Hello, newbie here. The question may sound rhetorical on a forum such as this but an honest view point would be appreciated.

I currently have a HT Premier Holden and am going to sell it soon.

I promised my wife years ago that I would get her e VW Beetle for her 40th and it is coming up (perfect timing to sell the HT huh?). I owned a kombi in my youth and loved the damn thing.

My wife has never driven a beetle but loves them. I am somewhat hesitant to sell and old car only to buy an older one, so the question is: Do I get her one?

The thing I have a concern about is are there better years to buy over others? What are the repair costs if something goes wrong? Do they break down often? Where is the best to look for a beetle (classifieds, dealers, etc)? Who much would you expect to pay for a decent example (I am aware that you can pay a LOT for one that has been restored to the hilt)?

I am not much of a tinkerer when it comes to cars so that is why I ask the question on the repair costs. Are they difficult to work on and hence the repair costs are higher? How much does it cost to have it tuned?

What thing should I look for when buying one?

I guess if worse comes to worse I can always sell it later if she does not like it or finds it not very practical like in winter when it is cold or when it is bucketing down with rain and those wipers just don't do the job...

Any assistance is appreciated.

I live on the Central Coast by the way. If anyone knows of a place in Sydney that rents them out, that would be a good way for here to have a go.

Thanks in advance.

See if you can get her a drive in one first.
My wife also loves the look of a beetle but after driving mine has never been behind the wheel since (which is a good thing). Doesn't like the driving position and the lack of mod cons.

Give Peter Korsche on the Central Coast a call on 43257911.

In regards to old cars - VWs too - they all rust. You can and will find either rust free or repaired models, and you'll need to ensure that this work has been done well.

When looking at a car, look for rust in the floor pan and the sills, especially the heater channels. Also check inside the front and rear guards, and the C pillar area. Check inside the wheel well, and see if the car has been hit or has had repair. Check under the battery under the rear seat for any rust there too, plus of course under the carpet in the footwells. You can buy a good rust free car for anything from $5000 - it just depends what you're looking for.

In regards to models, that's up to personal taste. Some people like the modern handling of Macpherson Struts of the Superbug (they have a more snub like, rounded nose), others like the old time handling and more smoother styling of the earlier bugs (these have the larger headlights that are laid back more).

Have a look online at all the different variances of model and what model came with what, and then go for it from there. The older cars still have heaters (if they're connected) and they work quite well. The later models have heaters and fans too.

Then it comes down to do you want a custom or original car. Something that's been dechromed, flared guards (ugh) or are you after something more classical in it's style.

That's the good thing about a VW - you can personalise it anyway you like.

Go for it...and have fun.

All it takes is one and then they multiply.

First, see if you can keep the Prem as they are cool

Second, just like Holdens, the later the year model, the better the technology (!) in them and the better they are to drive from day to day. Things like grease nipples and floppy old link pins were replaced on later models with sealed-for life tie rods and balljoints.

Later cars have 12V electrical systems and better headlights, wipers and door latches. The bodies are stronger, heaters work betterer etc etc.

The magic year is 1968 - models after this have the better bits in them. Some (most) VWs after 1971 have coil spring front suspension, a better design of rear suspension, more power from a larger engine and safer everything. These are the Super Beetles

HTH ... and kick-starts discussion from all

Mate, you've got to be mad to buy a VW. Unless you've got tons of money, a loving wife and a masochistic nature, avoid them at all cost. You may think you're just buying another old car, then you'll see another for sale and just might get it for parts. Then before you know it that one might just seem too good to pull apart and you'll want to maybe do it up a bit and by then it's too late:crazy. Do yourself a favour and stick with the Holden, just read through this forum and you'll see how insidious this Volkswagen desease can be

The disease is HIVW

yeah Korschy runs a wrecking yard/parts place and often has a VW or two for sale

Servicing costs are cheap for a VW - DIY oil every six months

yea VW's are lovingly cars and beutiful in loads of ways but you gotta have loads of money to buy a fully restored and in mint condition bug these days . Still wish they were lower in price but then again loads of people would have them then. But yea you gotta have loads of money to get a fully restored bug and im not too sure that car of yours will cover the bug cost fully. But attempt to find one for cheap and that u can afford with the car money that you are all set to go and give ya wife the bug.

Good Luck!

Spent all day on the HT and alas could not get it going. Looks like I will have to sell the car as a non runner. Shame really.

Thanks for the advice one and all,

JL

ill 2nd what stanley says
test drive atleast a couple b4 u take the plunge
theyre a great car to drive when u know how to drive one but coming from say a fuel injected front wheel drive car to a bug is almost like learning to drive all over again

im sick of seeing bugs on ebay/carsales etc that guys have bought and done for there daughters cos they just had to have then sell straight away cos they cant drive them

test drive a few different models,
in terms of ride quality and refinement theres no beating 71-75 superbugs. the suspension under these is the pretty much the same mcpherson strut/IRS thats under todays commodores compared to the 1930s torsion bar under the standard models

however, a superbug with worn bushings/struts/balljoints will handle like a bucket of shit where as worn standards are abit more forgiving

Hi johnl,

Since you are buying the Beetle for your missus' 40th birthday, it might be appropriate to buy a 40 y.o. Beetle, i.e. a 1968. As luck would have it, this is one of the very good model years, with a balance between reasonably safe operation and classic looks. The photo below is of a 1968 model.

