Is our hobby dying?

[Dwayne1m]

Ok, I'm a bit confused here. When some of you are saying "our hobby is dying", what exactly do you mean? Are you saying people are losing interest in Beetles, or are you just saying that Beetles as a DD are fading away?

[vamram]

The fact that so many of the ACVW shops have disappeared and continue to close down, it's dying. Older guys liquidating parts shops and yards has to be an indication that not enough people are buying anymore. Or that the good stuff's been picked through.
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[RosemaryT]

[swhitcomb]

Beetles as DDs are all but dead, with the exception of some southwestern states. More then that though, businesses that support them are dying. There are some young people out there just discovering them, yet there are more people getting out of them. People are passing along bad knowledge. Yesterday for example, a guy was asking if the mini spare for his 74 Super had any value. The seller had told him it was a rare option. This guy asking was just given crap info by a seller. He didn't know any better.
_________________
My 71 Ghia Been in my family since 1980
My Patina 66
My 74 Ghia
07 Boxster

[andk5591]

One more "last comment" from me - How many of us turn up our noses at the tatted "kids" with slammed and ratted GTIs and the like at shows....

Initially I was put off some when I first started hitting VW shows - but then I opened my eyes. Yeah - they talk a different language, different look and some of the stuff I really don't care for, BUT these folks are wrenching, tweaking, making the cars their own and are definately not in the mainstream with their cars. Sound a little familiar?

I have been making a point to check out the other cars - talking to the owners and ya know what? I start seeing them stop by my cars and chatting with me about my stuff.
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D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[gt1953]

andk5591
I do the same at shows..Yea the nose rings are not my cup of tea. I do attempt to talk to them and let them know they are the future and to keep these cars on the road. Compliment them on the work accomplishments.
_________________
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})

[iowegian]

[67jason]

Our hobby is not dying necessarily, but it is changing. there are still parts manufacturers on the cutting edge developing and manufacturing quality stuff. stuff that wasn't available a few years ago. just take a look at what smaller operations like awesome powder coating has done all the way to large outfits like klassicfab and what they have done for buses. others on the bleeding edge are the likes of KCW and airkewld among others - i may not like everything they do, but they are innovators in the aircooled scene and i can respect that. even general parts houses, wolfsburg west, west coast metric and cip1 and others strive to produce and/or provide quality replacement parts and quality customer service. there is even a TMI representative who is actively involved here on the samba trying to make their interior parts more perfect for us. then there is also the enthusiast driven market to preserve and/or return to stock (or mostly stock) all years and models of our beloved VW's.

I do recognize that the day of the independent bug repair and general service shops are going the way of the do-do bird, but in their place are well funded and well supported operations that i feel will keep aircooled vw's alive thru the middle of this century and beyond.

the lack of daily drivers is a personal choice that each owner makes. weather it be investment, reliability, safety, comfort, speed or what-have-you, there is really nothing stopping anyone from daily driving their air-cooled vw's beyond their own personal choice, and that is each individuals choice to make.

the way i look at it these days cars that would have been scrapped 5-15 years ago are being saved each and every day. more manufacturers are upping their game and providing us with decent to excellent parts - at a cost for sure. the days of keeping these cars running on the road for cheap are just about gone.

i daily my (operable) VW's and own no other cars but air cooled vw's, and for right now i wouldn't have it any other way.

my 64 bus and 67 bug

_________________
67 bug x3
67 ghia
64 bug

[vamram]

My DD, come hell or high water...but not icy roads because of the other idiots likely to slide into me and total him.

_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Bret2094]

I'll chime in I guess. As part of the new generation of VW Hobbyists, I completely agree that most of my generation has embraced the throw it away and get a new one mentality, but some of us actually were raised to fix and repair what we have, rather than having to have something new. As a child , my father wasnt around much, but my grandparents were weekly parts of my life. Both of my grandfathers are carpenters by either hobby or trade, and i spent many hours learning to use tools as an infant. It also helped that I grew up on a farm and learned to fix our own stuff, rather than an expensive professional come out and work on it. Pretty much everything on our place was self done, other than roofing our house. We built, did the plumbing, did the interior, etc.. I think it boils down to how we are raised. My younger brother, on the other hand, had a disability as a child and was babied from all of the things that i either learned or self taught, and has no common sense, critical thinking skills, knowledge of tools, and has the throw it away attitude. The older generations in this hobby may cringe at the stupid stuff that my generation does, but those of us in the current generation who dont represent the stereotype get 500 times more ticked at the young dumbasses running around not doing things right. I hope the hobby lives, but not with the uninformed continuing to fuck good rides up.

