BernieP's New Family Member

[berniep]

Ok so I finally broke down and bought my soon to be 16 yo(still has 6 mos) step-daughter what she calls "The car of her dreams". I ran across it and couldn't pass up the deal. When I drove it home and surprised her with it, well lets just say its a moment that I will never forget. She cried, screamed, and thought for a second she was forgetting to breathe!! Anyway here are some pics of what she is affectionately calling "her lil ball of pure yellow happiness". Right now its basically stock from what I can tell. I am gonna let her mod it the way she wants to over the coming months so hopefully I will update it soon...Oh and lemme say "Thanks Volkswagen for giving me a moment in my life that I will never forget!!!

[flynn18T]

WOW. what an awesome gift. you know shell never forget that. It gave me that warm feeling reading your story. NICE

[JuggBug]

Awww, that's too sweet! What an awesome parent! Here's to many happy miles in her nb!

[Shay]

I wish my daddy bought me an NB for my 16th birthday
I had to wait til my 20th birthday for my daddy to get me my NB

Anyways Congrats on the NB and you totally have


with your daughter

[Lnzbug]

That is so sweet! You made a great choice for a first car for her, very safe and totally fun to drive. Keep us posted on any mods you guys do.

[CoriBug]

Nice 98!! Good choice with the 2.0 and a new driver.. I thought 98 NBs didn't come with side signals though. Maybe the previous owner put them on.

Happy Driving and welcome to the org!

Cori

[dnyed]

Originally Posted by Lnzbug

That is so sweet! You made a great choice for a first car for her, very safe and totally fun to drive. Keep us posted on any mods you guys do.

I second this statement! A perfect first car!

You're a terrific step-dad! (<<<---- from your step-daughter )

[CoriBug]

I forgot to ask - how many miles? The seats look GREAT, especially for a 9 year old car.

[berniep]

Thanks for all the wonderful responses. It has 110,600 or so miles on it. The first owner of the car had some stuff added after they bought it. I have the receipts from where the spoiler was added, mudflaps painted and installed, and some receipt about the seats that I can't quite make out due to them fading over the years so I am not sure if they were added later as well. Anyway I got a great deal on it because the dealer ship had it in what they called the "Clearance Corner" of their lot and it was going off to be wholesaled the next day. The salesman said the motor was in bad shape because oil was leaking from the motor all over the place. So I had them put it on the rack and looked it over thoroughly (btw I am pretty good with cars I build my own engines and rebuilt a number of cars so far) and found that the dipstick tube was broke and someone had over filled it with oil and it was blowing out and the fans were throwing it everywhere. Drained the oil fixed the tube and she purrs like a kitten now. All in all I say its not bad for a $3400 car!!!

[deeceedub]

Wow!!! Way to go Daddy!!!!!

Sounds like you got a great deal on a car she's really gonna love!

Our '99 1.8 turbo has already been through one of our teenage daughters and is now waiting on Diva #2 to turn 16 (in January). I feel pretty good putting the girls in a car that will do its best to protect them, should the need ever arise.

It is a good thing that you are good with cars, because you can expect some issues to come up on a '98. Lots of the work is stuff you'll easily be able to do yourself, and the .org is a priceless resource for help and advice. We've had a few issues with our '99, but nothing too major and I don't regret any of the money we've put in it.

Welcome to the org... make sure you get pix of the car and the grinning girlie!

[Breez]

wow, that is a find... especially if you are comfortable working with cars.

I can just imagine her face when you pulled up in that sunny little beetle!!!

I know when I was 16/17 I was looking at used Jettas, that was my dream car... I saved up quite a bit to pay for a used one... my daddy knew I REALLY wanted a VW and so he went to the dealership without me and bought a Brand New one and drove home with it (but I didnt see him pull up), so when I saw it on the street I made a point to my parents that that was my dream car. LOL he said, well pay me what you have saved up and its yours. I just about died. That was like the COOLEST thing my dad ever did, and my mom says it was all his idea. And I still gave him everything I saved up and he and I paid off the difference asap... so it was totally awesome.

I will never forget that.

I know your daughter will never forget that moment when you pulled up in that sunny bug!!!

(ps) if NewBeetles where on the road when I was looking for a car, I might have not wanted a jetta, now that I just adore my beetle

[wawalker]

That is probably a '99 with those sidelites and it would be good if it was, 'cause then you'd have ABS as standard equipment. I'd check into that--it might say it was built in late '98, but would still be a '99.

Anyway, you picked the safest subcompact on the road for your daughter.

My parents had a different car philosophy--they never bought me anything big that "I didn't need". They allowed me to work, at 14 I had $ to buy a moped, at 16, I helped maintain dad's cars(washing, waxing, oil changes, brakes) to be able to borrow one to get to work and at times had to pay him for a ride, at 18 I bought my first car--a 1980 Rabbit (and I was finally free! ).

[berniep]

Thanks wawalker...I will check into it and see. I just remember it had 98 on the windshield, I will have to check the papers to verify. I do know it has a build date on the door like in September of 98.

[wawalker]

Originally Posted by berniep

...a build date on the door like in September of 98.

It's a '99, congrats on an even better deal

[deeceedub]

Wow... yes, that's a great deal, about 1/2 what we paid for my '99 about a year and a half ago

The dipstick tube break is very common...in fact, I have to stop by the VW shop tomorrow to pick up a replacement for mine. I bet you didn't get it from a VW dealership... they would've known that was an easy fix. Lucky you...and lucky girl! Wishing you many happy miles

Note: Just a warning that if you or your wife will be driving the NB some while waiting for your daughter to get her license.... the NB can be addictive. You may find yourself shopping for another soon

[callisto9]

what a cool story! congrats to your kid and wow! what a great parent! the NB looks sharp. thanks for sharing pics and welcome to the .org!

[PunkinBug]

Adopt me!?

[Breez]

Bill good catch on the cars side markers!

... I didnt think 1998s had those little blinkers. At least the 1998s Ive met didn't.

[berniep]

Thanks all...I looked at the papers and the important ones say 99 but some from the dealership say 98. Anyway its tagged as a 99. My step-daughter and I had quite a discussion about what would be some of the first mods to the car and lets just say we were not on the same page at first...actually we weren't in the same library. I was talking about racing stripes and rims she was talking about flower covered seat covers, floor mats and recovering the headliner in a flower patterned material. During this whole discussion I was just shaking my head asking myself where did I go wrong...She's helped me build our Trans Am with the 383 stroker, the jeep with the Fool Injected 500CID caddy motor and now shes talking about flowers in a car???? Any way after that discussion that we both just ended without resolution I needed a testosterone boost so I pulled the Trans Am out and went for a ride. Later on that day she walked in the room where my wife and I were and she said out of the blue, "ya know the car actually needs some more horsepower, it needs to launch off the line a little better". Tears came to my eyes when I heard that...there's the little girl I had talked about cars with most of her life. Anyways we came to an agreement that I get to do the mechanical stuff and she gets to still make it girly. I hope I can survive this!!!

[Mr.Yellow]

So its going to be a really fast Flower Power car, sounds awsome!!!!!!