VW Beetle

I was trying to figure out what you were saying, then I realized you were probably talking about the seat back, not the seat sliders. 'cause the seat sliders lock the same on all of them, otherwise no shorter people could ever drive the cars: the seats would slide all the way back and they couldn't reach the pedals or wheel anymore...

I passed one on the road this morning. I see it occasionally. More in the winter, usually.

I remember from the late 70's/early 80's that the seats weren't secured very well and a severe impact from behind resulted in the seat breaking loose and the driver's and passenger's heads coming in contact with the rear deck edge in a rather unhealthy fashion.

I also recall "youp-ers" saying that a bug was a perfect winter car because it wouldn't get stuck in the snow. You could drive in snow over the headlights. A captain I sailed with got off a ship once in NOLA, bought a bug and drove home to NYC in a terrible blizzard and the only trouble he had was dodging all the stuck cars on the highway.

The '67 is supposed to be the one to get because it is the last year with the old style bumpers with overriders, last year for metal dash, low back seats, etc. First year for 12 volt, 1500 motor (1600 jugs fit IIRC), dual circuit brakes, two speed wipers. A major change was coming in '68.

With bugs, older means more $$. Early splits and ovals are cool, but as a driver - I'd get a car within 2-3 years of 1970 (either way). By '75, the Rabbit was arriving and the Bug motor wasn't taking kindly to emission controls. Cabriolets were sold here until '79 but all Bugs were a mess after about '73 or '74.

On the seat issue, Dad was rear-ended while waiting for a red light in his '68 Ghia on Xmas eve 1969. The seat back was bent backwards like a Lazy Boy - the seat base was fine. The headrests may have saved his life ('68 - first year for high-back seats).

I loved my super.. but I still have aweful thoughts of a 411 or 412. You do not see them done up often

alstevens wrote: First time drivers should not have one. Very dangerous in an accident. Yucon vs Beetle = not good. She needs a safer car to start out with. Just my opinion.

+1

In a standard Beetle (or '71-'72 Super Beetle) you sit very close to the windshield - even with the seat all the way back.

My first car was a 1972 Super Beetle. I love my Beetle, and I've had it for 25 years. You can see it here:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/1003/

Say what you want about air cooled Beetles, but I grew up in family of VW mechanics and I've used mine as a daily driver and my experience is that the heaters suck, the brakes suck and they are underpowered. Beyond that, they aren't even that good on gas.

If it's a toy or if your parents are VW mechanics, then one could make sense. If it were my daughter (if I had one...) I would want her in a car with airbags, disc brakes and a real defroster.

The problem is that cars have gotten much safer and better handling in the 30 years since they have stopped bringing air cooled VWs here - or the +/- 70 years ago since they were first designed.

I'd want my daughter driving the safest car available. I don't think that an early Beetle makes the short list.

I would have to agree that any early Volkswagen is not very safe. One of the more minor reasons I decided to sell my old 1964 Karmann Ghia was that I wanted something a little safer, more practical and reliable to drive.

M030 wrote: Say what you want about air cooled Beetles, but I grew up in family of VW mechanics and I've used mine as a daily driver and my experience is that the heaters suck, the brakes suck and they are underpowered.

Wow, it's like these cars are impossible to cheaply modify reliably, and the only way you CAN own/drive them is in box stock form.

Bolt-on disc brakes and bolt on hp for very little money? Has no VW owner here ever picked up a copy of Hot VWs magazine and looked at the advertisements? I'm truly mystified.

AC VWs were and are some of the easiest and cheapest cars to make real quick I've ever worked on.

The disc brakes from a 1967 and up ghia are a bolt on to a Beetle. You just need the spindle out. For a late super it is easy to swap 944 brakes on while a standard beetle you need to get a set of hubs machined.

How about the most important question...is your daughter on board with this idea? She may or may not think a Beetle is a cool car.

stuart in mn wrote: How about the most important question...is your daughter on board with this idea? She may or may not think a Beetle is a cool car.

