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Terry Gaudet 
Samba Member
Joined: March 11, 2004
Posts: 399
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
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 Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:21 am Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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A little update. I have had many calls with some of the original members of the DKF run back in 1999 as well as new interested ones in doing the HO2022 trip.
Things are going well and many have shared their thoughts on timing, routes as well as rules.
The overall goal is keep things fun.
If there are others out there who want to be part of this please reach out to me. My coordinates are listed above.
Take care and stay safe.
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Terry Gaudet
1950 Beetle Standard
1955 Canadian Custom
1956 Kombi w/SO23 kit
1965 Kombi walkthrough
1965 Double Cab |
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Terry Gaudet
Samba Member
Joined: March 11, 2004
Posts: 399
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Thanks for chiming in Larry. Hope to see you as part of this endeavour. It will be fun to see as many of the original participants as possible. I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding an old VW to drive on this trip.
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Terry Gaudet
1950 Beetle Standard
1955 Canadian Custom
1956 Kombi w/SO23 kit
1965 Kombi walkthrough
1965 Double Cab |
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oldvw57
Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2005
Posts: 38
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| Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2021 11:29 am Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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I have fond memories of the Return to the Fatherland tour. Oh and the stories that can be told! Thanks for posting pictures Bill. Unfortunately I no longer have my 1949 Bug and currently the oldest VW in my fleet is a 1960 single cab. I’m up for another drive, especially across the US. I may have to buy/borrow a 57 or earlier VW or bum a ride as a co-driver. Keep me in the loop. Larry McKenzie.
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“How to drive a Volkswagen? With love, of course.” John Muir |
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Terry Gaudet
Samba Member
Joined: March 11, 2004
Posts: 399
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 3:07 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Zwitter UK, those pictures are incredible. I love to see these and trace back the history. The plans have begun and things are looking promising. Let's just hope the pandemic is over and we can all have a great time.
If anyone else has pictures and stories please post away.
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Terry Gaudet
1950 Beetle Standard
1955 Canadian Custom
1956 Kombi w/SO23 kit
1965 Kombi walkthrough
1965 Double Cab |
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aa390392
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2007
Posts: 3602
Location: So.Cal
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 9:55 am Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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_________________
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getting grumpy & less tolerant!
55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet |
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Zwitter UK
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2004
Posts: 37
Location: Kent, UK
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 9:37 am Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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I just scanned a few more pictures. Sorry the quality isn't the best but it was a dark wet evening.
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Good day sir |
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Terry Gaudet
Samba Member
Joined: March 11, 2004
Posts: 399
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 8:21 am Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Thank you Bill for posting those pictures. It sure is cool to see the ex-Steve Hammond (now mine) 49 Standard in some of the photos.
I have been in touch with a few key people who were part of the 99 tour. Even though we are 18 months away, the planning has begun.
One suggestion was that we start our cross US tour from the Kelly Park show in April/2022 and then make our way east. That would give ample time to get to NY and have our cars shipped over.
If anyone knows of the original 9 participants who are not on this site, please get in touch with them and ask if they could contact me. My coordinates are below.
This is going to be an incredible voyage.
Terry Gaudet
[email protected]
(506) 866-4811
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Terry Gaudet
1950 Beetle Standard
1955 Canadian Custom
1956 Kombi w/SO23 kit
1965 Kombi walkthrough
1965 Double Cab |
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Grant Reiling
Samba Slow-Change Artist
Joined: November 28, 2003
Posts: 491
Location: behind the wheel
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| Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 12:52 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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| mkbug wrote: |
| BulliBill wrote: |
Martin and Grant, and other Tour participants on here, this is for you. A few unpublished photos to enjoy...
Bill Bowman |
Bill - Thanks for posting!!! What a trip.
Martin |
 Bill, Tom and Martin, Thank you for these archival gems from VW history and commemorating that epic tour.
I'm following this with great interest and am happy to be involved and supportive any way I can.
YOLO 
_________________
1952 Azure Blue 12G (LHD Deluxe 3-fold sunroof Sedan).
"What you really know is possible in your heart is possible.
