Would a VW thing be a good 1st car?

Question 1
Would a VW thing be a good 1st car?...  drive 50 miles a day to school in back. 40 highway, 10 city.

Answers
1)   The VW thing stopped being imported because it couldn't pass U.S. safety standards. I sure wouldn't consider it a good first car, especially for someone who has a long commute everyday. - mustanger

2)   yes. Its my first car. and i loveee my beetle :) :)
mine is like 11 years old with a hundred or so thousand miles and it runs basically like new.
get one :)

find one you want and go on youtube or something and look up the crash test for that year and model. - blah

3)   I once owned a Thing! Believe it was a 1973 model. Here are some pro's;
Its a convertible. The windshield folds flat. The doors can be removed ; all 4 of them.
Gets decent MPG abt. 27. Fun to drive. Looks cool ; to me anyway. The interior can be hosed down with water. Mine was super reliable. Find the best one you can; dont accept a rusted, abused one.
Parts are available because the engine/transmission etc. was from the Beetle.
However body parts will probably be scarce. VW only built it for abt. 4 or 5 years. They stopped because sales went down, not because of safety issues, it was as safe as any other small car available at the time. Of course today it would be considered unsafe. No airbags, door impact supports, etc. Very easy to work on.
Cons; Loud inside. Cheap top. It had a heater that was powered by gasoline.The heater was terribly unreliable. Very slow; it only had abt. 50 HP. Hard to find one that is in good shape.
I think it would be a good 1st car if you can find a good example. One that had TLC and was well-maintained.
However, I would like to state that its a 70's car and as such will not do well in crash tests; compared to modern cars, any 70's car is not going to perform well in front or side impacts. IMO the Thing is best used as a week-end driver. Not for commuting.
Before you buy , have it checked out by a mechanic that is knowledgable with old Beetles. - fenton

4)   i dont think so i think u should buy a chevy or a ford something cheaper cuzz VW is nicee but the parts and mantenience are very expensivee - Gabriel

5)   Prob. not..

Your driving about 1100 miles per month in a car that is not designed for long commutes.

The noise factor is greater then even the VW Beetles, the suspension is a bit stiffer (more bumping) and the convertible roof and solid windows will not make for the greatest warmth in the world if you are in a cold area at winter.

Add to that the initial price which will be fairly high because this is a collectible car and it does not make it a great choice for a daily driver.

If you want to go with the VW.. buy a classic bug. Same engine and so on, but a better ride, more comfort then then thing, and easier to maintain (lots of parts available vs. the rare thing), plus the bug will also hold its value if you care for it.

either way.. enjoy the ride - ca_surveyor

6)   I drive my 1973 type 181 daily and love it. I have many other vehicles I could drive, but the Thing is the most fun. I do about 60 miles a day in it and do not have many problems (I have to replace the throttle cable about every 3 or 4 months because I need a new cable housing tube so it wears through and snaps $6 fix)
My Thing has the stock 1600 in it (tired and still gets 24.2mpg) that has never been rebuilt. I love the convertible top and how easy the windows come out and fit under the hood up front. Parts are cheap and easy to find. The car is easy to work on and requires minimal service (oil change and valve adjustment every 3000 miles....about 30 minutes for everything)
I have owned bugs, buses, squarebacks and 2 Things over the years and the Things are the best!
If you do not like the idea of an air cooled engine, it is easy enough to transplant a Toyota, Honda or Subaru water pumper into it. You can also ad A/C if desired. - Rod Knocker

7)   i would try for something with a little better i recomend the ford fusion or taurus (new) bett er economy and more stylish or go for a used camry or corrolla - Chris


___________________________________________________

Question 2
My 1999 New Beetle sputters at idle?...  So my automatic 1999 New Beetle...which I know hate with a passion has yet another issue. ( I swear there is always something wrong with it) It sputters at idle... and it even rocks backwards and forwards a bit...but accelerates fine.. it's worse when it's rainy..I think it may be the injectors...or the timing but Im not sure... The check engine light is on and flashes every once and a while.
I refuse to take it to the dealer so I hope this is something that i can fix (I have some expirene fixing desiel..but not much with gas) The dealership charges way too much and are assholes... I rather have a headache for trying to fix the damn thing then pay them another cent.
So if you have an idea of what may be wrong...can you provide a link for nstructon on how to fix it?

