How did everyone get into vw's ?

[Andrew]

Dude, don't buy your boys and early rag to work on, buy me an early rag to work on. J/k.

Andrew
'58 Panel Bus
'60 European Beetle
'67 Deluxe Bus

[chabanais]

A friend in college had a Bay Bus so when I moved back to the U.S. I got one.

[twinwindows]

It all started when I turned 16, I woke up and what was parked in my front yard with the keys in it ? A 55 oval , the best Birth day I ever had . After that it never ended with me and Volkswagens

CRG

[Jimbug57]

The first VW I can remember was a brand new 1967 Sedan my parents bought. I was 10 years old, it was blue, and my older brother used to race it at Onandaga Dragway in Michigan. It would do about 18 seconds in the 1/4 mile. Somehow he wound up with a trophy or two. When that bug was mysteriously smashed my parents bought a tan 1971 Super Beetle. I eventually wound up with that bug and it was my first car. Naturally I rodded the heck out of it and blew the tranny. The motor was about puked anyway, so I traded it for a black 64 sedan. I tried crossing a flooded road with that one. It was a little deeper than I thought it would be. Water poured in through the dash and got sucked into the carburetor. Never did run right after that. Wonder why.

Then I got my 1970 sedan, Cobalt Blue, 1600 single port. Boy, I really loved that car. After driving old Blue for about 4 years I got a wild streak in me, sold everything I owned (Dodge van and a Honda 175 twin, plus the bug among other things) and decided to become a ski bum in Steamboat Springs Colorado. While in Colorado I wrangled a 1967 Type II Bus. That one had been in a fire and needed an engine. I bought a 71 standard Beetle for the dualport engine, and gave the body to a friend. That was in 1983.

4 years after that (and a couple of water pumpers later) I bought a 1968 bus. It was a medium blue color that I don't think was original. I took the motor apart and refurbished things without really spending any money on it. It really didn't run so hot and I sold it and bought 63 sedan for $50.00. The previous owner sold it cheap because the battery would die overnight. Traced it down to the dome light wire shorting out against the roof. I didn't really have any money to put into it, but cleaned and refurbished as best as I could. That was the engine I had to JB Weld a couple of the cylinder studs in. I got an amazing 56 miles to the gallon on the freeway with that car. My ex wife and I drove that car all over the country. You wouldn't believe how many miles I drove with those cylinder studs glued in and never had a problem.

I gave that bug to a car-less friend when my parents gave me their 5 year old Olds 98 Regency. Then there was a 71 Westphalia someone gave to me. Non running condition, and I never did get it running (no time/money/ambition). I sold it to an eager kid when I moved out of the house I was living in at the time. I think that was about 1986 or 87.

Well, 4 kids and a new wife later (my "new" wife of 5 years gave birth to a boy Oct. 15th, 2000) I'm back driving a bug. So let's seeà that makes 6 bugs and 3 busses I've owned. My new 70 sedan is the only car I own right now. I've spent over 3 grand restoring it so far, and I figure I have another grand and a half to go before it's finished. Once the sedan is done I'll be looking for a 67 type II to restore.

There you have it. My personal VW history, may it live long and prosper!

[sambastuff]

got into VW's by simply opening the door...

[[email protected]]

I've only been into VW's for just over a year. My son had a Jetta at the time. One day I decided to stop in at the dealership and told them I wanted to drive a Jetta III vr6.......They had one so I test drove it.... then he told me to take it home for a few hours and think about it.. I declined that offer 3 times and finally gave in. I didn't want to take it home because I knew that I would buy it...... and ofcourse I did buy it and never have had any regrets. Now it has a TT chip and who knows what else will follow.

[[email protected]]

Been a lover of the style for years, after I learned about all the cool shit on the westies, I saved up my cash and got a 77 westy. She's nice and green, better than I thought it would be. Hadnt been running for about a year and I got her back home over 800 miles of rolling hills. Talk about reliable. I cant wait to take her out to michigan next year and do some camping.

[[email protected]]

i am 16 know, i used to ALWAYS watch herbie, so that got me t lke bugs. When i was about fourteen, i saw these older guys (that use to go to my school)drivin to school. one of them had (still has)a 65 bug painted this rad shade of blue, slammed on smoothies, and the other guy had(still has) an original vw blue 67 bug slammed on smoothies. the 65 know is repainted the same color, but has shaved dorr handles nd chrome, and the 67 is pimered black on five spokes. I dont know, i just looked rad as they rolled down the street one after th other, and there stingers were wining at like 3500 rpm, thats what got me hooked.

