Big Blue's Online Carburetor

VW Camper Family Circa 1975 - The great barn-raising of the summer of '75

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

In July of '75, the original members of the VW Camper Family gathered in an remote location in Northern California to hang out and have some fun. I was a little high at the time, so I don't remember much, but this is the story my camera tells:

The group gathers around Peter's VW

The group gets a "hobo stew" going on the fire...

Static and Big Blue's Driver try to make the stew as, um, special as possible...

There are songs...

John keeps tasting the stew before it is done...

EP and Oak find a quiet spot to hang out.

Westywoman (above) takes a break by the creek.

Romy contemplates the Tri-Tip.

PJAlau (above) gets drunk while considering ways to stick it to the man...

Later, PJAlau remembers he is allergic to beer...

Blake H sets up his drum set, upset there isn't any other instruments around except that stupid guy with the fiddle...

PJAlau, Big Blue's Driver and Static taste the stew... Wondering how much to spice it up.

Static is quoted as saying, "There is never enough spice."

One of the Wild Women of Wongo stokes the fire.

And the whole crew has a fantastic time and enjoys the Hobo Stew.

Keynote Presentation: What VW bus/van is right for me?

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Editor's note. This week, I had a tweet from @ArtBeatnik who asked, "I'm a non-mechanically inclined guy VW Van lover, looking to become an owner one as well. Any suggested starting points?" At first I thought I would hand him over to the wolves on TheSamba.com and watch him get eaten for calling a "bus" a "van", and then watch the vultures move in and pick at him until he decided to stick to his Saturn because the VW guys are all jerks.

The only issue I have with the VW community is if you haven't wrenched on VWs for years, you are considered one of the folks bringing the whole scene down and making it too cliche and what not. But, everyone starts somewhere and, because I once thought the washer fluid reservoir was the brake fluid reservoir, I will go ahead and put my opinion out there. First warning, @ArtBeatnik; everyone in the VW community has an opinion.

What follows is an actual transcription from the 56th Annual Symposium on Volkswagen Culture held in Eschede, Germany, where I was invited to present my latest publication, Fünf-ions! The 5 Questions of Entry into the VW World.

{original, unedited transcript}

Hello, my friends. It is, um, an honor to be here. Certainly, I traveled far to be part of this conference and since I only had 4 months to get here, I left my Kafer in Berlin and took the train!...

{light laughter}

Okay. Well, thanks to the Langenhagen Transaxle Society for inviting me to speak today. And special thanks to the Burgwedel crew for making sure I found my room last night and the great Brötchen this morning. Whew! Nothing keeps it down like Brötchen!

Okay. Very well then.

I am here today to speak on the 5 questions of entry into the world of VW transporter ownership Now, these are just opinions. But I'm the one on the stage, so that makes me the expert, right? Slide 1, my Bruder!

Here are the 5 questions you must answer...

1. How often do you plan to drive this VW

2. How far do you plan to drive it?

3. How much money do you have?

4. Do you want to maintain the VW yourself?

5. Do you have extra time on your hands and are you looking to get wrapped into a culture that leads to excessive opinion-sharing, forum-stalking, Facebook posts and that drunk feeling when you realize that you know someone who is good friends with the son of Ben Pon? In other words, is it important that your bus have style and personality?

Ha! Just threw that last one in there as a joke. Good thing that doesn't happen to any of us in this room, huh?

{As much laughter as a crowd of Germans can create}

Let's run through a scenario. Let's assume you are a non-mechanically inclined guy VW Van lover, looking to become an owner of one as well. You want to travel to & from work, in the neighborhood, go on road trips. You want to learn the engine. And you work odd hours and are free during the day a lot. You need a hobby and would love for it to be restoring/maintaining a VW van or bus. Let's play this out, shall we?

First question. How often do you plan to drive this VW?

All VWs can be daily drivers. I mean, some guy is driving a 1930 Model A around Michigan right now to prove a point. What point? That Darwin was wrong. Look, some cars aren't meant to be daily drivers. If it's a daily driver, stay away from 6-volt cars. And stay away from drum brakes. Of course, my daily driver was both of those for 4 years, so do as I say, not as I do. When I drive through a rain storm in the dark, I sometimes pull over to let a car by that I can follow by their taillights! See! Darwin was wrong!

So this leaves you with a 71 or newer bus.

Second question. How far do you plan to drive this VW?

For the sake of making the answer hard, let's focus on "want to do a little of both, travel to & from work, in the neighborhood, go on road trips". VW owners will tell you their bus will go 65 or 70. And it will. But it will not cruise at 65 or 70 and, if a bus driver manages to get it going that fast and maintain that speed, one can assume they are hyped up on some sort of common-sense blocking drug like pot or Redbull or Metallica.

If you want to take 6 days to travel a few hundred miles tasting ice cream and picking apples the whole time, take any VW you want. You want to make it to Buses by the Bridge and be back in time for work on Monday morning? You are are going to need something relatively new.

If you want to go far distances fast without stress, newer is better. Let's assume you've left the bus category (1979 and below) and entered the van category (1980 Vanagon and up).

Third question. How much money do you have?

Because my bill is still to come and Brötchen isn't cheap. Ha!

{Crickets}

Seriously, though. If you want to do some of the work to both save money and, as a wise man once put it," come to kindly terms with your ass, for it bears you", then you want to stay away from the Eurovan. Volks have called this the $2000 van for 2 reasons; first it costs $2000 to fix anything and second, its resale value is right around that figure. Let's assume you also haven't just won a bet with Mitt Romney and walked away with $10,000. This leaves you in the early 80s.

Fourth question. Do you want to maintain the VW yourself?

This is good. This is part of the VW experience. BUT - rememeber, each learning experience is a potential failure. If your goal is to camp, then pay someone to get your beast up and running so you can enjoy it. These buses were made to be used. Too may buses across America are sitting without engines. Too many buses are half done. Get it out there and use it. Then, when something breaks, try fixing it but don't be afraid or ashamed to get help if you fail. Let's try to keep you driving the VW, not looking at it wishing you could. Focus on maintenance for the first year. After that, be more brave. Early 80s aircooled is still good for this.

LAST question. Is it important that your bus have style and personality?

Okay, so here's the lifestyle angle. There's something to be said for a unique car representing the personality of the driver. And every era of VW has this option if you dig for it. In fact, I think I have found the perfect bus for someone like this. I present to you, "the suggestion": An early 80s aircooled Vanagon Hightop. Style, grace, cruise and distance. Get one with the original size black wheels. Like this:

Whatever VW you choose, do not get discouraged working on your VW. Four years ago I couldn't figure out how to take the brake drum off and last month I replaced the whole front brake system. Time and breakdowns are your teacher.

Now, my Freundin and I are of to Edelweiss for some skiing. Schlaf gut!

{Standing ovation, cheers all around!}

VW friends and freaks. I've never asked you your opinion before, but I am asking this time; offer your own opinion below. And, should @ArtBeatnik decide to buy a VW bus/van something or other, let's agree to give him a chance and help him and give him a break when he leaves a socket on his spark plug and tries to start his bus...

Vintage Tuesday - Euro rag...

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

1980s Hot VWs - Vandetta

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Static Files - Disrespect

2012-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Week in review - A rundown on all 3 beasts...

