Does any of us need a new car VW or otherwise

Dear All,
I drove my first Beetle in 1954 while spending eighteen months in Belgium during my National Service. I was shown what I could do myself to keep this car shipshape.
As soon as I came out,  I saved and purchased my first Beetle and later the Karmen Volksbus, with the little windows all around the top, and a sunroof that went right back to the rear door. I found out what I could do myself to keep this car & bus shipshape.
       In the 50 Years,  I have owned four Volksbuses (Only one was new,  two Beetles (Both second-hand) and two Gti?s. (Both new).

My currant Volksbus is the Limited Edition 1989 Vanagon version with 160,000 miles on the clock, my car is the Golf GTI 1983 Campaign model which has 145,000.
Caring is a little more difficult,  as I am still finding out what I can do myself to keep these vehicles in shipshape condition. (They both still have Bumpers)  (?how unusual?)

Friends ask with such a high mileage,  why do I not trade them, my reply is that
?VW don't make them like they used to.?
Try fitting a radio into a 1989 Volksbus or Transporter, the heater cables will do everything they can to stop you getting the radio fully into the slot.
The GTi 1983 does not have the pride that was put into the 1976 1600 four speed GTi,  After I had traded mine in,  within two weeks,  I realised my big mistake,  I also realised why my VW Dealer almost gave me all of my money back, my first GTi left their forecourt within 1 hour, that is why these Gti?s are the most sought after,  demanding up to ?12,000,  they were built by enthusiasts like ourselves.

I have only raised two complaint points, because this is the electrical dept
Other Electric points are The Computer (Does a good driver really  require this) after all,  it is only going to give problems later. (As proven)
Half the relays could be done away with, as could most of the gadgetry.

And when I look around the currant Motor Showroom all I can see is a lot of expense coming later,  not one vehicle is for me the Owner/Driver/Carer.
  I will never have a say or a hand in its repair work.
Both my vehicles are worth the same now,  as they will be next year and both are just on the verge of requiring the work to only be done by a VW Workshop.
(But not Quite).

(Does a good driver really need a ?350 electric Rear-View Mirror)
No,  but the Car Manufactures needs the profit that comes from selling this unnecessary Item.

People ask what do I drive I reply
"A Car" and a small Bus",   I have thought about driving a "Large Crash Helmet"  but I prefer to keep some sort of identity.

Got that off my chest,  I hope you are all still awake.

Best Regards,

Tony.

It depends on your priorities. New cars are safer, more fuel efficient, more recyclable, offer more comfort, have better driving dynamics, are more durable, are quieter, have better quality, have lower emissions and are cheaper on a like for like basis.

dubboy said

It depends on your priorities. New cars are safer, more fuel efficient, more recyclable, offer more comfort, have better driving dynamics, are more durable, are quieter, have better quality, have lower emissions and are cheaper on a like for like basis.

and less characterful though more uninvolving.

Agree with Dubboy except poss the more durable bit

new cars are only more recyclable if you dont have a car already and an older car isnt available to you. its false economy to buy a new car on the basis that its better for the environment because all youre doing is adding another car to the roads.

Plus surley no matter how 'recyclable' a car is its better to make a car that lasts?
for example we all drive found in cars over 15/20 years old? People drive beetles and busses that have been going since the early 60s!
Can you imagine a mondeo lasting that long?

So is it better to make cars that last or cars that when disposed of dont harm the environment so much?  :dontknow:

If you were to run durability tests (currently around 400k kms) on a Beetle versus any current European car, the Beetle would have far more failure modes.

Modern cars are both more durable and more recycleable than a 60s Beetle. A good example of this is if you compare the length of manufacturers warranties today with 30 years ago.

In terms of survival you have to align many different factors including original production numbers, economics, desirability, etc.

I couldn't agree more on character though, unfortunately the result of optimised design to achieve the aformentioned functionalities within the boundaries of regulations, etc as with any product.

