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I've run a beetle as a daily driver a few times over the years and would do so again.
The key is to keep it properly maintained and accept that it won't be as quick, comfortable or fuel efficient as a modern car.
The only issue I had a couple of times which led to some scary moments was when i was doing a 75 mile commute to Kent for a few months and the washers packed up in the dark in sleet / snow on the M25 and the screen got so filthy, so quickly, that I could hardly see through the windscreen. Washer bottle was run on air pressure from the spare wheel - not the best system!
The only other thing I might do is look into uprating the headlights and seeing if brighter LED bulbs were available for the rear
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Currently driving a Renault Wind Gordini as my daily. Don't ask about previous cars - there have been way too many and I stopped counting at 160!
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I used to daily this, was a labour of love on longer journeys (and involved de-icing the inside of the car in winter as well as the outside!) but I loved every second! Was running a 1600 on twin webbers so kept up nicely enough, main downfall on the '53 was the lights, they'd had a 12v conversion but without having full beam on all the time it may as well have been a pair of candles out the front of the car?!
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Last Edit: May 1, 2020 9:35:06 GMT by shorty87
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shin2chin
Part of things
Making curse word cars slightly better
Posts: 820
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I've run a beetle as a daily driver a few times over the years and would do so again. The key is to keep it properly maintained and accept that it won't be as quick, comfortable or fuel efficient as a modern car. That all the fun though, I would be bored of a modern car in an instant.
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1977 PORSCHE 2.0na 924 1974 VW Beetle 1600
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It's been a looooong time since I did - but spent a few years running one or another as my only car. Regular maintenance a must, and make sure the exhaust and heat exchangers are in tip top condition. Heating can be great if everything is perfect - but a lot will now be on crappy heat exchangers that don't work as well as the originals. I'll echo what has already been said - it's not like driving a modern - floaty, slow and very susceptable to cross winds - a bag of sand in the front helps with that a bit. They were designed to run flat out quite happily, but to do that all the tinware, thermostat bellows, fan housing flaps etc need to be in good order, and the oil system too as it's just as important for cooling. Make sure the steering box is in good order and properly adjusted too - they like to wander a bit at the best of times. Pedal arrangement can take a bit of getting used to. Drum brakes need regular adjustment to keep them good, but I remember them being pretty efficient if looked after. As someone else said, one of those little diesel heaters like Glen has fitted would be a great addition, particularly if heat exchangers aren't great or someone has fitted J-tubes.Electronic ignition would remove another potential source of grief.
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1968 Mini MkII, 1968 VW T1, 1967 VW T1, 1974 VW T1, 1974 VW T1 1303, 1975 Mini 1000 auto, 1979 Chevette, 1981 Cortina, 1978 Mini 1000 1981 Mini City, 1981 Mini van, 1974 Mini Clubman, 1982 Metro City, 1987 Escort, 1989 Lancia Y10, 1989 Cavalier, 1990 Sierra, 1990 Renault 19, 1993 Nova, 1990 Citroen BX, 1994 Ford Scorpio, 1990 Renault Clio, 2004 Citroen C3, 2006 Citroen C2, 2004 Citroen C4, 2013 Citroen DS5. 2017 DS3 130 Plenty of other scrappers!
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qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,410
Club RR Member Number: 52
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Who dailys a beetle? qwerty
@qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member 52
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I'm looking at buying a Beetle as well, a back dated '72. Whats making me hesitate is that I have to keep it in the open on the drive and I'm worried about it deteriorating quickly.
Tom
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"There’s a big step backwards going from a MK2 Golf"
Having driven quite a few beetles and a few years ago owning a 1.3L 1986 Golf, I couldn't believe how similar the 2 cars were!
I got shot of the Golf after a couple of months after I realise the itch had been scratched. It was slow, leaked water into the car, demisting was curse word, seats weren't that comfortable - in fact the beetles I've driven were equal or better in pretty much every way!
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,715
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Who dailys a beetle? Dez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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I am known for dailying stuff other people would think is absolutely retarded (no wipers, no side glass, no heater, dickhead low, fenderless, crossplies, cable brakes, etc. Etc.) and the only thing that would put me off dailying a beetle is the poor heating, and then obviously only in the winter. Other than that I’d go for it.