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I gave a real honest update about the 3 VWs currently making up the scene here at the homestead. I thought I would get back to a little good old fashioned blogging after the "blackout" we did to fight SOPA earlier this week (thanks for putting up with that, but I felt it was important). So, let's run through these, shall we?

The Green Hornet (1956 VW Bug)

The last time we left our hero The Green Hornet, he had just had his crap-filled gas tank removed in some late night work while Oak and EP were out of town. Normally come December no work gets done around here as I have grown into a wimp when it comes to weather. A little rain and a little cold and I stay inside with a bottle of wine and a book and wait out our "winter". But not this year! Winter has been a mild warmth that actually makes me uneasy late at night. And, while this weather is odd in a freakishly "yes, global warming is real and this is the last year of your happy little life so enjoy it" sort of way, The Green Hornet is the recipient of good fortune of global warming as it has received many late night advancements.

Good fortune #1: below is a picture of the rear brakes on the replacement axle for The Green Hornet. This is the before picture...

If you look close, you can see dead spiders. Seriously! This transaxle replaces the tranaxles (2) bought along with TGH. Apparently, both of those were shot. So Paul at Valley Wagonwerks is a cool enough cat to deliver an extra one he had to my house. He and his absolutely positive influence of a wife stopped by and dropped one off in the fall. And this new transaxle has become the foundation for a new refreshed transaxle replacement. All parts are stripped being cleaned, painted and replaced...

Good fortune #2: Axle tubes getting painted...

Good Fortune #3: A continued cleaning of all things engine related...

Alright, so the transaxle is good. So what to do with the engine?

Several things have had me hung up over the past few months.

1. I absolutely could not remove the outer shroud tin that the generator connects to from the fan. This was one of the last pieces in the 2nd set of items to be sandblasted and powdercoated. I had a back and forth conversation with this rather large bolt holding these pieces together. At first, it was all like, here's a big wrench and some pipe. But the bolt said no. Then I bought a bench vice. But it was a crappy one that you mounted with hand cranks and I literally torn a piece of the vice out trying to wrench on it. The bolt was like - f-you, man. THEN, I spent the $40 on a good bench vice, drilled holes and mounted it correctly. I placed the generator in the vice and got out my pipe/wrench combo. It looked like this:

And it worked in about 3 seconds!

2. The distributor is stuck. I cannot, for everything I tried, get it out. Any ideas?

3. I removed the heads. This is the furthest I have gone into an engine and I must come clean; I am a little scared. The biggest question I have is, now what? I took the heads off. I'm not sure I want to go further? But what can I look for at this point? I asked the question on TheSamba.com and have had no responses. Below is the naked pistons of the 36 horse that powers The Green Hornet...

Little Blue: The '63 Bug

The Green Hornet and Little Blue are separated by a thin wall, but the current difference is vast.

Little Blue, with her replaced engine, continues to be a workhorse commuter car, logging an average of 80 miles a day! Things are still off with her: missing doorpanel, radio doesn't work, no turn signals and yesterday the passenger side windshield wiper loosened enough to no longer turn. This however has not been enpugh to topple Little Blue from the pedistal I have put her on. I call that pedistal, "the best car I have ever owned".

Big Blue - '68 bus

After taking several beatings, Big Blue is back on the road! We picked him up last Saturday from Valley Wagonworks and it was great to be back behind the wheel. I fired up some tunes and 5 minutes into the drive felt like I had never been without Blue.

Next up for Blue is finishing the paint work on the front end and, when it warms up, putting in a new wood floor in the back. For now, the big goal is bURNING vAN which is tomorrow at Ocean beach in SF. With any luck, Big Blue will be there with curtains on!

No post today because we are being sued for copyright infringement...

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

I have never, and will never, use this blog for political messages. This is a personal message. EP and I know firsthand what it is like to have someone come after your website for copyright infringement. Another personal blog we own (not BigBlueVW.com) has received several cease & desist letters from a single company because our URL matches the name of their company. They claim by owning that URL, we are infringing on their trademark. It isn't even a question of content or what is at the site. By using the URL that they want to have, they consider us in violation and have threatened such. A business going after an individual for a blog of personal family photos.

Until now, the threat has been held to letters to us. But with SOPA and other current bills before congress, this won't have to go to court.

If SOPA were active right now, the threat of lawsuit to a website can include the company that hosts the website. In the case our other URL, the lawyer could bypass a letter to us, bypass proving violation in court, and simply threaten Yahoo, our host, with participating in the copyright violation. And Yahoo will pull the plug on our site, as the $70 a year we pay to them is way less money than the amount they could lose in court fighting for a website they don't care about.

Make no mistake. These bills will not harm actual copyright violators as much as they will hurt personal sites and small businesses when bigger businesses see that they can shut down competative websites with a threat written by a lawyer in a letter. Without trial or explanation.

For more information, visit the badly named but well intended and informational site http://americancensorship.org/

If you don't feel comfortable doing the whole "Meet your senator thing", because who has time for that, then send them an email. Make sure blogs like BigBlueVW.com, who have no money to fight a legal battle, don't have to worry about posting a 40-year-old image for a VW ad without having their website shut down.

Tomorrow we will return with VW-related content. And we will continue to do so for as long as we can.

Thank you,
Brett

Vintage Tuesday - Hanging out.

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

May 1975 - Hot VWs Magazine - Van Stuff: VW-based motorhome

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

From the Static Files... Heaven

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Photos from the workshop

2012-01-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

In the past few weeks I have made great strides in the workshop. This statement applies to the organization of the shop as well as the progress on the '56 bug. The engine and transmission are currently being gone through, cleaned (I must have wire brushed 4 pounds of dirt off the engine) and inspected. It helped that we have had crazy good weather here lately. It's supposed to start raining here next week (our winter!) and I tend to hide out with a good book and a glass of wine when that happens.

Here are some shots taken this week inside the workshop:

1950s VW Euro Map

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

I picked this up a few months back and just now had a chance to take some pictures and clean them up. It's a very old VW flip map from the 50s. The artwork in it is pretty awesome. I suppose this was a giveaway from a dealership. It's up on the shelf in the workshop now...

More vintage images swiped from the web...

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Vintage Tuesday - Greyhound Bus

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Greyhound Bus

April 1980 Hot VWs - South Africa's Number One VW Fan

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

from the Static Files... Shipping included

2012-01-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Crying of Lot '68 - a slightly, but only slightly, above average VW adventure...

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

I try not to be the martyr VW owner that some VW owners like to be. Some like to think that owning a car that never runs at 100% is somehow a meaningful endeavor like shopping local or voting. I want my VWs to run, and am unashamed when I need to enlist the help of mechanics who have been working on VWs for 30 or 40 years.

That said, let this post be a warning to the "I wish I had an old VW van"-types out there. VW owning is indeed a meaningful endeavor akin to voting, shopping local and telling "the man" where to stick it. But it isn't always easy and sometimes it is just plain damn hard.

You want to own an old rusty bus to carry your surfboard? Fine. Dig this...

