a great guest article from our friend Victoria Newbery about building her VW Beetle project. Armed only with a basic tool kit, a comprehensive manual and the refusal to give in and give up, read on to see how she is getting on.  

As a child, my Grandad would take me along to the Enfield Pageant of Motoring, typically after spending the days prior trying to persuade stubborn 1920s car parts to cooperate!  I loved stepping into his garage; the walls were lined with everything from ‘20s Buick grilles to ’50s Californian number plates, and it carried that unmistakable, comforting smell of grease and oil. Seeing him work so passionately on his cars and then get to ride along on parade laps made one thing clear. One day I had to own something old and cool myself. 

Fast forward to May 2019. I was finally collecting my own classic: a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle.  If you’re reading this, I’ve no doubt you know exactly how it feels to see your new car for the first time on collection day… It’s magical! The magic faded slightly when it took the seller 15 minutes to get it started… but honestly, it was love at first sight, and I knew it was coming home with me! 

If this sounds familiar and you need some tips, read our blog Why won't my VW start?

I’d say I managed around four shows in the first year of owning the Bug before life threw some major changes my way. I found myself all the way down in Cornwall, with a Beetle whose previously Russian-roulette start-up routine had evolved into a full-blown non-starting saga.

After four years in Cornwall, the Beetle had been driven no more than 3 times, mostly because I was convinced it would die halfway up (or down!) one of Cornwall’s giant single lane hills! 

It remained in the garage, gathering dust throughout those years, but no matter how much sense it made, I just couldn’t bring myself to sell it. I loved it too much! Until one day someone said

“You’ll never be able to keep that car. You’ll never get it started on your own.”

As it turned out, those words were exactly what I needed to ignite the stubborn fire in me that said, Why can’t I? What’s stopping me?

I thought back to my Grandad in his overalls, tinkering with his cars, and to my Dad, who’d spent countless evenings after work when I was younger, piecing together his classic car engine.  Neither of them was a mechanic, far from it!  If they could do it, why couldn’t I learn and get my own car running? 

I made up my mind in that instant. I had two hands, I could read a Haynes manual, I knew Heritage stocked pretty much every part that I’d need, and I had one of the simplest, yet most versatile cars sitting right in front of me. I could do this… couldn't I?

It was my Dad who suggested starting a TikTok account to document the whole journey, partly so I could look back on my progress, but also to tap into the huge (and incredibly helpful) Volkswagen community. That’s when I realised, I had nothing to lose and a Beetle to gain!

So, in 2024, project @Victoria&theBeetle was born.

It’s a wonderful feeling, realising that you have a project car to get stuck into. However, that excited buzz quickly turns to nausea when you remember you’re in Cornwall, at least five hours from your family, armed with zero mechanical knowledge, possibly one lonely screwdriver…and a 55-year-old paperweight to bring back to life.

Figuring that I’d just need to take one first step, I ordered my tools. I think I finally understand why people are precious about their tools now.  I proudly organised everything into my purple Sealey top chest and roll cab, then stood back to admire my collection. It felt a bit like being back at school, choosing your new pencil case and stationery for the term - exciting, but once you’ve got them, it suddenly feels like the fun part is over and the real work begins.

Thankfully, I was wrong. Armed with the most amazingly helpful and friendly followers on TikTok, and the best book in the world - How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive by John Muir, I took my next steps.

Since beginning my project, I’ve been on the hunt for the mysterious reason that my Beetle doesn’t like starting and people have been engaging with my journey and helping me along the way.  It was thanks to TikTok (and I’ll give myself a little credit for sacrificing the manicure) that I was able to get my Beetle started for the first time in years!

It was an incredible moment, and I genuinely cannot wait to get back there again!

In my excitement, I drove, yes, drove the car out of the garage and left it ready for cleaning as a monument to my newfound spanner skills. Alas, I’d forgotten that the car has deck lifts, and with the Cornish weather delivering just a few millimetres shy of a tsunami, water made its way into the engine. Reluctantly, I rolled it back into the garage, but strangely, I don’t feel disheartened.  
At this point, I’ve solved battery problems, changed oil, replaced fuel sender units, investigated vacuum issues and this issue?  

Well, it just meant that I had to remove the HT leads and spark plugs to eject any water...Which then meant that I had to learn (ahem, endure!) how to remove spark plugs.

I'm currently waiting for a break in the Cornish rain so that I can fit my new spark plugs and leads before attempting to fire the Beetle up again! Once that’s done, it’s on to learning about starter motor replacement - and the best part is, I’m genuinely looking forward to it! To have my starter motor replaced at a garage would cost:

Parts = £240.00 (without consumables!)

Labour = £200- £300

That’s a total of at least £400…But surely I can do it myself?! 

My Beetle starter motor costs a third of that from Heritage Parts Centre, and honestly, the knowledge and confidence I’ll gain from working it out on my own is priceless.

The need to have something fixed immediately has pushed the culture of driveway mechanics to the sidelines in favour of the local garage. But where’s the fun in that?

I cannot describe how incredible it feels every time I conquer something new on my car. Every job I tackle teaches me more, and my understanding of my Beetle grows with each challenge.

If there’s one message I can pass on from my journey so far, it’s this. Don’t limit yourself! Get out there, get stuck in, learn something new, and be proud of yourself!

If I can do it, anyone can!

Victoria @Victoriaandthebeetle

Please follow my chaos-filled journey to see if I finally get to some shows in 2026!