Opinions on the Classic VW Beetle?
Discussion
I was seriously considering getting a nice 1300cc one, chrome bumpers etc because they are the cheapest car to insure on the road for a 17 year old male,( well the cheapest that isn't the classic mini, which I love but am not allowed due to my Mum deeming it too small) I can't complain cause she is putting half the money towards the car, so anyone got a classic beetle or have any opinions on one? Thanks
TheCarFather said:
I was seriously considering getting a nice 1300cc one, chrome bumpers etc because they are the cheapest car to insure on the road for a 17 year old male,( well the cheapest that isn't the classic mini, which I love but am not allowed due to my Mum deeming it too small) I can't complain cause she is putting half the money towards the car, so anyone got a classic beetle or have any opinions on one? Thanks
They are quite cool as a vehicle, although come with some dodgy Vee-Dumb baggage scene which frankly isn't cool.And at 17 they certainly rank a million times better than a newish Corsa or the like.
Have a look about though, the Beetle isn't the most dynamic of cars, despite major mods being popular to them. And there must be other classics that are just as cheap to insure and maybe better value for money in terms of what your money will buy.
Triumph 2.6Pi/2500
Rover P6
Morris Minor
Triumph Herald
My beetle is/was my first car and it was great at that. Insurance was very cheap, mechanically it was a simple as they come with loads of online backup and parts availability. Such a relaxing thing to drive, nothing seems to stress me out when I'm in the bug and of course they're about 400x as interesting as a Corsa. I highly recommend it.
Love to rust though (but most old cars do), so get the cleanest one you can find
Love to rust though (but most old cars do), so get the cleanest one you can find
My first car was a 1970 1300 Beetle.
Compared to most other cars they are generally awful - slow, noisy, uncomfortable etc. However they are also somehow quite endearing at the same time and can be great fun. Cheap to run, easy enough to fix/maintain and a great car to learn basic practical mechanics on.
Compared to most other cars they are generally awful - slow, noisy, uncomfortable etc. However they are also somehow quite endearing at the same time and can be great fun. Cheap to run, easy enough to fix/maintain and a great car to learn basic practical mechanics on.
TheCarFather said:
I was seriously considering getting a nice 1300cc one, chrome bumpers etc because they are the cheapest car to insure on the road for a 17 year old male,( well the cheapest that isn't the classic mini, which I love but am not allowed due to my Mum deeming it too small) I can't complain cause she is putting half the money towards the car, so anyone got a classic beetle or have any opinions on one? Thanks
I'm not sure a Beetle is any safer than a mini.How about an Avenger or Marina?
(Runs and hides)
Ozzie Osmond said:
Let's not beat about the bush. Beetles must have been old and not much use about 40 years ago.
Today I'd stick them firmly in the dangerous rubbish box and avoid like the plague.
And this of course would be completely rubbish advise Today I'd stick them firmly in the dangerous rubbish box and avoid like the plague.
either that or some form of joke missing a punch line. sigh....TheCarFather said:
Triumph Man said:
The answer to your question is of course the Triumph Dolomite 
I actually really like them, I just always got the impression they were too expensive, and I could never find a 1300, how much could I pick a 1300 up for?CDP said:
I'm not sure a Beetle is any safer than a mini.
Agreed.If you phone your insurers/potential insurers and ask them what are their lowest rated cars they'll soon steer you in the right direction with something more modern but equally cheap to buy and run. You can get some nice surprises, typically by buying a car which doesn't get regularly crashed giving them lousy insurance statistics. IMO you really don't want to be out on the road in something designed more than 50 years ago.
te 
OldSpeed said:
Compared to most other cars they are generally awful - slow, noisy, uncomfortable etc. However they are also somehow quite endearing at the same time and can be great fun.
I took a friend's Beetle - out for a brief drive a while back - and it was a flawed gem. Not sure I'd want to do an emergency stop in one or face a long motorway journey, but it was far more of an event than driving a modern car.
If you can get classic insurance at that age, it might also be worth considering a kit of some description - that's what I did for my first car (admittedly a decade ago now). You could even follow the VW theme and get a Sandrail.
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