We make it possible by our will.
What we imagine in our minds becomes our world. That’s just one of many things I have learned from water."
Misaru Emoto
The Hidden Messages in Water |
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mkbug
Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2004
Posts: 145
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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| BulliBill wrote: |
Martin and Grant, and other Tour participants on here, this is for you. A few unpublished photos to enjoy...
Bill Bowman |
Bill - Thanks for posting!!! What a trip.
Martin
_________________
I'm Martin
My Build: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=667183 |
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BulliBill
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2004
Posts: 4573
Location: St Charles, MO
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| Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 5:55 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Martin and Grant, and other Tour participants on here, this is for you. A few unpublished photos to enjoy...
Martin and Bill pouring over the maps while we were parked on the skid pad inside the VW proving grounds near Ehra Lessien, Germany:
A RTTFT'99 door magnet available to Tour participants that was signed by everyone:
Tour participants photographed on the roof of "the Cube" Autostat information center with the Wolfsburg factory power plant stacks in the background:
A photo looking down from the rooftop of "the Cube" at the nine official Tour vehicles and two Type 1 and four Type 2 support VWs:
Bill Collins giving his 1949 Hebmuller hell on the skid pad in front of the VWAG test drivers building on the Ehra Lessien proving grounds:
Martin flagging Mike Mallamut's 1956 Rometsch Beeskow Convertible and Larry McKenzie's 1949 Deluxe Beetle out on the skid pad (I believe the video guy was shooting for VWAG):
Bill Bowman
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
Thanks for any help!
Last edited by BulliBill on Mon Jan 11, 2021 1:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Grant Reiling
Samba Slow-Change Artist
Joined: November 28, 2003
Posts: 491
Location: behind the wheel
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 3:22 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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| nlorntson wrote: |
| This is interesting to me as well. I've wanted to do something like this with our 1949 |
I'd be very interested in this too!
Though wasn't along for the OG tour back in '99; I did meet many who were there along with fellow DKF members attending both 1st and 2nd National DKF meetings (2001 and 2003) at the MVVC shows along with Jon Lane and relish memories and Bill Collins' exceptional "Pass in Review" repartee as participants' cars rolled onto the grounds.
Though I cannot offer a car for the trip since Ray's currently working his magic on the 25hp in my '52 Sunroof I do have an OG door magnet from the trip I'm happy to lend anyone whose VW is going over to participate:
I'm happy seeing things in the works on a revival and hope to contribute in some significant way.
Here's to 2021 and beyond.
Happy VW-ing! 
Grant
_________________
1952 Azure Blue 12G (LHD Deluxe 3-fold sunroof Sedan).
"What you really know is possible in your heart is possible.
We make it possible by our will.
What we imagine in our minds becomes our world. That’s just one of many things I have learned from water."
Misaru Emoto
The Hidden Messages in Water |
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BulliBill
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2004
Posts: 4573
Location: St Charles, MO
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 1:12 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Major Ivan Hirst joined us for about 45 minutes for a "debrief" and beverages in the pub after his 2 hour presentation in the banquet room earlier that evening. What a guy!
Martin, that's a great photo of you and Erich with Major Hirst!
Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
Thanks for any help! |
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BulliBill
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2004
Posts: 4573
Location: St Charles, MO
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 1:05 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Don Narus, Major Ivan Hirst and Bill Bowman in the pub at the Old Silent Inn
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
Thanks for any help! |
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BulliBill
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2004
Posts: 4573
Location: St Charles, MO
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 12:53 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Probably the coolest night of the entire 1999 RTTFT'99!!! Was he a cool guy, or what!
What a fascinating discussion of his time at the Wolfsburg factory and with Volkswagen... I saw at least two guys videoing with camcorders... and Major Ivan Hirst was gone about four months later. R.I.P.
Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
Thanks for any help! |
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mkbug
Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2004
Posts: 145
Location: Northern California
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Zwitter UK
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2004
Posts: 37
Location: Kent, UK
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 11:32 am Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Same pub again?