Theres durable and theres durable. Agree that most components these days are fab compared to 1950 and 60s. Fit and forget ball joints, alternators, engines that will do 200K miles without a rebuild etc etc. But they are that more complicated and sophisticated that when things do start to go wrong @10+ years you have to throw away the car and start again. Which is about when older cars rotted away so the durability is prob about the same but for different reasons. How about if someone did a MK1 GTI or Diesel in a galv bodyshell……..

dubboy said

It depends on your priorities. New cars are safer, more fuel efficient, more recyclable, offer more comfort, have better driving dynamics, are more durable, are quieter, have better quality, have lower emissions and are cheaper on a like for like basis.

I totally agree with your valid points
BUT
There is a point in the History of the motor car, when it has all of the features that you mention, and that is why I prefer my Campaign Gti  to what my Beetle was,  I also prefer my rear engine 1989 Volksbus to my earlier ones.

If you have the money then go for your ultra mechanised Motor Car,  but I guarantee you will not feel part of your car,  as the guy is who is under his 1982 Lotus Talbot or the other guy and his Peugeot 1.9.  
Most people today who buy cars, are looking for all of the points you have raised, they do not want to be part of their car and never will be.
You mention driving dynamics,  there is nothing dynamic about driving most modern cars I grant they are safer,  dynamics are when you are fighting an Austin Healy 3000 in the snow,  or correcting the backend of a Beetle while cornering,  these were not safe cars,  but they had something that is missing in the modern car it disappeared during the 80,s
Give me a mongrel any day,  to a pedigree.
Regards being cheaper
If you still have one of your modern cars,  costing nothing to run in its last 10 years of its 25year life to date,  
(Will be worth as much next year as this,)
That car only requires a change of oil each 5,000 mile service,   yet the Engine head has never been off in 145,000 miles.
Are cheap to run,  because most Parts are not bias towards gadgetry,  so do not come at inflated prices, do not require special fitting tools so therefore can be fitted by the Driver.

This car when driven with your shoes off and a eye on the rev counter can return a MPG that would embarrass most modern diesels and a 0 to 60 that would embarrass most modern Gti?s
That car is the MK1 Golf GTI,  but it all started to go wrong when they added things like:
(To name just a few)
The overcomplicated Relay/Fuse box,   the cable mechanism to lean the front seats forward allowing  passengers rear seat  access,  the MFA is an joke with its unreliability,  its false readings and can be quite distracting to the driver who squints to read it, while still in motion.
"Mind that policeman lying down back there"
Those who think it adds safety then forget it,  most gadjets in the MFA are available to the driver all he has to do is look for it.
http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=247725#247725

Thanks to all who are posting to this thread, I have learnt a few things today

Best Regards,

Tony

I dislike new cars, i admire them, and could easily afford one…….but why? old volkswagens do it for me, and when you can buy something like an early GTI, VR6 or G60 that still cuts the mustard in todays hyper tech world then you know it was and still is a good car, without all the added weight and gizmos

Less to go wrong, simpler to repair, but scarce for some parts and service prices are still the same if its a year old or 20

I normally end up with most of my volkswagens when they are 5-10 years old, better value and still the same car! although my "new" Corrado purchase is 17 years old in a few months time! and im selling a 1996 VR6 golf to make way for it :roll:


horses for courses :wink:

dubboy said

Modern cars are both more durable and more recycleable than a 60s Beetle. A good example of this is if you compare the length of manufacturers warranties today with 30 years ago. .

Cant have that argument at all..
that goes without saying, modern stuff is more technologicaly advanced therefore warranties are longer including stuff that never used to have warranties..

Tell you what tho, try claiming on one of those new warranties now, loads more red tape than they had 30 years ago…

Lets re-adress this in 30 years time and I bet there's more 60's beetles on the road than say 00's golfs…
Reason is, the old ones have character an dno matter how behind they are in technology, its the lack of tehnology that'll keep them going!!!


anyways

Persoanlly I agree, why have new cars??

Each to their own i s'pose, as we're a club of MK1 owners, surely this would be a biased thread anyways?

I for one, prefer driving the MK1 to anything else, ok i worry a little about it breaking down, but if it did i know i could more likely get it going again..

i know this rant was done recently on another post, so dont want to go on about the same things again..

But i got rid of my modern car, Audi A4 avante, why, didnt use it, ok it was good for a long distance haul with its 50 mpg, but whilst getting 50mpg i got more wrinkles with boredom, plus all the gadgets flashing away.. At least the golf gives me around 30mpg and huge smiles!!!!