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[Karen & co.]

This is a bit of a long shot sorry YS has set his heart on dong up a campervan over the next 4 years (he's only 13 ) and then being able to drive it when he is old enough.

 

Asking around it seems like they are money pits Sooo has thought about a VW beetle

 

What I wondered is where can I get one for him in any state, as he can spend as long as he likes, and wants spare parts for Christmas and birthdays between this year and 2013

 

He has asked for nothing for Christmas but I know in his heart he would really love a challenge, unfortunately money is a big issue, but any ideas would be very welcome

 

Karen x

[mags]

your right about campervans

my neighbour has one !

 

good luck

 

Mags

[Cinnamon]

We have done up an old Beetle, a few years ago now,but it was a labour of love & I do wish we still had him

 

Try looking on your local Freeads or Adtrader, or VW mags like Volksworld,as a start.

 

They are VERY sought after as projects,& there ARE pitfalls,such as the running boards rusting out - look out for that.

 

Also,as a word of caution,parts are not especially easy to get or cheap,they are horrible to drive even when they are restored (no heating,rattley,odd clutch setting), but that is just the way they are really

Full of charm & character,but not an easy or comfortable car to drive.The turning circle is a nightmare - I used to have to do a reverse to go around some roundabouts

 

My husband has just bought a Fiat Bambino to restore as Devons first car, & I must say its adorable

 

He got it on eBay, so well worth looking there too

[WarrensWorld]

OH Dear! Karen, does he want a Splitty, Bay or a modern VW?. A wrecked Splitty will go for £5000.00 at least, you could pick up a Bay in reasonable condition for about £4000.00, a modern one well check out eBay.

If he really wants to go the do up route?. Then buy him a welding course, because he'll need it.......

VW parts are easy to get at a price, VEE WEE will have all you need.

 

My 1970 Ford Cortina 1600E series II so far has cost me £3000.00 and it's just about running. Waiting on £180.00 more parts. Though a €2000.00 respray would help....

 

Restoring a classic vehicle is like sailing, you draw a boat in the sea then you throw £10.00 notes at it. Any-road best wishes with your search.

[sadietoo]

I just wanted to second the fact that Beetle's are horrid to drive....I had one as my first car (many moons ago when you could pick one up that was running for £150!!) but it was a pig and the headlights were so awful that we used to joke that I would do better with a guy walking in front waving a lantern!!! The clutch cable broke repeatedly, and it sounded like a tractor (which meant I could never creep back in late at night without alerting the whole house to my arrival ). My friends parents had a vw dormobile (as it was called in the old groovy days!!) My son is 16 and he tells me he is going to have a camper van too, and I've told him that I hope he likes standing at the side of the road waiting for the repair man then, because that is my lasting memory of outings with them!!! Oh the good old days!!!!

[Janty]

What about an old mini?

 

Hubby had one before a twonk destroyed it.

 

 

I loved driving it....basic but exciting....just like go-carting around town.

 

I miss the mini. When we have money again, that's first on our list.

[Purplemaniacs]

I love beetles, never owned one but drove one when I worked as a nanny.

 

Good luck

 

Chrissie

[Chook n Boo Mum]

When I was first learning to drive I asked Mum & Dad for a Beetle or a mini......Dad who had been a mechanic working on such vehicles for more years than I could shake a stick at vetoed both cars as "*unmentionable* to work on".....as my pet "mechanic" I had to settle for the rebuilt Marina Coupe that he chose for me

 

And my neighbour also has a VW camper money pit.....spends more time at the garage than in the drive and sounds like a jet engine when it is started up

 

Good for him to have a goal though My DS has already asked a friend who's an AA instructor if he'll teach him to drive....he's 13 in January

 

Sha x

[Seagazer]

Oh my friend has been trying to sell her Beetle for ages without much success, I think she has decided to keep it now. I've heard they are hard to drive as well.

 

But what a great thing for your son to do. At least he would know the car inside out by the time he's able to drive.

 

My brother (a firefighter) was always like this at minis, something to do with crashes. I must admit when my DD wanted one I did put her off.

[craftyhunnypie]

Beetles are . I had a yellow one & always giggled at the tiny glovebox & grip rail on the passenger side. Mine came from Helsby and was out of the Autotrader.

You can buy the volksworld magazine & look in the back of there.

