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A Beetle for a P Plater

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colonel mustard Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,829 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#751991
ian.mezz wrote:No
Dream car😂
While your out driving around this weekend count how many people you see driving a old beetle 🤪
I would always recommend to buy a Toyota,hyundai, Kia or laser or something like that before I told someone to go buy a 40 year old car its just common sense.
and how much money you have to buy a car.
If buying her a new little car ,Hyundai getz or kia about $1200o new
auto air, power steer. and good on fuel


I just lost a fair bit or respect there Ian. The Hyundi getz is in my list of top ten worst car's iv driven. It's stupid and doesn't even drive like a real car.


I agree with Dave carter's comment. If you know how to use brakes correctly, you don't need ABS.


Mate, if your happy to pay for the upkeep on a beetle for your daughter, go for it - but they do cost a fair bit to run, students cant afford it unless they are selling drugs.

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#752003
Laverda Bomber wrote:Ok Folks,
I know you lot are probably the wrong crowd to be asking this as i am actually looking for a balanced response but here goes.........
Should i buy my 16yo daughter an old beetle as her first car????
Pros and cons?
We live 50km out of town so it would do a few k's.
Fire away......
I will go against most of the comments here and say no,


buy her a Volvo, Mercedes, Audi or BMW sedan for similar money, far better brakes, headlights, tensioned seat belts, safer in a crash, P Platers are still learning to drive, it takes years to have the maturity to look at road conditions, make an assessment, and drive accordingly,

Beetle's may well be cheap on petrol, which is what kids are after in their first car, but really the chances of crashing into something are quite high, do that in a large European car sedan and you have a much greater chance of walking away.

Volvo's are not a "cool" car but you are the one alive when you can walk away from a crash, when someone else in a small piece of Japanese or Korean rubbish has died.

I am not Beetle bashing, I love to drive VW's, the Beetle has endless amounts of charisma and character, but the brakes are rubbish, steering is very light at highway speeds, single speed wipers. etc.. etc.. its not something I would have wanted to learn to drive in, otherwise I might have crashed, and died.


There are far easier and safer cars out there to learn in,


EDIT: a last thought to add, a mate of mine recently got rear ended, at an estimated 10-20k's at a set of lights, in his Mitsubishi Magna, ruined the car, smashed the bumper, lights, boot, and he has neck problems now and with his knee.

Do that in a 30 year old, $1000 Mercedes and you wouldn't hardly feel the small tap on the back of the car.
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des

ian.mezz I never said, I could write or spell

3,913 posts · joined Sep 2004 ·

#752006
colonel mustard wrote:
ian.mezz wrote:No
Dream car😂
While your out driving around this weekend count how many people you see driving a old beetle 🤪
I would always recommend to buy a Toyota,hyundai, Kia or laser or something like that before I told someone to go buy a 40 year old car its just common sense.
and how much money you have to buy a car.
If buying her a new little car ,Hyundai getz or kia about $1200o new
auto air, power steer. and good on fuel


I just lost a fair bit or respect there Ian. The Hyundi getz is in my list of top ten worst car's iv driven. It's stupid and doesn't even drive like a real car.


I agree with Dave carter's comment. If you know how to use brakes correctly, you don't need ABS.


Mate, if your happy to pay for the upkeep on a beetle for your daughter, go for it - but they do cost a fair bit to run, students cant afford it unless they are selling drugs.
you funny , I hope you like my $500 1991 auto ford laser
its a sweet ride.
I wonder how much money I would have to spend on my supa to get it to handle as good as my $500 laser😂🤪😂


😂🤪😂🤪😂
car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲

ang3lsholocaust Custom Title Time!

1,014 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#752007
I just lost a fair bit or respect there Ian. The Hyundi getz is in my list of top ten worst car's iv driven. It's stupid and doesn't even drive like a real car.


I agree with Dave carter's comment. If you know how to use brakes correctly, you don't need ABS.


