Beetle

xxkarenxx

I am thinking it might be time to try and get my dream car, I am a woman so colour of the car is very important, it must be purple I have no experience of classics, and know nothing about cars in general other than how to drive them so the following are probably stupid questions so apologies in advance.

Is it possible to use a classic Beetle as your main car for day to day driving? I don't want one just for weekend use.
Must they be stored in a garage all the time?
What is the maintenance on a classic?
Is it easy enough to get insurance on one? I'm 27 with 10 years no claims bonus or would this even be relevant when insuring a classic?


I won't be buying one for a few months and obviously if it isn't practical then I will have to wait a few more years.

Thanks for any help!

homingbird

Hi xxkarenxx Beetles are very easy work on i have one & have replaced steering box & clutch myself with no experience .

carchaeologist

-Drive as many as you can to ge a feel for them, they will not drive like a modern car, its an aquired taste.

-Buy the best you can afford.

-Keep it garaged if you can, it will keep it in better shape.

-Being the age you are you will be able to get a classic policy for it if its your second car.

-Beetles are notorius rotters, bring along someone who knows them well, heater channels under the doors are a particular rot spot and are not easy to repair properly, plenty of bodgejobs out there.

-General maintenance is easy enough though.

kadman

Beetles are easy to maintain, parts are extremely cheap and plentiful, and they have a large following in Ireland. I use mine as my daily driver, along with, a VW fastback.

Like all classic cars, its a buyers market, and you will definitely have plenty of choice, for a relatively small budget.

Have a look at www.eircooled.com and you will get an idea of all the pro,s and cons of owning a beetle.

All classic cars are an acquired taste, but a beetle will grow on you.There,s normally a weekly meet in Dublin, so maybe pop over there, and ahve a chat with the gang:)

kadman

xxkarenxx

Thanks very much for the info. It is something I am dying to buy so I suppose I will keep an eye out and go for it.

The only classic I have driven is a Golf MkI so I have no clue really as to what a beetle would be like. I'll check out that link and go along to a meet Thanks again!

Tommyboy40

Go for your dreams karen, go to a meet and have a chat with a few experts and you might even meet someone to go look at a car with you

xxkarenxx

carchaeologist wrote: »

-Drive as many as you can to ge a feel for them, they will not drive like a modern car, its an aquired taste.

-Buy the best you can afford.

-Keep it garaged if you can, it will keep it in better shape.

-Being the age you are you will be able to get a classic policy for it if its your second car.

-Beetles are notorius rotters, bring along someone who knows them well, heater channels under the doors are a particular rot spot and are not easy to repair properly, plenty of bodgejobs out there.

-General maintenance is easy enough though.

So coming back to reality now after skipping off to ebay and the likes I have some more questions! What would be a good price for one? Realistically I would need one that needs no restoration or work done on it because I wouldn't have a clue where to start. And I don't know anyone that could help me with things like that.

I read that they should be serviced every 6 months, is this true? And would the cost be similar to that of a modern car service?

I'm not sure I would be in a position to insure one as a second car I will be insured on another car and a horse lorry, would this count towards my classic policy?

Keeping it garaged at this house wouldn't be much of a problem, I would have to juggle about some stuff but I do have a well insulated and secure garage so that box is ticked.

When you say general maintenance is easy, what type of maintenance? I really haven't a clue about engines other than where the washer water and the oil goes

Tommyboy40 wrote: »

Go for your dreams karen, go to a meet and have a chat with a few experts and you might even meet someone to go look at a car with you

I hadn't thought of that, I was only going to go and ogle cars! I've spent the last hour and a half looking at all the pictures

Sorry for all the questions but I am an awful impulse buyer

Kenny Logins

Servicing can be as little as an oil change and tune-up every 3,000 miles or so, along with checks on brakes etc. Very easy to do at home, or shouldn't cost much with a mechanic. No timing belts, water pumps or elaborate electrics and sensors to worry about,

As Kadman mentioned above, Eircooled meet up in Stillorgan (Eddie Rockets) on the first Wednesday of each month (you just missed them this month), head over there for a chat, they're a friendly bunch and I'm sure one of them will be happy to let you poke around their beetle and ask questions. The club also offers its members a discounted classic insurance scheme, which isn't expensive.

Price? Hard to say as the standards, specifications and history vary hugely...

Whatever you do, don't buy anything without having it checked over by somebody with experience of beetles first.

kadman

You wont need to insure another car, if you are named on another policy, or someone elses car. Some insurance companies will insure you without a second car as well.

Price wise, its a how long is a piece of string scenario. I,ve seen some beetles sold recently for as little as 2500, that needed no welding and no mechanical work done. You could go up to 7k, and get a vw fastback fully restored, or an immaculate beetle for 4k.

5 years ago, beetles that were selling at 4k-5k , are now selling at 2k-3k. I know that for a fact, as a family member bought one for low money. Sat in and drove it home.

As already mentioned, servicing is relatively easy, even for a newcomer. And there are plenty of club memebers on eircooled, only too willing to offer advice, or help in sourcing a beetle, if thats what you are keen on.

Properly serviced beetle mpg isn,t as horrific as some people imagine it to be. My own beetle is giving 37 mpg. Its a properly tuned 1300, my brother is getting over the 40 mark on a 1200 engine.

