My teenager really wants a vw bug. Is this a solid, reliable car?

Question 1
My teenager really wants a vw bug. Is this a solid, reliable car?...  
Would a manual be better than an automatic? Less problems?

Answers
1)   Post-72, I think, went to hydraulic lifters. I had a '63 (dang, I miss it) that dropped one...went through the top of the piston & out the crankcase. But they are cool little cars. The new "Beetles" (they don't deserve that name) are lame-o suck-mobiles. - Bungholio

2)   the short answer is no.
new or old they all have problems. I'm a big fan of pre 65 bugs but even they brake nonstop. the new bugs (98+) are full of electrical problems. thats why the resale is so cheap on them. if your kid wants something they don't have to work on, you better stay away from vw all together.

i know alot of die hard VW guys are gonna say I'm full of it, but they brake all the time. I'm a mechanic and i work on alot of vw, new and old and i have owned 4 vw's both new and old - irishwyrick

3)   Solid....depends on the rust
reliable...yes, as long as you do the regular maintenance...it will teach your child how to properly care for a vehicle...VW or not.

I drive a 1973 VW Thing daily (by choice, I have many cars). I bought the car 1.5 years ago in pieces. I have been driving it daily for 14 months. In that time, I have changed it to an alternator (the generator died), replaced 3 throttle cables (about 5 minutes on the side of the road) because I need a new throttle pedal, changed the oil regularly and adjusted the valves when I change the oil (about 30 minutes every 4 months). Over all, it is a great car. I have no idea how many miles are on the engine, but it still runs decent (just as good as the day I got it started).

I have owned way too many VWs over the years (I drove a 64 bug in college, a 66 before then, a Manx as a spare car and a different Thing before this one, and am currently building a type 3) and always seem to go back to the air cooled VWs. I even have a split window bus 7' off the ground as a tree house for my kids.

Once my son is old enough to drive, I am willing to bet that his first car will be a VW. He helps me out in the shop on our other projects too, but he has been bitten by the VW bug too.

All in all, an air cooled VW is a great first car if you want your child to learn about cars and not be reliant on garages that like to rip people off. John Muir makes a great VW guide line service manual. - Rod Knocker

4)   VW's are well built, reliable cars. They are also very safe vehicles especially in a crash situation. They are more expensive to maintain because the parts are made and come from Germany. the engines are well made. With proper maintenance they will last well over 150,000 miles. - jeffrey

5)   Short answer NO. If you want reliable go with a Japanese made vehicle instead of European made
they Cost less to maintain shops don't charge as much and parts are cheaper good luck hope you make the smart choice - Victor

6)   if its new yes old NO! all new german cars r solid n reliable n safe they hav 2 go though a E.U. test befor being sold. - Simon Watson


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Question 2
what kind of eng oil does a volkswagon jeta use?...  looking for the correct eng oil

Answers
1)   what engine does it have and is it petrol or diesel? - Toyko autoSalooooon

2)   10 W30 OR 20 W30 WILL BE FINE BUT YOU CAN ALSO ASK THE ATTENDANT AT THE AUTO PARTS STORE....DO YOU HAVE THE OWNERS MANUAL?? IT SHOULD TELL YOU, BUT IDE JUST GO ASK THE GUY AT THE PARTS STORE ITLL BE QUIKER - bongo

3)   Use 5W-40 as an all around engine oil for the Jetta. The W stands for "Winter" and is the winter viscosity of the oil compared to water (a weight of 1). The oil is thin in cold weather to improve circulation in cold weather starts. If you are at a very cold climate (Canada or above) you can go to a 0W-40 oil. The weights of the oil should match you climate and your engine.

If you have gotten a recall warning for engine failure due to oil sludge or jelling (My Toyota has one) it is good to go to a synthetic oil as soon as the car has broken in (about 5000 miles).

I really believe in synthetics... it is the best insurance you can provide your car for longevity. If you have a turbo the synthetics are expecially important because they are better at withstanding the high temperatures in a turbo (the engine oil is used to cool and lubricate the turbo bearings operating at 100,000 RPM). - depeople

4)   Oil changes after the warranty period, and even during it are perfectly OK to do or have done. Unless the engine is a diesel (which uses only the expensive artificial oil) then it depends upon the number of miles and condition of the motor. Newer cars take 10W-30 unless it is very cold, in which case you might switch to 5W-30 for easier starting. As the engine wears, you would move up to 15W-50 to avoid loosing oil around the piston rings, and to create a little more compression.
I have always taken my Volkswagens into the dealer because while they are doing things as simple as oil changes, they might hear a noise they have heard before and save a big repair bill. I learned the hard way when I was taking my '91 Passat to a very good mechanic who mis-diagnosed a noise as cam followers, costing me $1500. The noise was still there, and a VW mechanic listened for 10 seconds, and said "your water pump is broken." The plastic vanes did not make a normal broken water pump sound.
I do not believe everything the mechanics tell me though. I have been more correct on several occasions. - Josepha

5)   It takes 10W30. I also would recommend that you change the oil every 3,000 miles. - laburnic


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Question 3
Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111?...  What does the ABS light mean when it comes on, I also have another light coming on, it's a triangle with an exclamation mark inside of it and a circle around it, and b-side those two lights i have a light that looks like an engine that has a lighting bolt in the middle so i thought that was my check engine light.
ok, please explain what these mean and the seriousness of getting them fixed and just elaborate on everything b/c Idk anything about cars and i have no manual and money is tight so if i can avoid taking my car to the shop then that's what I'd prefer!