Bret
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1959 baja beetle ragtop( going back to Full body)
1959 beetle
1960 Beetle frame Custom buggy
1962 Karmann Ghia
1967 beetle( august 66, first car)
1967 beetle (parts car)

1977 Westfalia Camper

1972 Plymouth Duster

Just another 22 year old jackass who caught the bug, and lives by the motto " NO fatchicks allowed" , I've got too many cars as is (buses N/A)

[Wunderbug]

Well, my first driving lesson was in a 58 ragtop beetle way back in 1966 and ever since that day, I have only owned 10 vehicles, all Volkswagens and I'm currently restoring my 1972 that I bought in 1972. Currently driving a 96 Passat wagon, and two '04 New Beetles. Through the years I have seen the enthusiasm for our hobby, actually a sickness for most of us, ebb and flow.
One indisputable fact, in my minds eye, is that no matter who you know, where you go, or what you know, there is no other vehicle on the planet that has garnered more attention or has had a more profound effect on the automotive stage than our beloved aircooled VW's.
Sure, the AC shops have slowly disappeared, you don't see many AC dubs on the road any more, hell, VW even stopped making them back in 2003.
BUT, go to any VW car show or meet and I would be surprised if anyone there would say that our hobby is dead. Some shows have even gotten bigger and better as time has passed and the old AC VW's have gotten rarer to find.
It's the support of everyone here on the Samba and other enthusiast sites that keep the existing parts suppliers, manufacturers and specialty shops in business so we can enjoy maintaining, and driving our little gems for years past and years to come.
So, I don't think the hobby is dying. Quite the opposite. I believe it is evolving and changing with the times. Hopefully, those that want to see it carry on will continue to support the vendors and suppliers we rely on to keep our cars and busses on the road.
I mean really, does it get any better than cruising down the road in your aircooled VW and watching heads turn, getting thumbs up from strangers, and getting asked tons of questions about your ride or even listening to a story about someone who had a VW bug or bus and misses having one now?
I think not.
Let's keep the hobby alive and kicking. I'll sure give it my best effort!!

[ROCKOROD71]

Well, in the last hour some new vendor has dragged up every old post concerning Super Beetle front firewall panels to let everyone know they are making them, so that's saying something!

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1971 STD BEETLE- DD-1st car, 1st love. keepin' it stock! 1600DP, Solex 34-3 Mexi Bosch SVDA Dist NOW w/POINTS
1977 WESTY "KrustyKamper" 2L FI

[beetlenut]

[vamram]

[hitest]

[-Zodiac-]

Not all true, I suppose teens and 20 something year olds that don't fall into the stereotypes of this generation are few. I know people my age that know nothing of cars, they probably couldn't change a tire - I imagine if they did get a Vw that it wouldn't last long. But there are others that I'm sure will catch the bug and keep the hobby going - I know that I will eventually acquire some more. So Hopefully it lives on. I go for the old stuff and try to fix and repair what I can-

I don't think the year of the car would affect someone's want so long as it has the looks they desire my car at 17-18 was the 1947 chevy
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1973 karmann ghia - current, not the last VW.
1947 Chevy stylemaster - gone, but not forgotten.
1995 Ford F-150 - gone, hatred for it lives.

[Dwayne1m]

It's only natural progression that the hobby will slow down since they quit making these cars 36 years ago. I think what also is hurting the hobby is the attitude some have for the later model Beetles, especially the Super Beetles. If you want to keep the hobby going you will have to learn to except the Supers as part of the "family" since Supers seem to be the most available and affordable for any newcomer who doesn't have a great deal of knowledge when it comes to Beetles. If that newcomer comes on here and sees nothing but negative comments about Supers, it will drive him off. I understand that some prefer the pre 67 models as I do myself, but with someone on a limited budget and they come across an affordable and solid Super, encourage them and welcome them to the family. Don't turn your nose up at them and tell them they have an inferior Beetle. They don't make Supers anymore either ya know, and unless you are an avid VW enthusiast, chances are you don't know the difference between a Super and a Standard.

[iowegian]

[Dwayne1m]

[swhitcomb]