And just as importantly, is she going to be a material part of fixing/maintaining it? Both the pride in ownership that it generates PLUS the additional mechanical independance it creates are good for teens to have.

Chris_V wrote: Wow, it's like these cars are impossible to cheaply modify reliably, and the only way you CAN own/drive them is in box stock form.

I never said that they can't be modified cheaply or reliably. All I was saying is that perhaps an air cooled VW isn't the best choice for a young daughter's first car.

M030 wrote:

Chris_V wrote: Wow, it's like these cars are impossible to cheaply modify reliably, and the only way you CAN own/drive them is in box stock form.

I never said that they can't be modified cheaply or reliably. All I was saying is that perhaps an air cooled VW isn't the best choice for a young daughter's first car.

Actually you said their brakes suck and they are slow, as reasons not to drive them. Both of which can be easily changed before said daughter could drive the car. I'd let a daughter drive any of the Bugs I had.

ratghia wrote: I would have to agree that any early Volkswagen is not very safe. One of the more minor reasons I decided to sell my old 1964 Karmann Ghia was that I wanted something a little safer, more practical and reliable to drive.

+1

Keep in mind that it's almost guaranteed that your daughter will wreck it. I had two wrecks when I was 18, and that's the last time I had an accident on the street. If it were my daughter, I would give her something with airbags and real crumple zones. My 12 year old says she wants a blue New Beetle for her first car.

jstein77 wrote:

ratghia wrote: I would have to agree that any early Volkswagen is not very safe. One of the more minor reasons I decided to sell my old 1964 Karmann Ghia was that I wanted something a little safer, more practical and reliable to drive.

+1 Keep in mind that it's almost guaranteed that your daughter will wreck it. I had two wrecks when I was 18, and that's the last time I had an accident on the street. If it were my daughter, I would give her something with airbags and real crumple zones. My 12 year old says she wants a blue New Beetle for her first car.

Speaking of new beetles..... I am not liking the trend of newer versions of old cars having less legroom.
My 60 Beetle has waaaay more leg room than a family members New Beetle. Same goes for the 1st gen MR2 vs. MR Spyder. I can't fit comfortably in either of those cars, but have legroom to spare in the earlier versions.

Cotton wrote:

jstein77 wrote:

ratghia wrote: I would have to agree that any early Volkswagen is not very safe. One of the more minor reasons I decided to sell my old 1964 Karmann Ghia was that I wanted something a little safer, more practical and reliable to drive.

+1 Keep in mind that it's almost guaranteed that your daughter will wreck it. I had two wrecks when I was 18, and that's the last time I had an accident on the street. If it were my daughter, I would give her something with airbags and real crumple zones. My 12 year old says she wants a blue New Beetle for her first car.

Speaking of new beetles..... I am not liking the trend of newer versions of old cars having less legroom. My 60 Beetle has waaaay more leg room than a family members New Beetle. Same goes for the 1st gen MR2 vs. MR Spyder. I can't fit comfortably in either of those cars, but have legroom to spare in the earlier versions.

I wouldn't be afraid to drive a Beetle or Ghia every day I would just ad some safety features like seat belts because on the early car they were a dealer installed option. I understand that they are not safest and just live with it. I have seen some very bad crashes where the driver survived in a beetle. A bus would be one of the only cars I wouldn't have as a dd out of a concern for safety. In a bus you have 2 sheets of metal and then you, and you are the crumple zone.

in the last two years i have replaced my clutch cable, my throttle cable and thats it...other than regular maint. nothing that i had to do the rest was things i wanted to do and i can still get a second gear scratch and hav had it to 100 mph once, it will stay at 80 all day long on the freeway,,and my heater is aftermarket and it kicks ass, but as for the ac your right it sucks ass in texas to have a couple of weeks like now when were hitting 105 to 107 and driving its like a convection oven .....nice if you like the heat but I still look cool in my 71 super b.. its a great car for kid and its easy for them to learn the basics mechanical skills needed in life and if they screw something up its an easy fix and most of the time not that much cash out of pocket to customiz her a little at a time..