Please try and be as unbiased as possible, but my girlfriend needs a new car and I'm wondering if a bug is the way to go, just not sure if it will suit the purpose...

She bought an immaculate looking, one-owner 85 Honda Prelude about 6 months ago for $4k and has spent another $4k on repairs since. As soon as one problem is fixed something else goes and we can't afford to keep it anymore.

But she's just started a wholesale fashion business and has to do runs from here (Gold Coast) up to Sunshine Coast or Brisbane once or twice a week. A sunshine coast trip can be about a 500km round trip.

So I've got a few q's I need answered about bugs...

1. The speed limit on the freeways around here is 110kmh which means you can sit on 120kmh without getting done by a radar. Will a bug comfortably sit on 120kmh, without overheating on a hot summers day and without doing damage to the motor (I think I was told once that the pistons are soft and thrashing them does a bit of damage)?

2. And how much room is there to store stuff in the bonnet? Like how many suitcases could you fit in there?

3. My kombi has always been an absolute pleasure to drive but I take really good care of it mechanically. Are volkswagens in general basically trouble free cars? Will a service every six months, with minor urgent repairs generally keep it going?

Thanking in advance for any advice/opinions!!

[Edited on 5-3-2004 by bus356]

I have mentioned it to her but I need to find these things out before I decide whether it's worth talking her into it. She's a very prelude type of person and is talking about getting something like an old Nissan Pulsar instead. But from my experience I can just see her having as many problems with something like that. When you take a car like that to a mechanic they always manage to find heaps of abstract little things wrong with it, which has never happened with my kombi. It has always needed maintenance but it's always a straightforward, cheap, relatively easy to understand and fix problem.

But she has grown to love kombis and I'm sure beetles have just as much character so I think I could bring her round if I knew it could handle weekly 500km trips at 120kmh. I'm sure she would trade a little luxury for reliability at this stage.

Besides, I want a beetle too!

G'day Jay, thanks for that mate!

I think so long as she could sit on 110kmh easily that would probably do. I'll suggest maybe she just do 120kmh if she's in a serious hurry...

I've thought about recommending a type 3 but I've pointed nice ones out when I've seen them on the road and she really disliked the look of them. It's got to pass as a trendy sort of a car I think (no offence intended, I love type 3s). The room in the back seat sounds good though, that's what I wanted to hear!

As I thought re maintenance.

Cheers!

from m experience i guess a super bug would suit her more as there is a bit more room in the bonnet as well as haing a nice 1600 motor. they cruise nicely doing 100-110kmh but 120 would be pushing it.
i always look at how easy a beetle or any VW is to work on compared to the new cars of today. Also you have the support of this forum if anything goes wrong and parts are always available
Hope this helps a bit

Before anything else is said, i adore beetles and have 1 at the moment and wouldn't drive anything else... but


They arent the most practicle cars. I can drive mine at 100km/h comfortablly but i wouldn't go past that. I couldn't even go past 90km/h in my old 67 beetle.


On a hot day in QLD i wouldn't do it.

The luggage dilema - basically i would only have things in the back seat. Nothing fits in the front of mine, not even 1 suitcase.

My old beetle i bought for $6k, spent $12k in repairs and sold last week for $3.6k so they can be a hassle.

But i just bought another one because i adore them and only want beetles.

Her choise but if she needs just a practicle car, i would choose something else...
unless she has already been bitten by the bug!

I would say get a super, but make sure you get one with good mechanicals.

1-I drive my super to the coast from brisbane and also have doen run to sydney etc, and with my engine (its a worked 1776), it likes to sit on 125 (that is the smallest amount of throttle in fourth gear). It has never gone above 90 degrees even in teh middle of summer as it has an extra oil cooler.

2-the super has alot more space under the bonnet combined with the fold down rear seat gives you heaps of room for storage.

3-get a super in good condition or and older one and spend the money on a engine rebuild and mabye a slight warming of the engine (eg 1776, reground stock cam, retuned original carby) and maintence shouldn't be a problem. If you buy a old worn out one, look at spending more on maintenence.

I reackon option is, get a super, rebuild the engine and suspension, and then you will have a reliable nice car to drive!!!!

You dont mention what her budget is but for the 8 grand she has spent on the Honda she could be set up in a very trendy looking kombi.

I have a 1700 that will sit on 110k all day and can get upto 125 (Checked with gps) I'm sure one of the 2litre vers could manage 120k easily, she would also have lots of room for stuff.

A kombi has heaps of space but maybe too much for what she needs. She generally needs to take two or three computer monitor-size boxes, like what I imagine she could fit in a superbug in the back seat and under the bonnet.

And kombis are not the best for doing lots of long trips on the freeway, I imagine they'd use more fuel because of weight, engine size and aerodynamics. And she doesn't like driving mine because it's a bit too heavy and big and hard to manouvre.

Hey purplevw67, sorry to hear about the probs! Has anyone else got any horror stories like that? Is that a common ocurrence or a one off? My girlfriend will leave me if I convince her to get a bug and it's a dud!

A 1600 superbug sounds like the go then. It sounds like it would have enough space. I'll have a look at a few at the next show. Is it a case of the later the better? Oh yeah, and what years are they (I know very little about beetles!)? I imagine the later ones would have more creature comforts and be basically better designed through experience...

What could we expect to pay for one that looks decent on the outside (for business purposes it needs to look ok from a distance, not immaculate, and the interior is not too important) with a recently reco'd engine. She could only afford to outlay around $3k after the honda has emptied her pockets and now can't even sell it for much...

pffft

my 62, 1200 does 100 easy!

