Tropical Fish Forums

[59FIFTY]

I just turned 16 and my parents are giving me $2500 for a car. I have found of Craigslist a few cars that I really like. and I am really looking at a few 1973 Volks Wagen Beetle. Has anyone on here ever owned one of these or even an earlier model? I want to know a few things about it such as do they have heat/air, Do they get good mileage, do they have an electrical outlet? Obviously I don't have enough money for an overhaul or anything so I need to get bearing down on things like this. thanks!
-Jake
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In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. - Martin

[diademhill]

I wouldn't let my son drive one.
They are death traps compared to modern cars & you pay a premium because they are perceived as cool.
Being injured or dead after a minor accident is as cold as it gets -not cool though.

[59FIFTY]

You have to fill em with premium?
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In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. - Martin

[diademhill]

You pay a premium as in they cost more because they have an image.

I have driven beetles & the new beetle -I'll stick with my Smart forfour.

[59FIFTY]

Okay I see what you are saying now.
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In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. - Martin

[Topper]

I had a '70. Excellent for getting around town. No AC, no power anything. Manual clutch and very small engine. Engine is in the back and pretty simple to work on - which brings me to my point...

Parts and labor to fix a VW will be prohibitive unless you have a couple thousand a year for maintenance. A simple gasket replacement could run you easily five hundred bucks. If you can work on the car yourself (and you are interested in that sort of thing) it is still a gamble as the parts are no longer made and some are hard to come by. You will find yourself searching junk yards and on-line auto parts companies for simple things. It would be more of a hobby than a means of transportation.

I would think that you could probably get an early to mid 90's Jeep for about $2K. They have a cool image, are easy to fix and parts are still readily available.
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You're gonna need a bigger boat...

[UncleWillie]

You know, Topper, that is the exact same thing I was thinking about. Jeeps are available, relatively cheap, and parts can still be found for relatively good prices. Certainly a fun vehicle, but I know how some parents will not want there children driving Jeeps, b/c of fear of flipping over if driving wildly.

[59FIFTY]

Oh trust me I would love a jeep but my dad is making me get something that gets good mileage. He said that beetles get okay mileage and they are cool looking, but the fact that they have no ac or heat is getting a big "NO" out of him.
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In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. - Martin

[Topper]

Oh, VW's have heat alright. In fact, I still wince in pain when I see one. The heat blower is under the firewall, in the middle of the dash - three settings of "off" "low" and "high". The blower is pointed directly at your right calf/thigh. If you can stand the heat on "high" for more than five minutes you are immune to temperatures exceeding those found on the surface of the sun.

Hey, how about an older VW Rabbit? I think they are called Cabrio now, but the older ones were diesel engines that got about 40 miles to the gallon. Those suckers lasted a long time and didn't have the rust issues the bugs had. A diesel engine can go for a couple hundred thousand miles.
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You're gonna need a bigger boat...

[59FIFTY]

Not a bad idea! I really like the newer model. Are all the older model deisels though? desiel in my area is up to $3.55 per gallon at some gas stations...
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In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. - Martin