Part I

You are pulling out of a parallel parking spot one day and something feels wrong. And you're like:

1. Damn, what is that and,
2. My wife is going to make me sell this if it is too expensive to fix

So you roll back to your office that pays your bills and allows you to have gas money and you ask a co-worker to come out and turn the steering wheel while you are underneath looking at it. He does. And you're like, shit - that doesn't look right. Because a bunch of rusted crap that used to be metal 40 years ago now is a giant hole. It looks like this:

So you can't drive your bus home so you bum a ride home that night and for like the next 2 weeks because your other VW (VW 1) had an engine go out and that was sitting until you mustered the guts to have it towed and finally cash in on the $240 you've paid to AAA the last 3 years. So you do that and they charge you $2300 for the work and you get a working VW - but your bus is still sitting where you parked it at work!

So somewhere between rides and getting a rental car and driving your wife's car, you manage until you get VW 1 back, and your bus has now sat a month in the parking lot at work because you are f-ing busy, man. Until someone comes over from the office next door and complains. They say something about the cops running the plates and weekend trouble yada yada and you are like:

FINE! I'll move it to the back. I don't need this damn job anyway!

So your bus sits another month while you track down the info on the problem.

First, you head to the local VW shop and the guy not only tells you, literally, "You are screwed", but then proceeds to question your honesty when you tell him what happened. He really says, "Something in your story doesn't add up." And how in 40 years of being in VWs he's never heard of such a problem. You decide at that moment (much like that time at UHaul) this guy will never, ever get a single goddamn cent from you. You show him a photo on your phone of the damage, then he believes you. You milk him for all the info you can acting like you'll be back. You get details - your beam is crap, but it can be taken out fairly easily and a new one can be bolted back in - then walk out the doors thinking you'll never be back in that shop again. Ever.

Then, you call your old friend/mechanic and say, "I need a new beam for my bus. You have one?" He does. But he wants it for another project. You then stop by another place where a guy has like 6 buses out in his yard. You've always wanted to stop by and now you have a reason. He's cool. And he has one but he too wants it for another project. You shake hands, saying you'll swing by again and say hi sometime soon. He wishes you luck.

You search the internet and post about your troubles. Everyone who has what you need is in Maine or Florida or Paw Paw. No one in your area - an area so populated with VWs it makes other VW owners sick - seems to know where one is. So you place a "wanted" ad. And people respond. But no one knows what year bus their beam came off. No matter! Mechanics (multiple, now) have told you they are all the same. You borrow (in shame) your wife's car to buy a beam from a guy an hour away for $75. Finally, you are rolling!

Part II

You don't want to tow the bus home and do it yourself because your 3rd (yes 3rd!) VW is all apart and between that and the engine that was removed from VW 1 - you have enough projects to last until your 1-year-old son is of legal drinking age. So you take the beam (after 3 months, this plan is working perfectly) and throw it in the bus to get it towed to the shop who will swap the beam. You call AAA and cash in again (2nd tow in 2 months) and then go to get the bus ready to go on the tow truck (between meetings and phone calls at work).

Battery is dead.

You use VW 1 (glad that it is now a 12 volt system) and charge the battery to start your VW bus after 20 minutes. Swell! But it won't stay running so you have to drive around the parking lot at work for 20 minutes "charging the battery" until you back it into an easy spot for the tow truck to get to, and turn it off and, DAMNIT - it is dead again. No big deal. AAA comes once. Looks at the bus. Then leaves. Then comes back a few hours later to tow it. You take pictures as it goes for your stupid blog.

So you are like, whew!, that's done. In a week or so I will have my cool VW bus back to carry my surfboard.

Then, the mechanic emails ('cause he can't find your number):

"Hey Brett wrong front axle, I cant find your phone number"

What!&!@. Wrong axle!

Then, before you can respond, another email:

"Hey Brett,
Looks like the front axle is from a 70 bus, which won’t work, all axles from 1955-1969 will work, but of course ball joints started in 68, soooooooo, we need a 68-69 front end, hopefully the guy you got this one from can exchange it, if not maybe we can put from a 1949 hudson tera plane, I hear they are close.
Cheers
Paul"

There is no exchange! You paid $75 bucks to a dude off Craigslist.

You email back:
"Damn! I just let my Hudson parts car go to some nice fellow rebuilding a Camaro.

Keep the one you have for the next poor schmuck. I'm on the hunt for a 68 or 69. I'll get back to you as soon as I can locate one.

Thanks for taking in the beast. I know Blue's been neglected of late and shows it."

Then, another email from your friend (mechanic):

"Brett, call Sonoma volks,7079961354"

and another:

"Howdy
Call this guy,1 510 533 4416 chris at east bay aircooled,It’s hard to describe the diff. I’d have to show you
Fuckin Hudson"

So you call Sonoma Volks. Yeah - he's got it - but it's an entire axle. You make plans to meet. But you need a truck (because normally you carry big things in your now at-the-shop-not-moving VW bus). You borrow a pickup (what a dumb name for a truck) truck from work and drive it home on a Thursday night. Friday, you go pick up the beam 30 minutes away. He swears it's a '68 beam. You ask the difference and he says something about a mount on the beam or something related to brakes.

So you pay him $275 plus tax for the entire front axle and the 2 of you horse it into the borrowed pickup.

You drive it to your mechanic (an hour away) to drop off the beam. You bribe your mechanic with homemade wine, a CD and another, less legal, gift. He digs it, but tells you you still have the wrong beam. You now have 2 wrong beams. Oh, and the broken original beam. Solid work, man!

You drive back home, watch your one-year-old for a while so your wife, who has had about as much of this as she is going to take, can actually do something non-VW related in the real world. When she's back, you and the pickup and the bum beam head back to Sonoma to drop it off and get your money back.

You call the 2nd joint your mechanic mentioned. Yeah - he's got it. You open tomorrow (Saturday)? Yeah. Monday? No. Saturday it is (because Sunday is Christmas!).

You sleep.

Part III

You get up.

You and the pickup truck you don't own drive to the worst possible 'hood in Oakland to a generic, unnamed building, guarded by a dog. This is serious Compton-looking stuff. Only Compton is a joke compared to Oakland.

You ring a bell at the address and a cool hippie guy comes out. 15 minutes and $250 later you leave with a front axle (that seems right, now that you know the difference) and a seat (because your mechanic needs it and, you know, "since you are going, can you pick this up...")

But the shop is closed (it's Christmas Eve!).

Sunday. Christmas. Sleep. Relax.

Monday. You are able to shake the shackles of parenthood around noon. You and the truck and the (hopefully correct) beam and the seat stop at Wendy's on your way. You find it disagreeable. You drive the 30 minutes to the shop.

Your mechanic is happy with the beam you have brought. And the seat. You chat, discuss other projects. Shake hands. Your cool VW bus will be back on the road soon!

But, you have to return the truck. You wait until your son is asleep and your wife is too tired to care and you sneak out in the truck. You drive the 45 minutes to work, drop off the truck, hop in VW 1 and drive the 45 minutes back. You are tired and fall asleep upon arrival home.

And that, dear friends, is what it can be like to own a VW bus. Still want one? Then get one. Because when that bus is back on the road and you have tunes blasting and you are pulling up miles seeing new things, it is a ton of fun.

The rest of the time it is an unending education...

VW Camper Family - Check it out at vwcamperfamily.com

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

If you aren't already a member of vwcamperfamily.com, but have a bus and enjoy camping, you really should check the site out. Tons of events and a cool community of bus folks. Check it: vwcamperfamily.com

April 1980 Hot VWs - Oldie but Goodie

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Vintage Tuesday - Just some small body work...

