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Thinking of selling my 2007 beetle and picking up a 1967 (or so) beetle

M

morkus64

Diamond Member
I'm sick of car payments and high insurance for my 5 mile a day commute. In january I'll be moving to chicago, but I only plan on driving the car for groceries and other short trips, though the drive to chicago might be a little much.

What do you all think? Should I go for it? I should mention that I haven't driven stick before, so I'd be learning (but what better car to learn on, eh?)
 
An old rwd car with no traction control in Chicago during the winter? To also learn a stick shift on? Hrm. The heaters in those old things aren't exactly the most effective either.

I like your idea of getting something with lower insurance, perhaps a better idea is something a little newer, but still in the cheapish range. You could probably find a mechanically sound Sentra/Civic/Corolla/Focus for not a lot of $.
 
Arkaign said:
An old rwd car with no traction control in Chicago during the winter? To also learn a stick shift on? Hrm. The heaters in those old things aren't exactly the most effective either.

I like your idea of getting something with lower insurance, perhaps a better idea is something a little newer, but still in the cheapish range. You could probably find a mechanically sound Sentra/Civic/Corolla/Focus for not a lot of $.
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Old Bugs are great for low traction areas which is why they were so huge in the off-road segment. It has all the weight on the rear drive wheels. All you need to do is throw a sand bag in the front trunk to get some weight on the steering wheels and you're set. The heaters work VERY well in old Bugs is taken care of properly. Mine would burn my legs easily. What you said though is probably a better idea for him to get a newer car.
 
Arkaign said:
An old rwd car with no traction control in Chicago during the winter? To also learn a stick shift on? Hrm. The heaters in those old things aren't exactly the most effective either.

I like your idea of getting something with lower insurance, perhaps a better idea is something a little newer, but still in the cheapish range. You could probably find a mechanically sound Sentra/Civic/Corolla/Focus for not a lot of $.
Click to expand...

I agree that picking a near 50 year old car for a daily driver might not be the best idea, however those old cars don't have any traction problems in snow, all the weight is over the rear wheels and are a breeze to drive.
 
I taught my brother how to drive stick in a '69 super beetle with half the body missing, very easy to learn how to drive and never got stuck in the muddy field we bombed around in.

Having said that, there is about 0 crash safety, no ABS, no power, and the gas tank is right behind the dash. Also, because they're sought after, you might have a hard time finding a reliable DD at a reasonable price.
 
They positively kick ass in the snow. Toss a couple of good snow tires on the back and they will go anywhere reasonable. No stick experience and not being a mechanic/tinkerer would shoot it down though. It is a car you want to work on yourself unless you get very lucky and find a good shop nearby.
 
Hell yeah, original Beetle/Bug >>>>> New Barbie California Beetle.

Yeah it's an older car by 40+ years and won't have the amenities of a new car, but you probably know this.
 
Original VW bugs have been sought after by hipsters in a big way, so good luck making an economical purchase. Maybe in the 80s this made sense, but not now, 30 years later.

If this is a purely $ driven decision then as was said, look for a less hip, less cool alternative like anything domestic. Avoid "classic" and "fun" vehicles, fun always comes with a premium.
 
Thanks for the tips everybody. I was thinking it'd be ok for Chicago because the current plan is to have no car (my apt is right near the L), but it could be nice to have a car for short trips or getting away in the summer.

I picked the beetle purely because I love them and if I have an old cheap(ish) car, I'd rather it be something with a bit of character. I used to have a corolla that I didn't take care of because who cares, it's a crappy corolla, but my current beetle is treated really well because it makes me happy to drive it.

Also, if I sell my new beetle now, i can probably save half the cost of the old beetle in insurance and car payments between now and january.
 
Old bettles can be had cheap. But as said YOU need to know how to work on them and they will not be the safest, most reliable, or comfortable.
 
Out of any old car, I'd think the old beetle would be one of the easiest to maintain. I rebuilt from the ground up a '68, the parts were cheap, pleanty of parts (OEM and aftermarket) are available at most auto parts stores, and you can still find mechanics to work on them.

Here is the one I rebuilt from a rolling hull and used as my daily driver for a couple of years.
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One other alternative you might think about is the Chevy Corvair. I own a '63 Convertible that I've used as my daily driver for the past 5 1/2 years, and it has been very reliable. The voltage regulator just went out on it after 47 years, and I was able to pick a new one up at my local Autozone for $20. You can get a good daily driver cheap as well, air-cooled boxer six in the rear, the heater system is a little better than the beetle because it actually has a blower motor, and I know a great mechanic in the Chicago area that works on them. His name is Larry Claypool, he is in Frankfort IL, 30 miles South of Chicago, and he owns "The Vair Shop". http://64.7.98.35/index.html

Plus you'd have many body styles to choose from. Here is just a few:
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Lakewood.jpg
 
With only a 5-mile drive even a modern water-cooled car isn't going to have enough time to make the heater effective. Unless it has an engine block heater or similar mechanism.

I learned to drive a manual transmission in a '58 Beetle with a hot motor. I drove it in high school and in some snow and it was OK. If you are mechanically prepared to own an older vehicle I think the Beetle is a good choice. '67 has a lot of 1-year only parts which can be expensive and difficult to find. I think the sweet spot in that regard is probably the early '70s stuff, say '73 or so.

Never one to miss a pic opportunity.
truckandvw.jpg
 
Brilliant idea. I used to daily my 72 beetle, and it did fine(except I never fixed the gas gauge and got to walk to the station a lot).

67 has a lot of one year only parts so I might look for a different year. They are great in the snow but you will definetly notice a difference coming from a modern car, and of course no crumple zones. If you find one in good shape with the heater boxes intact they do heat up fairly well, but they also had an optional gas heater from the factory and you can track them down in good shape and you can roast the interior anytime.
 
Well the 5 mile commute is in maryland - when I move to chicago I won't be using it daily. But will it be able to manage the drive to Chicago? (~800 miles maybe)
 
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