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......

They are good daily drivers if you maintain them. These are not modern computer manufactured vehicles. they require regular human maintenace to achieve their best. Depending on how old you intend to buy will determine how much input you will need. As a first beetle I would suggest a '68 plus as they have disc brakes,larger glass,sealed beams,safety steering column,3 point seat belts,2 speed wipers,better suspension. Rust is your biggest enemy, then crash damage, then bad maintenace. Luckily you can buy EVERYTHING you need to rebuild/maintain the car. Good Hunting

From a learning to drive point of view, and my experience learning on a bug, if you can drive a bug everything else seems easy. I wouldn't say they are the easiest cars to learn on, with no power options.

Getting back into one after years without one is weird.

Something else to consider is, will she appreciate it? If so that makes the maintenence a lot easier.

i learnt to drive in my bug best thing i ever did/was forced to do, now love dubs, my suggestion would be go 68> though, & supers are a decent option (especially if you want a toy later on) if your down that way, from looking on here, edgeworks L bug/1303 is an awesome buy, location would help alot as there is probably a friend of friend that knows of a good dub locally off here

ps, they are forgiving, for a learner thats a good thing just make sure the brakes & suspension is in good condition & it will be right, rust as perviously mentioned is the downside, find one with good body/pan decent engine & box & your onto a winner, the downsides are, she will probably hate no air con, or power steer, or silence while driving but honestly even my sister learnt to appreciate that while learning herself.

ask plenty more questions on here though because the year makes a HUGE difference & fine tuning can make a world of difference to transform a shit heap to an awesome daily, the key is simply maintainence wouldnt hurt for her to learn that either

I learnt to drive on beetles and now drive a superbug and wouldn't have it any other way. Learning to drive in a car with no power steering, no abs, a short shift kit and a car that may break down has made me a much more mechanically empathetic driver. Instead of just driving on oblivious i listen to the engine in my car, i can jump in my friends cars and drive if i have to. Things like that are invaluable and another plus is that beetles aren't really quick enough for your daughter to get herself in to trouble. She will also get the respect for driving an older car, especially a manual

I learnt in a beetle and am glad i did. Ever since i started driving it ive learnt aloot about the mechanics of them and how to maintain them and also to do some repairs verry quickly.

Like mentioned before they are forgiving, and ive also learnt how to controll a slide because of my bug. And now i can get in nearly any manual car and drive it with ease.

And beetles do have air con, there is too flaps in front of the windows, they are reffered to as vent windows

IF you decide to go this way then buy a post 1973
disc brakes
collapsable steering column
BIG tail lights that others can see
IRS
high back seats

Not as cllectable but MUCH easier to drive

It WILL take a while to get it reliable

Just make sure your daughter is comfortable with the prospect she MAY be stranded once and a while

I sought of agree John with the air bag bit
We are going through that with my son and wife

My opinion is to spend money on an advanced driving course

That is the best safety device

Good responses guys.
I've talked with my daughter about it and she reckons a bug is her dream car.
We have just bought a 77 campmobile (See First Post by Newbie) and have been tidying that up ready for rego.
A had a Dormobile splittie 15 years ago that i sold and have been kicking myself ever since. Know where it is, still unrestored, but chances of ever getting it back are slim.
Had 2 trips around Europe as a young fella in Kombies and my dad had a late 60's wagon when i was a little tacker.
Hence my attraction to them.
Tried to convince my missus we should be an all volksie family when we first got married but she wouldn't come at it.
My 18yo sun is a dreadlocked surfie with an econovan who wishes it was a Kombi. Funnily enough it was me who talked him out of it as i new the reliability might be an issue and he is not mechanically minded.
My daughter is no different but she probably won't be doing weekend surfing trips too often so i reckon the bug closer to home might be an ok option.
And if it doesn't work....I'll just keep it and get her something else.
We have a brilliant mechanic and i like tinkering and am reasonable with the spanners having been into bikes since i was a kid so between me and my mechanic i reckon we could do it justice.
I am quite partial to superbugs to so your comments re later model benefits all add up.
Keep the comments coming.
Bomber

Super parts are cheaper as well

Elephant foot tail lights $30.00

Oval hearts $500++++

i would d an advanced drivers course

and when im driving my car i know im gunna get hurt if i crash so i drive more carfully

just let her know, yes beetles look "cute" but they have no aircon, no power steering, no electric windows, none of the luxuries alot of young girls expect from cars. but if she is really set on one, then go for it.

like many others, i learnt to drive in my beetle. once u master a beetle, you CAN drive anything...

Just as per usual, shes young, dont let her do silly things.

