#1: Showroom-new 1962 Beetle Sedan

Well, it belonged to my Dad. The photo shows me standing next to it just before leaving for my first day of first grade. I have many fond memories of riding all over the place in this car; hearing the weather report on the AM radio, sitting in the rear well with my little brother, etc. It's the spiritual ancestor of all the cars listed below.

#2: 1965 Beetle Sedan (1973-75)

This was my first car, recommended to me by my father. I paid $500 for it. Eventually growing tired of the clean looks, I had the seats reupholstered (metalflake nonbreathable blue vinyl), added a hideous blue sculptured shag carpet, replaced the torn door panels with custom paneling, and many other aesthetic modifications, including pinstripe decals. Added an extractor and a 12" steering wheel. Dad said he felt like a circus monkey driving it. Unfortunately, not many pix survive; I took a whole roll just before I sold the car, but the camera was stolen before I could develop them. :( This one is quite typical, me barefoot, in jeans and a "Mickey Rat" T-shirt. The front tag says "Half Fast".

#3: 1968 Beetle Sedan (1977-78) #118174736

Bought this from my parents after a stint with a new, buggy '74.5 MGB, followed by a short car-less period in college. Did virtually nothing to it except some mech work on the front end; a very solid but to me completely uninteresting car. I never could get used to that plastic dash.

(During much of the time I owned VWs back in the 70s and 80s, I took advantage of the "Vintage Club" to get a 10% discount on dealer parts. Here's what the card looked like for this car.)

If it'd had a sunroof, it would've been a 23-window. I had loads of fun turning this one into a hippie van, building Westy-style cabinets and a backgammon table into it. I still miss that one. A drunk rear-ended me going 50 MPH one night when I was waiting to make a left; I drove home.

This was a thrashed bus I bought for body parts after the drunk hit me. Today, I would've kept it. No pix, alas. I think I paid $150 for it.

#5 1971 Deluxe Station Wagon (1980-1984 and 1988-89) #2212044508

When my parents bought this from the first owner in 1976, it had 13,000 miles on the odometer and the middle seat was still wrapped in plastic. We installed an AC unit in it ourselves, and the family traveled several times to the NC mountains in it. I received it as a wedding present, but by 1984 it was beyond my ability to keep running. Traded it in on a "family car" (84 Corolla) and then saw it in someone's back yard four years later and had to have it back. $150 and some ether in the carb got it home. By that time it was pretty thrashed. I finally sold it.

A barely-fictionalized account of my experiences with this bus ("Maintenance") won the Grand Prize in vanagon.com's anniversary short story contest, March 1998.

Another $150 basket case that I got running and used to get to & from work for a year. Eventually stripped the mechanicals for car #7.

#7 1964 Ghia Sedan (1984-85), #5851343

My first ghia - what a beater! Constant electrical problems. Rust out the wazoo. Finally got the interior looking somewhat bearable, and got it running good. Sold it post haste when encountering #8.

#8 1965 Beetle Convertible (1985-present), #155212168

An index card taped to the wall in a stairwell at USF's liberal arts building led to this car. When I bought it, it had a 1600 engine, big flared fiberglass fenders with big wheels, some sort of welded-on front bumper bar, and a sedan decklid. Mismatched colors and Fred Flintstone floorboards. And it was still loads of fun.

I drove it for a year or so in Pennsylvania, then started taking it apart. Had the floor pans replaced and bought a new front clip. Then a divorce, a move, no place to work on it, amotivational syndrome -- it ended up sitting idle for over 15 years.

Northbound on I-75 near sunset, Fall 1985	Fall 1985 - note front fenders and turn signals	Winter 1986 - original fenders & headlights	Summer 1986 - floor pans removed	Summer 1986 - new pans

Update 09/2003: Major progress over the past few months. The car is painted and largely reassembled. New front clip, rear apron, and other metal welded on (I bought a MIG). Remaining tasks include tweaking the electrics and brakes. Target wheels-to-pavement is Fall 2003. Wish me luck.

Update 06/2004: It's alive!! See pix.

Bought this from a salesman at work for $150 - he said the engine was shot. It really ticked him that I drove it to work the next day running fine after I tuned it up and replaced a plug wire :). This was my only Super - very Cadillacky after all those standards.

#10: 1968 Type II Westfalia (1987 - 1994)

I found ALL the westy parts for this baby (even though she was a bit rusty). She got me interested in tents. More pix to come, if I can find them. I had wanted a westy for over ten years and this one was a lot of fun.

Picked it up for a song and sold it for same, sans special parts. Thrashed but I couldn't resist. It had some nice goodies like a wind-up clock, euro gas gauge, dealer tags on the front quarters, etc.

Quick brokerage and parts car.

See separate page.

See separate page.

See separate page.