Front trunk usage

[EverettB]

Vintage pics posted recently

I always wondered if people actually used the front trunk for stuff like that back in the day.

I haven't had a ton of Bugs that I used for daily errands but in the Bugs and Type 3s I had, I put stuff on the passenger seat or passenger floor if I was alone, or on the back seat if someone was up front.

Anyone put stuff like groceries up front just to run home?
_________________
How to Post Photos
Everett Barnes - [email protected] | My wanted ads
"Water is the only drink for a wise man" | "Communication prevents complaints"
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[mukluk]

I have on several occasions, but most often everything ends up on the back seat or the passenger floor. My guess is it's not as common to have all or most of the seats occupied nowadays, so the trunk doesn't get used as much. Besides, it's tough to fit the modern super-sized package of 144 rolls of TP in an area the size of a duffle bag.
_________________
1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga"

[gt1953]

Well my wife snuck a guy into the drive in theater in the trunk. Yes they had to remove the spare. He was skinny.
I have put the 40 lbs bags of conditioner salt in the trunk of the type 1. Now that we have a type 3 squareback project it will have those duties.
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[60ragtop]

tent,blankets, pillows etc for road trips.
_________________
Rick
Certified Mechanic by the State of Michigan in 1977
ASA certified in 1987
Certified Hunter Wheel Alignment Master Technician 1986

[Second Air Force]

Many years ago I was in charge of the soda and coffee fund where I worked. I would buy the various flavors of pop when it was on sale and sometimes load the front trunk, luggage area, rear seat and passenger front with cases of soda. I forget what a stock '62 Beetle will hold, but it sat like it had been professionally lowered! (And didn't drive that great until offloaded....)
_________________
1956 Standard Sedan

[HippyTom]

I pile a ton of car show crap in my trunk. Canopy, chairs, cleaning stuff, tool bag, sign, stand, etc. I keep that stuff in there all the time. When I go to the store, I use the back seat.

Growing up, my parents had 3 kids. They piled the family in my 63 Bug and traveled, took to the store, etc. They used the trunk and space behind the back seat regularly. We packed stuff in duffle bags instead of suit cases. Much easier to pack more in the trunk.

[kangaboy]

I always store my larger loads of groceries up there.
_________________
-74 Standard - "CaliBug" 2084T, MS3X w/FI and Crank Fire
-76 Westy - "Gandalf"
-18 GTI SE

[KTPhil]

When the cars were relatively new, and there were parts & repair shops all around, I used to keep it fairly empty, so when I ran errands and trips, I used the front first, so it would be more stable at highway speeds. I did this with the squareback as well as the fastback.

Now I stock so many tools and parts in my fastback, it's useless for luggage. But I feel more secure.

[WM971252]

Way back when I made a wood tool “tray” for all my tools for work ( mantaince mechanic at a plant nursery). I also had it filled with plants for “ quick runs” along with the rear seat region.

[my59]

I keep a tool box behind the gas tank, and a jack behind that; the shelf behind the spare for oil bottles. Since its not a DD, little gets stored under the hood, except I roll up the car cover and put that in when I am out and about.
The feather duster the PO used on the body is in the way back behind the seat.
_________________
my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget.

[EverettB]

In a Bug I forgot about behind the back seat too, I can see that making sense if you had people in the back that could grab it when you got out.

Now that I think about it, I kept a lot of random parts and spares in the front trunk and a tool bag. Hopefully stuff I never had to use.

Car cover... In my Type 34 I used to car cover it at work but I'd toss the car cover in the back seat while driving around.
Not like anyone could really sit back there anyway, although I did have a guy ride back there once to/from a show
_________________
How to Post Photos
Everett Barnes - [email protected] | My wanted ads
"Water is the only drink for a wise man" | "Communication prevents complaints"
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[vwwestyman]

The comment about carrying a giant load of soda reminded me.

In high school (late 90s for me) I drove two different beetles-a '65 convertible and a '60 standard. For tailgating for a football game, I loaded the trunk of the '60 with ice and cans of Pepsi and Cherry Pepsi (school colors were blue and red) and popped the hood and we used it as a cooler! I couldn't have done this with the '65 because it was too rusty and the stuff would have fallen through the spare tire well!

I didn't use the Beetle's trunks too often because whatever I put in there would smell like gas!

I use the front trunk in the Thing occasionally. Mostly stuff that I don't want blowing around while driving (I don't have a top) or for kinda-secure storage if I'm leaving the car. I figure most thieves nowadays wouldn't guess 1) the trunk is in the front and 2) how to open it. With the spare and gas heater in there, I don't think it really has much usable space.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[ach60]

[kpf]

When I first got my Super, I found little bits of plastic grocery bags and receipts in the trunk from years past.

I have used the trunk myself for groceries and for my computer bag when going to work.

The Super's trunk is large enough to be practical. The issue I have with it is the ridiculous hoops you have to jump through to open it! I have to put whatever I'm carrying on the ground, unlock the passenger's door, open it and then open the glove compartment, pull hood release lever, close the glove compartment, close the passenger door, go to the front, push the button and open the trunk, then finally pick up my baggage and load it.


Kris
_________________
1971 Super Beetle

[HippyTom]

I loved the trunk on my 71 Super. Much more room than my standards.

In high school we cleaned out the windshield washer fluid reservoir and filled it with booze. Then put a 10' clear plastic tube on it, ran under the trunk liner, through a small hole in the glove box. We wrapped a rubber band around the end to keep it from falling back through the hole. We would pass the tube around hittingbtge washer knob, to the back seat, then push it back in the trunk. We made sure to refill the spare tire often. My buddy's dad kept searching his car for booze, but never could find it.

[VWAdam]

When I drove a Bug daily I did use the trunk on occasion. It was typically the last place I loaded or if I had 3 or 4 people in the car. Or just to amuse my friends by putting stuff in the front.

I drove Buses almost exclusively for a few years and then when I got my '59 Beetle on the road and started taking it to shows I realized how spoiled I'd been with the Buses when I had to pack my Beetle for a long weekend of camping at a show. I had rear luggage area, back seat and frunk all packed to the brim
_________________
All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.

'59 Euro Beetle ragtop
'63 Standard Microbus

Come to my show! www.volksjam.com

Looking for badge/sticker/frame from Western Motors in Great Falls, Montana

[YDBD]

The '67 I had in high school I usually kept a large tool box painted ultra-blue to match other accessories in the car. Eventually I stopped carrying that and learned what tools I needed. The front carried a lot of stuff, especially wet wetsuits after body boarding and sailing.

Last thing I had in the trunk was a Coustic Amp 380, it was mounted through the blue short shag carpet to a piece of particle board mounted to the car. I had it about a week, and then the bug was stolen . One of the worst days of my life.

Always tried to keep in neat and clean, and unfortunately I have few pictures. I did a lot of wood work in the car, dash panels, door grabs etc. and had made a wiring cover out of oak plywood that had "Jon's '67 " carved into it. I wanted it show quality so the spare tire was clean and there was no junk up there.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[YDBD]

And this guy doesn't put anything is his trunk:

_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[vwwestyman]

[VWAdam]