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

2nd trip to Wundercars! exhibit at California Automotive Museum

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back we (Oak and I) met up with Blake, driver of the baby poo brown Vanagon, for our second visit to Wundercars! at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento. They had rolled the Porsches out and rolled in the BMWs. This greeted us at the door (a BMW 2000 Touring)

Oak took a turn behind the wheel of this (Model A??)...

Back to the BMWs.... The wicked cool looks of a 1939 327...

Here's the classic (below): A 1969 2002. Love these cars.

Below: A 1965 BMW 1800...

Below: A 1929 BMW Dixi:

Below: a 1939 BMW 328...

Next to a 1974 BMW 2002 turbo.

And a self portrait (in the bathroom)...

I think we are going to skip the Benz exhibit (up next) but are joining up with a bunch of VW owners on 4-1-12 for the opening of the VW exhibit.

January club News (from 55 years ago this month)

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Important 55-year-old news from the VW club of New Jersey...

(As always, you can click on the images to make them bigger)

A conversation with Eric Shoemaker of 1967Beetle.com

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

How long have you been into VWs? When did it become an obsession?

I'd say I've been interested for about 6 years now. To get a better idea of how I got started, read my '67 restoration story. I can't say it's an "obsession." Ok, it might be. My good friend Timm and I call it the "VW sickness." It's just something I've become very passionate about. I’ve worked as a visual designer / art director for the last 11 years. Over the last 6, I’ve been working on my ’67. During that time, I fell in love with creating real tangible objects and working with my hands. I’m obsessed with small details and the idea of bringing something old back to its former glory. I'm even offering restoration services on a few "one year only" parts for the '67.

You've become the pied piper for VW lovers on Twitter by establishing the #vintagevw hashtag. How does the online community matter to the VW community as a whole?

The web is just another medium; a place where people can share their content, stories and ideas. It's made it a lot easier to find NOS parts! It's also given companies a business platform where they are able to offer services with a global reach. I'd never have found Vintage Werks, Wolfsburg West, or any of these other great folks if not for the web. Lastly, I've been able to connect with SO many fantastic folks. The VW community is a breed all their own; always willing to lend a hand, advice, or even a NOS part! Not too long ago, a box with NOS German Hella tail light lenses showed up at my door!

The #VintageVW hashtag seemed like a good (fun!) idea to communicate on a global level. Twitter already has that reach. It's grown organically. Little by little, more people are starting to use it who are sharing vintage Volkswagen related content. I really do need to finish those stickers. #VintageVW

Why VWs? I mean, why not vintage Volvos or old jeeps?

I fell into this great hobby. As I might have mentioned in the history article, my grandfather always had the ’67 around. I have fond memories of riding around with him as a child. When I first got the car I had no intentions of doing a restoration. The interest and passion came out of pure necessity to keep the car on the road. I had Advanced VW in Decatur, GA rebuild the engine. After that, I’ve just tried to learn to do things for myself. Little by little, it became somewhat clear that I’m actually pretty good with my hands. The connection between visual design and restoration is there for sure. I take a lot of pride in knowing that my grandfather’s old Volkswagen was very close to being sent to a junkyard, and I saved it with my own two hands.

It seems like you bug doesn't have a name. Some people hate naming cars. Have you ever considered a name?
I have not. Maybe I should call it Panama due to the original color.

You seem to have lucked out into what many think is the best year for a VW bug. We all agree about what make VWs great. But name one thing you wish the VW designers had designed differently in your bug.

I’d say all the ’67 “one year only” parts that have been really hard to find. I do believe that the Beetle is a brilliant example of design done well. It is the longest-running and most-manufactured automobile of a single design platform.

So you have the '67 and are known for that. Any plans for another vintage VW anytime soon?

My wife and I often joke about the idea of a bus. Currently I have more than enough to keep me busy with the ’67. We’ll see!

What would you like to accomplish with your website and VW communication in the next year?

I’d love http://www.1967beetle.com/ to become a true resource for people that are aiming to do a stock restoration on a ’67 Beetle. I’m a firm believer that the continuation of great content can achieve this.

I’m open to the idea of advertising if it’s the right fit. Needless to say, you won’t ever see a JC Whitney banner on http://www.1967beetle.com/. Sorry, it’s not going to happen.

Most importantly, I’d love to find a way to combine my visual design, marketing and vintage VW restoration skills into something fulltime. I truly love these old cars.

How can you be reached?

http://www.1967beetle.com/

twitter.com/erokcom

http://www.ericshoemaker.com/

eric ericshoemaker.com

Editor's note: Eric and I have gotten to know each other over Twitter. Even though we have yet to meet in person, there has been talk about us organizing a "Flash VW parade" in the bay area. If anyone is interested, chime in on the #VintageVW hashtag on Twitter (which feeds into the right side of BigBlueVW.com), to discuss. Perhaps we can make this thing happen... Then, I'd finally get to take a look at Eric's fantastic 1967 VW bug.

Vintage Tuesday - the front row

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Vintage images from the web

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

We officially have the correct beam for Big Blue!

2011-12-24T14:46:00.000-08:00

Big Blue's Beam Blues

2011-12-23T20:55:00.000-08:00

I promise you a more in-depth summary soon, but right now I am tired. I spent the entire day either trying to figure out how to get Big Blue fixed or watching a 1-year-old. Both of which have taken the fight out of me. So goodnight.

But, before I go to sleep, here's some video I shot earlier today on my iPhone. I think it will do a pretty good job of describing:

1. What was wrong with Big Blue (look at that damage, man!)
2. The specifics of the beam that we need to replace on Big Blue

Tomorrow I am off to Oakland to track down what is supposed to be the correct beam. Until then, roll the video...

Back to Glen Ellen to return the front beam...

2011-12-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

Plan C - Still replacing Big Blue's beam

2011-12-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

Okay - on to plan C to replace the damaged beam on Big Blue.

The beam I bought this morning was wrong - even though the guys at Sonoma Volkswagen were convinced it was right. But here is the difference between an early bay window beam (68 and 69 bus) and a later beam. It's in the bolt pattern and way the metal is formed in the beam supports. The top beam in this picture is the later beam, the bottom is the old one off of Big Blue. The circle areas are different, as well as the distance between the holes to bolt it on:

So, plan C is now to return the beam I bought today (they will take it back, so good on Sonoma Volkswagen for doing that). And then head off to an Oakland air cooled scrapyard that says they have the right beam. Onward!

Still waiting for a beam transplant...

2011-12-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

And! The new beam is wrong as well. Can you see the difference?

2011-12-23T10:44:00.001-08:00

At Valley Wagonworks!

2011-12-23T10:35:00.001-08:00

Beam found!

2011-12-23T09:59:00.001-08:00

Following the squareback to the warehouse...

2011-12-23T09:36:00.000-08:00

Heading to Glen Ellen. Wine country.

2011-12-23T09:22:00.001-08:00

Gas station breakfast...

2011-12-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

Another item needed for getting vws back on the road...

2011-12-23T08:59:00.001-08:00

The new beam- whole axle actually - will cost me $275.

The key to any big vw repair seems to be a pickup truck...

2011-12-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

I borrowed this on from work!