Answers
1)   when the check engine light flashes

that usually means the engine is misfiring

so.
could be
spark plugs
spark plug wires..
etc.. - Y/A™

2)   First of all, why are you taking it to the dealer?
Dealers only want to sell new cars, and are required to fix them in order to do that, but they don't want to work on cars and are not good at it or affordable.

VW has the largest number of independent mechanics of any auto brand, and the most important advise I can give is to start taking advantage of that.
Find a dependable independent shop.

Second is that when a car runs badly on rainy days, it is almost always bad spark plug wires, or cap and rotor.
You could also clean the plugs and set them to a smaller gap, like .035" or so.

Timing is worth checking, because it is easy and you get more power if you advance timing as much as possible.

But not likely to be injectors. They don't get better and worse, but stay consistent. - Motorhead

3)   Try replacing the coil pack and if you feel like it, the wires and plugs at the same time, since you are already right there, oh yeah, and how about that ground wire for the coil pack too, that causes cylinder activation faults. That usually takes care of the problem. - Sydrell

4)   As a VW technician, I can say that not everyone in a dealership is an *sshole. Most likely your problem is a leaking coil pack. If it is a 2.0 Litre, run the engine at idle and spray water over the coil pack and plug wires. If the engine runs rougher, or you see sparks, you have found your problem. If it is a 1.8L, the best way is to have it scanned for misfire faults (most auto parts stores will do this for free). The coils are known for causing this problem. The difference between them is the 2.0L has a coil pack and plug wires, the 1.8L has an individual coil for each cylinder. Hope this helps! - Moose

5)   why don't you just find a vw mechanic or a foreign car mechanic?
you can also buy a service manual(from any car store or the dealer) - blah


___________________________________________________

Question 3
I have 2002 passat that broke timing belt this is a v6 automatic transmission is there any valve clearance l?...  

Answers
1)   There has got to be valve clearance or the engine would not run ,but with the timing belt breaking it could have have damage the valves ,and you can't tell until you strip down the head . - keith p

2)   You have me confused, because the VR6 is driven by chain and not a timing belt.
The 2002 Passat did come in a 16 valve 4 cylinder version that had a timing belt.
But I just did one of those on a Golf GTI, and there were recesses in each piston to prevent valve damage.
Perhaps the Passat version may be interference fit, even though other VW models are not, but unlikely.
However there is nothing at risk to simply trying a new belt.
It only takes a half hour, and you need to buy a new belt anyway. - Motorhead

3)   If the car was driving when the belt broke, there is an 80% chance the valves are bent, you first need to verify that by putting a new belt on and starting it, if it runs smooth, luck bastard, if not, valves are bent, you can replace the bent valves or 2 used heads. When its all back together, make sure you have replaced the timing belt tensioners, rollers, thermostat, water pump, idler etc, or you could have the problem again with 10k miles - Sydrell

4)   The 2002 Passat didn't come with a VR6 motor. The 2.8L V6 is an interference motor, as in, if the belt breaks, the valves and pistons will make contact. You can always try a new belt and hope you got lucky (I suggest not taking it to the guy who said it only takes 30 minutes, because it takes a little bit longer than that). Unfortunately, the V6 isn't too forgiving when it comes to bending valves. - Moose

5)   The Passat has an interference engine, when the timing belt breaks, the valves and pistons collide. In other words, your engine is going to require some serious work in order to get it back in running order. - Ronald


___________________________________________________

Question 4
i have a clacking or clicking sound in my 73 beetle engine, what can it be?...  Today i changed the accelerator cable and everything was working smooth. My dad opened my air filter up and he believes he might of dropped something in there which could be the source of the clacking noise. i know i need to replace my timing belt but i don't think it could be that, i don't know. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Answers
1)   pull the air cleaner assembly and dump it out. if the air cleaner is mounted on top of the engine and you ran it, it's too late if he did drop something in there - brian d

2)   A clicking or tapping noise can usually be attributed to your tappets or lifters. This is because you have either let your oil age far too long and it has lost it's viscosity or you put far too slick of oil (Example: 5w20 in an engine that takes 10w30). The lifter's and tappets are in your valvetrain and sit on top of your valves allowing equal amounts of oil into the cylinders around the pistons so they are properly lubricated.

