A good first vehicle?

[ChrisFred]

I recently just turned 18 and have always loved split window busses. I understand they do take some work (rotating wheels, fixing up, oil, etc.) but I wanted it to be my first car. I specifically wanted a T1 split window but there are two problems. Price and convincing. I could go approx $5,000-$6,000 TOPS! Also since my mom will pay half and I would pay the other half, I need convincing. She does not want me to purchase a 50 year car, so what are some good arguments? Gorgeous pictures of the bus didn't work... (Maybe she doesn't appreciate them!).

[RPGreg2600]

Honestly, you won't get far with that budget these days unless you get really lucky.

You could get an alright bay window for that budget.

Also expect to do WAY more work than "(rotating wheels, fixing up, oil, etc.)"

Why not start out with a bug?

[busmania]

Your poll should have ages 16-18 and 19-21 separate. I feel like you learn a TON from 18-21 that you don't know when you are 16. I got my first bus at 21 so im at the tail end of your categories but I had come VERY far from when I was 16 with my first car (1964 chevy chevelle).

[ChrisFred]

[ChrisFred]

[Harleyelf]

As to mom concerns, tout the virtues of the overhead vent. If you sleep in a regular car, your warm breath accumulates in a pool above you and you wind up breathing it back in. With the overhead vent cracked open, it flows out to the atmosphere.

I lived in my '66 for three years and never once woke up with a headache.

[ChrisFred]

[cru62]

[BlueJayScout]

I bought a beetle for my first vehicle at sixteen and a bus at eighteen, I'm twenty three now and after four years the bus is just barely ready for the road.

I agree with RPGreg2600, start with a bug, the prices are generally lower and you will have time to learn the basics of repair and maintenance before diving into the expensive world of buses.
_________________
1959 Panel

[joe56vw]

buy a squareback you can put the board on the roof and it will sleep two
it also has the same basic mechanics you will need to learn for when you can afford a split

have you ever driven a split bus? been to a show? know anyone with one?
IMO you should be able to say yes to all of these before buying something that is a huge investment like a splittie
_________________
'60 15 window walkthrough
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559931&highlight=

why is there no sarcasism button on here?

[Pacmanfever]

That dream is entirely possible, my 15 year old son is living it right now with a 67, 11 window Bus as his first car. He saved for two years and we found this one on Craigslist locally for $2,500 (yes, twenty-five-hundred) and drove it home the next day. He'd searched for almost two years, and I searched along with him, snagging this one before he saw it so we could surprise him: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569569&highlight=suprise+surprise+sunday

Patience does pay off, but you have to be ready to go at a moments notice when the right deal comes along and that means having cash on hand. Think about hunting off-line by running cheap wanted ads in your local "Thrifty Nickel" or shopper paper and let everyone you meet know you're looking for old VW's. You won't find a screaming deal on eBay and usually Craigslist is a crapshoot, but occasionally deals pop up there.

Good luck, be realistic and most of all, safe!

[Harleyelf]

Once you get it safe and functional, there is no reason you can't drive it for as long as I have had mine. The kingpin front suspension will outlast the body if you keep it greased and the swing axle rear drivetrain is immune to sand. '63 and up has brakes rated for a one ton load.

I have had no problem finding all the parts that wear out with normal use, such as tie rod ends, steering drag link, and brake shoes. Get four new brake drums as soon as you can and they will last many years. New lug bolts for new threads in those drums are a no-brainer.

My '66 is my only car and I've depended on it since 1992.

[EverettB]

[ChrisFred]

[ChrisFred]

[ChrisFred]

[Braukuche]

[Clara]

A few years ago I sold a 67 riviera camper. I did not realize it while arrangements were being made, but the buyer was 17 and it was his first car. At first I thought this was a bad idea, but then it turned out his older brother had a split. So he had resources with skills and experience to help him.
He knew what a split bus was. The bus was one I had had for a while, and considered to be daily driverable as is. He flew in to get it and drive 800 miles home. On the way home he drove through the redwood of n California and spent some extra time
there unfortunate not calling home so mom was about to call the police cause he was late getting home and super worried.

Call your mom if you go on a road trip so she doesn't freak.

When I got my first bus it was a bay and I had a lot of learning to do. When I got my first split it was 30 years old, cheap, a limper driver and I had to learn more as stuff just kept going wrong with it . There was a lot of delayed maintenance.
Luckily I had developed a support group of people who I could get info from, there was a local VW shop with helpful people, and I learned how to fix my bus.
This was before the inter webs, and info was a LOT harder to find, but parts buses were easy to find.

People told me not to get a split bus, as they are old and unsafe.

Today, I still say you need a local support network, or the ability to learn how to fix a vintage vehicle.

Have you even driven an air cooled VW?

These aren't for everyone. They are old, slow, and rattley and no ac and no power windows, 30s technology.
Don't get a split bus. They are old and unsafe.

[ChrisFred]

[Clara]