TheSamba.com :: View topic - Can anyone tell me (for a facwhere this picture was taken???

Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:31 am

I was browsing the pics posted under '58/Up and stumbled onto this one (Oldest VW ever):

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/878163.jpg

I re-post it here (hope this is an OK forum to put this):

I have this same picture in my (personal) collection. It was actually given to me as a photograph by a friend back in the mid-90s. I am unfortunately no longer in touch w/ and never determined where it was taken.

Can anyone please tell me where this "rock VW" is? Is it in the US? Europe?

Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:58 am

Subject line was constrained; was supposed to read:

Can anyone tell me (for a fact) where this picture was taken???

Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:34 am

Check or search for the thread, there's a bunch of info there, including it's construction & pictures of it in a book. I think it's in the North/Northeast US, can't remember.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:43 am

What thread? Can you pls. offer a hint? I've seen no thread - at least on TheSamba ...

Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:45 am

There is an article scanned from a book about this picture. Go to this link on samba about it, scroll down to the pictures of the scanned pages of the book. There were pictures taken during the building process and you can read the article on the pictures.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=491969

Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:52 pm

Hmm, I'm an hour from Ithaca and we have some VWCCNY members down that way, maybe a spring VW Scavanger hunt is in order. :-k

a google search on Ithaca NY Stone Beetle

with more info
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100405132211AAlNWsN

Quote:
"The Stone VW"
http://www.nls.net/mp/volks/htm/story4.htm
Not so much a story as a photograph. This image first appeared on the site maintained by the Air-Cooled JunkYard of Richfield, Ohio (now defunct).

I was fortunate enough at the time to be able to contact the individual who took the photo as there was no historical info on the web site.

Brad Bolton (the photog) sent me this information in 1998; apparently it was taken in 1995.

"It's on a back road about 20 miles north of Ithaca, NY. Can't recall the road name, though. It's near a house, so I assume the homeowners built the thing. It's real folk art - no sign, no path to it. In fact, we saw it only because it was winter. If there were leaves on the trees, we would have never seen it. Uncanny how the stone windows have the same shape as the real windows. I didn't get much time to poke around - there were a couple nasty dogs running loose in the area."

I've tried, without luck, to contact Brad to get explicit permission to re-post the photo, but he has given permission to all-comers in the past. (If anyone knows Brad, let me have his current e-mail.)

Click here to see the photo (300KB)
http://www.nls.net/mp/volks/pics/stonevw.jpg

More recently, I received a tip from Jean Brandenburg that led me here:

The whole episode of the construction of the Stone VW is revealed by the owner in a book titled simply "My Bug". The editor, Michael J. Rosen, has collected the stories of dozens of VW owners. Stephen Gibian was the builder and the year was 1976. There was a rusted hulk of a 60's Beetle in the field and, nearby, the remains of a stone foundation. Put them together, and...voila! The book has additional photos of the construction stages as well as descriptive text, e.g.: "The windows were slabs of stone found at a local quarry..."

You can find the book at Amazon.Com. The other stories contain lots of memories of Beetles long-gone, but it's worth getting just for the Stone VW story.

The book is ISBN 1-57965-135-6

Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:47 pm

The Stone Beetle is in Freeville, NY near the intersection of Ringwood Rd and Midline Rd. With the trees now growing, it will be difficult to spot from the road, but viewing in the fall or spring is easier. i can post directions if anyone is interested (just need to make sure i am correct before leading anyone astray).

Wed Jul 04, 2012 8:47 pm

Would like directions if possible. Driving through the area, and would love a pic with this thing.
Is it accessible with a vanagon, or is it well off the beaten path, down a dirt road?

Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:47 am

i asked my coworker about directions of where the Stone Beetle is and this was his replay "The stone VW is near the intersection of Ringwood and Mineah/Midline Roads Coming up Ringwood from Route 13, it's in the right side at the bend in the road a few hundred feet before the intersection of Mineah/Midline."

i believe this is around the 400's for addresses on Ringwood Rd. The beetle is set back from the road a little, but not far enough as to not be visible - unless the trees in the area have really grown. hopefully, will check it out sometime this weekend and get back with my findings.

So if traveling with a GPS - enter Ringwood Rd, Freeville 13068 (the only one in the world) and enter a number in the 400s - probably in the 30's (ex. 430 Ringwood Rd, Freeville, NY) and that ought to get you there.