1966 Volkswagen Beetle Reviews, Pricing & Specs

For me the classic Beetle is a love affair; i started my driving career behind the wheel of a Beetle, a 1968 model. Through that car i was exposed to the world of hi performance VW's, all the different custom styles, and the simplicity the cars had. I kid you not, i learned everything about cars on that little '68, even how to rebuild and build engines. Sadly, that car was totaled by a DUI, which led to this car's purchase. I only drove this one for two more years as a daily driver before relegating it to hobby car status, and this year i plan to register it as a full classic (plates and insurance). The driving experience depends on what type of person you are; if you want high speed, on the rails handling, don't look here. This car has understeer until you push it too far, then you suddenly get 'snap' oversteer and swap ends. Stock performance is laughable at best; i know both this 66 and my 68 came with 1600cc engines, which put out 46 hp at best. They didn't get up to speed fast, but you'd get from point a to point b, just not quickly. Because of the age of these cars, you don't have any of the amenities of modern cars: power steering? nope. Power brakes? Psh, dream on. Automatic transmission? Learn to drive a stick ya lazy ass :-p. Only auto these cars had was a flawed 'auto stick' that had to be shifted between ranges and would often either lock in neutral or in one range. Heating is also non-existent; the best heating system for these cars was a good set of gloves and a wool cap. You also need an ice scraper for INSIDE the car if you drive one year round But if you get past all that, the Beetle is a fun car to drive; what other car can you drive that gets you honked at, waved at, puts smiles on kids and adults faces, and always draws a crowd wherever you go.May 22, 2008