Classic 1970 VW Beetle for first car?

[Pea-n-Me]

A good friend of mine had one of those. I wouldn't for my kids because I want them in something safe and relatively modern. As others have said, it could also be a drain on the pocketbook.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

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.

OT but DH had a friend who had one of those. He and his wife and kids were all pretty "good size". He used to brag about the four of them making it down to Disney from MA in "21 hours straight". That was many years ago and we still chuckle about it to this day. The one and only time we drove down to Disney from MA, it took us 32 hrs to get there! (Granted, we stopped a lot, but it was a long ride!)

 

[bcla]

I understand that one in reasonably good condition can be relatively cheap to operate if the owner (or friends) can maintain it themselves. Some people love them because there's generally work to be done, but it's easy compared to most modern cars. The basic design was supposedly such that someone with basic mechanical skills could put it back on the road pretty easily.

The real nice thing about modern cars is that they tend to have far better daily reliability. However, when one breaks down the diagnosis of a modern car may be really convoluted.

 

[Klayfish]

As I said before, the old Beetle won't really be a problem from a reliability standpoint (with the huge asterisk that I assume you're buying one that's already restored). They're pretty tough little things. But even as an urban dweller, your child may find it a hassle to try to keep up with cut and thrust urban traffic. The Beetle simply can't do that. Yes, you can get insurance for it. However, classic insurance like Grundy's is relatively restrictive...doubt your child would qualify.

What it really comes down to is that the Beetle is a very antique design, as in 80 years old. I bet it'd be fun for a month or two, then the novelty will wear off. As a show car, I'm all in. But for a daily driver, no thanks. And not much to look into on the safety side of things...they simply aren't safe compared to anything built in the last 30 years.

Yes, the Beetle was designed by Dr. Porsche himself, with strict requirements given to him by Hitler.

 

[tvguy]

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 agree 100%.
Reliable, lots and lots of parts out there, and at least here, many shops that specialize in fixing them.
Safety, that would be something to consider. No crumple zones, no air bags, limited interior safety padding, no ABS. A 10 year old Focus, Versa, Echo, Accent, Cruz etc would be a much better option from a safety standpoint.

 

[tvguy]

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.

Hagerty is a great option for classic cars, I have them for my 1965 Mustang. However, they require the driver have ANOTHER vehicle since they do not cover cars that are the owners primary transportation. And they have very low annual mileage limits....500 miles a year in my case.

 

[DawnM]

No way. Safety alone would be a huge concern.

 

[hereyago]

Lol, my dd wanted one or an older Range Rover, she didn't get either one of those lol.

First of you havent all ready, get her an AAA membership or the like. Another thing : dash cams. Because people are sketchy.

No, I wouldn't get a beetle as a first car, just because people don't know how to drive. And they are like litle sardine cans safety wise.

As far as "classic"car in general, if it has been well maintained and not a sardine can, then go for it.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I realize it would be cool as heck to have that. BUT I think safety is a HUGE concern with those... so a definite NO.

 

[Squirlz]

Hagerty is a great option for classic cars, I have them for my 1965 Mustang. However, they require the driver have ANOTHER vehicle since they do not cover cars that are the owners primary transportation. And they have very low annual mileage limits....500 miles a year in my case.

You choose the mileage limit that you wish to pay for. 5000 in our case.

 

[Klayfish]

Hagerty is a great option for classic cars, I have them for my 1965 Mustang. However, they require the driver have ANOTHER vehicle since they do not cover cars that are the owners primary transportation. And they have very low annual mileage limits....500 miles a year in my case.

If I were you, I'd strongly suggest checking your policy and/or shopping. Work in auto insurance and knowing the industry, that doesn't seem right. Policies like that are typically reserved for the true trailer queens. The Ford GTs, Hemi Cudas, etc...that are never actually driven, just kept in a museum or trailered show to show. No offense at all, the '65 Mustang is a cool car, but it's not at that level unless it's some one off unique piece. If it's a more common Mustang, you can get a far less restrictive policy...easily.

 

[mnrose]

No way, no how. Not safe at all by today's standards. For a new driver, I'd want front and side impact airbags if at all possible.

Also, I live in a northern climate. It gets very cold. Bugs had TERRIBLE heating system. We owned one when I was in law school and in the winter months, on super cold days, we'd drive with the window's down so they wouldn't fog up. It was cold as hell.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

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.

Urban dwellers? Sure why not.

I am sure insuring it will be a pain.

 

[cats mom]

I'm sure I drove my ins guy nuts, but I called and got a quote for every vehicle we were seriously considering before making a final decision, and we did nix a couple of vehicles due to the high cost of insurance. That might be a good place to start.

A VW beetle was one of the cars we used for a teen driver, but it was just slightly used, not vintage.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Hagerty is a great option for classic cars, I have them for my 1965 Mustang. However, they require the driver have ANOTHER vehicle since they do not cover cars that are the owners primary transportation. And they have very low annual mileage limits....500 miles a year in my case.

We have used Hagerty before.

 

[tvguy]

If I were you, I'd strongly suggest checking your policy and/or shopping. Work in auto insurance and knowing the industry, that doesn't seem right. Policies like that are typically reserved for the true trailer queens. The Ford GTs, Hemi Cudas, etc...that are never actually driven, just kept in a museum or trailered show to show. No offense at all, the '65 Mustang is a cool car, but it's not at that level unless it's some one off unique piece. If it's a more common Mustang, you can get a far less restrictive policy...easily.

Well, the restrictions aren't an issue, and the premiums are very reasonable. $240 a year for 500 miles, $35,000 agreed (and appraised) value, zero deductible on everything, free unlimited towing. But when it comes due, I will shop around.

 

[OneOftheB's]

I would not. Interestingly enough, my parents borrowed a family members Beetle for me to learn on with the intention of purchasing it for me. After a trip or two around the block my dad axed that plan. In his words a new driver needs a car with enough get up and go to get out of a mess but not so much as to get into trouble. That plus as a 15/16 year old girl, the lack of power steering wasn't the easiest thing to overcome.