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Last Edit: May 2, 2020 21:02:31 GMT by Dez
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I used to daily a variety of air-cooled VWs but being honest, I wouldn't any more. My 68 was my transport to and from school when I was 17 (way back in 1995!), I didn't have a car at uni for my first year but got my student loan in 2nd year for a 61. 12v converted but still rubbish lights! Drove it from the Midlands to Yorkshire regularly, and even up to Edinburgh and on to Fife in the middle of winter. When that got written off I used a beach buggy, then got my Ghia which I daily drove for my placement year at Vauxhall Ellesmere Port, driving there and back from Chester every day. Took it back to uni for final year, used a 70 bay window for a year until that got written off too. Ghia was pressed back into service then when I moved to Loughborough for my teacher training, driving up to Derby for first placement and Lutterworth for 2nd. Dailied an air-cooled 81 T25 to school for first job, then a nice 70 Beetle. After about 2004 the novelty had well and truly worn off and I got a mk3 golf. It can be done, but I'd rather have a boring daily and use the Beetle for evening and weekend fun drives.
Worst thing about driving them every day is the increased chance of what I had twice - a write off accident, and you do get pressed by other motorists who just want to get in front of the funny old car. In the summer I drive my Beetle to work once a week or so, but only if the weather is nice and I'm in the right mood for it.
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1968 Cal Look Beetle - 2007cc motor - 14.45@93mph in full street trim 1970-ish Karmann Beetle cabriolet - project soon to be re-started. 1986 Scirocco - big plans, one day!
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faiz
Part of things
Posts: 75
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I used to daily my 67 Karmann Ghia. I had very regular dramas and kept a full tool kit with a spare belt on the back seat. Bear in mind it had a rip snorting 1776 in the back and I used to drive it hard. It was rapid af. It was a genuine joy and I remember those days fondly. It did not have a heater and I drove it for a full year. I remember waking up early to scrape ice from the inside of the windscreen, push starting it myself in the car park at work, changing belts on the side of the motorway. As a young enthusiast it was fantastic but I wouldn't do it again! The potential for rust is just too high. I would do it over the summer but not daily.
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faiz my Ghia had a 1641 with twin 36 Dell's and no heater - much harder to scrape ice off the inside of the screen than in a Beetle! One evening coming back from Ellesmere Port to Chester in the fast lane of the motorway a stone hit the screen and it just exploded! Toughened screen was replaced with a laminated one, but I had to drive to Birmingham with no screen to get it!
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1968 Cal Look Beetle - 2007cc motor - 14.45@93mph in full street trim 1970-ish Karmann Beetle cabriolet - project soon to be re-started. 1986 Scirocco - big plans, one day!
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faiz
Part of things
Posts: 75
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faiz my Ghia had a 1641 with twin 36 Dell's and no heater - much harder to scrape ice off the inside of the screen than in a Beetle! One evening coming back from Ellesmere Port to Chester in the fast lane of the motorway a stone hit the screen and it just exploded! Toughened screen was replaced with a laminated one, but I had to drive to Birmingham with no screen to get it! Wow, luckily I've never done any of the glass!
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,201
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Who dailys a beetle? ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I used to daily one a while back A 1970 1200 with a 1300TP along with some other trick bits: It was a cool thing, but not as road friendly as other cars. I did alot to mine and this is what I remember: -Heaters are nowhere near as bad as I thought ; the heat exchangers and good heater channels make a pleasant difference. They weren't very directional mind you! My right leg would be red raw but my hands would be near unthawed on the steering wheel. -The handling wasn't too bad, but mine did have a decent steering box (most don't), fresh TREs and new mid-range tyres on. -The brakes were very good in mine after I rebuilt them ; many aren't. However, they were a bit too good! With not much fuel in, it was very easy to lock up the front brakes -Motorways were a joke with it! 50-60MPH was all it had really ; That was no doubt down to the short ratio'd 1200 'box on mine. Mine also broke down quite a bit but that was down to a bad rotor arm, which took alot of head scratching. Would I buy one as a daily again? I doubt it. I think the above details reasons for that well. Plus given the nature of how the heater channels rot (condensation and salt make for a great recipe for rot), that would also put me off. Others would call me boring there, but after having a dry-state California car (the now sold W108), you just don't realise how our climate is a car killer ; my M3 has more rust than my Merc! Stubborn fixings? None on the Merc, but more than a few on the M3. Even TREs came apart ridiculously easy on the Merc! It's not like the W108 is not known for rotting ; quite the opposite in fact! For a plaything and summer daily, I'd probably debate one again . Here's my old one. It was fixed up by myself. From the last ticket it had, it seemed it needed new floors and heater channels ; the car was pretty solid back in 2005 :
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Last Edit: May 4, 2020 5:17:53 GMT by ChasR
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kabman
Part of things
Posts: 348
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I dailied Beetles for many years, including a couple when I was covering 1000 miles a week. The main issues for me were the frequent sevicing required (at 3000 miles it gets a bit tiresome every few weeks) and relatively poor fuel consumption compared with a modern. Heating wasn't a problem but I wasn't doing short trips. Neither was performance - I was content to bimble along at 60 on the motorway and didn't treat commuting as a combat sport. I liked a '68 or '69 with a single port 1300 or 1500 for the best combination of convenience and reliability. I found the more you drive them, the better they run but you really need to keep up with maintenance and use the best parts you can (I preferred good, used, original VW bits to repro). I learned the hard way to invest in a stainless exhaust and genuine heat exchangers - which I still own and have been on several cars now.