Live updates today as we get another beam for Big Blue

2011-12-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

The barn find VW of Josh Yager

2011-12-22T06:00:00.001-08:00

We heard from our friends over at Mid America Motorworks that one of their employees, Josh Yager, had found a pretty solid barn find a few miles from their headquarters in Northern Illinois. Having done hard time in Chicago, I am always skeptical of any original car that has spent a lifetime around the Great Lakes. If the road salt doesn't get 'em, then the black ice will.

In this case, though, the the 1974 Super Beetle does seem like a very solid project:

Which leads me to why I am sharing this. Half the reason I dig cars so much is that I love projects. Same is true with other things in my life. I see a house that has character but needs a ton of work and I'll take that 99 times over a finished house without charm. And it really boils down to a connection that seems to build with the project. I went though this with a '71 Landcruiser, a '86 Wagoneer and a '72 K5 Blazer before I set my eyes on Big Blue.

So, I'd like to think I know what Josh is going through right now. And, if you've taken on a project (many of you readers have), you know as well. You find bits of history that blends into the envisioned future. And it's an awesome feeling.

Here's how josh found it:

Feel it? Can you feel what he was in his mind at this moment?

We were able to follow up with Josh and ask a few questions:

Big Blue's Driver: What do you like about VWs?

Josh: I love the way VWs look. Not just Bugs, but all VWs! There's something so iconic about a Volkswagen. You instantly know you're looking at a VW when you see one cruising along. Pair that with the fun and rich history of Volkswagens and it's hard not to be a fan!

Big Blue's Driver: Does the new VW have a name?

Josh: Not yet. I think a name will come as I start getting into the upgrades and the personality starts to come out. It's too early to say right now.

Big Blue's Driver: How many times do people assume you're Mike's [owner of Mid America Motorworks] son?

Josh: At least once a day. It's kind of a running joke at Mid America Motorworks! Even though we're from the same hometown and the name is spelled the same, we're not even related. Believe me, we've checked!

Big Blue's Driver: Is there a place online that someone can keep updated on the restoration's progress?

Josh: It's in the works. Last year we started a VW restoration and tracked the progress on our web site. We'll be doing the same thing with my '74 within the next few weeks.

And they better get started. Josh plans to show the bug at Mid America Motorworks' Funfest for Air-Cooled VWs on June 1-3, 2012. We'll post a link to the restoration blog when it's up. For now, we wish him happy days picking through the history and looking toward the future of this bug.

VW BUS - TESTORS TETHER TOY

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

When it rains, it pours...

I came across one of these blue VW tether buses about a month ago. Then, about 3 days later, found one really cheap on ebay. So, now I have 2 (do as I say, son, not as I do).

These were made by Wolf/Hawk (seems to be the same company?) (same as this bug that I have) and are stamped (C)1972. They must have been some sort of Testors (the paint company) hobby set as the stickers on the "Super Van" have the Testors logo on them. And both buses had the sticker on the driver's side (only one still does).

Oddly - both of these have motors that appear to have never been used. The motor, when running, would turn the gear in the back wheel (see below).

The idea was that you would tie a rope to the bus, and then watch as it went in circles. Doesn't sound like crazy fun, and that might explain why both motors look unused...

Either way, used or not, they are pretty cool. I dig these old Wolf/Hawk toys.

Vintage Tuesday - early split parking is in the back

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

May 1975 - Hot VWs Magazine - Van on the Go

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

From the Static Files... custom VWs

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

40,000 miles...

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Carole Brown and the Yes We Can Camper Van...

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Lately VW folks probably couldn't help but notice the efforts of Carole Brown and her "Yes We Can" Camper Van (the bus is actually named Dexter). Spend any time at all lately in the online communities and she's sure to pop up - pushing a cause that very few people know about. During the summer, she reached out to VW communities across the country to help her promote her roadtrip to raise awareness.

Well, Carole is now on her way.

She has hit the road in her 1971 Westfalia to promote awareness of Myasthenia Gravis, commonly (if I can say that about an uncommon disorder) referred to as "MG". Until Wikipedia shuts down, you can read up on it here.

I must say that I am impressed with the support. Carole is no VW mechanic. And sometimes the VW community seems to collectively sigh when someone with no mechanical awareness embarks on such an adventure in an old VW. But that hasn't happened in Carole's case. And I'm glad to see the community embracing her.

There have been breakdowns, but people from the VW world - including Wolfsburg West, The Full Moon Bus Club, Jimmy Pierce of Pierce Automotive - a VW shop on Montgomery, Alabama, Laura Anne (who writes at Laura's 78 Westy) and many others - are pitching in to help her make her way.

A few months back, I had the chance to email with Carole. I wanted to get some basics down on why she is doing what she is doing. As you'll see below, she has a very good reason.

Big Blue's Driver: Why MG?

Carole Brown: Personal reason - my Mum got this disease at age 20 and almost died before she was diagnosed, since it is so rare and so few neurologists have seen a person with MG.

My Mum was 30 when she had me and 34 when she had my brother, so we only ever knew her when she was ill with MG.

Until recently I couldn't look at my parents wedding photos because my Mum had changed from a real beauty to a person who looked twice her age, with hollow eyes and sunken cheeks. She said the saddest thing for her was that she couldn't smile anymore.

The way I think about it is this is an awful disease with no cure, and if that's not bad enough, people with symptoms can take years (one story I read it was 5 years!) to get diagnosed by which time they are more ill and also affected by being undermined every time they tried to explain what was happening to their bodies. I've read stories where people were told to go home because it was all in their head and they just wanted attention. Others where people were only taken seriously when they had been admitted to intensive care due to breathing difficulties (this happens when MG is severe and untreated).

To me the biggest reason for raising awareness is that people could be tested for MG early on and not after years of presenting with odd symptoms that doctors do not recognise. If the public know of it, they can ask their doctor to check or ask the national charity, the MGFA, for a list of neurologists who know the disease. Another reason is that through better appreciation of the disease by the general public, people with MG are likely to feel more understood and accepted, helping them to regain their self esteem and self confidence - making a huge difference to their lives.

Researching the disease recently I have found some improvements in treatment but there is no cure for this rare autoimmune disease. The info' on MG on the internet makes it sound an OK disease but it's not. If you look at groups on Facebook you will see from the online discussions how hard it is for people to manage every day life. MGers are stared at by the public because they often have droopy eyelids and sometimes look unusual due to weakness in the eye and facial muscles. My mother was very self conscious and would not go out to restaurants to eat because she had difficulty chewing and swallowing - a common symptom. It's also upsetting for people with MG to be asked if they are drunk. This happens because they can have slurred speech due to weakness in their facial muscles and difficulty walking without swaying, because of weak legs. Muscle fatigue occurs in a person with MG much more quickly than in a healthy person and only through drugs do MGers regain some muscle strength.

So these are some of the reasons for wanting to raise awareness. By making people aware of this little known disease we could have a massive impact on quicker diagnosis and treatment, and on the way we behave around people with this disease.