Mate, if your happy to pay for the upkeep on a beetle for your daughter, go for it - but they do cost a fair bit to run, students cant afford it unless they are selling drugs. [/quote]

And what is a so called 'Real car'?? I highly doubt you have driven every single car out there to make a judgement..People buy what they can afford at the time , just because you don't like something, doesn't mean everyone has to dislike it .. And your comment about students can't afford them unless you sell drugs is aload of s&*^ really..If you use your money wisely and cut back on certain things you don't need to be wasting your money on, I'm sure students can afford a beetle, How are you going to afford a much newer car then??

Back on subject if your daughter wants a beetle and is willing to learn how to drive in it, and maintain it let her have the car she wants. You can't protect her from the other idiots on the road. There's no doubt that she will have an accident sooner or later, no matter what car she is in..It's the gamble you take getting behind the wheel . You and your daughter get what you can afford, In reality, nothing is going to be safe enough for your daughter as she is your flesh and blood..There's pro's and con's about every car that's on the road..Take her out one day looking at all the different cars that are in your price range, if you are still unsure on a beetle


Jess

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#752010
I also think that the days of picking up a cheap Beetle for day to day transport are over.

The last model made here was the 1600 in 1976 - that's almost 34 years ago. Every other Beetle you see on the roads is older than that. The newest 6-volt Beetle is 43 years old! They are now enthusiasts' vehicles, like say, MGs. You only buy one if you are prepared to tolerate their quirks, have a workshop and special tools to support them, and spend your spare time working on them. Or have money to pay a specialist to do so.

Ian made some good points about Beetle parts and service too - you can't buy Beetle parts at Supercheap or Repco, and Kmart or Ultratune can't work on them. You have to go to a VW specialist - like you would go to an MG specialist if you owned an MG. That's OK, but you are going away from the 'mainstream'.

I do that with my Kombi (which is a youngster at only 36). But for everyday use I stick to the Golf. And when my daughter reaches driving age, we'll be going out in the Golf.

For a combination of classic VW looks, but modern car dynamics, comfort and safety, you can't go past a New Beetle. And then you can stay on this forum without looking like a hypocrite! I'm not even sure if there are any forums or owners clubs for Lasers. Maybe Ian goes to the meetings in that phonebox in Hunter St.

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#752012
You do make a very good point there Phil about the New Beetle, it has some of the charm and character of an old Beetle with modern safety and comfort,

With prices of 2000 model NB's down to around $10,000 they do make an attractive offering when compared with the new sticker price.




Phil74Camper wrote:I also think that the days of picking up a cheap Beetle for day to day transport are over.

The last model made here was the 1600 in 1976 - that's almost 34 years ago. Every other Beetle you see on the roads is older than that. The newest 6-volt Beetle is 43 years old! They are now enthusiasts' vehicles, like say, MGs. You only buy one if you are prepared to tolerate their quirks, have a workshop and special tools to support them, and spend your spare time working on them. Or have money to pay a specialist to do so.

Ian made some good points about Beetle parts and service too - you can't buy Beetle parts at Supercheap or Repco, and Kmart or Ultratune can't work on them. You have to go to a VW specialist - like you would go to an MG specialist if you owned an MG. That's OK, but you are going away from the 'mainstream'.

I do that with my Kombi (which is a youngster at only 36). But for everyday use I stick to the Golf. And when my daughter reaches driving age, we'll be going out in the Golf.

For a combination of classic VW looks, but modern car dynamics, comfort and safety, you can't go past a New Beetle. And then you can stay on this forum without looking like a hypocrite! I'm not even sure if there are any forums or owners clubs for Lasers. Maybe Ian goes to the meetings in that phonebox in Hunter St.
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des

Canni. Wolfsburg Wizard

471 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#752015
I learnt to drive in a beetle ('60) and daily drove it till I nearly finished uni... for the past couple years I've now been daily driving a '71 type 3 ... cost wise was a non issue for me the beetle wasn't expensive to run, never let me down mechanically except when my clutch went on the way to uni one day...parts wise because it was so early I did have some minor issues sourcing things when they broke.