Quids in, Loot, Buy & Sell cheshire (online), preloved. One will turn up in the end at the right price. Or try a car auction. There is an auction at Prees near Whitchurch on the bypass. I have seen Beetles for sale near Freeport, when I have turned right out of the car park. It was a sort of little industrial garage on the left.

 

Good luck!

 

Emma.x

[Karen & co.]

Thank you for all the advise and ideas folks I shall go and search all the web sites you have all recommended, hopefully something will turn up soon

 

Karen x

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I had an old Beetle many years ago ...........he was known as Henry the Heap. My step Mum used to make me park round the corner and wouldn't allow it anywhere near the house ( something about lowering the tone of the neighbourhood!)

 

The turning circle is a nightmare ( I lived in a deadend street ). After market parts were fairly easy to come by (Volks World is great) but a good welder is a necessity.Poor Henry would have to have something done most months and my tame mechanic would laugh when I phoned up and said Henry is poorly again (anyone would think we wwere talking about a person!).

 

I learnt a lot about cars by having Henry ( I learnt how to sort out distributer caps, do an oil change, clean spark plugs...........) No car mechanic can pull the wool over my eyes

[Tina C]

Have a look on www.justkampers.com

 

There is a marketplace on there (including Beetles for sale), a forum, tips and of course parts

 

I have a VW camper, it is hard to drive if you are used to modern cars but as I learnt to drive in a Mk 2 Cortina....

 

It is a money pit but I love it! Every time we think its an expensice luxury , I take it for a drive and realise we can't possibly part with it.

[Clur]

We have 2 Daihatsu Mira Classics going if you're interested.

 

They are 659cc, 4 wheel drive with a little turbo. Also got full leather and electric windows all round. My husband's car had the gearbox go, and the top of my engine went. Between the two of them they'd make a decent first car for someone who knows what they're doing. We don't have the time, patience or funds to do them up so was going to s"Ooops, word censored!" them. If you're interested you're welcome to them. Though to be fair, going back to when I was 17 I'd have definitely preferred a bug

[loopy]

We've had a few different aircooled VW's over the years, including a bay camper (which we still have), a beetle and a beach buggy.

 

All the camper vans are very pricey now, regardless of condition. Beetles can still be had relatively cheap. Parts are cheap and easy to get, although the quality of some of them is fairly poor. Generally, the most important thing to look at when buying is the condition of the bodywork rather than the engine. Engines can be fixed / replaced fairly easily, whereas bodywork takes time and effort to sort out. Although saying that, none of it is particularly difficult if you've got the time to do it. You can get MOT failures pretty cheap - often its the sills and heater channels that rust out and these can be done failrly cheaply if you can do your own welding.

 

A good source of info and cars for sale is http://www.volkszone.com. Probably the best thing to do is find your local specialist aircooled garage (most towns have at least one) and go and have a chat. Most of them are pretty friendly and they'll often either know about cars for sale or will come and have a look at cars before you buy them.

 

And all Aicooled VW's are great fun to drive - they're not like modern cars, but then that's kinda the point

[missuscluck]

Oooh dear Karen. I feel a money pit comming on. My friend has a vw camper and he has paid dearly for it. VW beetles are horrid to drive. All of the above comments regards this are sadly true. What about a mini? Not as scarilly priced and the parts arnt too bad. Lots of scope for individuality and easyer to work on.

 

Good Luck. I think I might give Josh my mini. Im just not using it anymore. Not enough room to take them all to school.

[Tina C]

You could always get him one of these....

 

http://www.blacks.co.uk/product/119620.html

 

[chickencam]

My OH's first car was a yellow Beetle called Daisy, she was a stunner, but horrible to drive. Being air cooled you had to have the heater on full blast in the summer to keep her cool and you feet melted to the floor

 

We sold her when I first learnt to drive because I just couldn't get on with her. I have always felt guilty about that, but hey ho.

 

If you buy one look out for big holes under the engine bay, in the floor and on the running boards. They are lovely cars and they make that distinctive purring sound, which only a VW can. You don't see many around these days, so I suspect you would have to pay quite a bit for even a wrecked one.

[Karen & co.]

Thank you all so much for the info

 

Clur I will send you a pm

 

What worries me about getting an old car is the safety of them Someone at work suggested an old Fiesta, I had a fab one donkeys years ago, but it felt like driving a bean tin as there was so little in the way of safety features, I know over protective parent

 

I think Christopher is taking after my BIL who has had a blue campervan tattoo on his arm

 

I had a look at the kits in Hawkins Bazar today Tina they were more expensive though

 

Karen x