How are you planning on raising awareness?
I am planning to:
a) give talks to health care professionals,
b) invite local journalists to meet me and local patients at regional chapter offices of the MG Foundation of America to hear about their stories and publish articles in local newspapers and on the we
c) use my VW van to raise visibility for the name MG by driving about 6000 miles across country displaying a logo on the side and inviting anyone who sees us on the road or parked to call their local radio station, tweet, Facebook etc.
d) attend events at MGFA offices in June MG awareness month and use the Van to attract more people and give hope

How can people help?
a) following my posts on Facebook and twitter and sharing them with their friends
b) commenting and 'liking' my posts
c) let me know of any company's that would like to be a sponsor
d) buy T shirts
e) invite me to their VW club - need to know ASAP so can plan route to include invitations
f) add a VW club event to raise money and awareness for MG, and plan ahead so I can attend if possible
g) send me any advice and other ideas for raising awareness and raising money for the MGFA

If you are interested in helping Carole, you can follow her updates on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-YesWeCan-CamperVan/203679777444

Sunshine's Express - A 1976 Riviera camper in Washington

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Our friend Steve in Tulalip, Washington, sent us these pictures from their road trip last summer. I thought it was cool how much this bus - named Sunshine's Express - could be Big Blue's younger brother. The bus is a 1976 Riv and Steve has owned it for about 4 years (the same amount of time we have owned Blue!). Steve saved this bus from a field where it had sat for 10 years. Sound familiar?

Below are a few pictures cross country trip from Washington to Main and back again in the summer of 2009.

Way cool ride!

Above: the day they left.

Above: In Colorado before the big climb into the rockies

Above: In Bucksport Maine.

Above: In Langley BC.

Back home in Washington!

Vintage Tuesday - Sitting on the dock of the Bay

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

May 1975 - Hot VWs Magazine - Club Profile Der Volks Bruckenaufbau (DVB)

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

from the Static Files... 3 models

2011-12-11T06:00:00.001-08:00

2011 - Year in ... yawn.

2011-12-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

As 2011 comes to a close, I'll take a moment to reflect on the fact that 2011 was a odd year for us. EP and I are travelers. And usually our traveling involves either a tent or a VW bus. Almost all trips involve pavement moving underneath wheels hell bent on exploration.

In late 2010, Oak, our baby boy came along. And, well, things have been different. How different? I've prepared this handy visual:

Okay now. EP saw the above and cautioned me not to sound upset about the decline in spending times outdoors while I write this entry. And I'm not. "Upset" isn't the word. I think it's more "anxious."

One of the things I look forward to the most in life right now is the upcoming opportunity to share this rambling adventure with the small little dude. Imagine having a s'more for the first time. Image the first time he tries to outrun a wave on the beach but the wave wins...

There is certainly promise on the horizon. 2012 is going to involve more campfires. 2012 is going to involve counties with names like Mendocino, Lassen, Ventura and Imperial. 2012 will involve Oak's first s'more. In 2012, the road shall fear us.

So here's an early salute to 2012. May it bring more traveling for all of us. That is, after all, what we are.

Warrior bus from the Yucca Valley Memorial Day Parade 2011...

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Check out the anvil on the back bumper and security bars. From the Yucca Valley Memorial Day Parade.

-Monty (Big Blue's original owner)

EMPI ashtray

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

I picked this EMPI ashtray up a few weeks ago at a local art/vintage/thrift/antique store that just opened here in Petaluma called Austin Trading. It's a great store and the guy in charge has a good sense of design, etc. I hope they make it. Over he last 2 year a bunch of vintage/antique shops have opened up in our town. Perhaps this is the economy? Not sure, But we love it.

Anyway, I'm not certain this is very old. It's not worth a ton. But I think I paid $1 for it. I dig the bright colors. This must have been a pretty expensive giveaway back in the day...

Vintage Tuesday - Oh, Canada!

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

The [volkswagen] artwork of Sandra Cassayre Moore

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

I saw the VW bug painting hanging in a local taco shop in Napa. The painting was sold already, but I checked this girl out online and found that she had done a bus painting as well. Cool stuff. The bug painting was nice and big. Not sure if EP would have let me feature it front and center in the house, but it was a cool piece...

See more at http://www.sandracassayremoore.com/index.html

From the Static Files... Precious Cargo

2011-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Big Blue wants to camp...

2011-12-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

December's Beetle Bulletin (from 55 years ago this month)

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Important 55-year-old news from the VW club of New Jersey...

(As always, you can click on the images to make them bigger)

Oak's birthday gift

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

At Oak's 1-year birthday party 2 weeks ago, a friend gave him this to play with...

Vintage Tuesday - vintage split window

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

May 1975 - Hot VWs Magazine - Wide Bed Pickup

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Brake TIme

2011-11-25T08:23:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, headed home from a long week at work, the last thing I wanted was to feel the brakes start to give out on Little Blue - the '63 bug that is my daily driver. But I did. As they started to go, I wasn't sure I was feeling it. Did they seem like I was pushing harder? Closer to the floor? Certainly something was wrong.

After a stop that certainly felt wrong, I decided that if shit came to shove, I'd use my emergency brake. About 2 stops later and I was braking to show my brake lights and using my e-brake to actually stop. I made it home without problem. I decided to investigate in the morning when it was light.

Early Saturday morning, I was out investigating. I started at the back passenger and didn't see any issues. Then moved to the front passenger, removing the wheel to find the wheel and brake drum covered in brake fluid.

Here's what the set up looked like...

See the liquid? That's brake fluid. Meaning there was a leak in the system and the system lost the ability to produce enough pressure to push the brake show into the drum (and stop the car). Fluid on brake shoes is bad for 2 reasons:

1. You lose pressure on the brake shoes while...

2. adding liquid to where there should be friction to stop.

It's a lose lose situation.

Another example of shiny wetness where there should be dryness (the removed brake drum):

You can see fluid on the tire as well:

According to several sources, the most obvious place for a leak in the wheel is the wheel cylinder. It's a simple process, really. When brakes are applied, the fluid provides equal pressure through out the system. In drum brakes, this means the fluid presses on the brake shows (pads, really) through something called the brake cylinder (or wheel cylinder). In the picture below, it's the round cylinder object on the far right side of the picture.

it's important to note that the photo above is of the driver's front side (not passenger's, where I found the leaking cylinder). Since the system is all one, it is recommended changing both front wheel cylinders when one goes bad. Another reason to see this photo is, look, it's dry! No fluid. That's how it should be...

Above is the old wheel cylinder coming out. For those of you who have never removed these, please follow these steps in order:

1. remove the bolt holding the wheel cylinder on (I think it was a 12 or 13 metric wrench)
2. then spin the wheel cylinder while hold the brake hose with something to disconnect the hose. Don't try to twist the hose off the cylinder while it is still attached - it won't work!

The great thing about replacing the cylinders is that you end up with really clean cylinders to bleed once everything is hooked back up.

Here are the replacement wheel cylinders I bought at Viking Foreign Auto in Novato Saturday morning:

The bummer was nobody in the area had new brake shows. And they needed to be replaced (well, you figure while you are in there, replace them, but you would have to anyway as the old ones on the passenger side were covered in fluid that would never allow you to stop).

Enter out friends at Wolfsburg West. These guys are awesome. A call on Monday resulted in the new pads being sent via FedEx to my house on Wednesday. I plan on installing them later this morning. And that, my friends, is a pretty simple fix. We'll be back on the road by noon today!

Happiness is a box from Wolfsburg West.

The cost of the wheel cylinders (above).

