Classic 1970 VW Beetle for first car?

[momz]

DD has said that she would love to have a beetle for her first car. I always assumed she meant a modern one. But, I found a classic 1970 for sale at an auction. I don't have any information about it except that it has only 26k miles.

Would you consider a classic car for your kid?

 

[mom2rtk]

No. I would worry about reliability and safety with such a new driver.

 

[Hikergirl]

I don't know how safe they are so that is definitely something to consider but I would be concerned about upkeep cost for a car that old. Being able to find parts that aren't expensive may be an issue.
My dd's friend wanted a vintage Beetle, her parents got her a Hyundai LOL

 

[Klayfish]

The original Beetle is as mechanically simple as cars get, so from that perspective it's really not an issue. There is tons of aftermarket support for them and parts are very cheap. So as long as the car is in good condition, I wouldn't worry too much about reliability. They were from a long gone era when Germans built reliable cars. I'd check it incredibly carefully for rust. If it has that low miles (can you verify it, odometers only had 5 digits), has it been sitting a long time? That's not good for cars. The Beetle was incredibly underpowered...that little air cooled engine, while tough, has a hard time moving the Beetle around well. It'll struggle to keep up with modern highway speeds. I think they were something like 60hp. Even though the 1970 was one of the last updated versions of the old Beetle, keep in mind it's a car that was designed in the late '30s

Most importantly, I'd be worried about safety. They don't do anywhere near as well as a modern car.

I love the original Beetle. For a show car or fun toy, why not. But for a daily driver for a young adult, I definitely wouldn't. I also would strongly suggest avoiding the newer Beetle too....very troublesome car, it will empty your wallet quickly.

Since I love cars so much...trivia question...and no Googling to cheat... Most people know the story behind who ordered the original Beetle to be built and why. But do you know who was most responsible in the actual design of the car? It's a name you'd recognize today.

 

[pryncess527]

No, I would not. A classic car would not meet my safety standards for a new driver.

I drive a newer Beetle and I love it. I'd totally consider getting my hypothetical kid a Beetle that was made in the last 10 years or so -- but a "classic" with no airbags (not to mention other safety features)? Not a chance.

 

[Squirlz]

Since I love cars so much...trivia question...and no Googling to cheat... Most people know the story behind who ordered the original Beetle to be built and why. But do you know who was most responsible in the actual design of the car? It's a name you'd recognize today.

I know but I'll let somebody else play.

 

[hereyago]

The original Beetle is as mechanically simple as cars get, so from that perspective it's really not an issue. There is tons of aftermarket support for them and parts are very cheap. So as long as the car is in good condition, I wouldn't worry too much about reliability. They were from a long gone era when Germans built reliable cars. I'd check it incredibly carefully for rust. If it has that low miles (can you verify it, odometers only had 5 digits), has it been sitting a long time? That's not good for cars. The Beetle was incredibly underpowered...that little air cooled engine, while tough, has a hard time moving the Beetle around well. It'll struggle to keep up with modern highway speeds. I think they were something like 60hp. Even though the 1970 was one of the last updated versions of the old Beetle, keep in mind it's a car that was designed in the late '30s

Most importantly, I'd be worried about safety. They don't do anywhere near as well as a modern car.

I love the original Beetle. For a show car or fun toy, why not. But for a daily driver for a young adult, I definitely wouldn't. I also would strongly suggest avoiding the newer Beetle too....very troublesome car, it will empty your wallet quickly.

Since I love cars so much...trivia question...and no Googling to cheat... Most people know the story behind who ordered the original Beetle to be built and why. But do you know who was most responsible in the actual design of the car? It's a name you'd recognize today.

Ohhhhhh, me wanna play: Mr. Porche himself. I used to hang with a beetle guy.

 

[bcla]

No way would I let my kid have one. I remember a HS classmate who had one. I also find the occasional Beetle, Type 2 Microbus, or Karmann Ghia, and most of them smell of unburned fuel from the tailpipe. I know that a proper adjustment of the carbs helps, but when it's off, who wants to be associated with that smell when everyone else is driving modern cars with cats?

They may not necessarily be prone to total breakdowns, but it's a carbeurated, air-cooled engine which is going to need routine maintenance that most modern cars just don't need. Have fun at stop lights and hope it doesn't overheat. It's probably going to burn oil. That's just sort of the way it goes with an almost 80 year old car design.

I did clip one once with my car. My car suffered from some light scratches to the plastic bumper cover which I didn't bother to fix, but it caved in the Beetle's sheet metal. It may be fun but no way is car like that close to being as safe as even a 1980s econobox.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Back in the day, my parents would never own one because they considered them unsafe. With the engine in the rear, there's nothing up front to protect you in a head-on collision. (The newer models I believe now have the engine in the front.)

