Subconscious influence during childhood?

[stupidsongs2]

I was delivering a pizza today (ya, I use my ACVW for delivering pizzas, it’s more reliable than any other car I’ve owned) and I saw these little kids no older than 5 driving around in a little electric bright yellow plastic convertible Beetle. I mentioned to the parents of the kids that they’d better be careful, otherwise in 10 years or so they might have a real Beetle rusting in their driveway. I think I frightened them, as they did not tip well.

Regardless, it got me thinking, was anyone on here exposed to the VW world as a kid? The only thing I can remember from my youth was my neighbors buying some sort of Westy when I was 6ish. Could that moment of cursed me for life?

Vote and shore your stories.

[15 windowdelux]

Yeah I think they do have an effect, old man across the street had an early 60's bug that he drove all the time and worked on. Car probably never made it out of second gear when he drove it. When he died his wife kicked it out of the garage and into a little shed in the back yard. When it went up for sale, I tried to get my parents to buy it as an extra car for us kids to drive, but dad said no, we'd destroy the motor cause it never went over 15 miles an hour. I think his kid ended up getting it. There was also a late 60's squareback and a 74 superbeetle on the block. Got rides in the super with my buddy, it was his sister's car.
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My last fortune cookie said:
"A short saying oft contains much wisdom."
Why is it all I can think about now is George
Carlin's "Seven words you can't say on television"????

[crukab]

Yep, my Pops had a '66 Bug, and although I started out w/ Hot Rod cars in the '70's, the VW genes kicked in @ age 20.
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Tom

My Pops:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604100&highlight=
I know you will always be with me, rest in peace with no more pain. 8/13/14.....

In the yard right now:
'51 Dodge 5 window truck
'65 Bug
'66 Singlecab
'82 Rabbit Truck Diesel from CALI
'86 Doublecab W/T
'91 Vanagon carat/wolfsbrg.Tiico
'88 Dodge Ram pickup
'11 Jetta Wagon

[KTPhil]

Grew up with a used '63, then my dad bought his '71 T3 new, then we all "got the bug" and have owned a dozen bugs, buses, ghias, squares and fasties.

[KGCoupe]

I had lots of toys as a kid, but one I seem to remember more was my Tonka Beetle. (Actually, we had several in different colors.)

Later, my Lego set came with a Notchback and that was my intro to Type 3s.

Finally, one of my dad's buddies bought a new Thing and gave me a ride with the top down and doors off.
That was it - I was hooked for life.

[Everpress]

My grandmother had a black 69 with red vinyl int.

She drove that thing all over the Smoky Mnts, with my older brother and me in the back.

She bought it new off the lot, sold it 18 years later (for as much as she paid for it).

Right now she drives a 2006 Impreza, but she still talks about her Beetle.
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1969 Bay Camper
Work in progress…

[Tram]

When I was a kid, my grandparents imported a 1962 Variant. It was so different and so cool, it fascinated me. That was the start of my VW Type 3 addiction. They had Notchbacks and Variants until my grandmother bought a new 1980 Subaru, five years after my grandfather's death.
My Mercedes addiction was more subliminal. I came home from the hospital in a 1952 Mercedes 220 Cabriolet "A".
I'm addicted to both vintage VWs and MBs to this day, and I've never daily driven anything but (except for a brief "affair" with a 1979 Datsun B210 in 1981 that ended when the front "A" frame rusted thru and collapsed.)
A Mercedes has always been my "serious" car, an ACVW my "fun" car.
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Немає виправдання для війни! Я з Україною.

[stupidsongs2]

[Tram]

[stupidsongs2]

[drpete]

Learned to drive in a '59 Mango Microbus. On my 16th birthday, my mother and I went to the DMV to take my driver's test. As the examiner and I walked out to the parking lot, he asked which car was mine. When I told him it was the bus, he asked to watch me parallel park it. Only after I pulled it into the slot did he get in and we drove around. He told me that was the first time he'd been in a VW bus and he had no idea how easy they were to maneuver. He didn't think I would be able to park or drive it so easily! I think he was more nervous than I was during the exam. Musta thunk I was going to get us in a wreck. Passed me with 100% without any further comments.

[Bajavwracer]

coming from a line of ACVW Mechanics its preatty obious
my grandfather started working on ACVW's in germany in the mid fifties which makes me a 3rd generation Vdub nut/mechanic

[MrBreeze]

Since the day I came home from the hospital.

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-=Rob

WTB: Bay Shore or Queensboro VW Frames

HBB 1984-2009
RW 1943-2011
ER 1964-2023

[///Mink]

In 1970, my Dad bought a 1969 Beetle that eventually became my first car in 1983. There's been a VW (or 4) in my garage ever since.

[VWAdam]

My aunt was 15 when I was born. Her first car at age 16 was a 73/4 Super. She wrecked it within the first year she had it and it sat in our yard.
When I was 2ish my grandfather took me outside to see the snow since it's a rarity here in Alabama. He said I started squirming and wanting to be put down so he did and I ran straight to the VW and tried to open the door. I would sit in that car and pretend to drive. When he sold it a few months later I cried and being spoiled by my grandparents, he bought me a non-running Beetle to play in for $60. It's the '59 Euro I still have...
I would sit in that car for hours and drive everywhere in the world without ever leaving the backyard.
I've always been obsessed with them and I still wonder what it was that drew me to VWs at such an early age....
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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

[Dubbin68]

Well my dad used to own 9 bugs before my time, but when i was a little kid he always had model bugs and he also recieved vwtrends and hotvws, i never really paid attention or took any interest in any of it though, and then one day when i was 14 i wanted a vdub. Now im 16 and i own a java green 67, i think that it got to my head.
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68' Westy Weekender
73' Squareback
69’ Beetle

[KenManiac]

my parents bought a '65 beetle brand new...

i was but a pup of 2 when they did, i remember standing in the 'back back' and pointing to other beetles and saying 'dada car car'

i have since owned 10 VWs, (registered and drove, not just bought for parts etc) 6 of which were airccoled, including the bus i lived infor 2 1/2 years.

[Big Bill]

When I was in JR. highschool a friends dad used to drive us to school sometimes, in their 55-56 oval. My friend was always talking about the two carbs it had. It was kind of a silver color with red inteior I think. His dad also worked at the local VW dealership in the service department. Thats the one that got me started.

[LUNATIK]

My dad always have own a VW since I remember; I used to love it because I taught it was such a cool car. At 16 my dad gave me my first car that was a 1960 Beetle very nice tranny build and a 1776cc dual webbers that he build for me. Well since then I had soo many VW that I can't count anymore. This year my dad came over to helpme out building my house, during the construction I found a very nice 66 sunroof beetle. I brough it home one afternoon and when my dad saw it he rapidly jumped at it cleaned it out and made the engine run, he used it while he was here. When it was time for him to go back home I gave it to him as a gift for helping me out with my house, my dad was soo happy because that's his favorite year. (I knew it)


Regards

[jwcurry]

My grandfather used to buy,repair,and resell Renault Dauphines. The Beetle was as close as I could come to owning something similar....well,seventeen years ago. I could probably find one on Ebay nowadays.

I owned a '64 Camper when I lived in California. I didn't go out looking for it, friend's sister had it for sale and I needed a car. It wasn't until I got rid of it a couple of years later that I realized just how much I loved that van.


Edit: Checked Ebay, no Dauphines. Maybe they are more rare than I thought. I know a junk yard that has one.