I have a 2000 VW Jetta? I don't have a car manual witch is why i am asking

Answers
1)   the abs is your brakes, the exclamation is (i think) your service warning light the engine light is either an engine malfunction or exhaust/emissions problem.
basically, it needs a full service and soon - tike

2)   Ah yes, welcome to VW. (I've got a 99 passat and I love it) Well the ABS light means it's your ABS module, you can search but I know there are places that rebuild the module for about $150. The lighting bolt through the engine is indeed you CEL, and you should go to autozone or pepboys and get the code read for free. I believe the exclamation point in circle is your brake pads, the Jetta actually has a senor that tells you when you need new ones. I'd take care of the ABS (that's cheap anyway) and definitely brake pads, and maybe your CEL is just because your gas cap isn't on tight enough or something little like that. Good luck. - Dan

3)   ABS is Anti-Lock Brake System. The light illuminated on your dash indicated you have a system malfunction. Usually its a bad sensor. The system is disabled. You can still drive your car safely...it doesnt have ABS though you can still stop. The Circle with the exclaimation is the traction control. ABS and traction control work off the same wheels sensors. You can still drive you car. You will just spin the tires if you lose traction. The engine with the lightning bolt mean you have a faulty sensor in the engine. Have a scan done at the dealership and they will fix you all up.
Drive safely. - josh d

4)   The ABS light comes on when one of the sensors in the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) detects a malfunction. This is a serious problem because whenever this light is on you anti-lock brake system will not work. Your regular brakes will work to stop your car, but if you have to make a sudden stop and the wheels start to skid the abs will not kick in. If you vehicle has traction control it will also be disabled when the abs system stops working. The second light that is on, the triangle with an exclamation mark and a circle around it, is the warning light for the traction control.
You were right about the 3rd light it is the check engine light.
Unfortunately there is no easy fix for your problems. You will have to take your car to your local VW Dealer or a ASE Certified Repair Shop that has the equipment to diagnose your cars problems. Sometimes just 1 sensor could knock out both your ABS and Traction Control. The check engine light may also only be a problem with 1 sensor.
All of these lights are indications of problems with some of the systems on your car and must be addressed as soon as possible. As far as cost goes, you really have to have these systems diagnosed first before you will know what it will cost.
When you go to a repair shop make sure they give you a written estimate of all diagnostic charges before you let them look at your car. Find out what they charge per hour for labor. Also find out if the diagnostic charge will waved if you decide to have then repair your car. - 4x4street.com


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Question 4
VW BUG CAMPER........................................................................................?...  Where can i buy a vw bug camper? i dont want the van but the bug that is mixed with the camper?
Where can i buy a vw bug camper? i dont want the van but the bug that is mixed with the camper? if i have to special order it where can i do that at. thanks

Answers
1)   I think that was a special order item. You might look on Craigs list. - clncarplz

2)   I've seen them before in magazines, but any car you see like this is something that was built in a garage by a couple of guys. VW never made a Type 1 Camper, which is why a handful of people got the crazy idea to do it themselves. Basically, it's going to be extremely hard to find something like that. If you know how to wrench, you're better off building your own. If not, expect thousands upon thousands of dollars in parts/labor to have one made.


***EDIT you can't special order one, they're all custom vehicles. they were made by one or more people in a garage somewhere, they WERE NOT built by a VW factory in any way, shape or form. you need to understand this fact. you also need to understand that you're looking at about $10,000 in parts/labor to have one built. - Biff

3)   try www.thesamba.com - KAM

4)   This is about as close as I can find. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=971942 or this http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=999159 - Gerry


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Question 5
Can you turn a 1973 super beetle into a baja bug?...  im getting a 73 super beetle and I wanna turn it into a baja bug. but somone told me that you cant do it with them?

Answers
1)   You can do anything you want with a little work. Cut the fenders off and buy some off road parts. - Tyler

2)   Yes, but the S.B. front suspension isn't strong enough for off road. - hotvw1914cc

3)   i bought one a long time ago that i think registered as a 72. it was a kit, i guess. as far as the front suspension not being sturdy enough, i'm not so sure. i made the mistake of hitting a very tall curb(don't ask) at about forty miles per hour. aside from hitting my head on one of the tubes of the roll cage, and a shower of sparks from the battery(which was just forward of the passenger seat), it was ok. - edgar

4)   you can buy the after market fiberglass fenders and hood,rear deck lid,to make the body into a baja looking bug but you have struts on the front end and they will not hold up to the off road abuse.try www.cbperformance or www.pacificcustoms.com& try www.thesamba.com for parts and ideas. - KAM


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