If I were to repeat.. the type 3 is actually a far better daily driver, easier to drive, quite a bit safer to drive and actually gets FAR more comments from non VW people than the beetle ever did on 'coolness' lol.

I agree with the safety factor...but in my family all of us kids drove cars without abs and airbags etc because at the time these were unaffordable for us initially (mostly 90's model cars). Now you can pick up these cars for first car prices (we just sold our '96 passat for cheap and that was a safe car but I guess not that cool lol) so considering the accident rate for P plate drivers it might be an idea to start off there and then move onto the dream car.
Heidi - 1960 White Beetle
'65 Kiwi Ghia

ian.mezz I never said, I could write or spell

3,913 posts · joined Sep 2004 ·

#752020
Phil74Camper wrote:I also think that the days of picking up a cheap Beetle for day to day transport are over.

The last model made here was the 1600 in 1976 - that's almost 34 years ago. Every other Beetle you see on the roads is older than that. The newest 6-volt Beetle is 43 years old! They are now enthusiasts' vehicles, like say, MGs. You only buy one if you are prepared to tolerate their quirks, have a workshop and special tools to support them, and spend your spare time working on them. Or have money to pay a specialist to do so.

Ian made some good points about Beetle parts and service too - you can't buy Beetle parts at Supercheap or Repco, and Kmart or Ultratune can't work on them. You have to go to a VW specialist - like you would go to an MG specialist if you owned an MG. That's OK, but you are going away from the 'mainstream'.

I do that with my Kombi (which is a youngster at only 36). But for everyday use I stick to the Golf. And when my daughter reaches driving age, we'll be going out in the Golf.

For a combination of classic VW looks, but modern car dynamics, comfort and safety, you can't go past a New Beetle. And then you can stay on this forum without looking like a hypocrite! I'm not even sure if there are any forums or owners clubs for Lasers. Maybe Ian goes to the meetings in that phonebox in Hunter St.
At the end of the day its your money and you can buy what ever you like.
Ive just been wasting time on here because there is nothing on TV.🤪 And they took away all the phoneboxes so no laser club anymore😂🙅😂
good luck with what ever you buy.
😂🤪😂🤪😂
car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲

h fractals - an ever changing lifestyle

7,671 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#752026
ahhh avd ruckus
cool saturday night entertainment.. 😂
kill me
fractal geometry; the inner most limits of mind altering abuse

Fantasy http://seventhchronicle.com

Z = Z2 + C1/r = 1/0 = infinity

Barrels www.barrelman.com.au

VW Workshop - aircooledgarage.com.au
allcooled.com.au

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#752027
Phil74Camper wrote:I'm not even sure if there are any forums or owners clubs for Lasers. Maybe Ian goes to the meetings in that phonebox in Hunter St.
you would be surprised phil, theres a forum for pretty much every kinda car on the road in aus,
fordlaser.com is a pretty decent sized forum and has a large number of members who have their runs and meets etc

theres a pretty substantial difference between "real" beetles and new beetles for pretend enthusists and im not just talking price tags
they are horrible to drive and a golf which is just the same car underneath is such so much nicer in so many ways

i agree with what Ian says though, modern FWD cars have alot more forgiving handling in adverse conditions than a bug which is something to really consider for an inexperienced driver, especially on rural roads where accidents tend to be alot more catastrophic

Laverda Bomber Casual Dubber

43 posts · joined Sep 2009 ·

#752036
Ha Ha
Great guys, good to see my topic got a healthy response.
As you can imagine I had been weighing up pretty much all that has been said prior to posting.
Will i feel comfortable with my daughter in an old car? Will the reliability be a pain unless i throw unrealistic amounts of time and money at the bug?
My son drives an econovan with no abs, no airbag and no metal in front of his feet which also makes me nervous.
If he got creamed i would no doubt always regret letting him have a van.
but.... a van is exactly what he wanted.
I would most likely only spend 3-4K on a first car for my daughter as money is not unlimited so i don't even know whether i could get a car with airbags for that price.
No doubt a Toyota corolla, nissan pulsar etc etc would handle, stop, turn heaps better than a bug.
I think there are so many variables that there are no difinitive answers.
I ride motorbikes too. Anyone who was risk averse would never do it...
Mind you i did breath a sigh of relief when my son said he didn't want his bike licence. he's been riding since he was six but thought bikes on the road were too risky.
One compromise for my daughter may be to get a superbug for her to learn in with me beside her and then make the call in 12 months time whether it is the right car for her once she has her P's or whether I keep the bug and get her something more modern.
That way i can score a second vee dub by stealth....
Now there's a plan....
Bomber