Great cars

GL HF!!

gotta agree with most of whats been said here
later models are much safer cars, more common and also parts are cheaper and easier to get

to all the people saying that learning in a bug you can drive anything thats a load of CRAP!
these people need to get out and drive a few more older cars
just cos bugs dont have power steering or brakes and are old doesnt mean there hard to drive, they're one of the easiest things to learn in
an old 3onthetree holden/ford with no steer from the same era takes alot more skill
geez i did my years as apprentice parking in overcrowded carparks in LWB hiaces and expressvans with no windows in the sides and no steer
that is like parrallel parking the friggen titanic with a blind fold on

She will love it as her first car but because shes learning an L bug (super bug 73 onwards) Will be ideal as it has better handling from its front strut suspension and a dashed dash for safty. There great cars to learn on but if the 50 km is going ot be an issue than go for the l bug.

From Dylan

My sons' first car was a Lada 4x4, great car to drive and would go anywhere (while it was going) he also did an advanced driving course and although he has a very good driving record with only one speeding fine and no accidents (in his 30s' now) after the driving course he did think he was gods giift to driving and his attitude changed for the worse for a while. I would have to agree with IN2VWS though, my thoughts are that she will get sick of the VW pretty quickly especialy if she has had or gets experiencedriving a more modern car, but trying to change the mind of the young around to what you personaly think is usualy like pushing the probervial up hill with the pointed stick. Good luck with your decision.

Statisticly everyone dies. 100% Its the time between birth and death that is important. If you are not here to follow your dreams then what are you here for? to become a programmed drone. Make sure she DRIVES her dream car so she makes an iINFORMED decession on her purchase. My car is 49 years old and never been in an accident. There is only one reason for that = the driver(S), not ABS,SPC, seat belt tensioners, traction control and air bags. I see a lot of people who drive their cars like they WANT to test out their safety devices. The facts are 98% of cars NEVER use their secondary safety systems. And they still pull alot of dead people out of cars with airbags (ask your local towie) My2c

my 2c
sure get her an old bug for week-end good times and fun and learning how to fix it up (they all need fixing)
and anothery daily hack like a hyundai or equivalent that she can be safer in (air bags etc)
that she can wreck whilst doing the learning curve bit
for me i wouldnt want my darling 'when i have one' to be learning in an old car that they dont make any more
we have moved on in relation to safety and thus should be utilised on a daily basis
you cant beat air bags ABS etc when it comes to cheap safety
ok thats 4 cents

I got this argument from my mum when dad bought me a beetle. "Why doesn't he drive something newer and safer" rah rah rah. Then when the beetle was off the road getting a respray and i had to get a corolla to get around in, she was happy. Even though it had no airbags or abs and was more powerful. People have it in their head that newer = safer but until you start buying cars from the mid 90s, your daughter would be just as safe in a beetle and im sure she would be happier. Plus good luck finding a car with air bags and abs in good condition for cheap.

Quite simple really. All the safety devices in the world wil not save you if you get yourself into a situation where they need to activate. Idiot drivers kill themselves and others everday on our roads. Smart drivers do not require them. They drive within the boundaries of the vehicle they are driving.if you are unlucky enough to be hit by one of these idiots then maybe you will make it, maybe you won't. lifes not a guaranteed outcome. Would you sit in a Hyundai and get rammed by a Landcruiser at 70mph and hope your airbags protect you? Why do they make cars that can do 300kmh when the national speed limits 110KMH?
interesting logic?

Sorry H the outcome would be the same. Fire hose time

agreed - RIP all.. can somebody get me the number for 000 please..

To be fair though ABS becomes almost un needed if you teach your daughter how to break properly. Instead of teaching her to rely on ABS to save her when she brakes to hard, teach her to back off the peddle when she hears it lock up. Really the argument of whether or not to get one comes down to the decision between safety in an accident or teaching her the best ways to avoid one

Back on subject. Get her the car that makes her happy and with in her budget. Buyers choice as it should always be.

Why not look at a second-hand New Beetle (2000-onwards)? They have the same cute looks as the original Beetle, but have a modern Golf 4 platform and running gear underneath. They have ABS, airbags, etc etc. Older ones have 2.0-litre 85 kW Golf engines which are strong and reliable, and they come in manual or auto. They are a perfect 'bridge' between the classic air coolers and modern VWs.

Ian wash your mouth out with soap - No Hyundais or Kias or Toyotas thanks.

ok try this exercise
Go into a Repco , Autopro, Autobarn stores and ask for some 1970 vw service items
Then ring a few Auto service centers and ask about getting some work done on a old 1970 vw bug