My Ruby Red '65...the one that started it all.

[silvertonguedevil]

So I know how you guys like stories. Here's one for ya....

It was early February 1986. I was in the fourth grade. Mr Wood was talking about "God Knows What" when this cute little thing leans over and asks "Will you be my Valentine?". I lean forward and say "What?" because I couldn't either believe what I was hearing or was just generally confused. She asks again...."Will you be my Valentine?". I say "Yes". I went home after school and asked my mom "What's a Valentine?". She filled me in and after I felt I had a pretty good understanding for what was what, I had her take me down to the local grocery store and I bought a heart-shaped box of chocolates. I held onto them for a couple of days, waiting for Friday (Valentine's Day). Funny thing is, it just so happened to be Father's Day also at school. That morning, I made sure to give my new Valentine her box of chocolates first thing. And later (my dad still talks about this), my new Valentine opens up her desk and shows to her dad her box of chocolates and when her dad asks her "Where did those come from?", she smiles and looks over at me and says, "Greg gave them to me" as my dad sits next to me. Now the two dads are looking at each other, both embarrased.

So Julie becomes my first "girlfriend" if you can call it that. We talked on the phone maybe once a week and we went to the movie theatre and saw a movie once. I could SWEAR it was "Back To The Future" though I may be wrong. I know that the movie came out in '85 but I lived in a small town and we were a bit delayed on all of the newest happenings. Still, I'm almost positive it was "Back To The Future". Anyways, Julie lived out of town by quite a bit but her Grandparents lived in town. So did my Grandparents. Actually, they lived quite close to each other. So we would get together and ride bikes or scooters if we both happened to be at each other's Grandparent's houses. I remember seeing this red Bug at her Grandparent's house and I remember asking her what was going on with it. She told me that it was her Grandma's car and that it was going to be given to her when Grandma passed. She told me that she had no interest in the car and that she would just give it to me when this happened. Now I know this sounds crazy but I have held onto this statement of hers for ALL OF THESE YEARS!

Julie and I broke up (big surprise!) but we've been damn-near best friends ever since. Much later she got married to one of my best friends from high school. Funny thing is, they got married on Valentine's Day!

Then, I married my wife six years later.....on February 14, 2004, Valentine's Day. It litterally was a matter of coincidence as neither one of us planned it this way.

Well, here about a year ago, Julie's Grandma passed away. I was cool about it and I gave it some time but when I felt it was appropriate, I asked her about the Bug. She told me that it was tied up in estate/inheritance issues and that she would get back to me when the dust had settled. I didn't want to be pushy but yet I hadn't heard from her in approximately six months so I asked her about it recently. She told me that her dad owned the car now and that if I wanted it, to ask him about it. So I called and left him a message. No call back. After about a week, I called him again. Message. Two days later, my phone rings. I told him I was interested in the car and we agreed upon a price after we play the whole "whaddya think it's worth" and "whaddya want out of it" game.

So even though my "free" car ended up costing me $500 from Julie's dad, today, my dad went over and loaded the car on a trailer and secured the whole deal. The car that started it all for me, the reason I love VW's is now mine.

Now, I'll give you just a little bit of history on the car. Julie's dad originally bought the car in 1971 from the original owner when it was just 6 years old. He bought the car for Julie's Grandma but she didn't want it. So Julie's mom drove the car and started delivering newpapers in it. In fact, they removed the rear seat (although I got it as it's still with the car) so that they could build a shelf to put the newspapers on. Julie's dad even stated that Julie's oldest brother (a baby at the time) would sleep on the passenger's side front seat while she delivered newspapers. Eventually, Grandma came around and they sold the car to Grandma and Grandpa. They drove it around for a couple of years and then eventually sold the car back to Julie's dad. Even after I saw the car for the first time in the fourth grade just sitting there, Julie's dad started using it again and even used it as an irrigation vehicle when he'd go "set the pipes" in it. The car was last licensed in 1995 (the year I graduated) and was last started five years ago.

After the last conversations with Julie and her dad, the car was picked up today. Twenty-six years after I laid eyes upon it, she's mine.

Meet "Ruby". My '65 Bug.

Here's how she was sitting. Julie's brother jacked it up and removed a wheel for some reason and apparently was trying to get it road-worthy again. He even left the engine lid up, exposed to the elements.

And check out these chrome taillight housings....

_________________
-Greg

[silvertonguedevil]

Pulling her out from the side of the shed. The driver's side is getting some sunlight for the first time in God knows how long...

Up on the trailer...

Can't you just see her tired smile...

_________________
-Greg

[webberjames95]

I like where this is going. Good story by the way .

Whats the plan for it?
_________________
1967 Bug:
Olga: the Cal look car lost in the PNW SOLD

1984 Vanagon:
Berty the Vanagon

1973 Bus
Amber the Bus Sold

INSTAGRAM @jwebber95

[Jgowin]

I agree great story, full circle. Now you have another project! Does your wife know about this? LOL!

[silvertonguedevil]

[silvertonguedevil]

[webberjames95]

Are you gonna lower it? Or keep it alive?

Love the blue front fender too. Awesome.
_________________
1967 Bug:
Olga: the Cal look car lost in the PNW SOLD

1984 Vanagon:
Berty the Vanagon

1973 Bus
Amber the Bus Sold

INSTAGRAM @jwebber95

[jzjames]

Wow, look at that car, it's beautiful! Don't paint it and don't put linseed oil on it!

[AlteWagen]

Hard to tell from the pic, is that green paint under the ruby on the drivers fender. Ive seen a few patina ruby cars with green under the red. Looks factory painted to me

My 64 has what looks to ba java green under the ruby red too.

[silvertonguedevil]

I haven't seen the car in years so I couldn't tell you. It looks like Java Green or Sea Blue in the pictures.
_________________
-Greg

[VWcruzer]

wow great story behind it. I really like the chrome tailight housings where could I aquire a set of those?

[Rich's 50]

Very cool story..Congrat's

[silvertonguedevil]

[silvertonguedevil]

[61SNRF]

[silvertonguedevil]

Wow. Really?
_________________
-Greg

[sportin-wood]

Cool story, and even better SCORE! I'll bet the people you bought it from would love to see you drive up their driveway in it!
_________________
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Paused 66 project bug
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"Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman. He's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it." --- Jeff Spicoli

[silvertonguedevil]

My friend and her dad both asked that I send them pics from time to time showing the car's progress to which I totally agreed to do. It'd be cool to take them for a ride in it sometime.
_________________
-Greg

[sportin-wood]

Any rust issues to deal with?
_________________
.
Paused 66 project bug
.
"Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman. He's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it." --- Jeff Spicoli

[silvertonguedevil]

Dad said he's going to clean it out this weekend and check everything out but he hasn't seen anything yet. Damn old Chevy guy....I think he's kinda liking this car. At first he told me that he was going to pick it up at night so no one saw him with it but now he's offering to spend the day with it, cleaning it up.
_________________
-Greg