colonel mustard Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,829 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#752046
ang3lsholocaust wrote:And what is a so called 'Real car'?? I highly doubt you have driven every single car out there to make a judgement..People buy what they can afford at the time , just because you don't like something, doesn't mean everyone has to dislike it .. And your comment about students can't afford them unless you sell drugs is aload of s&*^ really..If you use your money wisely and cut back on certain things you don't need to be wasting your money on, I'm sure students can afford a beetle, How are you going to afford a much newer car then??

Jess
I agree. I was a pretty crap comment to make actually, My apologies. What I mean is that it is an expensive car to run and maintain on minimum wages, when you have large course fee's (no hex), living expenses, etc.
Having purchased my car myself at 18, and paying for everything for it myself, (fuel, insurance, rego, repairs) I know how much it costs. My parents don't buy me cars or pay my phone bill, I have to do it myself... so i know how much it is and all that.

Anyway.

Have I driven every car there is, no. - However, working at a service centre, dealership, used car lot (All in one..) I have driven a very wide variety of cars, and to be honest, I have found them terrible. I don't just love VW's. I really appreciate other cars, Mazda's, nissans, etc. And, As Ian says, Lasers are great. Very good first cars. (and yes, There is a laser forum - one of my friends joined it when he owned one.) I owned a 89 KE laser, It was a great first car - however, amazingly easy to drive compared to a beetle. But the great thing about a beetle is that they are fairly basic, and thats good to learn with, because you then know how it all works, and aren't taken by fancy buttons re: traction control, abs, etc.

Again, I will say I agree with Dave, leaning to drive a car without all the new features makes you a more switched on driver... focus is important and your driving skills grow from that.

Hope that helps.

rose doin it for d girls

2,036 posts · joined Dec 2004 ·

#752065
colenel mustard you've seen dave's car how can he be focused with the big doof doof and all those pretty lights 😂😂

I learnt to drive in a 66 HR holden with 3 on the column, no power assist brakes or any fancy stuff and you built up muscles driving it. And my boyfriend paid $900 for it and gave it to me to learn to drive in.

I can still remember my driving instructor telling me how impressed he was that I could ride the clutch without using the brake on a hill. But he said don't do it when you go for your licence. I even had to drive it one day when the clutch went. That was my first car I use to do a lot of silly things in my HR and I'm still here & never had an accident just luck of the draw I think.

When I earned enough money I brought a VH 6cyl commodore when I was on my p's.

My dream car use to be a Lamborghini Countach but I didn't have rich parents to buy me one😂😂


If you can afford to buy your dream car just do it. And if she don't like it make sure it's not pink and you score yourself a bug.

djnee Officially Full-On Dubber

341 posts · joined Mar 2009 ·

#752066
My experience...

I grew up in the UK and had a Beetle as my first car. I ran this for 2 years when i only had an income of £28 a week. (around $60)
$20 went to my mum for 'boarding', leaving me $40 to pay for fuel / insurance / tax / MOT (RWC here)
But i managed to do it!
Not once did i have an accident...and i guess statistically i should have! The UK has 3 times the population of Australia...and all that extra traffic has to cram itself into a space the size of Victoria! Plus people drive a lot slower here. I regularly did 80mph (about 130kmh) on UK motorways...just to keep up with the flow of the traffic.
Yes, i broke down a few times, but this was in 1991 with no mobile phones...these days breaking down shouldn't be a worry i reckon, as 1 quick call on the mobile and it's sorted!
Yes, Beetles don't have airbags / ABS and all of the other things we've come to rely on in the past few years....but you live with that and drive accordingly. When i drive our Beetle i automatically leave more distance between me and the car in front, and i also i find i'm a lot more aware of what other drivers are doing / about to do... switch to driving our new car and it's totally different as i almost rely on these things to make up for mine and others bad driving. I don't do it intentionally, it just happens.

