Never too old to learn :)

[VWBubba]

Hi Guys, just a few Beetle related and not Beetle related questions,

I see various Beetles on here and have wondered about the differences, modifications or the difference between European spec and the US/rest of the world so here we go:

Beetle Related:

Which Beetle has the turn signal repeater in the door mirrors and can this be an after-market fit to other beetles ?

I see some beetles with twin spot lights between the head lights, again is this a modification or model type ?

Replacing the air filter is a pain, literally !! Does anyone have the model/part number for K&N to replace this ?

Here we must drive with headlights at all times, most vehicles have auto lights that go on and off with the ign except our new beetle. I am sure I read here somewhere that the switch can be change for this ?

NON Beetle questions just out of interest:

I read that in the US you have a driving licence but have difficulty with manual shift .. why is this? In the UK when you take a driving test you can only drive the class of vehicle you pass your test in if auto, you are restricted to auto, you you pass in a manual you can drive both?

What is the legal age limit to drive unaccompanied ? I read it is 16 years old, theUK and the rest of Europe is 17 years then probation for 2 years.

Many thanks

[Smileybug]

Originally Posted by VWBubba

Hi Guys, just a few Beetle related and not Beetle related questions,

I see various Beetles on here and have wondered about the differences, modifications or the difference between European spec and the US/rest of the world so here we go:

Beetle Related:

Which Beetle has the turn signal repeater in the door mirrors and can this be an after-market fit to other beetles ?

I think this started in '02-'03?? All NBs I think but not until a certain model year

I see some beetles with twin spot lights between the head lights, again is this a modification or model type ?

You mean like this:
That would be a Turbo S model. It got the 180hp 1.8T motor vs the standard 150hp in all other NBs (same 180hp as in all other mk4 VWs though). It also got some different body trim and interior bits.

Replacing the air filter is a pain, literally !! Does anyone have the model/part number for K&N to replace this ?

If you go with a K&N filter, make sure its unoiled. If you oil them up too much you can foul your MAF. I only had to change my filter a couple of times so it didn't bother me much.

Here we must drive with headlights at all times, most vehicles have auto lights that go on and off with the ign except our new beetle. I am sure I read here somewhere that the switch can be change for this ?

Are you talking about daytime running lights? I know here in the US they came from the factory with them but a lot of people disable them.

NON Beetle questions just out of interest:

I read that in the US you have a driving licence but have difficulty with manual shift .. why is this? In the UK when you take a driving test you can only drive the class of vehicle you pass your test in if auto, you are restricted to auto, you you pass in a manual you can drive both?

You can take your test in whatever car you want but it doesn't restrict the transmission you can drive. Not much too our driving tests here in the US. And people here just don't like to drive manual for whatever reason.

What is the legal age limit to drive unaccompanied ? I read it is 16 years old, theUK and the rest of Europe is 17 years then probation for 2 years.

This is a state by state thing. In Maryland where I use to live, the youngest you could be was 16 and 1 month when I got my license. Here in North Carolina I believe it is 16. For both of these though, you are on a more limited license so even though you can drive on your own, you have restrictions, such as number/age of passengers or times you can drive, etc.

Many thanks

I answered in bold above. I'm sure others will chime in but hopefully I gave some insight

[VWBubba]

Smily Bug you are a star, thank you for taking the time and effort to answer

Just to clarify if I may and please don't think me stupid as what seems normal to you may not be normal to us on this side of the pond.

You can take your test in whatever car you want but it doesn't restrict the transmission you can drive. Not much too our driving tests here in the US. And people here just don't like to drive manual for whatever reason.

So you learn in an auto, take your test in an auto but are not restricted to auto ? No surprise you have difficulty You have no one teaching you and you jump in a car with manual gearbox and learn by your mistakes .. ~Crazy

Until now I have not seen the Beetle with the twin spots as in your picture and I have looked at a lot here, looks to me like a front bumper change will do the trick. I also notice that the lower grill is in three sections rather than the one with twin fogs.

Going back to the signal question, has anyone tried retro fitting these ? I would guess you could link to the side repeater but I know sometimes this upsets the flasher relay by drawing too much through it, I suppose if that is the case the side repeater could be change to a running light

I think I am getting the Bug bug, she has only been here two days and I am looking for mods, I guess a owning a Beetle is like drugs only legal

[Smileybug]

Yup, you can take your test in an auto but are allowed to drive a manual after. I learned on an auto and took my test in an auto at 16. Got my New Beetle at almost 18 and had to learn manual then. Glad I did though. I love it! My GTI is a 6-speed manual, which is even more fun I like not being restricted for sure, but I think as part of drivers ed, kids should have to learn at least the basics of driving a manual. So many people are scared to drive one or think its too difficult (which honestly I thought the same until I was forced to learn!) but its a useful skill to have. Once you know how to drive one, you can drive them all!


