Tell me about Classic Beetles..

Lopéz · 24 Apr 2008 at 18:59

MarkDavis said:
Far too many trendroids buying the Golf Beetle thinking they're something trendy so who the hell knows? Given that buying an old beetle would be an exercise in utter stupidity, who knows whether he meant Golf Beetle? At least that drives okay, even it does look like a cartoon car...

Anyone who buys, own or runs a old beetle:-

a. Is a hippie who also wears sandals and clothes made out of old rice sacks.
b. Burns lots of joss sticks when at home
c. Goes around thinking its the 'Summer of Love' and saying 'Peeeeace Maaan."
d. Is utterly retarded and wants to drive the WORST CAR ON THE ROAD TODAY.
e. All of the above.

Old beetle = absolute piece of junk.

Not even a scrapyard would give you money for one.

Christ, I really really dislike the Beetle to drive, but even I can appreciate that what you've written there is pure bobbins.

MarkDavis · 24 Apr 2008 at 19:49

Obviously the hippie jibes are in jest you dim wits.

But it is a truly AWFUL car to drive.

I had this debate for YEARS with one of my best mates who owned and ran a bright yellow / orange Beetle. I even drove it quite a few times. Every journey we had was me ripping him to shreds about how it drove like a Flinstones car and how he had to open the door and put his foot against the road every time he wanted to stop

Even he would admit that it wasn't a good car to drive but he was thought it was something trendy which is why he bought it. The car was consigned to the scrap heap in the end as the cost and amount of welding it needed due to the amount of rust it had internally was prohibitive and made it dangerous on the road.

It was good car in the 1940s but its the 21st Century now

penski · 24 Apr 2008 at 20:12

MarkDavis said:
Obviously the hippie jibes are in jest you dim wits.

But it is a truly AWFUL car to drive.

I had this debate for YEARS with one of my best mates who owned and ran a bright yellow / orange Beetle. I even drove it quite a few times. Every journey we had was me ripping him to shreds about how it drove like a Flinstones car and how he had to open the door and put his foot against the road every time he wanted to stop

Even he would admit that it wasn't a good car to drive but he was thought it was something trendy which is why he bought it. The car was consigned to the scrap heap in the end as the cost and amount of welding it needed due to the amount of rust it had internally was prohibitive and made it dangerous on the road.

It was good car in the 1940s but its the 21st Century now

I know a guy who bought an absolute lemon of an Audi A4...Doesn't make the A4 a bad car...

Pull your head out of your fundament.

*n

Wicksta · 24 Apr 2008 at 20:22

TROLL FIGHT :eek:

Lopéz · 24 Apr 2008 at 21:24

MarkDavis said:
Obviously the hippie jibes are in jest you dim wits.

Whatever.

MarkDavis said:
But it is a truly AWFUL car to drive.

I'd go along with that

It was good car in the 1940s but its the 21st Century now

What's that got to do with the price of fish though? The Model T was great in the 20's, just because it's 80 years on doesn't stop it being a design success. Of course it won't compare dynamically and reliability wise to a modern design, I'd be stunned if it did given the amount of progress we have made in the automotive field.

I love my Manta but I have no doubt that the new Astra coupe is a "better" car. Of course it's better, but that doesn't mean I prefer it!

I very much doubt Beetle (or any other classic) owner chooses that particular car under the false impression that is as "good" (using the term loosely) as a 21st century car.

benneh · 24 Apr 2008 at 22:15

MarkDavis said:
It's an utter piece of junk to drive. Not really surprisingly given its 60 year old design, and a cheap one at that. Can't be that many on the road nowadays....most of them seem to have rotted away and not quite soon enough.

The bearded hippies seem to be denial.

Having said that they think that worshipping at Stonehenge makes the world go round, so I should hardly be surprised.

lol

OOgitychacka · 24 Apr 2008 at 23:25

Rust. If it bothers you then hey that's just too bad. I like it. I like the feel against my bare skin, I like the taste, I like the sound as you slam the door and it all drops out inside. Oil. I like the smell, I like black hands, I like the mess it leaves in the work carpark. It's like marking my territory with pee only it's black and permanent.

Rust+Pee+Oil

+ phile (Suffixes with the common part -phil- (-phile, -philia, -philic) are used to specify some kind of attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something. They are antonymic to suffixes -phob-. )

+ the letter 'd' for the sheer hell of it

= Rustypeedoilphile

worrying connotations ':O(

Jonny69 · 25 Apr 2008 at 15:12

Aaaargh it's true!!!

Stonedofmoo · 25 Apr 2008 at 15:26

The original beetles were crap, end of. Those ones you see now are often modified from their original spec with better engines.

