Tony, I love Muir's Idiots Guide! It's a hilarious and informative read (I think it's in its 26th printing these days). I also have an assortment of VW Service manuals, plus Hayes, Bentley, etc... I'm slowly learning the ins and outs of each of my engines (1500cc sp, 1600cc dp, 1700cc Type4, and 2000cc Type4 w/ hydraulic lifters).
Thanks for the maintenance tips! I always carry a spare belt, throttle cable, clutch cable, and an assortment of tools in each vehicle (and oil, LOL). I'm not quite comfortable yet with adjusting the valves on the '79 w/ the hydraulic lifters, but have learned to do the rest on the Thing (valves, brakes, oil, etc...).
The Ghia is a complete non-running project. I've only gotten as far as pulling the engine and sanding the body. The engine isn't frozen, but it needs some *serious* TLC.
The Sunroof Bus sat in a pasture for 9 years, but it actually fired up after a thorough cleaning and tuneup (and bypassing the nasty fuel tank). The engine sounds decent (considering), but it's getting zero compression on #2. I guess it's possible it has a frozen valve from sitting for so long, but based on how beat up the #2 sparkplug was, its probably going to need professional valve/head work <sigh>.
Sorry, I could babble on about the VWs all day! It really is a sickness.