Cusser Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006 Posts: 31266 Location: Hot Arizona
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 5:46 pm Post subject: Re: Today I spotted a bus in a back yard .Need advice |
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My 1970 sat "retired" on the side of my house for 23 years before I resurrected it. Yes, I had several asking if it was for sale.
_________________ 1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23748 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 2:13 am Post subject: Re: Today I spotted a bus in a back yard .Need advice |
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There are so many stories, it's hard to pick just one.
Along the interstate, my wife and I used to see a Beetle off to the side that became a landmark for us. It would always be parked outside, and we would see it moved around, so we knew it ran. My wife gave it the nickname Workin' Beetle, and whenever we would use that stretch of the interstate, we would look for it.
One day my wife thought she saw a sign on the car, so we decided to get off at the next exit, and trace the roads back to where the Workin' Beetle lived to get a closer look. It was in a little enclave parked beside a mobile home. Workin' Beetle was a tan '70 Autostick that had seen better days.
We knocked on the door and were greeted by an elderly man, who seemed happy to have some company. He explained that his wife and son had died, and he had terminal cancer. We were alarmed, but you never know who's on the other side of a door. We talked about the car, and told him how we always looked for it. He said he was the original owner, and bought it when he was a professor at Berkeley. He chose an autostick because his wife couln't drive a standard. He then gave me the keys and let me test drive it.
The car was fairly rough, with some rust and a tattered interior, but started easily and sounded good. There was a resistence shifting gears, but this seemed like a clutch adjustment that probably wouldn't be too difficult. I couldn't believe I was actually driving it.
We didn't need another VW, but this one spoke to us, plus I always wanted an autostick. Unfortunately, we hit a wall in the negotiations when the gentleman said he wanted more than double what the car was worth, and was sticking firm. Though we were fond of the little landmark, the price was unrealistic, especially considering the situation the gentleman was in, and that an infusion of cash would have surely helped him out. We left him our number, but there was never a callback.
Eventually the car disappeared, and the place looked abandoned. The fate of the Workin' Beetle is unknown, but I would have enjoyed being its steward. _________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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