Agree with your points, but would clarify that the design is 86 years old.I was tempted to make a similar comment in this thread, although admittedly I am biased since I've had my MGB for quite a long time. It was where I wanted my classic car journey to start, and for the time being at least I'm content for it to stay there.
They lack the German precision of any VW products. All said and done they're actually pretty crude vehicles with leaf spring live axle rear suspension(in a sports car made until 1980) and tops that are not exactly easy to raise.
With that said, they're dead simple. Water cooling does add an additional dimension that you don't need to worry about on VWs, but also allows you to have reasonable heat when temperatures get colder. Of course too you get a more conventional front engine layout.
For a classic, though, this to me is a big selling point-they are actually usable in modern traffic. They're not the fastest vehicles around by any measure, but will run 80 all day if you want them to(and yes that's true even without overdrive, although overdrive lets you run at 3200rpms at 70 rather than 4000 and 3500 at 80 rather than 4500). Not that I recommend it, or will even admit to actually having done it, but a factory high compression engine(8.8:1, as fitted in the US 62-71) won't break too much of a sweat doing 100.
For a small car, and especially a 60+ year old design of a small car, they are quite safe. The brakes are excellent with disks up front and drums in the rear. They do have engineered crumple zones, and back in the day the factory was fond of showing off crash tested cars. 70 and newer should have 3 point belts from the factory.
Like any other vehicle, classic or modern, rust is the most expensive thing you can buy. As they are unibodies, almost all panel rust will compromise the structure in some way, but they are also quite stiff and rigid compared to a lot of their contemporaries. Other than that, most parts are available easily. The engine sometimes is called a bit crude or agricultural, but it is amazingly reliable(and plenty of shops that work on them can tell you stories of "how was this thing running" cars that were driven to them) and of course simple. They can be built up a bit hotter without too much trouble. Learn how the SU carbs work and learn to work on them and you'll be rewarded with a great running car that makes great power across the whole RPM band.
Volkswagen Beetle. A classic car on a budget?
- Thread starter Kurtatron
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Agree with your points, but would clarify that the design is 86 years old.
Thanks for the suggestions. I am always looking for alternatives that match your suggestion. Affordable, parts availability, and able to repaired by a hobby mechanic.
Even just a decade ago most Beetles were a dime a dozen, the past 5-6 years or so they've kinda skyrocketed.
2008ish we bought one for $200 to beat around my friends property, floor pans were gone but wish I kept it now lol
2008ish we bought one for $200 to beat around my friends property, floor pans were gone but wish I kept it now lol
I bought my new 1972 Beetle for $1,995, long gone though. Enjoyed driving it a lot. But being 18 it was not the car for
Drive-In-Movies, had to borrow Dad's 1966 Custom 500
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Drive-In-Movies, had to borrow Dad's 1966 Custom 500
.Out of curiosity, where are you getting an 86 year old design for the MGB?
It was introduced in 1962. Yes it is in a way an evolution of the MGA, but there are some pretty significant design changes that I think merit considering and IMO make the MGB a distinctive design.
In particular, the MGB is a unibody vehicle, where the MGA is body-on-frame.
It does share a similar ox-cart rear suspension with the MGA(live axle on leaf springs) but the fully independent front suspension was a totally new design for the MGB and honestly quite advanced for 1962.
Where I would consider it to be most like the MGA is in the drive train. The last MGAs used a 1622cc B series engine, and the MGA through its whole production run used a 1798cc version of this same engine(with some changes along the way, including a switch to a 5 main bearing crankshaft in 1963 and a drop in compression for the US market in 1972 to help meet increasingly stringent emissions requirements). The MGA and early MGB both used a 4 speed transmission with synchronization on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gear. I think the MGB transmission was beefed up a bit, had different ratios(the final drive was different between the two cars also), and offered optional electric overdrive The MGB did get a totally new design 4-synchro transmission in both overdrive and non-overdrive flavors, but again I'd call this more an evolution of the drivetrain.
Still, though, I'd consider the MGB a 61 year old design at this point, not 86 years(which would take it to back before the MGA was on the market).
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Saw this one … Kodak moment !
I had a 64 and my family had a 67. That 67 was pretty quick. You grabbed the stick at its base for quick shifts.
I would like to get a 60’s model with no electronic ignition parts for when the emp’s hit.
1990 Nissan Pao
Here you go: classic styling with "modern" Japanese underpinnings. Plus, you'll NEVER see another one on the road!
Or, if you prefer a 4-door:
1996 Subaru Vivio Bistro
Here you go: classic styling with "modern" Japanese underpinnings. Plus, you'll NEVER see another one on the road!
Or, if you prefer a 4-door:
1996 Subaru Vivio Bistro
I think if I wanted something from that era, I would consider a late model Chevy Corvair, or a Plymouth Valiant with a slant 6 engine.
What makes the Corvair a good choice? I see lots of them for sale and for cheap prices. Isn’t their oddball boxer engine design a recipe for parts scarcity?
The later Corvairs had a redesigned rear suspension to make Ralph Nader happy. Options on the later ones included turbocharging for a performance boost. They have become somewhat of a cult enthusiast car, so aftermarket suppliers are a source of parts and upgrades.
+1 They made a turbo Corvair from 1962.
The Corvair was a flat air cooled 6 built earlier than Porsche built one, the Corvair could have been the game changer for GM and help keep the Japanese out during the first oil crisis. IMO some more development could have made it an American success story instead of the freak show buyers came to view the little car.
Rust is a big issue with these making solid survivors very scarce, most are bondo buggy's.
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