Got a bug for the daughter

[blue02bug]

Just got my daughter a 2002 GLS 2.0 with 110k. this is my first VW and the first time I bought a car without seeing it. It's my wife's boss's mom's car and my wife drove it around the block the other day and said it was in good shape. So today I go get it and....I should stop and say we paid under 2K for this! Ok so it is not in the best of shape, a lot of scratches and a few door dings and the inside is wore more than I thought it would be, but it's going to be at college so it fits right in. I think mom and dad let one of the kids drive it a lot with baby seats in the back. We are the second owners and have most of the maintenance records. To the point
1 I was glad to see the timing belt and water pump was replaced.

2.I hear ticking sound from the left wheel and it stops when I lightly tap the brakes, pads are fine.

3.When you first take off I hear a little grinding/rattle, I think it's loose cat. heat shield.

4 Is there anything else to expect to wear out?

Thanks

[dnyed]

I'm no mechanic, but I can Welcome you to the Org!

Oh, and Welcome to the New Beetle.

I hope the things you mention turn out to be minor. Good luck!

[VDubYah]

If it is going to college I would make sure it was mechanically sound. Brakes ( Front and rear), Suspension, Cooling system, Heat and Ac system. The things that can leave your daugter stranded on the side of the road. Oh and AAA if she is away from home. Its covers the driver not the car so if shes with friends and they breakdown she is still good.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

I've put a lot of info for any Newbie in this thread
Newbie Welcome Kit!

Have all the wearables checked, unless your a DIYer, either a VW Specialist independent shop or a VW Dealer. They have the knowledge to know what to check and what to look for, and visual indicators on things so Bug specific. The clicking could be a pad dragging, brakes applied, the clicking will stop.

Make sure she has a copy of the "Warning & Indicator Lights" and understands them. There is a printable .pdf for the '02 NB in my Newbie Welcome thread (They are very year specific). Print it out and put it in the envelope in the glove box (you should have it saved on your computer so you can look at it when she calls), with the Registartion & Insurance, and tell her if and when a light comes on, to pull over and review what it says for the light, immediately, som are "do or die". She should also have an Owner's Manual. And by all means, a spare key. Next time your there, visit and establish a relationship with a good VW Specilty Independent Service shop so she has a "go to" in the evnt of a break down, a place for AAA to tow it too that YOUR confortable with. And lastly, get her on here, and conforatble being here, so she has a place to ask and quickly get some knowledgeable suggestions or answers.

MORAV

[mullardel34]

Welcome to New Beetle ownership; these are absurdly entertaining vehicles to drive and they will put a silly grin on your face everytime you or your daughter go for a drive!

A New Beetle can be a very safe, reliable car for your daughter's use at college. But an aggressive maintenance program is necessary to keep the New Beetle as a dependable, all-weather, fun-to-drive machine. Morav's/MyOtherRidesAVette's welcome kit contains a wealth of very pertinent and valuable information; be certain to take a few hours and review the materials for your own information and then review the information with your daughter. It will be time well-spent!

There are a lot of low-hanging engine/drive-train components that are vulnerable to damage from road-debris/ice-chunks, including the oil-pan and the transmission/half-shafts. These components are marginally protected by the plastic OEM belly-pan and engine-bay side-skirts. Unfortunately, these plastic elements are often destroyed or substantially shredded by that same debris. My wife and I protect our VW/Audi's with all-aluminum replacement protective panels from DieselGeek; their PanzerPlate products. Our recently-acquired New Beetle is now armored with the "Full Metal Jacket" version of the PanzerPlate:

Deluxe MK4 Panzer Plate and FMJ Side Skirt Combo

These pieces only cost a few bucks more than the OEM plastic parts and the piece-of-mind is definitely worth the expense.

Good luck!