I need help convicing my dad to get a bug

[Flyinsquirrelman]

Ok, I am a 15 year old guy. I've been wanting a bug for a while, as I have fallen in love with them especially the so cal style. I know they are a lot of work, but my dad and I have been working on cars forever. We were planning on looking at getting a bug, but he suddenly wants a me to drive a Jeep Wagoneer. We don't own one btw. He asked my brother one question when looking at cars, "Would a girl date you if you drove this?". The answer on the jeep is no.
He used to be an old bug guy and knows them like the back of his hand, but he doesn't want one. I need you guys' help on convincing him, so what are some good arguing points?

[CWAVE]

Did you do something to pi$$ off your dad? A Jeep Wagoneer? Seriously?

He wants you to be single your entire youth? Come one... What dad would want to make his son drive a pile like that. Speaking as a father, I'd never do that to my son (he's 9 right now) and we're working on doing a 1973 Sports Bug restoration...

Work on him! Don't let this happen! Dad to dad, I'd have to say... SERIOUSLY??? A Wagoneer?
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My 1973 Sports Bug Body off Restoration:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=666556

[Glenn]

Crash survival is low in a Beetle. So getting one for a 15 year old is not a good idea if you love your kid.

45 year old Beetle vs Chevy Suburban... the Cheby will win everytime.

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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[CWAVE]

I would argue that anything you hit like that with a large vehicle, you're dead... Substitute in a honda or golf (choose your car) it's game over anyways... That image is a hard hit.

[WD-40]

It's a bit of a balance, that's for sure.

My parents helped me buy my first air-cooled VW (a definite project car) something like a year and a half before I could legally drive. And I later drove Beetles all through high school with plenty of help to keep them on the road. But my "first car" for the year or so after I got my license? It was a beater Chevy.

What kind of vehicle did your brother get?
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"The new Volkswagen 1303. We've made so many improvements, they're beginning to show."

[Glenn]

[Glenn]

[Flyinsquirrelman]

[Cusser]

We bought a 6-year-old 1998 Nissan Frontier 100K 4-cylinder, 5-speed for the kids to drive, but they learned stick shift on my 71 VW.

They've each purchased their own used vehicles now, and returned the Frontier to us (197K now, good truck).

I've let my youngest (23 now) and her friend drive the 71 VW convertible locally now that she has way more driving experience under her belt, and will eventually be transfering the VW to her anyway, as my other one hasn't shown interest, and has less drive to repair/maintain it as well.

But I agree with others that an inexperienced driver should not be driving a bug, so much of driving is learned by experience the first few years (like being suspicious of someone not slowing down enough who is approaching on a side road).

A kid on my street collected twice big on a horrible junker Cadillac because both accidents were legally the other driver's fault and good ol' insurance money is paid to resore that section to "new" quality, but my point is that maybe an experienced driver would've anticipated such collision and maybe avoided it altogether.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[wcfvw69]

[Derek Cobb]

I think the key here is to convince your Dad that you are a VERY responsible driver. Crashing in an old Beetle is far, far more catastrophic than crashing in a Jeep Wagoneer. If you have any bad driving habits, you'll pay a dear price for your mistakes in an old Beetle. Tailgating, texting, driving into intersections trusting the other drivers to give you your right-of-way,driving too slow, speeding and parking in stupid places would give me pause. It's a rare teenager that can convince me that they could be trusted to drive a car with basically no safety features.

[Flyinsquirrelman]

My driving skills aren't the issue he claims that the lack of air conditioning is his main reason. Glenn that pic is nowhere as scary as the ones that they show in ADAP in Georgia. Anyone for my side of the argument?

[andk5591]

Nope.........
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D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[Glenn]

[jhicken]

Why not get a job, save your money and when you get your license, go out and buy it yourself? That way you do not have to "convince" anyone.

-jeffrey
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Der Kleiner Kampfwagens

[Bret2094]

Honestly you need at least a year of driving before i recommend driving a bug. I'm 20 now and got my first bug 4 years ago, right after my driver's license, and got into my fair share of trouble with my 67, including wrecking it, speeding tickets, lapsed insurance....etc. The amount of devastation that comes after spending so much time working on em only to see it flattened out is almost too much to handle. Thank god i grew up in the country driving long before 16, because if i hadn't had the experience i did, i doubt id still have my 67. It's amazing to start a project car, but it might be best to learn on another vehicle before jumping in with both feet. I sound like an old fart here, but maybe you can have the best of both worlds if you find a project within budget and can still drive another car for a bit?

Bret
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1959 baja beetle ragtop( going back to Full body)
1959 beetle
1960 Beetle frame Custom buggy
1962 Karmann Ghia
1967 beetle( august 66, first car)
1967 beetle (parts car)

1977 Westfalia Camper

1972 Plymouth Duster

Just another 22 year old jackass who caught the bug, and lives by the motto " NO fatchicks allowed" , I've got too many cars as is (buses N/A)

[56Cabrio]

[youngnstudly]

VW's are a total pain to own, and you will have to become fluent in fixing and maintaining your VW (mechanically...whether you want to or not!). Truth be told, you'd probably get a better deal on insurance and end up paying less for registration by purchasing the VW equivalent that was build in the 1990's or later (like a 4 cylinder Honda, Toyota, Ford, etc.).

Any of those vehicles would have better safety features, better heat and defrost (along with A/C which the VW doesn't have to begin with), and you will develop (hopefully good) driving habits without having to worry about ruining a classic VW. They are no longer a disposable vehicle like they were 20 (or even 10) years ago.

If the Wagoneer is given to you for free, I'd use that and save money up for the VW you want (if you're that serious about it). Having said that, I bought a '63 Bug at 12 years old, and I still have it today (20 years later). My Dad got tired of me wasting TONS of money on BMX and mountain bike parts, go kart stuff, Slot cars, R/C cars, skateboard and snowboard stuff, etc., so it wasn't terribly difficult to convince him to let me buy a VW at that age. Plus he bought his first car at 13 and both of us grew up around old cars. The Bug was the ONLY car/truck/SUV that I had for over 12 years, and all the while I drove it, I was able to save a lot of money doing my own mechanical work. Plus the car got 35+ MPG on a regular basis, which I loved during my college years when I had to commute.

Many life lessons where learned during the years I drove my Bug daily, but you have to put the time in that the older VW's require. If you aren't mechanically inclined, or you don't have anyone that is who can help you along, the VW will get expensive very quickly! Might want to think twice.
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The economy is in a state of disaster, we have NO time for common sense!

[umphorever]

my first car was a 1984 dodge caravan...ugliest thing ever!! but having a junker as your first car is the way it should be. I was forced to learn the ins and outs, how everything worked, and how to fix everything as well. My personal opinion is take the Wagoneer!! Dad's willing to give it to you! Learn everything about it. It breaks down, you fix it. You may not like these answers now, but as you get older you'll understand.

[bdub475]

I'm everyone else. I feel that a beetle is about as safe as a motorcycle in an accident, maybe slightly safer but not much. It doesn't really come down to you being a good driver. Things happen that you can't control. I hit a 150 lb deer in a beautiful 59 ragtop when i was young. You would of sworn i hit another car head on by looking at the damage.
I drive my 63 daily and about once a week i have a close call do to some jackass not paying attention. I know that i didn't pay attention enough or have the defensive driving skill at 16 that i do now.