I'm pretty sure there have been people who have retrofitted the signal mirrors. I'd post up in the technical section for that info, as you'll get more traffic and a better response

[VWBubba]

If that is the case, I gotta hand it to you guys I would hate to guess how much money is wasted through chewed up gearboxes and burned out friction plates. You say it is a handy skill but for us here it is the norm, I would hazard a guess that 97% of tests in the UK are in manual and auto normally for 'older' learners who still think you can't teach an old dog new tricks

[VWBubba]

Sorry, just one more question on that issue:

WHY ??? Why would you learn auto only, is it a money thing, deemed too difficult or just the norm ?

[Smileybug]

I wouldn't say it leads to chewed up gearboxes. No matter what, if you learn, you have to learn and will have difficulties along the way. I ground gears a number of times learning to drive a manual, but with 102k on her still no sign of clutch wear or anything. She was a champ to the very end. We have 2 manuals and an auto in the stable. The auto will likely be swapped out for another manual vehicle at some point. But it was handy to have around after I was in my accident. Having a bum right hand made it tough to even think about shifting so the auto was nice to drive until I healed up. Though I was itching to get back into car with 3 pedals!

I wish it was more common here. We'd get better and more options in cars if it were! Though the new VW TDIs do come with a 6-speed manual standard. Mmmmm.

To answer your second question...most assume its too difficult. Autos are easy and you don't have to think about it when you drive. Autos cost more to buy and more to maintain, so its certainly not a money thing. And I guess its become the norm here. Its cultural really I think.

[2004NBTURBOS]

Here in the states most drivers learn to drive with a family member, before taking the test Moms or Dads take their kids out and show them the ropes in a big empty parking lot or a old dirt road. Most of the people I know learned to drive this way. So after you learn the basics, then you do the class with the driving test. Myself, I always had dirt bikes as a kid, so I knew how to dive a clutch at the age of 10 or 11. Manual trans cars are more fun to drive. Automatics are boring.

[Deserion]

Originally Posted by VWBubba

Which Beetle has the turn signal repeater in the door mirrors and can this be an after-market fit to other beetles ?

2003.5-2010

Originally Posted by VWBubba

I see some beetles with twin spot lights between the head lights, again is this a modification or model type ?

Votex bumper cover, Turbo S (NAR), V5 Sport (Europe)

Originally Posted by VWBubba

Replacing the air filter is a pain, literally !! Does anyone have the model/part number for K&N to replace this ?

No, but it's not really worth it. The paper filters are better, have a lower likelihood of fouling the MAF, and get much easier after a few times.

Originally Posted by VWBubba

Here we must drive with headlights at all times, most vehicles have auto lights that go on and off with the ign except our new beetle. I am sure I read here somewhere that the switch can be change for this ?

Some NBs may have had auto lights, I can't say off the top of my head. I don't think they did, though.

[VWBubba]

Thanks guys, it's all very interesting to hear how things are done in different countries.

Seems the UK is like the USA and I have just remembered that the first car I ever drove was a VW. My father taught me the basics on an empty supermarket car park in a VW Variant !! If I remember right that also had the engine in the back under the floor. In the UK you can drive as a learner when accompanied by a full licence holder over 21 who has held their licence for over 2 years. But get this .. Some years ago a friend of mine went out for a beer with his learner GF, she drove and he drank. On the way home they were stopped by the police, even though he was not driving he was charged with DUI and she was charged for driving unaccompanied. He was not banned as would be the norm if he was driving but he did get fined.

Here is Slovenia you must learn with a qualified, licensed instructor only and complete a minimum 30 hours of instruction. They have a large school area complete with traffic lights, junctions, round-a-bouts and ramps to practice hill starts where you learn the basics before you hit the public roads. The idea in principle is excellent but the instructors suck as I have never heard of so many learners failing their test multiple times.

Then of course there is India where you only need to drive 200 meters, make a left or right turn and stop safely to get your licence

Reading through the bloggs I think I realised that the extra lights between the headlights are actually turn signals not spotlights, this being the case I will leave ours as it is until my GF front-ends it, hopefully this will never happen so I will never have to change it. I was offered a V5 Sport 2000 for £1,500 (approx 2,400 USD) so rather than play with hers, I could have my own toy ... Guess you could say I have the BUG - BUG