We had a 1000cc one in our family for years and it was a bloody awful car. Nearly always refusing to start when going on holiday, seats covered with vinyl and even the primative electrics could go wrong. Total rubbish, budget car now overated by hippy types.

penski · 25 Apr 2008 at 16:16

Stonedofmoo said:
We had a 1000cc one in our family for years and it was a bloody awful car. Nearly always refusing to start when going on holiday, seats covered with vinyl and even the primative electrics could go wrong. Total rubbish, budget car now overated by hippy types.

They never made a 1000cc Beetle...

*n

JRS · 25 Apr 2008 at 16:20

Stonedofmoo said:
We had a 1000cc one in our family for years

Doubt it. The production ones (post-war) started out at 1131cc, that engine being replaced by a 1192cc one, then a new 1192cc one, then a 1285cc, 1498cc and 1584cc.

Think I have that right....I get a bit sketchy with the capacities after the '60s models.

As for Beetles - great fun. Utterly lousy in several respects - performance, fuel economy, all-out cornering speeds to name three - compared with more modern stuff, as you'd expect. But still, much more fun than anything VW are putting out right now.

Stonedofmoo · 25 Apr 2008 at 16:30

ok whichever one had '1000' written across the back in silver letters. I assumed that meant 1000cc

JRS · 25 Apr 2008 at 16:34

Stonedofmoo said:
ok whichever one had '1000' written across the back in silver letters. I assumed that meant 1000cc

I'm not that sure any Beetle ever left the factory with a 1000 badge. Plenty left with 1300, 1302, 1303 and 1500 badges?

Stonedofmoo · 25 Apr 2008 at 16:36

I'd go and look but it was sold when I was about 10 years old and I really don't remember more clearly than that

Dogbreath · 25 Apr 2008 at 19:21

Lopéz said:
I love my Manta but I have no doubt that the new Astra coupe is a "better" car.

Hmm, that depends on how you define better! If better = electric gadgets and cup holders then just perhaps.

Beetles are pretty nasty machines though. The majority of competition Beetles I've seen have been used for drag racing where the RWD, rear engine configuration offers considerable traction advantages. Put a few bends in the way and the twin trailing arm front suspension ties itself in knots. Give me a mini any day...but then I know you aren't keen on them either

penski · 25 Apr 2008 at 19:28

Stonedofmoo - you sure it wasn't a Morris 1000?

Dogbreath - 1302/1303 bugs have macstrut front end and can be made to handle pretty well on tarmac.

Hell, even beam-front bugs have a lot of rallying successes under their belt.

*n

Lopéz · 25 Apr 2008 at 19:30

Dogbreath said:
Hmm, that depends on how you define better! If better = electric gadgets and cup holders then just perhaps.

You know what I mean

A technically more competent vehicle (although I'd pick the Manta over it any day!)

Dead Dog · 25 Apr 2008 at 20:51

MarkDavis said:
Are you talking about the original Beetle or the Golf Beetle?

If you end up buying the original Beetle, you will have the honour of driving the worst car currently on British roads. Worst as in ABSOLUTELY WORST NOTHING COMES REMOTELY CLOSE WORST WITH ABSOLUTELY NO REDEEMING FEATURES WORST.

MarkDavis said:
Far too many trendroids buying the Golf Beetle thinking they're something trendy so who the hell knows? Given that buying an old beetle would be an exercise in utter stupidity, who knows whether he meant Golf Beetle? At least that drives okay, even it does look like a cartoon car...

Anyone who buys, own or runs a old beetle:-

a. Is a hippie who also wears sandals and clothes made out of old rice sacks.
b. Burns lots of joss sticks when at home
c. Goes around thinking its the 'Summer of Love' and saying 'Peeeeace Maaan."
d. Is utterly retarded and wants to drive the WORST CAR ON THE ROAD TODAY.
e. All of the above.

Old beetle = absolute piece of junk.

Not even a scrapyard would give you money for one.

MarkDavis said:
Okay, fair enough they do have a hippy cult following, so you would probably get some loon paying a few quid for one instead of spending it on trip to Stonehenge.

But they are utterly awful to drive and would be the worst car on the road in the UK.

wow you know your stuff

Dead Dog · 25 Apr 2008 at 21:03

Stonedofmoo said:
We had a 1000cc one in our family for years and it was a bloody awful car. Nearly always refusing to start when going on holiday.

there is a very good reason your 1000cc beetle would refuse to start

Stonedofmoo · 25 Apr 2008 at 23:34

penski said:
Stonedofmoo - you sure it wasn't a Morris 1000?

Very sure

Anyhow I may be hazy about the exact engine in it, but i'm sure as hell not hazy about the vinyl covered seats, having almost had 3rd degree burns from them many summers in a row :eek:

Tell me about Classic Beetles..

Man of Honour