Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,516
|
|
Apr 25, 2006 23:13:57 GMT
|
Volkswagens? Before anyone gets into anything its just something I've been pondering a bit since I came here and isn't meant to offend anyone. I would just like to learn and understand a bit better than I do now, why they have such a big following. I've never been anywhere else I though I could get away with asking  I don't really mean Beetles and buses which I get for being a peoples car, old, quirky and fun to modify etc etc but is there a reason that it has transferred onto more recent VW's? All the Golfs, Polos etc. that get posted on here - some of which I think are absolutely ace!  Just been wondering why the one make seems to have such a big following, even in this country, compared to say Fords or Vauxhalls.   |
| |
Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable. |
|
|
|
|
|
What is it about...DarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
|
Apr 25, 2006 23:19:02 GMT
|
|
Good question! I think it's more a "euro" thing... VWs have a strong following in Germany, obviously, as do Opels. And Germany/Austria are where the main shows seem to be at... When you look through the euro show galleries, 90% of the cars are german. Fords aren't really as big in mainland europe as they are here.
I'd say that in this country Fords have a bigger following than watercooled dubs, but I haven't been to a Ford show to say for sure...
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 25, 2006 23:20:13 GMT
|
well I'm a VW person.... for me, it's the build and the way they drive, they just seem lightyears ahead of anything else from the same era..... (sorry but to me they do!). I think the fact they are really solid little cars has helped a lot of them survive too, VW seem to actually think about cars and don't follow what other designers do, even the MKV golf to me seems a damn sight better as a car than the Civic R, Focus ST's and Vauxhall VX's of today. Also, the MKII golf has always had a special "something" about it, even a lot of my mates outside the VW scene get a bit exicited at a really nice 90 spec MKII, but don't seem to get as excited about 90 spec escorts or astras. They have a certain something, they just seem "right" to me, it's that something that other cars just lack, and I can't explain what it is. Sorry, no real help, but hopefully an insight... |
| |
The lurker formerly known as Cappuccinocruiser.. or wedgedout..
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 25, 2006 23:21:11 GMT
|
|
speaking personally ...
i got into them as my mate bought a bug when i was 16, and then a year later i bought one.
I moved onto water cooled models when i needed a daily due to the reputation they had, and the fact that when i was young you saw Vauxhalls and Fords everywhere and so i wanted something a little different.
The aircooleds have SUCH a personality and the watercooleds (from my experience of a polo and Golf) are such well set up cars from factory that they are bundles of fun.
Plus with both watercooleds and aircooleds spares are fairly easily available, mods are widely available, and parts (be it stock or mod) are pretty cheap.
|
| |
|
|
slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
|
What is it about...slater
@slater
Club Retro Rides Member 78
|
|
|
I reckon the reason watercooled are so popular is because the aircooled were popular before them. The people who owned aircooled have moved on to newer cars as aircooleds have been done to death. Most car owners are badge whores and stick with the same make so the People who were running beetles moved onto golfs insted of an escort or chevette. To be honest its all about fashion aswell. Someone came up with the idea of euroing a golf and then everyone with a VW copyed them as it looks so damn good! (thats how the vdub scene works, copy copy copy) That means you end up with all VWs looking fuggin hot to the point where its difficuly to find one that looks bad! Most people want to be in the good looking group so they buy VWs because they think it makes them 'cool' Its like when you were at school. The VW owners are the popular group of kids, good looking and everyone wants to emulate them but as people they are shallow and have no real imagination they all just copy what the most popular girl does! Yet they still look the best! The ford owners are like the geeky kids who spend the whole time in the science labs. They don't relly have much of a clue how to look good but they can all make their cars go relly fast and can give you a 2 hour lecture on why a watts linkage is better than a panhard rod. Then you have the hot rodders, these were the goth kids who were allways trying to be differant but in the end they all ended up looking the same! you get the idea  for me its all caused by fashion and people wanting to look 'cool' |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
slater, i think you are right about the badge. Aircooled dub owners are definitely frequently also owners of watercooled dubs these days. I don't think that is to replace the aircooled though, i find its usually as they expand their fleet, or want a winter hack so they can keep the aircooled locked up in the warmth during winter.
I think you are way off the mark with regards 'cool' and 'copying'. The volkswagens tend to be the most 'out of the box' modified cars i have ever seen! Sure, there are a lot of cal look aircooleds and euro watercooleds, but look at what else there is to!! And at the end of the day it is very hard to do something that has really never been done before - nearly all of us take inspiration from somewhere no matter what we drive, you could argue that the car scene is all about copy copy copy copy
|
| |
Last Edit: Apr 26, 2006 6:59:33 GMT by Keefy
|
|
|
|
What is it about...DarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
|
|
|
Its like when you were at school. The VW owners are the popular group of kids, good looking and everyone wants to emulate them oh how I WISH that were true! I wasn't popular at school, and NOBODY has ever wanted to look like me ;D I'd disagree with the first part of this - find me another scene with more style, imagination and innovation than the watercooled dub one over recent years |
| |
|
|
MWF
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,945
|
|
|
|
|
The VW scene is certainly like no other. I do not know of any scene which is so focused on looks. The speed that fashions move through the VW scene is shocking, you are talking seasonal trends like the clothing industry, people changing wheels on an annual basis. Sub sections within the scenes that tier down and down into different directions.
It also seems to attract a certain type of person too, almost always seem to be media based somehow.
The whole thing is like a giant car modifying R&D lab always ahead of every other scene.
