Is an old VW bug a good first car for a 16 year old?

Question 1
Is an old VW bug a good first car for a 16 year old?...  I am in love with the old VW bugs, & have thought of it as my dream car. I just want to know if it is a good first car for me starting out, & if it's safe enough. I'm talking about the 1960's VW bugs

Answers
1)   Waffen SS Stormtrooper is history! - One Dollar

2)   No, VWs always need fixing even if it looks nice, u will be poring lots of $$$$$ and time, so if your rich then yes buy it if not then buy a used hatchback honda it will run good low maintance good gas milage and it would look nice rapped around u - mike g

3)   I would say to get a car you like, because you will take better care of it. I loved my first car, and I still do. My friend got a really cheap old car that he didn't like and he crashed it in, like, the first few months of owning it. Remember that most people crash their first car and so it might be better not to get the best car until you know you can really take care of it. Not that you would crash your car, but, statistically speaking. - Sarah; MissPrin

4)   I think that that car is more of a toy than a first car. - theman

5)   In a short word, no. The problem is that time has passed the air cooled original Beetle by. Even VW gave up trying to update it, as newer designs were cheaper to build, offered by economy and power and were safer in an accident. Also, the Beetle never had a full automatic transmission anywhere that I am aware of; so, you'd have to be able to drive with a manual transmission. A lot of people don't know how to drive a standard transmission and that's a problem for some parking attendants. I know because I attended a party and they had valet parking, but the parking attendant couldn't drive my car, so they left it where I put it!

The big problem is that safety has changed cars a lot in the last thirty two years since the last VW original Beetle was sold in the US (1979 or 80). The Beetle has almost no frontal crash protection, no abs, no air bags, roll over protection (the last few years of the Beetle in the US were convertibles), low power, so-so fuel economy, and a very touchy Bosch fuel injection system that was problem prone that was used from 1975 onwards. (though some people switched the engine over to carburetter system).

In stock form they are very slow; even the 60 BHP bug motor took nearly 19 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standing start, today the slowest car is a Smart car and that took just over 14 seconds to reach 60 mph, with an average subcompact being around 9.0 seconds or so. Or, to put it another way, the average subcompact is 50% faster in acceleration than the late 60's stock bug. Yes, you can modify the motor and/or the fuel system and get a fair amount of power boost in the process, but it will take money, time and effort to do this. And, don't forget that fuel economy goes down as the power goes up. Also, other design faults can be a serious issue depending upon circumstance: poor heating/defrosting, drum brakes that need frequent adjustment, minor engine tune ups every six months with a valve adjustment, no power brakes, steering, windows, cruise control, some years no rear window defroster and the list goes on and on.

While its true that some issues can be dealt with; i.e., brakes with an after market disc brake conversion kit, the defroster by adding a electric blower and adjusting the heater defroster cables and or flaps and/or sheet metal at the heat exchanger, etc; all of these things will take time and money to make the as reliable and comfortable as a recent vintage used car.

Also, although it isn't hard to work on Beetle (other than the fuel injection system), in many areas, people haven't seen one in a long time, so qualified techs to repair it are getting scarce. I haven't worked on one in over ten years.

The good is that parts are plentiful and fairly cheap, can be ordered on the web and if you join one of many chapters of VW owners club, you'll be able to find someone who can help you maintain the car. They remain very popular and fairly cheap to buy and run (all things considered), but as daily transportation, I think you ought to pass and get something newer and safer to drive. You should have a car that will protect you well in case of an accident. A car can be replaced, you can't.

Hope this helps, a car nut. - a car nut

6)   A '64 bug was my first car, at your age, but I wouldn't give my daughter one now. They're just too light and too OLD now! They never were safe cars to drive -- I think the concept of "defensive driving" was conceived just for their drivers -- and they're no longer economically feasible. See if you can find a used Honda. - Bryce

7)   Any car that runs is a good car in my opinion. Just have it checked out and keep in mind that with an older car depending on how well it was previously taken care of it may have issues associated with being a car that is 40-50 years old. Also yourself a favor and locate some place that specializes in working on Aircooled VWs. From what I understand they are pretty easy to work on so you may be able to pick up a manual and if you are mechanically inclined you may be able to work on it yourself. Also join an online forum related to Bugs.

VWVortex is a site that I am on and its has helped save me money (its a VW enthusiat site)
I say this because I own a VW scirocco and being apart of an online forum dealing with my car has saved me money and time.

Good luck - lt991


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Question 2
Must I use premium gas in my VW?...  We purchased a gently used/certified 2008 VW Passat yesterday. I had a 2003 Jetta before (my trade in) and always used unleaded gas. My Mom has a 2008 Touareg and also uses unleaded, as does my Grandma who has a 2009 Tiguan. I am assuming that the VW dealership filled my car up with premium gas. Is it really absolutely necessary to use premium gas, or is that just a recommendation? My husband (an experienced mechanic) says that it will perform better on premium as it was designed to get that kind of gas.