THe manual says maximum speed 115km/h hehe.

I imagine Honda parts are rather expensive to obtain, But really they are better cars around then a beetle if its a space/speed thing, but then again you might not love the car like a beetle

there is a mint super bug for sale at my vee dubb mechanics in albury here at the moment and i mean it looks mint its a yellowy colour i can find out info if your interested ,dont be scared of the distance ,you may have to travel to get a really good car ,we dont have the coastal salt problem you guys have and if paul has been working on it it will be good

We also have a 1300 beetle and that flies along at 120 nicely (Stock setup) but there is NO WAY that you will fit that amount in a beetle.

You would just fit 2x 15' monitor boxes on the backseat (JUST) but the depth in the bonnet would only be about half the depth of a 15'monitor box and thats being generous.

I suppose you could take out the backseat and get a shelf over the battery compartment to make it a kinda van - but thats the only way you'll do it

I think she should buy a crolla,really.

I reckon buy Nectars notch - auto, has space, looks real cool, and cruises 120kph no probs

:beer

is your gf a tall or short/petite woman. my lady is 5'2". we restored a beetle and she drove it around and loved it. but it was limiting in waht you could put in it. we have a boxer and a silky. they took up the back seat, which of course didnt leave much for anything else. no youdont fit a lot under the hood. soft bags are best.
so anywya she wanted a convertable, but me, i was leaning for a splitty. my lady was in london for work when i found 'our' car. i rang and told her i bought one. 'convertable she said'. i responded 'close'. she came home to a splitty and to say the least she was not too impressed as it is so big. anyway. resto safaris and she loves it.
i bought a fatchick notch. she wont drive it as it is too big ( hence i asked what build your gf was) although it has loads of room...
was going to get the bug frenzix stole from under me the lady, would ve loved to drive it to and from work, but she said it might be to small for anything else we do.
hence my point. i think you will find that if you are used to a splitty/kombi stick to it. i am sure you could get one that will cruise around no worries. if she needs to carry stuff for her job, she might find the beetle awkward or straight out too small.
and if you are going to do distances, get a temp guage fitted to what ever it is you decide...

hope i helped....

If you tell him to get a corolla lugnuts why not buy a Golf! hmmm maybe i am being too biased. And they cruz no worries at 120 clicks. Have the boot which is pretty large, i have have transported three whole computers in it before. As for looking the part well its up to taste i spose. Plus if you get a chance to drive it they have thrilling chassis dynamics!!! Is that biased or what?
Cruzin in a Golf

fatboy, you can fit heaps in a super bug. I can fit lrge esky and bags and other stuff in the front of my super.

If I remember correctly supers were 73 to early 75. I think 75 they went back to torsion fornt end?

I think a corolla would be a lot better value than a golf. Unless you get a diesel golf and cruise around at about 4mpg. Thats the only thing that would sway me. *duck*

But, and I AM being biased here, a kombi is a hell of a lot better than a beetle. A beetle may be slightly cooler to be seen in if you survey the greater population but if you are covering any sort of kilometres, at any sort of speed, with any sort of ride quality, carrying any sort of cargo, any amount of passengers > 1, then a 74-> kombi cant be beat, preferably 77->. A 2ltr kombi will cruise at 120 easy, 130 pushing, 140 killing it. Although if you turbo the sucker you can go well over 180 mwa ha ha but watch the temp guage.

If you want all of that, but without the ride then you could go for a splitty kombi and look cooler still.

i know someone who has a 95 nissan pulsar in excellent nic for $5000, he is a mechanic so if you decide against a bug it may suit your purposes.
If you drivin coast to brissie everyday I don't think a bug a good idea??????

All cars are money pits , especially if it's going to be doing 110/120 alot of the time. I wouldn't do that in my 1300 bug personally ! What does she want? Is an aircooled VW her kind of ride? Got to say if i was doing that kind of driving i'd be Talking her into a tidy 1800 fast/ squareback , lower it and your off !!

Danny:thumb

Danny

Get This!!!! Better than new
http://www.aussieveedubbers.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=7778 

Better for gear, fast Comfy etc...

Has your girlfriend ever been for a ride in a bug. As soon as I went for a ride in one I had to have one. Remember she will have the passenger seat to put things on as well. I think that has to be her choice of what car she wants to drive. Why don't you go on a cruise with one of the clubs on the coast they come up quite often. I am sure a bug owner will let her sit in for a ride. Then who know's their could be a little beetle in your family. You can always leave a bit earlier and do 100k's and remember always love your bug.

Jodie

hey jodie... have you ever been for a cruise in a splitty with the safaris open...

and heres the answer to your luggage space. this was posted previously by vwoo64

Thanks for all your advice/opinions/info!

I've run it all past her and I have brought her round part way but I don't think it's going to happen. I think lack of room is her biggest concern. A few people have recommended a corolla so she'll probably get one of those in a hatchback, which should have heaps of room, and maybe be a bit more practical.

Hey Twoguns, I like your solution to the luggage space problem! That look ssweet! :thumb

Thanks again all! I will get one one day...

Hey amazer, i do agree about the corolla but only on one ground, that there is more of them about and that parts will be easier to find. If it were based on anything else i get a golf anyday, gotta stay VW!! (oh and i wasnt talking about any specific golf when i made the comments).
Cruzin in a Golf

I bought a 91 Crolla hatch plenty of room and no trouble in 12yrs except 2 regulators and they wink at you before they go.See if you can get a 92 or later mine had a carby 92s got FI much better + it has 4sp auto.Get one with crappy tyres and crappy radio then yule know some old geezer had it.