[Sean G.]

I've been a loyal V-Dubber for almost 16 years now. When i was 17 "pushin sandpaper" at my grandfathers paint and body shop there were these two guys that worked up front giving estimates. One had a sweet 64 that was stock body wise, turqoiuse(sp), stock interior and it had a built 1776. It also had Centerlines and lowered slightly. The other guy had a 67 that had wider fiberglass fenders, monochromatic white paint, Crager S/S's, smoothed except for the door handles, tinted windows, wrong rear apron and decklid and so and so on. I never paid them much attn until the 67 got a fresh repaint and it needed to be put back together. The guy didn't want to bother with it anymore and I needed a car and so i checked it out and for a grand and puttin back together it was mine. It wasn't until i got it put back together and drove it that i fell in love with these cars. Well i soon started learning everything i could about v-dubs and the special 1 year car i had acquired. So the next plan was to completly redo it but to stock. i gave up on that after owning it several years. It was just too customized. So it sat while i went through several more vw's of different years (61,2-66's,73 panel Bus,67 sqback). I sold that ol' 67 bug a few years ago. Lucked up and found a 1-owner 67 mostly original(repainted 1 time) about 6 years ago. Its our keeper. One of those bugs that you just dont get rid of. It seems like not too long ago that i got interested in VW's. Until you start thinkin about it...

[mynameismud]

My parents owned a 71 micro i think, than i had the great luck that a friend of the family had a beat up 60 beetle for sale. gawd what a great first car ('cept that my sister had a 67 chevelle, and her boyfriend had a dodge challenger), so i was screwed from an early age- only ran out of gas once thou- and survived hitting a deer. since than i have had a 71 beetle, 55 ragtop beetle, 56 ragtop beetle, 56 european ragtop beetle, and now a 60 panel.

[3vwguy3]

In my former auto mechanic life I was living in a semi big city here in Jersey for 6 months.

Did'nt have a car and worked in the next town so I rode my bike back and forth to work.

I wrenched and drove the tow truck.
We impounded cars for the town police (illegally parked cars, no insurance, etc...).
The cars sat in our lot until the owner came to retrive them.
Some times they never showed up and dont quote me but I think after six months you could declare it an abandened vehicle and drive it to the junk yard where you'ld get like $50.

We'll anyways there was this 76 red bug in there and it was coming up to the time where I was gonna be bringing it to the junk yard.

So I asked the boss how much he wanted for it.
He said for me to pay the towing bill which was $50.
The problem of course is that I did'nt have a title.
Soooo I dug thru the car and found out where the owner lived. Then one night after work I drove to his house and knocked on the door.
"Excuse me sir"....and I go on....."you have an abandened vehicle at our impound yard and I need one of two things to happen right now, I need you to either pay the $10 a day storage fee and come pick it up.....or produce the title so we can bring it to the junk yard"......well the guys says "hold on I'll be right back"...and in 5 minutes comes out with the title.
So I flip it over real quick and see that he didnt sign it.....so I tell him to sign it and then I'm off.

Next day give the boss the $50 and am the new owner of the bug.

Thats my story and totally legit.
It would have cost him $1800 just for the $10 a day storage fee and the previous owner knew the car wase'nt worth that.
And the bos would'nt have given it to him if he did'nt pay it.
Just had to put a passenger floor in it to patch up the Fred Flintstone floor and then drove it around for a couple of years.

[Air-Cooled Head]

I really don't know. But being WAY over 40, I can remember when they were cheap and easily available. Whenever you needed transpo, spend $400 on a bug, then drive it into the ground. Friends say I'm making amends for past sins against VWs.

[[email protected]]

i remember my mom had a 71 super better w/ a sunroof which was baby blue, i loved that thing. I dont remeber what age that was but i guess i was about six, the day she sold that i was sad for a really long time, and now im the age if driving im really sad we didnt keep it.