Will it harm my car if I use unleaded? I always buy my gas from Kroger or Randalls (grocery store deals).

Answers
1)   Look - any certified VW dealer or service outlet should know! Just ask/phone them and give them the model of your car. Certain high performance cars run badly on regular gas and therefore high octane gasoline is recommended. - Sigi H

2)   if your manuel says to use premium then you should be using it. if its meant to run on premium and you put cheap gas in you could start to hear a ping. The car will run better on premium also. I used to have a car that could run on 87. but i din't like the way it ran so i put 93 in - Bill

3)   It's not a law, but you'll like the increased performance if you do. - chasm

4)   It is recommended to use premium gasoline in many newer cars nowadays as the engine runs smoother and there's a power increase as well. You can use standard unleaded but it's not recommended. - Murcie_LP640


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Question 3
Is this a good price for an old 74' VW bug?...  See link http://volkswagentrader.com/listman/listings/l0123.html
& tell me what you think. I'm 16 years old and I am looking at this as my first car.

Answers
1)   i dont lik bugs but 5 grand is a ok price for a fully restored one i gues theres so many of them u never kno wat bargin u can get - Jhon

2)   couild try looking on www.thesamba.com,and compare what you are looking at to what is on thesamba.than you can get a better idea. - KAM

3)   upon first looking at the add and the small pics, i was thinking yes. especially for a 1974 in California, which is the VW Mecca of the USA. but then seeing the double barrel Weber carb i kind of changed my mind.

so your 16 and a girl i take it? do you have any mechanical experience of know-how with cars of any kind? VW's can be expensive to maintain if you do not do the work at home by yourself. every 3000 miles you have to, change oil and oil strainer, adjust valves, adjust carburetor if necessary, adjust the brake shoes, check timing, points, condenser, check and gap the plugs if needed. you also need to check the oil at least once a week. if you dont you will kill the engine in no time at all.

So, if you are willing to work on the car and take care of the car consider buying this one. there are thousands of them for sale in California alone. dont jump on the first car you see that you can afford. shop around and get the best deal you can. and look around on the samba for a car.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/search.php?submit=yes&keywords=&type=text&stype=all&username=&yearfrom=&yearto=&pricefrom=&priceto=&model[]=&section[]=65&section[]=1&section[]=3&wanted=show&zip=&zipdist=0&state[]=&usaregion=&country=&sort=date&sort_order=DESC&submitButton=Search - Air-Cooled (o\ ! /o)


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Question 4
how much would a classic volkswagen beetle cost?...  

Answers
1)   Yes. - Cereal Killer

2)   Look at Samba.com I've seen them from $500.00 up to $40,000. - hotvw1914cc

3)   depends on the year the condition the location and what the seller wants for it.

anywhere from FREE to $50,000

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/search.php?submit=yes&keywords=&type=text&stype=all&username=&yearfrom=&yearto=&pricefrom=&priceto=&model[]=&section[]=65&section[]=1&section[]=3&wanted=show&zip=&zipdist=0&state[]=&usaregion=&country=&sort=date&sort_order=DESC&submitButton=Search - Air-Cooled (o\ ! /o)


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Question 5
2000 VW Jetta Gls 2.0 rough idle and dies.?...  i just bought a 2000 Jetta GLS with 99K miles, when i start the car it has a low idle at first, like its about to die, then settles at 900rpm, then i give it gas and it is shutter like its gonna die, and when im stopped at a stop sign or making a turn it will die, and the battery light comes on. I checked the battery and alternator there both good, i cleaned the MAF sensor, and unplugged it and the motor runs the same, so i dont think thats it. Also i have a code of p1580, im not sure if this has to do with the motor running like it is. Another thing is when im driving and i am accelerating and abruptly let off the gas it jerks, not side to side but like fwd, im very frustrated and would appreciate any help.
-Also-
when the car idles its at 800rpm, and when i get it gas while parked, i rev it up to about 3K and then let off gas and it goes down to 500-600rpm, and then stalls out. Could it be a clogged fuel filter, or catalytic converter, or maybe even bad spark plugs? im just guessing, i really need help with this.

Answers
1)   check throttle body - Discover

2)   what discover said :D - A

3)   i have ad the same problem. start with a simple fuel filter as its only about 12 dollars for the part and can be changed in about 5 minutes. if it still does it, have the catalytic converter looked at. if its gets clogged up it will cause the same problems because the car cant release the exhaust properly and causes the engine to starve for air. - baldwin


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