Below is how Little Blue has looked all week, waiting for new brake shoes...

Happy Birthday Green Hornet

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Big Blue's smallest fan...

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

A year ago, Oak, Big Blue's smallest fan, arrived on a super cold Thanksgiving week. I can't believe a year has already passed. He's a fantastic kid, and we have only begun to show him the fun of camping, campfires and the fun a VW bus can lead you to...

Here's to camping many more years with him!

Vintage Tuesday - Grey VW Parking only

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

VW bug art in the Grateful Dead 1972 Complete recording box set

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

A few months back, I ordered (then later received) a box set (73 discs!) of the entire 1972 Grateful Dead European Tour. It's awesome to say the least. How does this matter for you, dear VW fans? It doesn't. Except one CD had the artwork below. And only those who know what that is know what that is...

From the Static Files... The starting point

2011-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend's trip to see "WUNDERCARS!" in Sacramento

2011-11-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Little Dude and I headed to the California Auto Museum in Sacramento. We went to see the "Wundercars!" exhibit, which features German cars. The exhibit has 4 time periods (see above). It is Porsche right now. In a week or so it goes to focus on BMW (they will literally swap cars), then to Mercedes-Benz in late January. Finally, saving the best for last, Volkswagen (or Volkswagon as the above states!) is featured in March. Let's hope they fix the poster before then!

This was the first real, "Man's day out" that we had done together. I came armed with a camera, lunch snacks, a stroller, and several toys to provide distraction while driving.

Here is Little Dude in his 2010 Green Chariot:

The California Auto Museum is not big. Nor is it glamorous. But the impression it leaves is of someone that's trying really, really hard. Little Dude and I couldn't have enjoyed ourselves more.

We arrived at 9:45 - 15 minutes before open - and had some snacks (Oak did, I fed hm). And, when the doors opened, we had the place to ourselves. It was a good sign to see a bug sitting in the parking lot...

Right off the bat they have Linda Ronstadt's Porsche (there's a band name for you!). Why? Because this is the German car exhibit and we are in California. It has to start out weird!

This blue 1962 Porsche 365 Karmann Notchback was way cool. One of the best on the floor by far...

Is the car below an original? Who can tell with so many repos out there..

Below we have cars that need anti-freeze:

I've been overheard saying that the early 911/912 is the best designed car ever. I've said that about the 365 as well. But the above 911 is an absolute dream.

And, I must say, a 914 (below) never looked as good as it does when parked on the floor of a museum...

Again, knock-offs have ruined the Speedster (below) for me...

They had some lesser-known brands there as well. Below, a 1958 Zundapp Janus 250. Only 6900 built:

Now, this shocked me. I had always though the "Ampicar" was an American creature. I was wrong. 'Tis German.

Above, a 1966 Ghia represented the VWs very well...

That's a '65 bug. Note the Euro bumpers (US bumpers had the "towel bar")...

Okay, I was surprised to see our friend Bryan's bus in here. This bus attended Bus City 2010. And it was awesome at the time. But this bus cleaned up super well and looked fantastic under the lights. Well done, Bryan!

Above, a 1969 Opel GT from the bay area. I dig it.

Below. A 1958 Porsche 356. Please note: only paint your car like this if you actually have sponsors...

The photo below is courtesy of Little Dude. He would call it, "Fast Isetta" if he could only talk.

Here is my version. A 1958 BMW Isetta 300 from Sacramento.

I heart the BMW 2002 (below). This is a 1975 model. Wicked cool...

And, I found out I have no feelings for Mercedes at all...

The stroller didn't last long for Little Dude. He is just starting to walk. He moves between the quick pace of a wind-up toy to the slow pace of a confused snail. Here he is on the move...

We wandered into the non-exhibit side of the museum. You are supposed to go from old to new. Little Dude decided to go the opposite way...

First cool car was this awesome Celica ST. I think it was a 1977.

Below: A 1971 Star Streak Motorhome. Never heard of it? That's because one of them was made. Apparently a retired Air Force Colonel named Paul Jones decided to build this thing himself. And it is truly awesome. I wish I could have gone inside. It is built on a 1971 Oldsmobile Toronado. And it fits in the garage!

Here's Little Dude with an actually bike from the show C.H.I.P.s. Let's hope it was Erik Estrada's bike!

There was a '61 VW in the permanent collection. This was another local Sacramento car. Very nice shape (and a nice color, no?)

Below, a Studebaker Avanti. A mid-century fan's dream, I'll admit I like it...

On the way out (we saved the best for last!) is Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown's 1974 Plymouth Satellite.

In all it was a really good experience. Little Dude and I will be heading back for the BMWs. We may boycott the VW part of the show if they don't get the name correct. $8 entry ($7 with a AAA discount). Good stuff!

The Short History of the VW Club of Rochester: Profile of John Cole, President

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

John Cole, who's newsletters I have, became a member in 1959. He went on to became activities chairman, then, in 1960, vice president. Eventually, in 1962, he would become president of the club.

On the one year anniversary, there was a write up on John. Here is the write up:

John Cole has been a VW Club member for a year.

His main purpose in life these days seems to be in discovering how to get more members to rally. He conceived the idea of making trophies at home in his spare time. This idea of more trophies, and a point system, he hopes, will bring out more members to rally.

Before his interest in trophy making took over, John took great pride in refinishing furniture, wallpapering, and occasionally even wiping the dishes for his wife.

Due to the fact that has has a wife, two children, a dog, and a rather large unpaid balance on his mortgage, he reports each morning to Alliance Tool and Die where he works as a toolmaker.

The VW he drives is his second new one. Although this one seems to have a few bugs the other one didn't have, his enthusiasm for the mighty little bug is unshakable. In about six months he will probably order his third.

Again - I am looking for any more information about this (and any) clubs. Please feel free to drop me an email if you have any interesting details.

Visit Marin (before you can no longer afford to)

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Vintage Tuesday - What thing?

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

VW bus as lawn art and threat to suburbs...

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Remember this story from a year ago? The man cracking down on the average citizen? Well, I was curious what happened to these Volks and the fate of this VW bus -- I mean -- "dangerous" eyesore.

Well, turns out the bus had the last laugh. We were able to track down Janice, who caught us up with the story:

Hi Brett. We gave the bus to Lloyd from the Grateful Dead Tribute band On the Bus last fall. Since then, I believe the bus has been repainted and is living outside a band practice space in Rockville, Maryland. Lloyd should be able to update you.

Best, Janice 

We shot an email off to Lloyd, and he responded with the rest of the story...

Hey Brett,
The "Peace Bus" is a showcase ornament at an indoor art and music venue in Rockville Maryland, called Band Kamp. While the cost of a restoration - as with many old busses - would have far exceeded economic balance, we wanted to find a solution that preserves her legacy, and allows her to live on as a cozy pillow filled hang-out. Now with the rust cleaned up, floor boards fixed, decent tires, and an interior make-over, she's loving the climate controlled environment, and is the first choice in seating for all who visit this vibrant venue celebrating art and music... a comfy and fitting home, which allows her to continue on as the living art that inspired the Peace Bus Rally, which attracted so much support, including a current member of the Grateful Dead, who joined our band "On the Bus." 

Be Grateful, Be On the Bus!

