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vw beetle

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Q: VW beetle?
I am thinking about buying a used VW Beetle, 2003-2006 with low mileage, convertible. Can anyone share their opinions on these cars? How is the gas mileage? We need a second car, I have an Aztek and a DEAD Ford Explorer. Comments? Thoughts? Thanks!

A: I have turbo 2003 yellow beetle, and I absolutely love it! I was tempted to get the convertible at first, but I decided against it because:
1) It has a 2 out of 5 star safety rating. It’s a small car, so if you replace the dome (which absorbs the most impact like a school bus dome) with fabric, it really doesn’t help you too much!
2) The gas mileage is not as good

Overall the user ratings for the VW convertible have been relatively good, and the only problem is a minor window problem.
Also, consider that it’s still a german car, so matienance is more expensive for EVERYTHING.
I would consider getting the regular beetle as well. I didn’t think I would ever get the regular, but I love him! He’s my baby! Also think about getting the regular, turbo, or diesel. Turbo definitely takes more gas, but boy is it fun! It’s a classic/fun car designed for Porsche. But however, if you go the convertible route, that’s fun as well!

Q: VW Beetle?
Currently I have a 89 honda civic, and its on its last limbs, i am thinking of getting a VW Beetle(Ive always wanted one), used…..

any insights on this car?? is it a good car??

A: If you can afford the upkeep of a foreign made car…go for it.
They do cost a little more for preventative maintenance.
I have a VW Jetta TDI Wagon, 2005 model, bought new.
Love it, but I did NOT buy it used, didn’t want someone else’s used headache.
Drove a beetle once, not bad, fuel economy average for size and all.
Check out crash ratings and etc. before finalizing your decision. Check insurance rates.
I believe side crash impact ratings are lower on the Beetle.
Be careful, take your time and test drive, check out information thoroughly about the Beetle models, then decide.

Q: vw beetle?
please help me find an automatic blue or green beetle somewhere in colorado for less that $7,500 i’ve looked everywhere and i’ve only found one on craigslist with way to many miles. pleaaaase and thanks!
New. sorry =]

A: You MAY find a VW Bug in this price range but the upkeep will bust your budget. The Bugs need specialized care at the dealership. I have a 2002 and got some water in my gas and spent $900 getting the car fixed. This is the first car I’ve ever seen that is set up so you cannot change your own oil. The battery STARTS at $200. No standard part fits the Beetle, it takes an odd tire size, premium oil and if you get a TURBO bug it takes PREMIUM gas and will kill you at the gas pump.
All and all I love my bug, it’s adorable. But it’s expensive and I don’t know if I had to do it all over again if I would get a VW Bug.

Q: Is a VW Beetle Convertible suitable for me and my 2 year old?
I really want a VW Beetle convertible for me and my Daughter. Has any one had a convertible and a small child. Do you recommend it? What r the pros and cons….
I currently drive a Chevy Alanche, its just me, my daughter and mys husband, he has his own toy car and i think maybe the beetle would be nice for me and my daughter for late summer evening rides.

A: I’ve actually found the Beetles to be pretty roomy on the inside (more space than a mini for sure). if you’re taking a booster seat in and out of the car a lot the two door aspect might be a pain but if you leave it in it’d be fine, plus soon enough she’ll be sitting in a normal seat anyway so it’d be a temporary situation.

They’re very safe cars though and if you maintain it it’ll run very well for a while.

They have a decent amount of space in the trunk. I wouldn’t have problem fitting all my groceries in it.

Q: How do you turn a vw beetle into an automatic and if there is a certain part then what would that be?
I have a 71 vw beetle.
Not too fond of driving a stick.
I have a 71 vw beetle.
Im not too into the whole stickshift thing.
Along with my question…How much would converting it approximately be?

A: Yes it is possible and not too difficult but it would be expensive.

If you do your sums correctly you will find it cheaper to sell the car and buy an auto rather than carrying out the conversion.

You probably will find info on this topic on the following web site

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/

Q: What is the best way to soundproof a classic vw beetle?
I have a 1971 vw beetle. It has been restored by the last owner and there seems to be little soundproofing in the engine bay and there is not much on the inside. Can anyone recommend sites/give advice?

A: Hit up your local body shop supply joint for “Q-Pads”. They’re expensive, but they work great. Another cheaper suggestion is rubberized undercoating.
In my last Bug, I hosed down the firewall with undercoat, put on a layer of pads, then covered them with aluminum heat matting for a nice finished look. I also put pads on the inside, under the rug lining the storage bay behind the rear seat. Get under the seat as well. Undercoat inside the doors and rear side panels behind the interior panels. Hose down under the car too. Not just the floorboards, but under the trunk, fuel tank & all 4 fenders. Upgrade the carpets with some sort of thin pad (woven or foam) beneath. A new muffler couldn’t hurt. Make sure your tailpipes are correctly adjusted (No, I’m not kidding. Adjusting them to the correct length reduces noise & sets the correct amount of back pressure).
Spray glue foam pad to the roof panel between it & the headliner. Shoot spray foam (Great Stuff) into the hollow rocker panels & roof ribs. If you do all this, you’ll add probably 30 pounds to the car, but it’ll be a lot quieter.
Remember: these cars (for all the amazing engineering that went into them) are basically just tin cans. They were designed & built to be inexpensive, not quiet & luxurious. Lots of hollow spaces. The slightest chirp or rattle gets amplified inside them.

