TheSamba.com :: View topic - 58-67 Beetle Spotters Thread

Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:18 pm

One of our local Porsche forums has a Spotters Thread that is a lot of fun to watch.
Basically if you see another Porsche while you are out and about, you can post where, when and what you saw.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while as far as this site and the VW’s go and just never got around to doing anything about it.

Then today I saw a car while I was driving home from an appointment and that sort of re-kindled the idea.

For us in the Mid Atlantic area, we are lucky if we see 10 or 12 other VW’s a year unless we are going to the Bug Out. You just don’t see them on the roads anymore.

Since this is a world wide forum, we really need to put a few restrictions on this thread if the moderators allow it to continue. And since this is the 58-67 portion of the beetle forum, we need to limit the posts ONLY to those cars.

If you see other stuff, and the mods approve of the thread, start one in the appropriate section for what you spotted but lets keep this one for 58-67 BUGS ONLY!.

So here’s the deal, post the date, the state, the area, the location and what you saw.

I’ll kick it off with the car I saw today…

01/23/13 Maryland, Finksburg. West bound on 140 heading down the hill towards the reservoir about 3:15. A red 65 or 66 slammed in the front with a roof rack. Looked good!

Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:58 pm

No pics allowed ???

Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:04 pm

Love this idea. Been thinking it would be cool to have such a thing.

Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:35 pm

Cool idea. There is a thread similar to this on my local forums. However, they put it in the General/Chat forum and it applied to all VW models.

Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:53 am

Saw a CHERRY '61-ish rag top today in the Sprouts parking lot in Citrus Heights. It looked like factory black paint, mostly white interior, grey wheels with caps and black wall tires... This thing looked bone stock original. I can only assume the little old lady driving it was the original owner... Wish I would've got some pics, but it was gone by the time I parked.

Thu Jan 24, 2013 8:47 am

bajafreaks wrote: No pics allowed ???

Post them if you get them, but usually when spotting this stuff its gone before I can get a picture. But I'm not really up on all the modern technology!

obfuscurity, when I first saw that red 65/66 coming in traffic I thought maybe it was you! Then traffic cleared a little and I saw it didn't have much clearance between the spare tire well and the pavement.

Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:53 am

I like it!

I thought of this idea as well a while back. Same situation, other forums that I've been on had the same thing. However, those forums also had regional boards and were primarily the continental U.S. (Pacific NW, South West, Mountain, Central, South and North East).

The regional boards made it a little easier being that it was isolated to a specific area.

Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:17 pm

Nice idea..

Regions would be nice... hard to seperate here, They would be easier to sift through ..

We all need to suggest this topic this for a "Sticky"

No Fat Chicks now.... just maybe the ocassional 1967 chubby chick.. .:wink:

Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:47 pm

I will be on the lookout in Richmond. I love threads like this.

Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:57 pm

You see quite a few in SoCal, maybe one a day. Yesterday morning there was a sharp yellow '67 stopped on the northbound 23 freeway shoulder in the Thousand Oaks/Moorpark area. Air cleaner was off, so I figured he knew what he was doing and kept driving to work.

Thu Jan 24, 2013 2:12 pm

VOLKSWAGNUT wrote: We all need to suggest this topic this for a "Sticky"

Got my vote.

Ok, I'll play.
This past monday (1/21/13), at a gas station next to the Atlanta Motor Speedway, I saw two '67s. One was a stock red bug and it had a roof rack, and the other one was a custom '67 with shaved side trim and a two-tone red/white paint job. Looked real slick. 8)

Thu Jan 24, 2013 8:01 pm

This is cool. I live in Washington DC and I've seen 5 or 6 classic bugs in the last year here in the city, which seems weird, but there you go. I'll start making better mental notes so I can post about them. Thanks!

Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:00 am

I'm in. I hope when the weather gets nice I will be able to participate more... I can start with a very recent sighting I had... In fact this is almost a re-post.