Letting this problem go too long can cause some problems in your engine, minor or even serious.

Talk to a mechanic and ask him to listen to your engine, if I am correct, ask him how much it will be to repair. If it is too costly for right-now-repair, the best thing you can do is put proper oil for your engine and a high-end oil filter and keep changing your oil before it gets old (3 months of city driving is usually normal). There are also additives that you can buy at auto stores that stop the tapping temporarily, but I wouldn't bother if the tapping isn't too loud.

If it is CLACKING you hear, and you are afraid that your timing belt may be going, there is a good chance your firing sequence may be out of kilter and you're hearing a misfire or a sparkplug firing with no fuel/air to ignite it.

The air filter is a vacuum, anything dropped in it would either be drawn to the intake manifold or be sucked up against an elbow in your intake, so if you're driving and you're hearing this, I wouldn't bet on it being a foreign object. - Kurtis

3)   first of there is NO TIMING BELT only a fan belt. if he thinks he dropped something in there first place to check is the carb, since the object might not have made it to the heads. check the valve clearance since they should be checked/adjusted at every oil change. if you adjust the valves and still have the clicking noise, you'll need to pull the heads to look for any foreign matter that you think is in there and inspect the cylinder walls, cylinder head, and the heads for damage if you do find something. could be a spun bearing also. does the clicking sound deep in the engine or more on the upper end. where the sound comes from can mean many different things to check. check for crankshaft end play at the pulley. if there is more than i think 2-3mm you're ready for a rebuild

if you can post a video or something on youtube so we can hear what you mean my clicking

bad rod bearing....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOYNJFL1bRE&NR=1
loose rod.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOYNJFL1bRE&NR=1 - Air-Cooled ACVW

4)   STOP ware you are there is NO timing belt. the tapping is a valve either loose or one that is burned. first take the valve cover off and adjust the valves. BUY A MANUEL FROM THE PART STORE.don't drive the beetle.and follow the instructions. the belt you see is a generator belt that has to be in place to run the car or it will over heat. timing is run off a gear in side the engine that never need to be changed. - Jarod C

5)   A couple of ideas....

1) There is no timing belt on a 73 beetle. Do you mean the fan belt... ?

2) If your dad dropped something in the AIR cleaner that is no big deal. If he dropped it into the Carb. that is a major problem if it is metal and makes it to the valves.. (which would then click and clatter, by the way, as they try to pass it.

3) If your dad only dropped it inot the air cleaner, then I would sugges that maybe you need to have your valves adjusted. This is something that should be checked on a regular basis anyway.

4) If your fan belt is worn, it could be hitting/slapping something.

5) When you pulled the accelerator cable thru did you push the tube back into place? If not, it may be rubbing on your engine fan inside the housing. The tube should fit flush against the fan cage.

hope those help... - ca_surveyor


___________________________________________________

Question 5
i have a 70 dune buggy with a 4 speed can i put a porsche auto trannmission in ti?...  

Answers
1)   only if it's a porsche buggy - brian d

2)   Why don't you put a VW automatic in it, it will be a lot easier. - djaca70

3)   Only if you are looking to burn up the motor. Stay with the stick. - Kyle F

4)   If the auto is out of a 70's air cooled Porsche(914), it will not be too much work to swap. If it is out o0f a newer 911, it is not worth the effort. Find a fastback or bug with a stick o matic and use that. - Rod Knocker


___________________________________________________