New and second hand parts are plentiful in ireland, and they dont cost the earth either.

kadman

MrFoxman360

Keep an eye on the Classic Car section of donedeal.ie, its the best source of classic cars really as different ones come up for sale every few days. One might catch your eye some day.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/find/vintagecars/for-sale/Ireland/beetle?source=all

I even see a nice enough 1970 one on there, in purple and everything



http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/2849197

(Can a mod fix the image, ^ ...I can never seem to get it right)

gfwd

Beetles don't do it for me but this looks a good one
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/2760765

There is a purple one on donedeal.ie for 1,995. Looks okay but as mentioned before you'll need someone who knows these cars to go and have a look at any car you view.

Kenny Logins

Another thing to watch out for if the car is purple; it almost certainly didn't start out that colour, and therefore the quality of the paint job must be scrutinised as it could be hiding something.

gfwd

True, the engine bay does have green or blue paint in one of the pics.

xxkarenxx

Thanks for all the info. Purple is my colour of preference but I have been eyeing up other colours too I just really really really want a purple one. I love classic cars but it has to be a Beetle, I loved them since I was a kid and used to play in my uncle's one.

I'm keeping an eye on donedeal but I won't rush into anything. I also would like to spend as much as I can afford on one but I am undertaking converting a lorry into a horse box at the moment

I will definitely go along to one of the meets and chat to the experts.

kadman

gfwd wrote: »

Beetles don't do it for me but this looks a good one
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/2760765

There is a purple one on donedeal.ie for 1,995. Looks okay but as mentioned before you'll need someone who knows these cars to go and have a look at any car you view.

That link is for the 1303 beetle.

Slight differences in front suspension body styling ect. Known for front rust at the suspension struts on these particular models. Its an import too, so the old patch em for the mot is probably at work here as well.

Some parts may be rarer, hence more expensive for these. So do the research, before you buy.

kadman

Seweryn

xxkarenxx wrote: »

Is it possible to use a classic Beetle as your main car for day to day driving? I don't want one just for weekend use.
Thanks for any help!

Hi Karen,

I used to drive a VW Beetle for about 12 years as my only car, so in one word - yes, it can be used as an every day car.

Maintenance schedules are every 5,000km (3,000 miles if your clock counts in miles).
At that intervals you need to change the engine oil and clean the filter. If you use your VW mainly in town on short trips, the intervals should be shortened to 2,500 - 3,000km. The regular service takes only 2.5 litre of inexpensive oil (10W40 is what I would use, no "Classic" car type oil). You also need to get a set of 2 gaskets for the sump filter (probably about 1 Euro each).

Gear oil should be changed every 50,000km using GL-4 80W90 oil (no other oil, i.e. no GL-5).

Every 10k km the ignition system should be serviced - points checked for wear and adjusted, timing set up, spark plugs checked (and replaced every 20k km together with the points, rotor arm - if needed and the distributor cap - if needed).

Brake system needs regular adjustments, i.e. every 10k km at least.

Air filter needs cleaning and refil with fresh oil every 10k km (if you have the bath type wet air filter). There are 2 types, the smaller one takes 0.25l and the bigger one (in the later 1300, 1500 and 1600 engines) 0.4l of engine oil. There is also a later type with the paper inserts.

The generator / fan belt should be checked for tension and wear at every service. You should also keep one spare in you boot (very important in the Beetle, however my belt lasted almost 100,000km before I decided that it has got enough ).

Every 20k km the engine valve clearances should be checked and adjusted, if needed. You will need 2 cork type gaskets for the rocker covers (probably about 2 Euro each).

Any other service procedures are as in any car - checking the pressure in the tyres, elektrolite level in the battery, topping up of the windscreen wash fluid, changing of the brake fluid (every 2 years / 40,000km), lubricating locks, keeping an eye on the small bits and pieces, i.e. leaking exhaust, play in the steering box, etc., etc.

Servicing a Beetle is very simple and very cheap .

I did not have a garage when I was driving my Beetle and I used it in every road conditions (in -25 deg C winters as well as in +40 deg C summers ) and the car never let me down. But it would be a great benefit, if you could keep your Bug in doors.

When it comes to a specific models, my choice would be a nice 1302 (my favourite) or a 1303. These models have the more comfortable and better performing suspension with the McPherson struts at the front axle and the IRS type set up at the rear axle. They are nicer to drive in any road conditions and have better weight distribution and also have a lot larger front boot.

If you arrange a viewing make sure you bring someone with you, who knows a bit about these cars, as they have their weakneses and you may avoid buying a bad example and then being put off these cars as an effect of getting the wrong car.

If you have any particular one in mind please post a link to the ad, so we can comment on it .

Should you need any further info, please feel free to ask. I will be happy to share my experience.

xxkarenxx

Oh jeepers thanks for all that I think I will need to google everything you said so I can understand it

Seweryn

xxkarenxx wrote: »

Oh jeepers thanks for all that I think I will need to google everything you said so I can understand it

No worries .

If you bring your Beetle to someone, who knows about them, there should be no problem. Unless you want to service the car yourself .

Finding the right car may not be easy and I would concentrate on that aspect first.

Good Luck!

kadman

Here is your purple beetle xxkarenxx:p


http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/2624420




kadman

Seweryn

kadman wrote: »

Here is your purple beetle xxkarenxx:p

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/2624420

kadman

Wow .

This is not just ugly, but dangerous to sit in, never mind driving it :eek:.

xxkarenxx

Oh my God I love it

I saw a gorgeous one the other day that I really really wanted but my phone was dead so couldn't take a picture It was a deeper purple with cream on the doors and lovely cream interior.