Monday, September 13, 2010

VW: Love & obsession.


I love so many things about the VW.

I love the heritage that comes with air-cooled VWs. There's something about their ability to make fun of themselves that sets them apart. A VW bug seems like the most "down to earth" car on the road. I didn't mean that to be a pun on the photo above.

How many times has a VW bug become something other than a car? They drove it into water. They made a version out of snow. They made a limo. They made one that had 2 front ends going in opposite directions. Bugs have become statues, art, a giant flower pot and moving car art.

I'm not sure there is anything that a VW bug has not done that another car has.

And I love the community. The other VW bloggers (like Ludwig's blog, Bodes Well and VW for Everybody). I dig the people on VW Camper Family. I love that I can come out of a deli at lunch and have someone taking pictures of Little Blue and then have a 15 minute conversation with them about VWs.

I recently caught a show on TV called "Beetle Crisis" where a couple English chaps are restoring a bug. I think it's a 1971. Anyway, they go through the whole "late bugs" vs "early bugs" debate. (I finally know what driving a "fat chick" means in VW bug speak. It refers to driving a 70s model bug.)

On the show, they discussed the allure of VWs and how people become obsessed with them. And the guys on the show are really obsessed. And, while he is driving his bus being interviewed about how obsessed he is, the only thing I'm thinking is, "Mmmm. How do I convince EP that we need a single cab split?"

I realized that I may be obsessed.

I was at an antique store yesterday (instead of changing the oil on both VWs, which I need to do) and saw Motorland Magazine from 1963 (which, I'm pretty sure was an old AAA publication). The magazine has a Turq VW bug (just like Little Blue) on the cover. I picked it and flipped through it and there is absolutely zero on VWs inside. Nothing beyond a pretty cool cover photo. It's $5 and I decide to buy it. I'll scan the image and post it to the blog. Then I thought twice. It's $5! For an image of a VW - nothing worth reading inside! What am I doing?

Sometimes, I'll see a cool vintage VW t-shirt on ebay that like a size medium. I don't wear mediums but I start thinking that perhaps someday my kid will want it! Or EP!

I'm not sure where I went from casual VW camper and document-er to VW-obsessed crazy VW Volkswagen guy.

I'd blame my dad right about here. He's always been a car guy and recently I've realized that he's always been a "hey, that's kinda nifty" guy. He would say this while handling an old object of some sort before dealing down the price and walking away with something cool but something not needed. Something fun to learn about but something to clutter up the workshop. But it's not my dad's fault.

I could blame the VW Camper Family or the other VW bloggers. Hearing the stories and following the progress and meeting the cool people in the scene have been motivators for sure. I like Static and Peter A and Regis and Westywoman and John and Blake and on and on and on. I dig that Romy and Jenn show up sometimes in their Baja bug. I like that 2 good friends have each bought Vanagons to go camping in over the last year. But it's not their fault.

I blame my VWs.

They are so inviting and intriguing have so much personality that I have sort of lost my senses about them. I think it says something about me that I am trying to figure out. I take my time with them and listen to the motor and check fluids and try to figure out where something is supposed to be. I like catching glimpses of them in old photos, or on magazine covers in antique stores (by the way, what I did buy were 3 vintage travel decals for, as I told EP, "when we get out splitty in the future").

I know I'm not alone in this obsession. People all over are as obsessed with VWs - if not more - as me. Actually, there are people who are a lot more obsessed but still....


Yesterday, after getting home from the antique store, EP and I were talking about getting a new screen door for the back door and adding a screen door to the front of the house. Our thinking is we would get a good breeze going through the house to enjoy some of this fall weather. As I stood there thinking of how we were going to install the door on the front of the house, I had to stop myself from saying, "You know, these sort of projects would be much easier if we had an old pickup truck - like maybe one of those single cab VWs. That would make these things so much easier." But I didn't say it. It's not that I don't think we need one, because I think we do. I need to have a vehicle to stick those vintage travel decals on. I just need to wait for the perfect moment to convince EP...


Oh, and we also need a convertible:

2 comments:

PJ Alau

And to add to this...

Saturday I had to drive along Fulton over to the east bay, and I went past the Power to the peaceful crowds and they made their way tot he concert. Smiles. Peace signs. Lots of "Nice bus!" comments.

I reach the bridge, it's slow down traffic, and two people rool down their windows - "What year is that?" "I had one a long time ago, I never should have gotten rid of it"

Solano ave in Albany, I make a U-turn to get a parking space currently occupied by a Ghia. He backs up after I pull in and says "I waited for you to pull up so you could have the space - we have to take care of each other."

We are a not-so-secret family of people that consistently smile at each other. I like this crowd. They are my kind of people... people that are kind.

Minnie

I love this post--well done. It is such a bizarre and unexplainable "illness" and I love hearing other people talk about and describe it. :-)

Jealous of the vintage travel stickers! (You should post a pic.) I agree, you do need an SC on which to display them.

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