Has anybody ever gifted their Beetle to a family member?

[mikec4193]

Hi Samba Folks

I am currently working thru a rebuild of a 1970 VW Beetle (Scooter)...I bought it with a plan when it is done to gift it to my 31 year old daughter....she has wanted one since she was a little kid...she does not ask for hardly anything so I was thinking from an investment standpoint get her a vintage Beetle that she can keep and when I am gone she will have something to remember me by and it would be worth something too...

Am I crazy/nuts or what???

MikeC
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Dad bought his first Beetle on Dec 17, 1953.

[sb001]

Why would this make you "nuts?"
I am sure there are dozens of people who have given their old VW to a family member.
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I'm the humblest guy on this board.

1969 autostick sedan, family owned since new
1600 SP engine
Solex 30 PICT 3 carburetor
Bosch 113905205AE autostick distributor

[Chochobeef]

Keeping something in the family like a vehicle is fine as long as they know the responsibility of having it and what it means to the family.

[Q-Dog]

I think all of us are a little bit crazy to keep playing around with these old tin cans.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[Cusser]

My youngest has always lusted over my 1971 Convertible. So I told her I'd save it for her "someday" as long as she finished college, which she did. She'll get it once she learns a little more about VW repair and maintenance, or I get too old to push in a clutch pedal.

My oldest will get my 1970 VW sedan, that's the vehicle we brought her home from the hospital in, back in 1988 with "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" playing on my cassette player.
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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

[mrpinkie]

I was cruising around town a few weeks ago and saw a Beetle pull into a gas station so I followed it in to talk to the owner. It turns out the car was purchased new by her father back in 68 and used as the family car all through her childhood. He passed and she is now its guardian. She said she doesn't drive it much and was contemplating gifting it to her nephew since he would drive it more often. Her only concern is that he would modify what is essentially a stock maintained car. I could tell it has sentimental value, but oh man meeting a single family car that old was really cool. So fix it up and invite her over for the repairs and maintenance, its great bonding and will get you closer in the long run. Then when it is hers, she will have the memories of working with you. I really hope that in 10 years when my little one gets his license, he'll want to drive Mikey and to add to that he will know it inside and out. He is way more capable than I thought for 6 yrs old now. Having him beg to go work on the car makes me feel like a million bucks. The thought that it may one day be his makes me even happier.

[andk5591]

I have a really nice customer with a 78 vert that his daughter has always loved. I have already done, the engine and suspension a couple years ago and its now here for some body work and a total repaint....with the intention of it going to her in a few years.....

And I have our own cars divied up between our kids in our will, based on which car means the most to each kid.....So, bottom line is why the hell not?
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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...

[bhartwell59]

Love it... and good idea!

My '74 (granted it's a Ghia) was given to me by my Dad 2 yrs ago. I was with him when he picked it up from the dealership in August of '74. Every time I drive it (which is every day) I think of him.

And, do get her involved in maintenance/upkeep for the future. Also, her knowing these ain't modern cars will be good too.
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'74 Zambezi green Ghia vert, autostick, 101k
'87 Jeep Wrangler, 4.2, 330k

[Tom K.]

Yes. Invite her over and do a complete routing maintenance job on it together. Do the complete Bentley chapter on maintenance, the complete Muir chapter on maintenance, or the first Bug Me Video on maintenance. Engine, brakes, etc. Then, years from now when we are all gone, she will enjoy doing the maintenance on her own (or with her loved ones) a little more and also think of you.

My 14 year daughter is drooling over my '70 Convertible. I gave her the first Bug Me Video and said tell me when you are ready to do this with me. Then, and only then, can you drive it when you turn 16.
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'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=

[BUGGED11111]

I think the process of gifting a bug is very similar to gifting a puppy and I've done both.

As long as the person receiving it knows in advance what will be required and is able to sustain it, it's a great gift. If not they will just be racked with guilt and a headache down the road because they feel bad about getting rid of it.

