To bring my Beetle or not bring my Beetle...

[Cardiff Giant]

Bring it to Austin...and sell it to me

Seriously though, I am going to buy a convertible eventually but I would only drive it at night or in the Winter. I couldn't imagine driving home from work at night in a car with no AC.

[centralaustinite]

I survived two summers in Austin driving a car without AC! I think I deserve a medal. I was young and fixing the AC would have cost more than the car was worth but oh my! Driving home from work at 5 pm in the summer (June-October) was murderous. I'd get home and literally pass out on the floor of my air-conditioned apartment, I felt like someone had been beating me with big sticks. Punishing!

I can't speak to the classic car aspect and my car wasn't a convertible but unless you plan to drive only at night or have a very short commute and can keep your car in the shade while you work, driving without AC in our long summers will take a toll.

[atxcio]

Gotta agree with the others that A/C is an absolute must on any daily driver here. Especially since you are arriving during the hottest period of an exceptionally hot year, you'd be miserable in the beetle... even with the top down (like, every time you have to stop for more than 10 secs).

I'd say go ahead and sell it in CA, if you can find a buyer. Then, when you get here you'll have fun shopping for a replacement and it'll have TX tags and plates already. If you do buy here, don't limit your search to Austin, because you often won't find the best deals here... check out listings in SA at least, and maybe Houston or Dallas too. Much better deals to be found in those places.

[S6Sputnik]

BRING IT! It will be hot for 4 mts out of the year but I think you will be fine!


This is not Phoenix so A/C is optional! j/k

[schoenfraun]

I see folks driving around the Austin metro area in convertibles all the time.

My neighbors have a tiny convertible BMW coupe and they're always scooting about with the top down.

I know my husband would buy your convertible orange Beetle in a heartbeat; his folks had one when he was a boy and he's very nostalgic for them.

And as for whether AC is a must, it's all about you and your personal preference. I prefer to drive with the windows down and no AC, and I did this even on Tuesday evening when the bank sign I passed around 6 pm read 107 degrees. Yes, 107 degrees Fahrenheit, at 6 pm, on 290 heading east from I-35.

How was that temperature at that time of day possible? And the same sign told me this morning that it was already 79 degrees at 7:35. Wow!

I'm from Chicago, too, so I know cold and hot, humid summers, too. Chicago heat waves have been deadly because they're not prepared for it up there. I say this only to point out that it's personal preference, and not necessarily what you're used to. You can learn to acclimate to, well, climate. I like having the windows down in my Honda, and I have yet to actually melt.

Bring the Beetle, if you love it!

[b. frank]

Originally Posted by schoenfraun

And as for whether AC is a must, it's all about you and your personal preference. I prefer to drive with the windows down and no AC, and I did this even on Tuesday evening when the bank sign I passed around 6 pm read 107 degrees. Yes, 107 degrees Fahrenheit, at 6 pm, on 290 heading east from I-35.

I have to agree with this. I surprise myself sometimes when I get in my car to drive home from work and I decide to leave the windows open instead of using A/C. Often, I drive all the way home in the 100+ degrees and it's not bad at all. Still, there are many times, that I start with windows down and within minutes, I'm scrambling for A/C.
What about motorcycles? I've been wondering about that - is the wind really enough to keep you cool through a full helmet in the summer heat? What about other protective gear (jacket, gloves)? Do you bake while you sit at stop lights?

[another_hot-day]

As long as you're moving it's bearable.

[readymade]

OK. We're bringing the Beetle! It's too awesome to leave behind... you're right! Besides, we looked at it last night sitting in our driveway and it looked kind of sad to be left behind, heh.

My husband is from Chicago, schoenfraun, and I'm from Boston. We both know hot & humid summers. I didn't have air conditioning in my car until I was about 27 (and had moved to CA)! It was hell, but I didn't really know (and couldn't afford) any better at the time.

As for putting AC in the Beetle, my husband called a VW repair guy and he replied "You'd save money buy buying another car."

Ouch!

[Kwicko]

BRING THE BEETLE!

Sorry to yell, but it's just such an "Austin" kind of car. Fun, funky, and quirky as hell. You won't want to drive it from around May to around October, but hey, nothing's perfect, right?

Mike