Amish:
I looked at the VS "user manual" on this site and it's pretty pathetic. the Beck manual is much better, but then Lane Anderson wrote that one....
So let's see:
1) oil changes, how often and type?
If your engine is a stock 1600cc from VS, then:
change oil every three thousand miles or each year, whichever is appropriate, and use 10W-40 Summer and 10W-30 winter
Oil should be either Royal Purple, Brad Penn Racing oil or equivalent in order to get acceptable level of phosphorus and zinc needed for these engines (see threads on oil types on this site).
2) tire pressure?
Depends on the tire, but is usually somewhere around 20-22 front and 24-26 rear. some people run lower to get a softer ride - often that's OK.
3) carb adjustments - how often?
If it's done right the first time, just leave them alone.
4) any other routine maintenance:
Valve adjustments should be checked every 12,000 miles or, if you're a fanatic but don't drive much, you could check them whenever you change the oil or every other oil change. Valves clearance should be .004 intake and .006 exhaust on a stock 1,600 engine. If it is not stock then let us know and we can advise.
Check your brake fluid once a quarter to make sure it's topped off.
Check your lights monthly to see if any bulbs are out
Grease the front end once per year. 10-15 pumps per fitting on the four grease fittings on the front torsion bars. Also check for grease fittings on the steering tie-rod ends. If it has them, 3-4 pumps per fitting once per year.
Remove, grease and replace the clutch cable every 3-4 years or so. It's not that big a deal, and it'll last forever this way.
Check transmission oil level once per year - beginning of the driving season.
If you're state vehicle inspection checks front end tightness (ball joints and such), fine. If they don't, have a garage check the front end for tightness every year.
That's all I can think of.
If your engine is stalling at idle after warm-up AND it has a single-carburetor set-up, then it's really easy to increase the idle speed by turning a screw on the carburetor. You should reference one of the service manuals mentioned above to do this.
Good luck, and welcome to the madness! They are simple, fun little cars that don't need a lot of attention.
Gordon
The Speedstah Guy from New England