Cheers,
Lloyd
ps... At the site, there's a great shot of the Peace Bus continuing her tradition of living art... Thanks to Janice for being a part of the chain of love that helped keep this T2 in continuous use.

Below is the shot of Peace Bus. Who now resides in the warm confines of a positive environment. Note: right now, members of the DC Department of Public Works are outside, in the cold, tracking down their next paperwork project.

From the Static Files... VW Owner's Best Friend

2011-11-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Vintage Vacation: 1958 German vacation in a VW bug...

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

I picked up this old photo album in which a German fella - name unknown - heads out to parts unknown with unknown friends and family in an unknown language (to me) in 1958 (known!). What else is known is that he traveled in a VW bug. Which we know breaks down any language or name barriers.

So I present to you pages from the photo album. I didn't limit it to photos that just involved the VW, as the photos are awesome and the "story" is better understood with the additional pages included. Enjoy!

Notice the bus in the background of this last one...

1955 December Sports Car Illustrated

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Vintage Tuesday

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

2 new VW bug toys....

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

My recent $1 investment. VW speeder and VW popo...

From the Static Files... Der Kleinbus

2011-11-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yet more vintage photos from the internet... All about the ladies.

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

November club news (from 55 years ago this month)

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Important 55-year-old news from the VW club of New Jersey...

(As always, you can click on the images to make them bigger)

Vintage Tuesday - Halloween Hangover

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

From the Static Files... Sad.

2011-10-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Found in the Green Hornet - My 1956 Bug Project

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Aside from bullets and rust, here were 2 more small items I found in the Green Hornet as I cleaned him out a few months ago:

Drive by Shootings #21

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Vintage Tuesday

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

March 1958 Small Car Magazine - The Karmann Ghia Convertible

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

From the Static Files... Project Bus: Comes with almost all original parts

2011-10-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

VW "Van" model

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Beulter Porsche Designs - for you people with children.

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Vintage Tuesday

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

October's Beetle Bulletin (from 55 years ago this month)

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Important 55-year-old news from the VW club of New Jersey...

(As always, you can click on the images to make them bigger)

From the Static Files... Bring on the rainy season!

2011-10-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

The 10 best vw gifts this holiday season...

2011-10-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

10. EMPI Driver's Jacket. Way cool and way retro. Find it for $41.95 at Doghouse Repair.

9. The Reproduction Okrasa Kit from Wolfsburg West. Original speed tuning for your 36 HP engine at your fingertips. A mere $1400. Find it here.

8. The 1962 VW Camper Kit from Lego. Here's the deal. I've never spent anywhere close to this for a box of Legos. But there is something tempting about this thing. Buy direct from Lego for 119.99 here.

7. A BodesWell.com t-shirt. Support some pretty cool volks on a VW adventure and get a t-shirt out of the deal. Not bad at all. Buy one for 19.99 to 25.99 here.

6. Bus-Camper-Van History & Road-Test Book (1954-1967). Awesome. Seriously - A chance to read the original articles. I dig it. Get it for $15.95 at GoWesty.

5. The Haynes VW bus poster. There seems to be 2 sizes of this poster available. Go big or go home. Will look perfect on the wall of the garage. Get it at barewalls.com for $43.31.

4. "German City" poster by Peter Aschwanden. Anyone who reads this blog knows the love I have for the illustrations from Muir's Idiot Book. And you can own posters of that artwork. Way cool. There are 4 VW related posters available, but, along with "Exploded Beetle", "German City" is an amazing piece of work. Buy it at PeterAschwanden.com for $40.

3. VW "Bounce Bus". Okay - so only one person can get this. Buy for $60,000, you could be the star of the next VW Camper Family campout. Get it at Old Bug for $60,000.

2. Mass Transit Ale hat - Okay, so if you can find the beer, buy that. But they can't ship that, so the next best thing is a Mass Transit Ale hat. Find it at Bristol Brewing in Colorado for $16.00.

1. Big Blue is a Friend of Mine Sticker. Yes, the sticker is back. we just ordered some more. Modeled after the famous "Johnny Cash is a Friend of Mine", this sticker can be yours for the low, low price of free, and a little patience. If you want one, send your address in an email to BigBlueVW at gmail dot com and we'll get one out to you. Before the holidays come, we promise.

Christophorus magazines from the early 60s... the ads

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Christophorus magazines from the early 60s... The 10th Porsche

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

As always, click on the image to make it bigger.

A few more covers from the Christophorus Magazine find...

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few more covers. These are photos, as these issues were too big to fit in my scanner...

A few awesome images from the Christophorus Magazine scans...

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Continuing the posts from last week from the Christophorus Magazine posts. Some awesome pictures...

From the Static Files... Winterize your bus! And watch out for lava!

2011-10-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Week in Review: The rise of fall

2011-10-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

Not much is going on here in wine country. Big Blue is still not going very far very fast as the steering is still crap. I haven't had time to make the calls to see about getting him fixed. The people in the office next door complained about the "van that never moves." Our office manager told them to mind their own business. Awesome. We high-fived after she told me that.

With the coming rains (and it poured this week), we usually spend this time of year cleaning up outside to get ready for winter. So I took my annual dump trip last week. Among the items I took to the dump were 2 very beat up original 1956 bug bumpers and the very rusty exhaust off a 36 HP motor. I took the old gas tank in as well and threw it in recycling to avoid paying, but I'm thinking that they can't recycle rust. Anyone know?

It broke my heart a little to actually throw something VW related away. That exhaust was stamped with the original VW logo on the side. The repos don't seem to have that. But what do you do? One can't keep 3 old VWs around and also keep a bunch of parts outside in the winter rain. We are VW collectors, after all, not junk collectors. There is a very - oh-so-thin - line of distinction. Here are the pieces as the spent their last moments as "old VW parts."

Little Blue is still occasionally grinding gears but the good news is it seems like the clutch cable just needs adjusted. And I've learned to avoid first gear. It'll go into the shop that did the engine work over the weekend for a quick clutch cable adjustment. I could try it myself, but for over $2300, I think they should do the work that I adjust back to, rather than have me adjust their work. That's my justification at least.

Grinding gears or not, it's good to be behind the wheel of a vintage VW again after that rental car. Yesterday, as I was warming up the bug for the drive back from Napa, an older dude pulled up next to me, rolled down his window and said, "Now that's an awesome car!". I said thanks. And thought, suck it, Toyota Yaris. No one ever says that to a Yaris driver. And the even if they did, the Yaris driver would never think to himself, as he reclined in seats that have no headrest, damn straight it is.

Here's Little Blue at Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa earlier this week...

We put an offer in on a house in Napa last week. Living there would eliminate Little Blue's long commute. It's a short sale (with only, gasp!, a 2-car garage), so we'll see what the bank says.

So that means we can't spend (or make) any extra or oddly-funded money without having to create a careful paper trail with the bank. They will monitor every transaction for the 2 months prior to the loan being approved. (by the way, did you know the police can access any money transaction at any time regardless of amount or reason! The mortgage dude told us that this week. Thanks Patriot Act!)

So I am on hold for spending money on both the '56 and Big Blue. For now, I will waste my evenings until we hear from the bank planning VW repairs in my head. And reading this to keep me inspired:

This post sponsored by the New North Dade Imported Motors. Because if there ever was a place tolerant enough to sponsor this blog, it's Dade County.