New people to VW's and Daily Drivers

[Bub]

You know..I'm not quite sure how to put this. I'm not really into other car makes- except to stay 'up-to'date' on the market or technology or just curiosity. But it does seem to me that there's an oddly large number of people, young and old, who are looking to buy a 35+ year old VW (many times their FIRST VW or even first car) as a daily driver. I guess my perspective on this is a little off since I've been driving them so many years. Even though my 1st car was a VW 17 years ago I wasn't looking for one specifically- it was just a car.
Just wondering about your opinions- are there other vintage/antique car makes that seem people seem to be looking at for daily drivers- and I don't see it because I'm not browsing other forums every day?
Or is it really that people are STILL drawn into a VW because of nostalgia or they still think it's cheap to "fix one up"- like it was 25 years ago?
I know quite a few people (and even more people know me because of my VW history in my backwards town) and I constantly have to steer them away from buying some old VW because they simply have no idea what they're doing or what it costs to resurrect an old VW. Not to mention what it is REALLY like to drive an old VW every day of the year. These days people just don't get it and think it would be "fun"- when in reality if you're not prepared, it can be a headache. Some people have what it takes, but most don't. I mean, you could EASILY go buy a 2 year old KIA for what a pre-67' bug in good shape will cost you to bring back from the dead and people I'm running into just don't see it.
Is this happening to some of you?
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[Skim]

Well umm.. Have you seen the price of gas lately
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GFK
Samba since before the towers collapsed. Still here.
1953 Kabriolet
1954 Sunroof
1959 Lowlight Ghia vert
1960 Lt Grey Double Cab SMZ LEGIT
1963 Deluxe Turkis Walk Thru 15 Window OG Paint

[turkish]

I've seen it alot myself. Last one was a kid who wanted me to find him and a buddy a buss to fix up and go across country with. Never done mechanical work to ANY type of vehicle, let alone a vintage VW and he thought he could make it across country with a bus he fixed up for under $4k and no knowledge of how a Volkswagen works. Of course, he was completly convinced he could do it, especially since years ago he saw his dad work on a Chevy motor once

[wsniderokc]

i sell new fords for a living, and could get into one fairly easily if that were what i wanted to do, but for me, my 'vintage' air cooled vw IS fun to drive, i DO enjoy the upkeep, even though i'm not especially mechanically gifted, and i actually enjoy the 'hey, i used to have one of those... what year is it?' people i run into everywhere. for me it is a choice, and a choice i am glad i made. my old bug isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but i DO really love my car, even if it is a fat chick and not very collectible, etc. (it is one of the first ones made, august of 70)

as for a first car, i would recommend something with a little more safety and structure, --not to mention something i could sell that would put some cash in my own pocket-- but for an old dude like myself, i wouldn't have it any other way.

no ford jokes or commentary needed, everyone has their own preferences, and ford makes a pretty good product nowadays.

i just happen to prefer driving a car that is the same model year that i am. call me crazy.

the most amusing thing for me is that not a month goes by without someone making me an offer for my car. i won't sell for less than 8,000, and that number is WAAAAAAAYYYYY high for the car, but, then, it's not really for sale anyway!
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that's not an oil leak... it's sweat from the extra horse power!

[alexs64]

[oibovveroi]

the son-in-law of the guy across the street saw me outside doing an oilchange on mine and asked if it were for sale.
i told him 10 grand and he looked at me crazy.
well he said he was looking for something cheap(gas and the price for the car) to get to and from work.
told him to get a kia or something like that.
then told him some prices here in north alabama for vw's and he looked at me with that crazy look again.
because here in alabama when someone is selling an old car you get the "they dont make them anymore"spill.
well to topic most people still think of a vw as a cheap through away car i think.
and not good for a first car in the SUV world.

[runslikeapenguin]

i just helped my friend pull the engine from a 2007 honda SI and we did a few things and i was glad after i saw what he payed for his lowering kit, clutch, new oil pump, better motor mounts, and sway bars that i owned a VW.

[66busman]

Soon as school is out, I'll be riding my motorcycle or driving my bus everywhere. I guess you could say I'm new to VWs, since I've only had the bus 2 years. But, I've restored many motorcycles and the bus, so I know my way around them well enough to be confident in driving them around.

The problem is definitely people undervaluing old vws. An (ex)friend of mine once offered $1500 for my bus. I told him I wouldn't sell it in a million years. He asked what it was worth to me then, and when I told him $5k, he refused to believe it. He wanted it because he thought it would be cool to put a V8 in it
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'66 SO-42
'73 Bay
'75 Type 181

[15 windowdelux]

I run into the same situation where I work. Customers and others see my bug or squareback out front and come in to find out where they can get one. I usually ask what their intentions are before I try to set them up with one. Too many don't understand that it can be a labour of love to daily drive an air cooled. There are only about 3 in our town that actually drive theirs daily out of 25,000 people. There are plenty of VW's around but most are weekend drivers or just driven on special occations. Some never even see the light of day.
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My last fortune cookie said:
"A short saying oft contains much wisdom."
Why is it all I can think about now is George
Carlin's "Seven words you can't say on television"????

[1977_L63H_P27]

I work in auto parts and a week doesn't go by that I don't hear at least one customer make an offhand comment like "if the price of gas keeps going up, i'm gonna' have to find a bug". If I have time I try to set them straight. What surprises me the most is age isn't a factor. Young and old alike perceive VW's as being thifty on gas and cheap to work on. But I can't get enough of the "I used to have..." stories. Even if most of them had Porsche engines . Peace!
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[sano66]

I wanted a bug since i was a little kid. I drove a 95 Chevy truck for 4 years, spent a lot of money on the damn thing. An almost 5000 pound truck with a V6 and 33s gets about 8 mpg . Sold that problem to some kid that ended up wrecking it after NOT replacing the tierods like i told him he NEEDED to do. Rescued my bosses bug that sat in his garage being neglected, been driving it daily for a year. No problems except for a snapped clutch cable and rubbing cause i like it a little lowered . I enjoy it, but someday ill get myself a GTI or a Tacoma or something, and make my VW's toys.

[langsmer]

I drove my 66 Rambler station wagon daily for a while. I liked that you could accelerate on highway on-ramps and fit well in it, but didn't like the millage the big eight cylinder got, and it was a pain in the ass to park. I went back to the bus.