Q: 2005 VW Beetle – How can I get rid of the seatbelt warning?
The seatbelt warning sound in the 2005 VW Beetle is the most annoying thing I have ever heard! It even comes on while the car is OFF! I have searched forums for anyone who may know how to stop this warning sound, or at least muffle it, and I have yet to find an answer. Any answers, suggestions or references will be greatly appreciated.

A: If you mean the seatbelt chime do as one of the other guys told you by disconnecting the battery but in addition, check all fuses including engine fuses but I doubt its that. Also get someone to scan your computer with an obd 2 or i believe its a CAN scanner cable now connected to a computer scanner or get the VW dealer to scan it or if you know somebody that has VAG COM software ask them to run diagnostics and then ask them to turn off the seatbelt chime..YES ITS POSSIBLE ..good luck!
Oh and to the guy above the chime is in the dash not in the speaker..don’t ask why or how but its just so.

Q: How do I convert a VW beetle from single circuit master cylinder to dual circuit?
How do I convert a 61 VW Beetle from single circuit master cylinder to dual circuit? I don’t understand the residual vs non-residual type? Is it a straight up swap of the master cylinder? I am putting in new metal lines and am told that a dual circuit is a good idea?

Many thanks

A: you might want to go to a wrecking yard an see how it was done on the super beetle. I believe there is more to it than just a master cylinder swap- proportioning valve comes to mind.

Q: How do you differentiate a german mad vw bug from a mexican made vw beetle?
I want to buy a vw beetle but I wanted a german made one. pls help me to identify it.

A: Most early VWs you find will be German made. Mexican beetles maintained the 58-64 body style up to 1970, so that should be a dead giveaway. Although bugs were made in Mexico up to recent years, you won’t find any in the US after 1979 (i believe), and they cannot be registered because of safety regulations.

Q: Can a convertable part of a VW beetle be changed of painted?
How much would it cost?
Also how much would it cost to get a nice paint job for a VW beetle?

A: £450 for the roof

my respray on my karmann ghia is £2000

Q: How many miles does a typical VW Beetle maintain?
I’m looking for a VW New Beetle(not the classic) and I’m hoping to find a used one that will last me through my last year of high school and college. And I need to know how many miles a Beetle’s engine can take before needing serious work?

A: It’s kind of luck of the draw. If you can find a diesel one, the engine will last longer. I have a diesel Jetta (same engine as the diesel Beetle) with 172,000 miles on it and it runs fine. And the increased mpg (I’m getting 47 on the highway) will way more than compensate for the slightly higher cost of diesel fuel and the extra cost of the car compared to a gas one.

But, lots of little stuff breaks on VWs. Things like the sensors to tell if a door or the trunk is open, etc. It’s pretty annoying, because it seems like there’s always *something* minor wrong. I’m not basing this off of just my own experience – I have 5 friends with VWs (4 of them also have diesels) and I read www.tdiclub.com a fair bit.

Q: What is the best laptop mount for the new VW Beetle?
I need to mount my laptop (Panasonic toughbook) in the new VW Beetle, however I haven’t been able to find one that is just right for my needs. I tried the new Ram Mount with the ball and the legs are good and everything else on it is find except the ball. It slips way too often. Anyone have something better? What do PSE&G or the police cars use?

A: Try Jottodesk.com
I got the universal mount. Works great and VERY stable and strong.

Q: How do you tell the year model on a vw beetle?
I have just recently bought a vw beetle with a monza body kit fibreglass gaurds etc and it has no compliance plate and the chassis number is 5425107 and it is a type 2 chassis if you could help me in ths matter it would be greatly appreciated

A: The third digit indicated year yours could possibley be a 1952==1962==1972 would need to see vehicle to know which one. If it has reduction gears that rules out 1972.
Also a beetle is a type one vehicle. Type 2 is bus truck camper or van. However a typee 2 motor is basically the same as type 1.

Q: 1969 vw beetle, 45,000 original miles and in good condition. How much is it worth?
1969 VW Beetle, 45,000 original miles and in good condition. How much is it worth?

A: I don’t know about the mileage unless you can document it, since a 40 year old car would likely have had the spedo turn over more then a couple of times. Even in storage, there are parts of the bug that simply wear out by exposure (like rubber pieces, dashboards, headliners, etc.. )

So lets just say that it is a 69 bug in very excellent condition.

Assuming no rust.. good paint no rust…good motor… no rust… good transmission.. no rust … good interior and a good floor pan (no holes under the battery) oh, and in case I forgot to mention it , no rust…

Show cars of that vintage bring in between $12,000 and $14,000 (use eBay and search for SOLD vw bugs to get a good idea),

Extremely Good but daily driver bugs bring at least $5,000 up to about $8 unless you have a convertible in which case add about $2500 to the top end.

Hope that helps…

Q: Is it possible to switch a VW Beetle (Old) from manual to automatic? How much would it cost?
I want to buy a VW Beetle, one of the ones from the late 60s and early 70s but I am a little worried about driving an automatic car. If it is possible I still don’t think I would be able to pay a fortune to have it switched. Thanks

A: Tehnically, it is possible…so you could…but it would require enough custom work that Bill Gates would have to work out a payment play.

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