What a once-in-a-lifetime evening that was. I was lucky enough to be there thanks to Robin Allen. Did anyone video it?
Unfortunately Major Hirst won't be joining us - bless him. He never did light that pipe did he?
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Good day sir
Last edited by Zwitter UK on Thu Jan 07, 2021 11:59 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Lind
Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2000
Posts: 9915
Location: idaho
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:00 am Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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| johnshenry wrote: |
Very well said Bill. And virus withstanding, there has still been talk about this maybe in 2022 from VW friends in my circle. "Accepting" participants might be dicey, but true "drivers" would be a requirement. Also, maybe the "across the USA leg" might be skipped, in lieu of a "just get your VW here (east coast shipping port) by this day, and we'll all meet and spend and overnight or two watching our cars leave....
I think the "put up or shut up" deposit might go a long way too.....
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It's not like any of the potential participants only have one car. Simply drive one car across the USA, fly over the ocean and pick up another car that has been shipped ahead of time.
_________________
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Wanted:
Idaho VW license plate frames or other dealership items.
VWoA literature and early dealership or distributor literature/pictures/information
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johnshenry
Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2001
Posts: 9364
Location: Northwood, NH USA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 8:35 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Very well said Bill. And virus withstanding, there has still been talk about this maybe in 2022 from VW friends in my circle. "Accepting" participants might be dicey, but true "drivers" would be a requirement. Also, maybe the "across the USA leg" might be skipped, in lieu of a "just get your VW here (east coast shipping port) by this day, and we'll all meet and spend and overnight or two watching our cars leave....
I think the "put up or shut up" deposit might go a long way too.....
| BulliBill wrote: |
You'd want to start plans for that adventure now. I seem to remember that Bill Collin's serious planning started about 14 to 12 months from departure across the USA in May of 1999. Tom N. and I were approached about going in June of 1998. With few exceptions Bill invited teams of two people per car to co-drive and share the total expenses of their car on the trip. My personal opinion is to support Bill's original concept of all VWs being 1957 or earlier stock or era-correct performance engined VWs. That also fit into the general rules of attendance to either the B.C or H-O Vintage weekends. Kinda made everything a little more "special" and vintage. We might have to make an exception for Shin "if" he covers the entire adventure for Hot VWs in his Beetle? The original Tour routing was awesome and could simply be recreated. I doubt I'd change the route much if at all!
IMHO, no more than nine cars total. Search for a few sponsorships to help lower shipping expenses, look into trans-Atlantic round-trip container shipping as a group purchase through a reputable broker (two or three 53' containers with three Beetle sized cars in each container), allow at least a four week window for the shipping across the Atlantic (we only allowed three weeks) and narrowing down a select list of VW super-enthusiasts who can come up with the means to afford this kind of adventure within a years time, and who will actually follow thru with their commitment to go. A no-brainer would be to require a non-refundable one or two thousand dollar deposit from selected prospects which usually shakes out the big talkers and leaves you with a willing and determined group you can rely on to follow through with plans. Insist that every participant puts at least 500-1,000 miles on their invited old VW well in advance to shake out any mechanical issues. Lots of other things too, but that'll get things going...
Bill |
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John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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rod_vw
Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2006
Posts: 416
Location: Shropshire, UK
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 3:04 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Love to see you all in Europe again.
Which event are you looking towards, Bad Camberg as the previous trip in 2024 or Hessisch Oldendorf in 2022?
_________________
Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/
1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build. |
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Terry Gaudet
Samba Member
Joined: March 11, 2004
Posts: 399
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: Possible 20th reunion of Return to the Fatherland Tour |
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Thank you for your thoughts Bill. I agree that keeping things the same and simple is the best way to go. I would be willing to head up the organizing of the event but would need some people to step up now and see if we can get a dozen cars/owners lined up. If anyone is serious, please message me.
_________________
Terry Gaudet
1950 Beetle Standard
1955 Canadian Custom
1956 Kombi w/SO23 kit
1965 Kombi walkthrough
1965 Double Cab |
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