When we bought our blue 68 bug when we arrived in Aus, the guy we bought it from explained how it was his 'last' Beetle. He had bought all 3 of his daughters Beetles as their first car. He explained that he felt it safer that they were in cars that were pretty slow, and not the sort of car you can be a "hoon" in! He also got comfort from the fact that he could always hear that familiar Beetle engine noise from 4 blocks away, which meant they were nearly home and that he could then go to sleep!

Had this topic have been "i am trying to convince my daughter to have a Beetle" then i'd have had different views....but if it's her that's asked for it, then i'd say go for it. You can only advise really, as ultimately as a young adult you have to trust her judgement now...just as your parents trusted yours.

Best of luck in whatever you go with 🙂
It May Never End

trickysimon 100km/h is only 9 seconds away

1,473 posts · joined Dec 2007 ·

#752074
I reckon go for it.
Your going to die if you hit a tree at 110km/h, no matter what car your in.
You just need to teach her not to text while driving, not to drink and drive,
and to just generally stay aware.

ian.mezz I never said, I could write or spell

3,913 posts · joined Sep 2004 ·

#752102
Laverda Bomber wrote:Ha Ha
Great guys, good to see my topic got a healthy response.
As you can imagine I had been weighing up pretty much all that has been said prior to posting.
Will i feel comfortable with my daughter in an old car? Will the reliability be a pain unless i throw unrealistic amounts of time and money at the bug?
My son drives an econovan with no abs, no airbag and no metal in front of his feet which also makes me nervous.
If he got creamed i would no doubt always regret letting him have a van.
but.... a van is exactly what he wanted.
I would most likely only spend 3-4K on a first car for my daughter as money is not unlimited so i don't even know whether i could get a car with airbags for that price.
No doubt a Toyota corolla, nissan pulsar etc etc would handle, stop, turn heaps better than a bug.
I think there are so many variables that there are no difinitive answers.
I ride motorbikes too. Anyone who was risk averse would never do it...
Mind you i did breath a sigh of relief when my son said he didn't want his bike licence. he's been riding since he was six but thought bikes on the road were too risky.
One compromise for my daughter may be to get a superbug for her to learn in with me beside her and then make the call in 12 months time whether it is the right car for her once she has her P's or whether I keep the bug and get her something more modern.
That way i can score a second vee dub by stealth....
Now there's a plan....
Bomber
In my day my first car was what I could afford to buy just Like Rose and djnee said .
But now its what mum and dad buys ,things haven't changed that much, we didn't buy cars cause they looked pretty its was what we could afford and to be practical.
I dont know whats all the talk about saftey is about, after all most of us drive old VW for a hobby.
😂🤪😂🤪😂
car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#752111
ian.mezz wrote:after all most of us drive old VW for a hobby.
Ummmm.....................no 🙅

Its my daily transport

NEEDS to be reliable

You just need to works at it, getting all the bugs out 😂
Futue te ipsum!!!

donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#752115
Yeah, reckon I agree with the "I dont know whats all the talk about saftey is about" I was thinking about buying a Proton Jumbuck, then the news about them only achieving one safety star hit the news, I got advice including special phone calls to advise me against it, not safe they cried, what if the sky falls on you they asked. Hmmmm, how safe is the Kalita, and I'd drive that every day if I could. Case dismissed.
get what makes the girl happy as long as she is fully aware of the consequences, sounds like the worst that will happen if she decides she dosn't want / like it is you will end up with your own Beetle, that can't be too bad.
I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!

HappyDaze Superannuated

2,887 posts · joined Jun 2009 ·

#752117
Any car - including a VW - is only as dangerous as you want to make it! Have fun, but take care.