As the previous posters have suggested, a few test drives will ensure that your intended victim is comfortable with driving a car which, even when new, was never sophisticated in its road performance. I think at around 1968 some semi-auto models were available also, though they are less common than manuals.

As, from your own description, you are neither very enthusiastic nor experienced in maintenance, you should buy the best condition Beetle you can afford and seek out a good air-cooled-VW mechanic in your area. Regular servicing costs of a Beetle are quite low as the mechanicals are extremely simple, certainly simpler than an HT Holden; indeed regular servicing costs would be less than an HT.

The one circumstance a Beetle is poorly suited to is regular high kilometer use; if this is the case for your wife she would be better off with almost any modern car as they offer levels of safety, reliability and fuel economy which no 40-year-old car can approach.

hth

as the others have said buddy.

Servicing is no worries, nor is spare parts. Surprising how vastly available they are on both the local and global scale. Its nuts, you would be lucky to see any other older car where so many parts for them are still greatly manufactured and distributed today.

68' upwards is a good yr, as the others have said. The 1500cc series from 68' has been known to be very favourable series, although its lines aren't as classic, nor has as much character as the earlier models (my personal opinion), the running gear is said to be more reliable in comparison. (mind you, this depends on the history of the vehicle, servicing, km's etc... but overall, back in the day, it was the thumbs up ova the rest, then came the 1600cc's in the 70's).

1500's did come both manual, and as described, also semi automatic (bit sort-after however). Other previous yrs were just manual. semi auto's also came with front end disc brakes and trailing arm IRS suspension, manuals just 4 wheel drums and a non-trailing arm IRS setup that involved wheels changing camber over bumps. Then 1600's onwards eventually brought disc brakes on front end on all transmission types, and made the trailing arm IRS suspension standard. (from memory). As VWCOOL said, the later the bug, the better and more reliable the technology.

Plus from 1500 series on, collapsible steering columns came into place too.

However, as the others said, rust and the engine are your 2 major focuses to make sure you don't end up spending plenty of good money on whats nuffin more than a project. So look closely at the following:

A Pillars,
B pillars,
C pillars,
Spare wheel well in front,
under battery,
under pedals (under carpet)
under windscreen,
under and around the bonnet seals, as well as rear engine seals...
wheel wells,
roof gutters.

(they are the typical spots).
Engine diagnosis is a case of running your usual systematic checks and observations you would use for any piston, internal combustion engine. (compression checks, listening for unusual knocks, rattles, smoke etc.)

If you can get some certainty that it has been serviced, or perhaps even receipts if it has been recently rebuilt, then your laughing... These motors do require regular service, cause they are they don't even have an oil filter. But don't let that deter you, the regular service is just oil changes most of all...

besides the 'not so often' spark plug change, gap check, valve gap adjusting, timing, carby tuning, same old as any other engine. But far simplier, they have a very small amount of parts to these things.

So in conclusion,

I wouldn't limit your market of dubs to a certain series, but look out for rough engines and rust, and make your own judgments to what you believe is your flavour. The great thing about the vw beetle, from the 60's to 70's, is that parts can be soooo interchangable. If you wanted the classic lines of a 60's dub, you can bolt on a 70's collapsible steering wheel column while fitting a 70's 1600cc engine (to replace the 60's 1200cc or 1300cc engine). So don't be surprised to find mixed and matched dubs on the market. (be warey, 70's bugs with 1600cc engines are 12 volt, the EARLY 60's were 6 volt, and used a different sized flywheel, but engine bolt pattern the same)

If you can find yourself a mate down that way that knows his vw's and has an eye for spotting any issues, then your set. I'm sure if you put an offer for a lunch and a drink or sumfin here, a local aussie vee dubbers fella will put his hand up to go to a few inspections with ya.

I got ripped on my very first vw beetle because i wasn't careful enough. and this is what i have learnt since then.

dont forget type 3's! people - including me - arent aware of these and with 3 different body styles..

Well, I took the missus to look at a Superbug about 2 weeks ago. The guy was asking $6500 for the beast. Was in pretty good nick but slipped out of top gear at about 6ok's. Also the windows did not wind up and down to well. All in all thoug, not a bad car. The wife loved it as I talked the VW down so much that she thought it would drive a lot worse. I don't have anything against VW's just hesitant to sell an old car only to buy an older one.

So we are lookign around some more. I will give Peter a call and see if he knows of any going. In the meantime if any members know of any for sale on the Central Coast. let me know.

