Truck Repair: vw truck, major meltdown, o reillys

Question
my boyfriends just recently bought a 1963 (?) vw truck. over the last couple of days the truck has not been starting. we have checked the battery and replaced the starter. he noticed there was not a voltage regulator in the truck (all vw's have this feature) and thought perhaps this was the problem. the couple of books we have looked at mention to replace all the wiring. i understand your profile does not list vw as a point of expertise; however, do you have any suggestions on what would help or know of someone that could help?

Answer
Hello bethany,
I don't work on them, but it is possible the alternator could have been replaced some time with one that has a built in regulator.
A charging system test is needed. Once it is running, connect a volt meter to the battery posts, and if it shows 14 volts or so, the charging system is probably fine.
You can remove the alternator and carry it in to O reillys, or some other parts houses, and they will test it for free.
But if your battery voltage is already 12 volts or so, you could have a starter problem, a switch problem, a neutral or clutch safety problem, etc.
There is hardly ever a reason to "replace all the wiring", unless you have a major meltdown.
I recommend you get hold of a shop manual for that truck. You can find most manuals at the public library, in the refference section.
Following the troubleshooting proceedure in the manual, you will go through a series of checks that will eliminate replacing a bunch of parts on guesses.
You might also go to Google.com, and search for VW repairs, or volkswagon, etc, and check some of the links for mechanics, or owners willing to help.
Good luck,
Van