I may buy a 68 bug but need some help?

Question 1
I may buy a 68 bug but need some help?...  I want to know the pros and cons of a 68 Volkswagen bug. Is gas mileage good, does oil go fast? everything and anything please?
I live in cali, it doesn't rain much, but it will be my first car and only car. I'm 19

Answers
1)   If you plan on using it as a daily driver, look elsewhere unless you know how to perform minor repairs and tweaks. It's 42 years old, you can't drive a car like this every day unless you can wrench a little. Did you have a look at the floorpans? Old VW's rust very easily, it's hard to find one with decent floors. They're extremely well on gas, they get between 30-40 mpg, sometimes more if you're on the highway. One thing you need to know is the fact that the old air-cooled VWs' heaters don't work. They just don't. VW could never really correct the problem on their own, but some aftermarket companies are selling kits to retrofit old air-cooled VWs.

Any old car is going to burn oil, you need to ask the owner if the engine is original. Companies like Mid-America Motorworks and EMPI sell brand new crate engines for air-cooled VWs, they also sell new reproduction parts for just about everything on your car. If the car runs okay, and the body and floors are rust-free, it should be a nice secondary car. Just don't make it your daily driver if you don't know to work on cars. - Skag Baron™

2)   There's really no heater, no AC, headlights are as bright as .....can't drive above 60 mph, death trap, etc....

It takes holds like 2 quarts of oil. After 3000 miles the oil light comes on and you'll check, you have a cup of oil left. No need to open the oil pan to change the oil, just pour new oil. Well, once in a while you should clean the bottom of the pan/dish.

It's a cool car to drive tho...don't think the mpg is all that great 25 maybe. - Kenny

3)   A 68 VW Bug and what how it does all of the things you ask depends on how much car work you can do or how much money do you want to spend to let others do the work for you. It will need its spark plugs cleaned and checked every 3000 miles. Valve clearances will need adjusted. The points will need to be check often too, filed and reset in order to get good performance and good mpg's.
It will develop engine oil leaks that are easy to fix. Uncared for VW's leak oil and run poorly. But those that grew up with them love them.
The thing that I don't like about these cars in the propensity for roll over. - Old Man Dirt

4)   Idk but I have a old vw work shop right near me cause Im buying one too but the people over there said that any vw bug passed 64 are horrible and are hard to fix thats why Im getting a 63 so idk i hope you find a good car. - Gold

5)   Pros:
Easy to work on
Will run forever if you maintain it
Good mileage for an inexpensive car
parts are easy to find
easy to find a mechanic for major repairs
easy to modify
great car to learn how to keep a car running forever
inexpensive parts available
IRS rides nice
Ball joint front end is good for the street
12 volt already
electronic ignition is only $45 and super easy to install (no more points adjusting)

Cons:
Old car
rust in pan (replacement parts are easy to get)
NEEDS general maintenance every 3000 miles (oil change and valves adjusted....less than an hour of time total)
Easy to steal
no AC



I have owned many old air cooled VWs over the years and still own a few. I drive a 1973 VW Thing (more or less a bug with a different body) daily by choice. In the last year, I have replaced the throttle cable twice, adjusted the valves 3 times and did 3 oil changes. I also upgraded the generator to an alternator and installed a Webber progressive carb. I get 26mpg and cruise at 70mph on the freeway every day, It is a GREAT car - Rod Knocker

6)   You also should compare car insurance quotes for cars before buying one, for example here - carinsurance.deep-ice.com - Vins


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Question 2
ive fitted 18'' alloys on my vw passat with 225/40/18 tyres and ive got a sound like wind blowing or something?...  hello all ive fited some 18'' alloys on my 2006 passat and ive got a sound when driving.not shaking or anything,the sound its like a whizing or roaring.the tyres size is 225/40/18.someone told that tyres should be 235 wide.can someone tel me if i should change tyres or its somethig minor.

Answers
1)   The reason you have that noise is because you have sacrificed comfort for looks and low profile tyres. Most cars fitted with low profile tyres and larger wheels are noisier than their original design, also they are a lot less comfortable with regards to the type of ride you get. My Passat has the original spec wheels, which I agree look crap, but it is one of the most comfortable cruisers i've ever owned and there is little road noise either. You might get some improvement by changing tyres but its a long shot. - Huge

2)   Sit tight. Enjoy the new look to your car and turn the music up high. After a while you will not be aware of the increase in noise. I have a set of 245/40/18 on a V8 Lexus and they whistle away all day. - Snowy

3)   tyre noise. common problem when using cheap ones. - Wat a Hero

4)   You don't say if you fitted brand new tyres / wheels or second hand ones.
Used tyres could be unevenly worn so causing noise.
Or new tyres could be a low price make - suggest you switch to new Avon ZV5 - they are currently the quietest tyres on the market - about £400 for 4. - CDC

5)   yes, it should be 235/40r18. Your speedometer & odometer/trip meter will read fast as a result.

the "roaring" of the tires is from the tread design of the tires. There are quieter tires out there, they don't look "racy" but, are nice and quiet such as:

Kumho ECSTA LX Platinum
Bridgestone Turanza Sereneity - cant_think_of_1


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Question 3
How much would insurance be on a 1998 white vw cabrio under my mom's name, but im covered to drive it.?...  yeeeea. well I just bought my car and my mom is going to insure it. she's about 38. so just wondering how much it would be to have me covered when I drive it. (: im 16. its a convertible.
my mom i think has a clean record and she is married

Answers
1)   Let me tell you, the newer the car is and the more it is worth, the more insurance will be. If your mom has a clean driving record, and is married, it shouldn't be all that much. It will be more if you are on it because you are an unmarried girl under 25. That's how my insurance company, Farmers, does it. When I first started driving, I had a Volvo and the insurance rates were outrageous, but that's because I was a young guy, unmarried under 25. But it ended up cheaper to put me on our 1969 Camaro, instead of my 89 Volvo. Basically, the younger you are, and the more your car is worth and how much it will cost to fix in the event of an accident, the more expensive your insurance will be. - bw626

2)   hey ,

Get free quotes for your auto insurance.This is the cheapest website .

http://MyFreeAutoQuotes.Info


Hope I'll help - Cara Stone

3)   For the situation like yours,I would like to suggest you have a look here   www.Autoinsurancepro.info   ,you should find something useful. - STEPHEN A

4)   http://www.autoinsuranceestimate.info/ has a few questions and they will give you an estimate from a ton of different car insurance companies with the lowest price. - Melina Morgan

5)   Help yourself - you can check your quotes in internet, for example here - autoinsurance.noneto.com - Phil


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Question 4
white smoke starting to come out of the exhaust and my vectra b is over heating?...  

Answers
1)   head gasket probably gone - kt

2)   Head Gasket problem maybe...not a good sign. Sorry! xx - Amanda

3)   agreed headgasket - lambo11293

4)   If its really bad smoke then could be piston rings gone. If its a bit of white smoke then most likely steam, where water has leaked through the head gasket into the block and is being burnt up. Check your oil filler cap for white gunge. If there is some then most likely head gasket has failed and needs replacing. - Stephen P

5)   The best way to check the head gasket is to borrow/rent a cooling system pressure tester.
It is basically a pump and gauge that replaces the radiator cap.
You pump it up beyond normal pressure, like 25 psi, and see if it holds pressure for a 5 minutes.
It is doesn't, you have a leak some where, and you can probably see where.
(make sure you have filled the cooling system first, or else leaks are hard to find.)
If you don't see the leak but the pressure drops, then it could be the head gasket.
One thing to do then is pull the plugs and look for water in in the cylinder, or look for water in the oil.
Final thing is to then start the engine and see if the gauge jumps back and forth, which would mean one cylinder compression was leaking into the cooling system.
Another possibility would be to do a compression check, but that won't always catch a small head gasket leak that only fails under pressure.

But it is also possible you are just seeing steam from a cold engine, and the overheating could be a bad thermostat. - Motorhead


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Question 5
How often do i need to change the oil in my volkswagen passat?...  Hi! I have a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. I had previously thought that I need to change my oil ever 3 months or 3000 miles. I read online today that I only need to change my oil every 5000 or at least once a year. Can someone clarify that for me? Thanks a million!
Thanks for your input...much appreciated!

Answers
1)   Follow the manual. VW built the car they would be the expert on how to take care of it properly. They don't see any benefit to recommending a shorter interval since they don't do oil changes. But if they make them too far apart and cars start breaking down they will get a reputation for poor quality and if its under warranty it would cost them a fortune to fix them all.

Nobody except the oil change places recommend a 3k/3 month interval. Its in their best interest to convince people to do it as often as possible because thats how they make money. - emiller1998

2)   Hi! I own and love my '06 VW GTI. It has the 2.0 liter turbocharged engine.
You did not specify which engine your Passat has, but most Passats sold have the 2.0 turbo .
My manual states to change oil every 10k.
Thats about once a year for me. I am not comfortable with this. So I change my oil and filter every 5k.
It only costs me $75 to let dealer do it for me. So I believe an extra $ 75 per year is not going to bankrupt me. Think of it as cheap insurance.
I tell myself that its mainly for the turbocharger, but even if it wasn't a turbo , I'd still do it.
I just clicked 60,000 miles on my GTI and its stronger than ever! I want to keep it that way.
Well, thats my opinion; hope it helps. - fenton

3)   I would suggest twice a year, with thinner oil in the winter and thicker oil in the summer.
That is mostly because of the difficulty starting in cold weather.
Since most people put on about 12,000 a year, that would be about every 6,000 miles.

However, if I had a turbo charger, I would use synthetic and then only change oil once a year.
That is because a turbo charger really needs the best possible oil, and really good oil is not effected by weather as much. - Motorhead

4)   the manual says:

5,000
10,000
20,000 & every 10,000 miles thereafter

However, engines is prone to causing excessive fuel dilution (and burning oil) from the direct injection system..... when the oil is has excessive fuel dilution, the protective properties of the oil go down the drain, causing long term wear to the engine. Best to do it every 5,000 miles to be safe.

Quoting the manual again... use a oil that meets VW502.00 specification and it is good year-round - cant_think_of_1


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