Cheers, Greg
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!

coletrickle Wolfsburg Wizard

661 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#752149
My 2 cents worth if your daughter/son cannot ride a push bike competently.IE do they understand that if you lock up the front brake and crash it's because brakes locked =no control =crash=gravel rash!They have no right to a licence.Same situation in a car is a lot more serious!And old car is a little special these days so when all your kids freinds are driving "safe new cars"you son/daughter can cruize and be cool!Have you ever seen Arthur Fonzarelli aka "THE FONZ" racing around in public?No cause he is Cool.🙅But seriously a series of driving courses are well worth it.

Rural Baja #tassievwpickers

1,075 posts · joined Jan 2006 ·

#752151
Welcome to AVD 👍

Well i am 17, got my p's on the first of december and drive a 64 beetle around launceston (Driving it nearly as a daily as the falcon ute uses too much petrol)

I have found around town its a great little car, however on the open road things can get a little hairy. I drove back from Bridport today and with the wind i had to work on the wheel quite a bit. Seeing as she will be travelling the west tamar highway, if you did decide to get her a beetle, id go post 69. they may not look like the classic beetle but would be a much better choice for her.

Oh and if you see my Herbie getting around town, give us a toot!

Cheers William.

Laverda Bomber Casual Dubber

43 posts · joined Sep 2009 ·

#752156
I'll keep my eye out William.
I reckon I'll consider a superbug for her L's and play it by ear.
see what i find for sale over the next coupla months.
bomber

71-BEETLE-SEDAN AKA Josh

1,058 posts · joined Mar 2009 ·

#752165
To make it better in the wind drop some air outta the tyres, mine was jumpy as all hell ntil now, ive got about 20 psi in the front, its soooooo much better in the wind now. Only down side is harder to park and stuff but hey id rather that then get blown around everywghere.

If you get one while she is on her ps you can se how she likes it and how she drives it. That way you too can drive it and see if you want your daughter driving it.

Rural Baja #tassievwpickers

1,075 posts · joined Jan 2006 ·

#752180
Laverda Bomber wrote:I'll keep my eye out William.
I reckon I'll consider a superbug for her L's and play it by ear.
see what i find for sale over the next coupla months.
bomber
Im checking one out tommorow. Ill keep you posted 👍

STIDUB Over it.

1,497 posts · joined Jun 2008 ·

#752201
on the superbug / Lbug note, id highly recommend assuming the bushings are all stuffed & allow a day to replace them, www.topline.com should prove useful for parts, failing that you can get most things in aus from vforce or your preffered supplier.

If you want to learn more about supers specifically, check out SBO & GL forums, strut bug people, not the types that say just sell it & buy a beam bug 🙂

www.germanlook.net

www.superbeetlesonly.com
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂

STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress

Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.

The above are personal views, no more, no less

Rural Baja #tassievwpickers

1,075 posts · joined Jan 2006 ·

#752889


Here ya go, this is what your daughter needs 😀

djnee Officially Full-On Dubber

341 posts · joined Mar 2009 ·

#752899
You can never have enough Herbie look-a-likes..... lol

🤪

I actually considered doing ours until i saw the other 6,275,432 ones 🙁
It May Never End

Rural Baja #tassievwpickers

1,075 posts · joined Jan 2006 ·

#752905
djnee wrote:You can never have enough Herbie look-a-likes..... lol

🤪

I actually considered doing ours until i saw the other 6,275,432 ones 🙁
Well i have the first in NE Tassie, bit of fun for summer 🙂

djnee Officially Full-On Dubber

341 posts · joined Mar 2009 ·

#752919
Rural Baja wrote:
djnee wrote:You can never have enough Herbie look-a-likes..... lol

🤪

I actually considered doing ours until i saw the other 6,275,432 ones 🙁
Well i have the first in NE Tassie, bit of fun for summer 🙂
Yeah deffo!
Wasn't knocking it like that...just gutted that everyone else beat me to it.. 🙂
It May Never End