The Rohrbaugh Forum

Miscellaneous => The Water Cooler -- General Discussions => Topic started by: tomuncommon on July 18, 2013, 08:31:27 PM

Title: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: tomuncommon on July 18, 2013, 08:31:27 PM
1966
[/u][/b] (http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag85/tomuncommon_pb/IMAG0895_zps1b6fb4c0.jpg) (http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/tomuncommon_pb/media/IMAG0895_zps1b6fb4c0.jpg.html)
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: tracker on July 18, 2013, 08:42:59 PM

I owned a red '67 sedan bought at the factory in Frankfurt; my wife, mostly, and I put 6,000 miles on it in Europe that year. It finally died after 150,000 mi. and three engine changes. It cost $1200 and was worth every penny, except for those annoying valve adjustments.
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: tomuncommon on July 18, 2013, 08:57:41 PM
I have a spun brake drum, needs to have the axles replaced so the teeth will quit stripping splines.. common issue with LOWERed beetles - I love this little car, best head turner you can buy for the money & everybody has some familiarity with vintage Volkwagens, so I enjoy talking to people about them whilst out 'n about.
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: tracker on July 18, 2013, 09:12:51 PM
One winter in Connecticut I put some cinder blocks in the front baggage compartment to give me more traction in snow. While driving to LGA one morning for a flight I went around a curve onto the Grand Central Parkway in Queens. As I came upon a line of cars I hit the brakes but the weight of those blocks wouldn't allow me to stop in time. I whipped it to the right, onto a high snow bank and rode along the bank at about 45 degrees  to the roadway on two wheels. The snow bank curved away after about 50 feet and the little VW stabilized back to the feeder road on all fours; although a bit shaken I parked it in the parking lot unscathed and proceeded to my destination. After returning home those cinder blocks were removed from the compartment.
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: tomuncommon on July 19, 2013, 03:59:00 PM
What a cool story Tracker ! That sounds like a frightening yet fond memory.  :)
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: tracker on July 19, 2013, 07:46:16 PM

Yes, Sir; right on both counts.
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: backupr9 on July 20, 2013, 09:01:41 AM
My  '63 Bug went through a major snow storm in the Virginia mountains without any trouble, finally being stopped when overnight snow was so high that it was over the bumper and the car snowplowed.  Drove it from Richmond, Va. to Ft. Lauderdale one spring vacation, leaving at 4 pm and driving all night, most of the time with the accelerator floored...needed a valve job on arrival at noon the next morning. Although grossly underpowered it was a great little car for the money for sure and when not abused, never broke.
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: tomuncommon on July 22, 2013, 11:01:40 AM
spent most of Sunday tooling on my bug & never made the range trip.
hopefully this coming weekend I can let this PUP bark/bite a little (http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag85/tomuncommon_pb/IMAG1638_zpscf8714f4.jpg) (http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/tomuncommon_pb/media/IMAG1638_zpscf8714f4.jpg.html)
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: Douglas on July 22, 2013, 09:56:38 PM
Never had a Beetle. Dad did, upon returning from Vietnam; used to cruise it up and down the Thruway from Utica to his temporary assignment Albany in NY, and when it ran out of gas the troopers would come along and throw him a couple of gallons as a matter of courtesy for an officer.

I had a Golf Mk IV. Loved it.

For the buffs: ever read this? It is one of my favorite books, and I'm a reader!

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/tortoise/SmallWondercover.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/tortoise/media/SmallWondercover.jpg.html)
Title: Re: our newest addition , named him Rohrby .
Post by: tomuncommon on August 13, 2013, 10:33:46 AM
Papillon Puppy - 9 weeks old , "Rohrby" (http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag85/tomuncommon_pb/IMAG1902_zpscdcb8caa.jpg) (http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/tomuncommon_pb/media/IMAG1902_zpscdcb8caa.jpg.html)
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: tracker on August 13, 2013, 11:18:40 AM

Now there's a real pup; beautiful.
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: Richard S on August 14, 2013, 06:56:51 PM
In 1986, I rented a Volkswagen "Bug" in Haiti during the period in which Jean-Claude Duvalier was ousted by a "peoples' revolution."  I "drove the wheels" off of that thing and gained an abiding respect for an automobile I had theretofore dismissed as a descendant of Hitler's Germany and a machine unworthy of attention.

Love it?  No.  Respect it?  Yes.

_____

I have "loved" only two automobiles in my life -- a Triumph TR2 I owned while in college and law school (1955-63) and a Sunbeam Alpine GT Series 3 I owned while stationed as an Army officer in Germany (1963-66):

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/triumphtr21954003.jpg)

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/sunbeamalpinegranturismoseriesiii19.jpg)
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: Reinz on August 17, 2013, 05:39:29 PM
Those are quite some pics there Rich!

I don't recall ever seeing a TR-2.

Thanks for the treat!
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: Richard S on August 18, 2013, 10:27:11 AM
Thank you, Reinz.  I sold the TR2 in March of 1963 before shipping out for Germany. Once a year, around March, I kick myself in the a## for having sold it instead of putting it up on blocks in secure storage.
Title: Re: anybody else love Volkswagen ?
Post by: Reinz on August 20, 2013, 12:32:19 AM
Can't imagine what that little jewel would be worth today, especially knowing that you would keep her Tip Top!
But even better, the joy she'd bring you would be Tip Top as well I'm sure!