2005 2.0 New Beetle Cabriolet
Discussion
As Morgan has tested the water with his New Beetle thread and not got flamed to death, I thought I'd post mine up.
This is it in 2005 when we bought it from new, after looking for a cheap car for the wife to go to the Post Office in when she was working at home. Quite how we ended up at a new New Beetle from a couple of thousand £ runabout I don't know.Note the ironic reg number. This was replaced with my own personal plate when I commandeered the NB from the wife and started fiddling with it.
The Mini next to it was my toy at the time. It started as a daily while I was being Mr Careful with 12 points on my licence and ended up as a show car with most panels replaced, a Stage 1 MG Metro engine, 6x13 Compomotives and fully adjustable suspension. However, I soon realised there was a bit of a NB scene and they were quite easy to modify too. So the Mini was sold and I started tinkering with the NB. Wheels and lowering springs were first. Springs have since been replaced with matched Weitec 50mm lowered springs and dampers.
Then I took off the front numberplate plinth and got the holes filled in.
Did a few shows with it. Won a few trophies for show and shine / concours. Took it to Wolfsburg too. Bra and small numberplate pic will probably end up in the Badly Modded Council thread
In my defence it was done as a joke.
All it does now though is the occasional local cars and coffee meet.
Although I did enter a competition for a Revo remap. My line was "I will probably win as Revo don't actually do a remap for a 2.0 New Beetle". So, obviously I won. The only thing in the Revo catalogue that would fit my NB was an air filter.
And this is where it mostly lives ..
I do have a load more pics, but Photobucket doesn't want to let me get them without bombarding me with pop ups. There are a few other minor mods too, US spec rear lights (clear top half), satin black rear valance and front grille slat. I did try crystal front indicators for a while, but they never looked right, so went back to standard. There was a black badge phase too, but they went back to standard, as I was doing concours competitions.
After a few years of distinct lack of use (76 miles between the last MoT's ...) I have had a sudden burst of enthusiasm to coincide with the end of summer and have had the cam belt replaced and had it serviced, then replaced the door lock module and window regulator that decided they were fed up with the lack of use and were going to fail while I was checking the car over for the MoT. I have done over 100 miles in the last few weeks, with the intention of using it a bit more and getting out on sunny autumn / winter mornings. I was contemplating selling it a while ago, but the book price is probably £2.5k max, although if you found someone that wanted an immaculate condition, low mileage (19k) New Beetle cab, then possibly £4k. It would cost more than that to replace it with anything similar, so it looks like it will be staying for a while !
This is it in 2005 when we bought it from new, after looking for a cheap car for the wife to go to the Post Office in when she was working at home. Quite how we ended up at a new New Beetle from a couple of thousand £ runabout I don't know.Note the ironic reg number. This was replaced with my own personal plate when I commandeered the NB from the wife and started fiddling with it.
The Mini next to it was my toy at the time. It started as a daily while I was being Mr Careful with 12 points on my licence and ended up as a show car with most panels replaced, a Stage 1 MG Metro engine, 6x13 Compomotives and fully adjustable suspension. However, I soon realised there was a bit of a NB scene and they were quite easy to modify too. So the Mini was sold and I started tinkering with the NB. Wheels and lowering springs were first. Springs have since been replaced with matched Weitec 50mm lowered springs and dampers.
Then I took off the front numberplate plinth and got the holes filled in.
Did a few shows with it. Won a few trophies for show and shine / concours. Took it to Wolfsburg too. Bra and small numberplate pic will probably end up in the Badly Modded Council thread
In my defence it was done as a joke.All it does now though is the occasional local cars and coffee meet.
Although I did enter a competition for a Revo remap. My line was "I will probably win as Revo don't actually do a remap for a 2.0 New Beetle". So, obviously I won. The only thing in the Revo catalogue that would fit my NB was an air filter.
And this is where it mostly lives ..
I do have a load more pics, but Photobucket doesn't want to let me get them without bombarding me with pop ups. There are a few other minor mods too, US spec rear lights (clear top half), satin black rear valance and front grille slat. I did try crystal front indicators for a while, but they never looked right, so went back to standard. There was a black badge phase too, but they went back to standard, as I was doing concours competitions.
After a few years of distinct lack of use (76 miles between the last MoT's ...) I have had a sudden burst of enthusiasm to coincide with the end of summer and have had the cam belt replaced and had it serviced, then replaced the door lock module and window regulator that decided they were fed up with the lack of use and were going to fail while I was checking the car over for the MoT. I have done over 100 miles in the last few weeks, with the intention of using it a bit more and getting out on sunny autumn / winter mornings. I was contemplating selling it a while ago, but the book price is probably £2.5k max, although if you found someone that wanted an immaculate condition, low mileage (19k) New Beetle cab, then possibly £4k. It would cost more than that to replace it with anything similar, so it looks like it will be staying for a while !
Incredible shine!
Between you and Morgan, I'm thinking I should do a thread on my most recent purchase.
Since buying it 2 weeks ago I've lost count of how many times I've been asked if I bought it for my wife.
You've also given me an idea for mine when it goes into the body shop next week to add to the new brakes, wheels, tyres, coilovers, detail, and wrap already done..........as the front bumper is being painted, it seems only right to have the plate smoothed at the same time. Thanks!!
Between you and Morgan, I'm thinking I should do a thread on my most recent purchase.
Since buying it 2 weeks ago I've lost count of how many times I've been asked if I bought it for my wife.
You've also given me an idea for mine when it goes into the body shop next week to add to the new brakes, wheels, tyres, coilovers, detail, and wrap already done..........as the front bumper is being painted, it seems only right to have the plate smoothed at the same time. Thanks!!
1Toomanycars said:
Incredible shine!
Between you and Morgan, I'm thinking I should do a thread on my most recent purchase.
Since buying it 2 weeks ago I've lost count of how many times I've been asked if I bought it for my wife.
You've also given me an idea for mine when it goes into the body shop next week to add to the new brakes, wheels, tyres, coilovers, detail, and wrap already done..........as the front bumper is being painted, it seems only right to have the plate smoothed at the same time. Thanks!!
Get that thread up ! With only a few mods they do look slightly less girly, which is all the excuse you need really ! They do look loads better with numberplate smoothed. A full sized one in the grille shouldn't cause any problems with cooling either.Between you and Morgan, I'm thinking I should do a thread on my most recent purchase.
Since buying it 2 weeks ago I've lost count of how many times I've been asked if I bought it for my wife.
You've also given me an idea for mine when it goes into the body shop next week to add to the new brakes, wheels, tyres, coilovers, detail, and wrap already done..........as the front bumper is being painted, it seems only right to have the plate smoothed at the same time. Thanks!!
steve-5snwi said:
That looks like it's loved, although is the number plate really in the centre ?
The tiny tinted one was just a joke for a show, so was only roughly stuck on. I normally run an undersized one on the left of the grille. I did have one in the centre until someone said it looked like it had goofy teeth and now I can't stop seeing that now !
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