Something I think that makes it very attractive is it's a well documented and well catered scene. There is just so much you can buy for VW's from the availability of spares to bolt on items. They are almost like Mini's in this respect. The knowledge pool is imense which must make modifying them very enjoyable.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'd say its cos of the following of the beetle and air cooled stuff too. Also the build quality of early watercooled VW's is amazing. I mean no rust! whats that all about! If you get into a scene or learn within a scene its not easy to notice other stuff is as good, specially when theres so much to know.
|
| |
 it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The ford owners are like the geeky kids who spend the whole time in the science labs. They don't relly have much of a clue how to look good but they can all make their cars go relly fast and can give you a 2 hour lecture on why a watts linkage is better than a panhard rod. ;D ;D ;D "Nail on head" for me.... |
| |
My fleet:
Suzuki GSX-R600Y SRAD with bald, melted tyres
A borrowed Mondeo
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I missed that, thats quite funny!
It does seem to be different types of people. Often the way i saw it was VW owners are dead cool. then theres the ones who are trying to be cool!
I think its the latter that wonder why herbie needs that TLC.
|
| |
it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts |
|
MWF
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,945
|
|
|
|
|
What I want explaining is the bizzarely regular link between modified Golfs and women. Why do girls choose the Golf so often?
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cos their boyfriends witter on and on till they get one!
|
| |
1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT! |
|
MWF
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,945
|
|
|
|
Cos their boyfriends witter on and on till they get one! I thought that but my ex GF really wanted a Mk2 and I don't care for them, and my mates GF wants a Golf and he doesn't like them much at all. Plus a lot of girls that own them are single. My GF claims they are a girly car but I don't see it, I've always thought the Mk2 onwards is too big to be girly. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, my other half likes Golfs, and used to have a Polo.
But I'm glad I convinced her to get a Vectra DTi, as I can stick a towbar on that and pull rusty tat around. ;D
Seriously though, she used to do 20,000 miles a year in a 1997 Polo, with NO problems to speak of. Plus it took a hard punt from a Mazda on the A14 surprisingly well! Quality car, if a tad dull to drive.
|
| |
My fleet:
Suzuki GSX-R600Y SRAD with bald, melted tyres
A borrowed Mondeo
|
|
MWF
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,945
|
|
|
|
But I'm glad I convinced her to get a Vectra DTi, as I can stick a towbar on that and pull rusty tat around. ;D Good man!!! |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Its definately the clean styling, reputation and durability thats keeps them popular. I've noticed too that VW's are always more subtle and tasteful in their modifications, that must stem from the Cal look surely? Interesting how the Opel thing has taken off in Germany, but I rarely see the same tasteful treatment on Vauxhalls here.
|
| |
|
|
Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,516
|
|
|
|
OK, most of that seems to make sense. I can understand that the euro scene is big on them but I don't think that would get you involved straight away in this country. More likely that its something you'd find out about and take inspiration from once invovled? Cappucino, I kinda get what you're saying about the Mk2. Don't know why but they seemed to be a step above the rest at the time. Remember the squeeky earing advert? I suspect that at the time they were better than the escorts and astras of the day and were certainly marketed above them. A white Golf cabriolet was the stepping stone for every yuppie on their way to 911 land after all I get the thing about the aircooled guys buying one as a winter runaround - would be like me being "badge loyal" and getting a Meastro or Montego or something. Personally I like to use my old cars all year round but I know others don't so fair enough. MWF, don't think I'd agree that its 100% ahead of every other scene as all scenes change and develop in different ways. One way it certainly does seem to be ahead though is in accepting and taking inspiration from all walks of life. Hot rodding is just as fashion consious but due to the build times etc the fashions tend to last a few years. By the way, very nice to have an adult conversation about something. Such a relief and a breath of fresh air ;D |
| |
Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
for me its all caused by fashion and people wanting to look 'cool' I do kind of agree, but be careful about using the F-word Slater, you'll invoke the wrath of Penski Where do J-car people sit in your hierarchy? To be fair, anyone interested enough in cars to sit on an internet forum discussing them would always have been in the non-popular set  I don't dislike VWs, but I do find them a bit too rational. The fact that they do things so well is almost a turn-off for me, it's difficult to believe that a MkI Golf is 30+ years old. I prefer my old tat to be a bit more random, irrelevant and overlooked, but maybe I'm just awkward? I've always liked the things others tend to ignore. Emporer's New clothes and all that. Off back into the cave, more mind bullets to be fired later. BTW, thinking of VWs, is there anyone out there who likes that Touran thing? I get this terrible feeling of depression every time I see one, got to be one of the most dull modern cars I can think of. |
| |
|
|
Ed
Part of things
Posts: 600
|
|
|
|
|
i got into veedubs because i wanted a vehicle to go mountain biking in. i bought a camper and was hooked. i had no idea of a show scene or anything like that....i just wanted an attractive mode of transport. my parents thought i was going to get a series 1 rs turbo ;D i nearly did......
then veedubs have been in my blood ever since...i moved to watercooled as i needed a car to go dj'ing in..fast and warm..so i bought a mk2 goof gti, it did the job. ive never bought a car for its 'coolness' ive just bought it as it seemed the logical next step for what i wanted but ill admit i havent strayed from premier teutonic engineering in 11 years ;D
now i own both aircooled and watercooled..best of both worlds for what i want out of motoring. sod looking 'cool' .....to most people in the UK looking cool is having a euroboxrepmobileastrafocus206blandness on their driveway.... so maybe its not so cool after all?
|
| |
Last Edit: Apr 26, 2006 8:49:31 GMT by Ed
|
|
|
|
Just been wondering why the one make seems to have such a big following, even in this country, compared to say Fords or Vauxhalls. 