[ROCKOROD71]

I am already adopted but I am open to switching parents if you (or anyone else) feels the need to gift their kid a restored Beetle!
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1971 STD BEETLE- DD-1st car, 1st love. keepin' it stock! 1600DP, Solex 34-3 Mexi Bosch SVDA Dist NOW w/POINTS
1977 WESTY "KrustyKamper" 2L FI

[unclewede]

The 77 I bought from my nephew for my son is still registered in my name. Once the kid gets thru college and gets a career started, I'll transfer to him. Along with the requirement for insurance, and the first year of his own AAA membership.

If he somehow decides once his career starts that he wants a "new" car, Dad gets to start all over with upgrades that interfere with DD the kid now needs.

[Tim Donahoe]

I can’t think of a finer gift to give to a relative—especially one who has always loved the Beetle—than to give the car as a gift.

All you have to do is imagine how you’d feel if your parents had gifted one to you.

However, take into account that kids have a way of changing their minds as the years roll by. Adults, too. For instance, my daughter absolutely loved her 1993 Honda del sol; but as time went on, she changed her mind, opting for a modern Honda Civic. Also, my wife related o me her favorite car that we had ever owned—a 1997 Ford F-150 stepside. A few weeks later when we were thinking about buying a newer car, I showed her a few Craigslist ads, showing her “favorite” vehicle. She laughed and said she’d only be talking about what “had” been her favorite car. She now wanted a gently-used Honda Civic. We ended up buying a new 2018 Honda Civic.

So, you might want to be fairly sure that your daughter hasn’t moved on before finding out that what was then is no longer valid.

If she still has a soft spot for Beetles, then be a hero!

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[sb001]

[Tim Donahoe]

Steve, what is a “type R”?

Actually, the wife found a decent deal on the new Honda, and the PT Cruiser (the car she drives) was continuing to become a money pit.

The new Civic is a sweet ride. It’s actually fun to drive—probably because it’s new. But it’s not as fun as driving the bug, of course. That’s always an adventure.

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[sb001]

[joey1320]

These cars are not investments, if you want to get her an investment buy some Vanguard (VFIAX) funds

This is an emotional connection for you both, which she will cherish into the future. Do it!
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**1971 Super Project
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[miller0358]

Two beetles, Two Grand daughters. Not a hard choice. On my 1st rebuild (73 standard) my oldest grand daughter painted the whole chassis by herself and came out great. My younger one painted the chassis on the 71 super. They each know what one they get. Jeff

[sawitt]

No you aren't nuts at all. I have a '78 Super that's half my daughters (she's 23 years old now). She bought the car but I've paid for all the rebuild parts (like 4 times the cost of the car not that it matters). She helped rebuild the engine, brakes, fuel lines, CV joints. She recovered the front seats and re-carpeted the interior. I made her do as much of the work as she could. That sounds like I was cracking a whip or something, I told her when she bought it that that was the gig. She wasn't going to stand around looking pretty while I did all the work on the car. She was fine with that. She didn't know a wrench from a screwdriver when we started. She dearly loves this car. We've been working on it for a couple of years now and it has really brought us closer together. Its basically been running (meaning it passed smog in Calif and is licensed) since last summer. A couple of her cousins are young mechanical engineers and they ask her about their car problems.

I really love cars, and now I see all that has been passed down to her. I'm sure she'll remember and appreciate it all after I'm gone. I know I do with all the car stuff I did with my dad, and we didn't do anything like rebuilding an engine.

I will say though, that I asked this same question several years ago before she found the car. I got a lot of replies saying -- Are you NUTS, you want to have your daughter drive a 1930's design car with no safety features and thats basically a death trap? I was a little surprised to hear that from people on this forum, but I ignored them. I mean surely most people here with running cars drive them, right? Whats the point?

[airschooled]

My dad got a ‘69 bug for my mom about five years ago. She drives it WAY more than he thought she would, and she takes Really good care of it. Eveyrone is different though...

Problems arose when we bought it from Arizona and took it to get registered in California. Since it was a surprise, I registered the car in my name OR her name. That way we only pay registration fees once, and insurance doesn’t care which of us is driving the car.

It’s been a great semi-daily driver for the last few years after I evicted the previous owner and restored it mechanically. A killer stereo doesn’t hurt either

Robbie

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