On ya's

John

john, i wouldn't limit yourself to the central coast. a good vw is worth traveling for.

i think you need to talk to your wife and find out exactly why she wants one and exactly what she wants to use it for. IMHO these will decide what model will be best for her. the earlier the purer the design the later the more practical for modern driving, or find an early body on a later chassis. lots of cars have been modified to some extent or other over the years, sometimes well often not. as with any old car an unbiased experienced person is you best friend when looking at a type of car that is new to you.
as said above vw's can be addictive. most of us have found this out the hard way, but about the worst that happens is you need to extend the garage to fit all of your stuff in, you end up with grease stains on the sides of your pointer fingers and the non car types in your life (at work for instance) think your are a bit strange.
as far as working on vw's if your game enough to pull the head off a car you should be able to handle most normal stuff on a vw. they are very simple as a general rule. (plus no gasket goo! etc) plus how many other cars let you lie down while you are adjusting the valves? (note: a camping type bedroll makes this a far more pleasant experience... if the kids are getting too loud/you don't want to clean the kitchen AGAIN... take a pillow out to the garage "just checking the valves darling")

with the car you mentioned above, a gearbox popping out of gear = $$$ the windows could be very simple could be $, for early models at least it's generally not too big a thing. i'm a bit stingy so for 6500 i would expect a nice car with only minimal probs. it is not like there were only 143 imported, given a bit of time and a bit of luck the right one will come along at a fair price. i am far more wary of someone else's done up car vs a well loved original car.

all the best. i hope it is good for you and your wife.

henry.

Hi John,
I would hate to be in the position of buying another beetle... as I see so many I really love...

but seeing with your tough hanging out isn't really a good time to look at beetles...
the type 3s are a step up from the beetles..
I had a 1971 variant [wagon] for about 10 years back in the 70s-80s...
I have always thought that the 68 model was the best..
it had a better front suspension - disc brakes - 12 volt system - dual brake system - collapsable steering column -
larger windows - 1500 engine - great heater and two speed wipers -

Its best if you can find someone with all the receipts for all the parts they renewed.. as the car is 40 years old..
a lot of work should have been done on it...
otherwise bits will be failing as you are driving....!!

before you test run the car - make sure it has about 22 PSI in the front tyres and 30 PSI in the rear tyres..
this will made driving the car better for your wife..

the steering can be heavy depending on the tyres fitted
and the road surfaces..

If You can find an autostick semi auitomatic beetle that is in good condition - that are made in Germany not Australia .. and they have the IRS rear end same as the Super had in 1971>

Best of Luck

Interior is important - body is important - Mechanicals can be overhauled usually ...

cheers

Lee

PS: its been recommended that VW owners learn how to tune their beetle- time the engine- adjust the tappets....
do oil changes .. these things can be learned..
its best for the owner to service His beetle ..... Lee

Lee those features are found in all beetles built after 68
its only the 70s pov pack 1300 beetles that differ by having drum front brakes
they work well but most ppl just went all out and bought a superbug

Hi,

I have just recently (last week!) bought myself a beetle, like your wife I’ve wanted one for years. My advice is to go look at as many as you can. My hubbie and I spent several months looking at them before I found one I wanted. The more we looked at, the more vigilant we got at looking for rust, checking seals around window etc, checking for mould in the roof interior, checking the heating, the engine the tires etc. And of course the more you drive the easier it will be to find the ones that drive well, you need to have something to compare against, because a car that’s over 30 years old isn’t going to drive like a modern car and certainly takes some getting used too!!

Although I spent more money on the car than I originally wanted too, I’m glad I spent the extra. I have a really great fully restored bug that runs beautifully, I love driving it but it does take a bit of getting used too, especially parking, my arms have been getting a bit of a work out without the aid of power steering!

Hope you find a great one soon..

I was going to ask advice about buying a Beetle on my 'I'm new' thread, but thought I'd look around and see what else has been posted first - and this answers most of what I might need to know so thank you all! I haven't been looking long but have wanted one for years and think that I'll be fine as I'm used to driving old camper vans more than new cars so hopefully the adjustment won't be too much! I am also very lucky that my other half loves VW's too and is pretty good at tinkering...
However, neither of us knows much about Beetles so any advice would be very welcome. Am going to see two at the weekend and will try my best not to be blindly enthusiastic about the first one I get into!!

We bought one this week and the wife is wrapped. We had a look at a few and really, you do not seem to get much for $3500. I went had had a look at one that was advertsied on Ebay for a bit more than we were going to spend but it was in good nick and a fair bit of work had been done to it. The young bloke that sold it to me has gievn me a disc with all the photos on it of him doing it up. his grandfather made a spit up for the car so that they could rotate it easliy to cut the rust out.

Now all I gotta get my bum into gear and look after it. The wife even said she will wash it, clean it, etc. but I don't hold out much hope for that.....

I guess I should mention it is a '69 model and is a 1500 bored out to a 1600. Lots of little bits added. I AM in the good books at the moment - but that could change with tomorrows events.....

http://www.topblokeday.com 

A little day I invented and it is usually gets messy for me.

The Beetle is must for all the gorgeous 40yr old girls out there..........makes us feel 18 again ....lol