Another concern would be getting it insured. I know you can register a classic car as an antique, but that's intended for collectors who are going to car shows, parades, etc. and not driving it on a daily basis. I would imagine the classic status coupled with a young driver would be pricey, but it depends on your location. YMMV.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The original Beetle is as mechanically simple as cars get, so from that perspective it's really not an issue. There is tons of aftermarket support for them and parts are very cheap. So as long as the car is in good condition, I wouldn't worry too much about reliability. They were from a long gone era when Germans built reliable cars. I'd check it incredibly carefully for rust. If it has that low miles (can you verify it, odometers only had 5 digits), has it been sitting a long time? That's not good for cars. The Beetle was incredibly underpowered...that little air cooled engine, while tough, has a hard time moving the Beetle around well. It'll struggle to keep up with modern highway speeds. I think they were something like 60hp. Even though the 1970 was one of the last updated versions of the old Beetle, keep in mind it's a car that was designed in the late '30s

Most importantly, I'd be worried about safety. They don't do anywhere near as well as a modern car.

I love the original Beetle. For a show car or fun toy, why not. But for a daily driver for a young adult, I definitely wouldn't. I also would strongly suggest avoiding the newer Beetle too....very troublesome car, it will empty your wallet quickly.

Since I love cars so much...trivia question...and no Googling to cheat... Most people know the story behind who ordered the original Beetle to be built and why. But do you know who was most responsible in the actual design of the car? It's a name you'd recognize today.

I drove a '78 Chevette in HS with the 68HP engine (an upgrade over the base 62HP LOL) and it was a LOT "quicker" than my friend's Beetle. Wanna say his was rated at 40HP IIRC.

Edit: for reference, 0-60 in the Chevette was roughly 16 seconds, or 18 with the A/C on.

 

[morgan98]

I was brought home from the hospital in April 1970 in a dark blue VW Beetle...

 

[bcla]

Since I love cars so much...trivia question...and no Googling to cheat... Most people know the story behind who ordered the original Beetle to be built and why. But do you know who was most responsible in the actual design of the car? It's a name you'd recognize today.

OK - no Googling.

Of course a lot of people nicknamed it "Hitler's car", but it was designed by a certain Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. The legend that I recall was that after the war there were a bunch of factory workers sitting around with nothing to do and the occupied forces got them to assemble a few of them with the parts they had on hand. A lot of these ended up in the hands of American service members who brought them back home. Not sure about the British since they would have preferred right-hand drive, but maybe they were for use in occupied Germany before they retooled to make right-hand drive versions.

I think even by the "Think Small" ad campaign, the car was already a 20 year old design.

 

[Kitty 34]

DD has said that she would love to have a beetle for her first car. I always assumed she meant a modern one. But, I found a classic 1970 for sale at an auction. I don't have any information about it except that it has only 26k miles.

Would you consider a classic car for your kid?

I had a '66 VW for one of my first cars but I was 24 back in the day!!!

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

I had a 72 super beetle for my first car back in the 80's. It was pretty much a death trap back then (but, boy did I love that car!) so no way would I let DD have that for her car now.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Where do you live? I live with semi's and winding roads in the bluffs, so no way would I let my kid drive that.

Now if they were buying the car themselves and paying for their own insurance, so be it. I would advise against it but would not forbid it.

 

[Skippy918]

No. the lack of safety features and airbags would be concerning especially for a new driver.

 

[momz]

We are urban dwellers. She would use this car for local driving, not on the highway. If she needs to travel far, I would have her use my car.

In regards to insuring it. Would insurance really be expensive? It's a 4-5 thousand dollar car and parts are cheap. So, I'm not sure insurance is that bug if an issue.

I will look into the safety issue.

 

[diznygirl]

I totally did not think safety first. My mind went immediately to the fact that a younger person would want all the newer tech features available in cars today.

 

[Planogirl]

My first car was a 71 Beetle. It was my Dad's but he sold it to me for some small amount. That car was great in many ways but it did have generator problems.

It was hit by one of the old Camaros head on when the other driver lost control. The police estimated that he was going 45 and I was sitting still. The front was crushed but the interior was barely damaged. I bumped my head due to the impact but I was fine. I would worry about the big SUVs though. Also once when I drove through a bad storm I expected to fly away. Those cars are very light!

 

[Squirlz]

We are urban dwellers. She would use this car for local driving, not on the highway. If she needs to travel far, I would have her use my car.

In regards to insuring it. Would insurance really be expensive? It's a 4-5 thousand dollar car and parts are cheap. So, I'm not sure insurance is that bug if an issue.

I will look into the safety issue.

Look at Hagerty for insurance. Based on declared value. I would just be worried about all the poor distracted drivers out there these days. The Beetle is not a car you would want to have a collision in. I say collision because "accidents" are very rare. Most collisions could be avoided if everyone paid attention. A collision in an old bug could be bad.