[TheSickness]

wow long thread....anyway, i dont know what it was that started it, i just remember i always had beetle toys, and when i was 14 i went cross country with my brother and kept seeing them everywhere, i guess i just thought they were cool, eventually i saw an orange beetle at some shop, i was working at pep boys at the time, so i was covered in oil, and i asked to see the car, i pretended i knew what i was doing, but it was my first time looking at a beetle up close, now that i look back on it, it was an early 60s beetle, the interior was destroyed, the engine compartment was filled with leaves for some reason, i never bought it, because i was broke and i didnt know what to do with it, i then started fishing around online for volkswagen websites, i then got SHAFTED by some guy named bob who lived around the corner from my "x" girlfriend, he sold me a 71 super for $3500 that later my VW mechanic told me was only worth under $1000. and from then on i was hooked i guess. but, i never did anything really productive yet. i bought a split window for $500 with big dreams and no cash, then i traded it to someone who wanted it and could really do somethign with it, then i ended up spending thousands of dollars that i don thave on parts and an engine, and then i bought a 66 beetle (back to the first bite), come to think of it, i was trying to sell the bus so i can pay off some bills, and i ended up spending like $5000 anyway. man, i think i should compare stories with a junkie and see which one of us destroyed our funds on our addiction more. I COULDNT HELP IT THOUGH!!..i always wanted a 60s beetle, (Even though when i got the bus i said i always wanted a bus, then yesterday i said i always wanted a notch....is this reminding anyone of themselves? please say yes...)

[Scotts 63 23]

When I turned 16 in October of 1967, I sold my Honda 90 (that was a small bike) and bought a 1962 bug. Had my dad (he was an artist) paint "Mother's Little Helper" on both sides below the passenger windows, I installed my 8 track to the underside of the driver's seat and headed for the corner of Florence and Lakewood (California) to cruise McDonald's. I was a 'legend in my own mind'.

Driving a '63 Samba now.

Scott

[VWAdam]

Hey (TheSickness) Your last sentence reminds me of myself. One day I wan't a splittie Bus, next day I want a Notch, next day I want a T3 Ghia, then a Thing. It goes on and on and on.

[BUCIOBATISTI]

Well, according to my Mom, there is a chance that I was conceived in my Dad's Black 1960 Bug. I remember taking road trips back when I was a little kid and just counting all the Bugs and Busses I saw on the road. That was back when I was about 3 or 4 years old. I guess I just liked the fact that they stood out from the other cars on the road. My family had a few back in the day. My Grandpa had a Dove Blue 1955 Single Cab back when it was new, my Uncle had a 1965 Seablue and Blue White and Blue White 13 Window Walkthru Deluxe Bus, a family friend had a 1954 Panel, and my Dad had his Black 1960 Bug. When I turned 15 and was saving my pennies for my first car, I couldn't afford much and a cool, stylish, and affordable California surfer car was what I wanted more than anything. VWs fit that niche perfectly and I have been hooked ever since, 15 years later that's all I ever want to own! My close friends know me well enough to know that my car dreams never involve yuppy stuff, high priced performance cars, SUVs, etc. It's nothing but VWs and all I'll ever do is get older ones, nicer ones, rarer ones, more original ones, or better yet, just ANOTHER one!

[chinarider]

Love the "conceived" story - that's REALLY taking it as far back as you possibly can!

Like a few previous posts, the "Herbie" movies hooked me on beetles as a kid. Also, it seemed wherever we moved, our next door neighbors always seemed to have VW's.

My dune bug infatuation came a little later, and then (when I could drive) my family rented a Thing while on vacation, and that was really it. Been hooked on Things ever since.

[BUCIOBATISTI]

I guess I can truely say that I have been into VWs since I left my Dad's nutsack if that story is true. My Mom was and is a bit freespirited but my Dad is probably too conservative to admit such "bad behavior". I'll have to ask him about it the next time I see him.

[ronnie]

It started when I was 15. I had always wanted a 55 or 57 chevy until One day in highschool english class I look over and this kids reading a hot vw's magazine. He had a pile of'em in is back pack and I had just smoked a fatty so class wasn't exactly holding my attention. I asked to look at one of the magazines and there was a sweet red/white 15 window deluxe in there. I had never seen anything like it. so many windows. I started reading the magazines and found 23 windows. that was it, the car I had to have. I had a ton of buses before I even got a 15, but being in NC I was glad to have any split at all. I finally got my 23 about two years ago.