Matching Zenith blue (chubby) 67's in Oregon City. 1 on display at the vw dealership on Mcgloughlin Blvd, and one at a smaller dealer lot in Kahneemah on hwy 99, both cars less than 4 miles apart.

Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:39 am

I work on a military base and see them a lot. Right now there is an all white 67 w/ white walls and looks to be restored to factory. Next a early 60's in a non OG color of burgundy with a beige rag top. Has a early 50's W deck lid. Just dosent look right on a 60's car. Ther is a 62 sedan in white that looks OG on the interior but a respray, not bad. Ther there is a mid 60' w/metal sun roof in beige and nice wheels, lowered and restored nicely. I don't believe the engine is stock, goes to fast. I just cant seem to be there when he is outside to talk to him. There are several fat chicks but not going there. I don't go a day out here with out seeing one. These will eventually move on and new classes will start along with new soldiers and new to,me Dubs buzzing around.

Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:22 am

YouBugMe58 wrote: I work on a military base and see them a lot. .

I think the idea of this topic is to post a general location that these cars are spotted at.. as well.... :?

drscope wrote: So here’s the deal, post the date, the state, the area, the location and what you saw.

!

Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:35 am

VOLKSWAGNUT wrote: I think the idea of this topic is to post a general location that these cars are spotted at.. as well.... :?

Funny you should mention that, it brings up an issue I've been thinking about. I think what folks want to get out of this thread is a notion of which VWs are close to them in their community and/or region. Unfortunately, a forum is a really bad place for that without breaking out countless sticky threads.

I think what we are (or at least I am) looking for is something like "Foursquare for cars". That is, the ability to "check-in" or snap a photo of a VW and have it uploaded to a site that can track all of these sightings, with the ability for people to search in areas close to them. Perhaps even for owners of the cars to "claim" these sightings as their vehicle.

I'm not aware of any sites like this. I might try to crank out a proof of concept this weekend and see what comes of it.

Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:41 am

obfuscurity wrote: VOLKSWAGNUT wrote: I think the idea of this topic is to post a general location that these cars are spotted at.. as well.... :?
I think what we are (or at least I am) looking for is something like "Foursquare for cars". That is, the ability to "check-in" or snap a photo of a VW and have it uploaded to a site that can track all of these sightings, with the ability for people to search in areas close to them. Perhaps even for owners of the cars to "claim" these sightings as their vehicle.

I'm not aware of any sites like this. I might try to crank out a proof of concept this weekend and see what comes of it.

On the flip side of that....I think publically tracking desireable and easily stolen cars, is NOT a good idea for a public forum..

We cant assume only honest people are here... there are plenty of both Samba members and non members, lurking.... waiting, watching and reading...

General location area (Especailly true....for parked cars)....is fine with me... maybe a pic...
Pictures sometimes reveal more about the area shown than you may realize...

Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:57 pm

VOLKSWAGNUT wrote: YouBugMe58 wrote: I work on a military base and see them a lot. .

I think the idea of this topic is to post a general location that these cars are spotted at.. as well.... :?

drscope wrote: So here’s the deal, post the date, the state, the area, the location and what you saw.

!

Well that knocks me out, All I can say is I work on a military base. Close as I can place it other than Southeastern US. Not a good Idea to tell where I spot all these cars altough it would be very hard for someone to steal them where they are located. Pictures not a good Idea also.
Thats all I gota say about that. Peace Out.

Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:11 pm

Saw this a while back while out running some errands. I spotted this pretty clean Coral Red 58, here in Santa Rosa, Ca at Sonoma Ave and Brookwood. I chased her all the way to her house (which was all the way on the other side of town), to talk to her, and check out the car. I know at first she thought I was a little nuts, but oh well. :)

Here are some pics....

Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:24 pm

So, I guess that we can assume that us VW owners walking out to our garages and seeing our VWs doesn't count, huh? :lol: