O.K. boys, beware of export!

[1961bluebug]

I live in the Czech republic in Europe. We had many beautiful vintage cars here (really old, from 1900-1920s, Daimlers, Bugattis, Minervas, Rolland Pillains etc.) before 1989. In 1989 the Eastern block felt apart and germans started to mine out our cars. They bought them for a very small amount of money and they took them to Germany. Czech people were not rich, so every Deutsch Mark was good for them, After they got their money, they imported used cars (daily-drivers as Golfs, Jettas and other crap) from Germany. Today we are more clever and we have money, but don¦t have a chance to get back our old cars. You will be in the same situation with VW¦s. As you are exporting your splits and ovals to Japan, you are rising the prices for yourself. I wish I have the same possibilities in building old VWs as you in US. Sorry my english.

[UZI]

i live on the east coast in the US, we got nothing for our old cars, they were "taken" by the elements

[1961bluebug]

How do you mean this-disasters?

[UZI]

rust

[coad]

elements--is that another word for "Californians"?

[Erik G]

uhhh, how do you figure? you think Californian's came to your land, and stole your cars?

[Adam Vegas JHC]

West coast people have the best cars. Everyone knows that. Californians are lucky.
New Yorkers have nice cars, after replacing everything from the floors to heater channels to aprons and fenders. The best thing I ever did was LEAVE NY to find the best Vws.....
Adam VEGAS JHC

[79SuperVert]

1961bluebug, Cuba is in a similar situation to what you describe in the Czech Republic before 1989. There are hundreds of American cars there from before the Cuban Revolution in the 1950's that continue to run because no new cars have been imported since then and the economy is very poor. I have heard amazing stories about how mechanics work in the street with whatever they can find and even concoct substitutes for transmission fluid from whatever is at hand. When Cuba is opened up to American capitalists after Castro dies those cars will disappear in a flash in a scenario similar to the breakup of the Eastern Bloc.

[BUCIOBATISTI]

Wait a minute here, I don't recall ever hearing a story about a nice original VW coming from the East coast and landing on the West coast. I have, however, heard PLENTY of stories of nice California cars going the other way though. We most definitely are not hunting through what you guys have out there but I know you are picking through what we have out here!

[EverettB]

There have been a couple low-mileage Beetles on this site from NY. They were all original except for repaints. No rust repair was done, according to the ads. At least one went to the SoCal area, although I think they left for somewhere else soon after (resellers).

So there you go. But compare that to hundreds going the other way.

On a side note, a lot of the "original CA" or "original AZ" VWs are not.

[coad]

You never heard of a nice original VW going to the West Coast? What, you think if its rust-free it must be from CA? Get serious-- 20 years ago they were getting shipped there by the truckload. I'm in Nebraska and my local VW dealer used to hide every Ghia, Oval, etc that he found in the back of the lot--some guys from CA would stop by and load them up every 6 months or so. There was no market for them locally, but VW's got hot in California early, so the trucks started rolling west.

It's a good thing it happened. They would have been crushed if it didn't, but If you think all those cute VW's rolling around CA are original, you probably think that CA women just have naturally larger breasts too. Both are there because a check got written.

[55samba]

I love CALIFORNIA! Nice cars and women with big breasts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NOS PARTS]

Sure....tons of old american iron in Cuba...but have seen the prices? Even if Castro dies tomorrow, there won't be a bunch of those vehicles coming here or anywhere. You could get them now from the government lot....but why pay $10,000 for a pile KG that you can get for $1,000. in LAX? They have all the magazines....they aren't living in a bubble. On top of that the weather....nice and humid-not taking on cosideration it's an island....have you seen a nice rust free VW in Hawaii or South Florida? Good luck. Even if you get a deal (and good luck-bring 2 rabbitt paws), there will be so much red tape to cover the vehicles and have a little left over to hang from Havana to LAX. If food lines are long in Cuba, think how long it will be to export anything? So, while you wait for Castro to hang the olive, make the big line at the airport to get in...I will go to Pomona and go shopping. I know that you will end up in Pomona too, looking for the missing parts...