But that was 15 or 20 years back. The cars and parts were cheap and plentiful then. The '68 I put over 100,000 miles on was £350. I have got soft these days and now daily a Lupo that has a cracking heater, costs peanuts and is virtually maintenance-free. The Beetles remain as toys.
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shin2chin
Part of things
Making curse word cars slightly better
Posts: 820
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Well as I am horrendous at taking advice, my Mk2 Golf was loaded up and transported up to its new owner in Glasgow today. Tomorrow I take delivery of a 74 beetle. New pans and a rebuilt 1600 engine but needing a bit of love. I'm sure there will be a thread to follow.
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1977 PORSCHE 2.0na 924 1974 VW Beetle 1600
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Who dailys a beetle? ballbagbagins
@ballbagbagins
Club Retro Rides Member 164
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Well as I am horrendous at taking advice, my Mk2 Golf was loaded up and transported up to its new owner in Glasgow today. Tomorrow I take delivery of a 74 beetle. New pans and a rebuilt 1600 engine but needing a bit of love. I'm sure there will be a thread to follow. You move quick.
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shin2chin
Part of things
Making curse word cars slightly better
Posts: 820
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Well as I am horrendous at taking advice, my Mk2 Golf was loaded up and transported up to its new owner in Glasgow today. Tomorrow I take delivery of a 74 beetle. New pans and a rebuilt 1600 engine but needing a bit of love. I'm sure there will be a thread to follow. You move quick. 5 days is a long time in lockdown
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1977 PORSCHE 2.0na 924 1974 VW Beetle 1600
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Roach
Part of things
Posts: 717
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Good work.
I wasn’t going to slam and narrow mine.
But a day after owning it, I ordered a full setup from Eva Restos..... ooops.
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shin2chin
Part of things
Making curse word cars slightly better
Posts: 820
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Good work. I wasn’t going to slam and narrow mine. But a day after owning it, I ordered a full setup from Eva Restos..... ooops. Last few cars I've had have started with "I'm gonna leave this one standard"
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1977 PORSCHE 2.0na 924 1974 VW Beetle 1600
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Who dailys a beetle? ballbagbagins
@ballbagbagins
Club Retro Rides Member 164
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Good work. I wasn’t going to slam and narrow mine. But a day after owning it, I ordered a full setup from Eva Restos..... ooops. Last few cars I've had have started with "I'm gonna leave this one standard" We all kid ourselves with that same statement.
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shin2chin
Part of things
Making curse word cars slightly better
Posts: 820
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May 11, 2020 10:21:32 GMT
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Well here it is, delivered last week. 1974 with early wings and boot lid. Porsche seats and 2 BRM wheels. New pans a few years ago and recent engine rebuild up to 1600 and supposedly track focused with high lift cams and bigger valves. Came with lots of spares but it's in a bit worse condition than expected. Needs a couple of patches of weld and a general tidy. Bought as a non runner but a carb rebuild and a new fuel pump got it running. Need some genuine rocker covers as the ones on it are leaking horrendously. As they say, Chrome don't get you home.
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1977 PORSCHE 2.0na 924 1974 VW Beetle 1600
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