Speedy Jim's VW Stories

I enjoyed reading Speedy Jim's VW stories on his website. I particularly liked his story on the Overzealous Car Wash. I suppose everyone has at least one or more VW stories to tell.

Here's one of the many in my life. Back in the late 70's I had a stock '66 beetle, it was my major form of transportation. I took it everywhere, even to Tijuana where the Mexican people worship these cars. In anycase, I made a run to the local drugstore to purchase a few items. The store parking lot was on a slight incline, and the incline increased as you got further away from the store. I parked my VW in one of the spaces and hurried into the store forgetting to set the parking brake or putting the car into gear. Guess you know what happen next. About 15 minutes later I came out of the drugstore and looked for my car. My first thought was; "Damn, my car was stolen!" Then as I looked around, I see my car at the bottom of the parking lot about a good 60 yards away from where I parked it. I ran to see if there was any damage, walking around the car, carefully examining the metal. Not a scratch! I took a glance back at where I originally parked, and to this day don't know how she missed all those other parked cars.

Back in the '70's in TJ, I remember getting gas, popping the hood to fill. This middle aged Mexican attendant comes running out to check out my car. "Or-ridg-a-NEL, Or-ridg-a-NEL???" as he pointed to the headliner. "What year EH?" I reply '66. "SixxTY-SIX!!!" as he whistled to his co-workers to check out my ride; "SixxTY-SIX EH!" I never seen anything like that before, it was a pretty awesome experience.

-tom

Reply to
Tom Nakashima
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Does there exist a soul who hasn't done that? ;)

Mine was on level terrain, but on a very windy day. Came back from lunch one day, parked in a slot that was along the border of the lot. When I got off work and approached my car, it took a minute to realize it wasn't where I had left it.

The thought process went something like "okay key in ingnition, shift into neutral.. hey wait, it's in neutral already. wait, this isn't where I parked, is it?"

It had rolled backwards, turned a full 90 degrees, and slid right in to a perpendicular parking spot. Apparently I had left the wheel turned just enough for it to do so, which was good because if the car had gone straight the sidepanels of a co-worker's car would have absorbed the impact.

There was also the time, less than a month after purchasing my first bug, when I was poking around in the engine trying to get a feel for where everything was. Popped the air cleaner off, and as I tried to peer down the throat of the carb, tilted just a little too much, causing a thick stream of oil to spill all over the ground.

"jesus christ what the hell is oil doing in there?!"

Reply to
Seth Graham

No, but you guys.... the parking brake is only used for emergencies. Not for parking. JJ, set these guys straight. :-)

"Stupid people are funny." - me

Reply to
Shag

^ Glad somebody is straight, but you may want to read the manual sometime:

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"As I reached for the emergency brake, things were looking up" -James Bondin his Aston Martin BD5-tom

Reply to
Tom Nakashima

Tom, your posting of the manual only re-enforces Shag's statement.....

Reply to
Joey Tribiani

Joey, I'll write the first sentence of the manual from the use of the handbrake. It's at the bottom of page 22 in the manual. "When Parking on a steep slope, set the handbrake to stop the car rolling.:" I suppose you could call parking on a steep slope an emergency.

Reply to
Tom Nakashima

Where I grew up, that handle was only used to send the car spinning, to the extreme enjoyment of the two whootin' and hollerin' teenage boys inside it.

On a foot of fresh snow. With no one else around.

Far as I'm concerned there's no other reason for the thing to exist. ;)

Reply to
Seth Graham

Tom, can i assume(yeah i know) that you did not follow the "other" thread? I'm kind of getting the impression you did, but then i get the impression you didn't....if you did you would know regaurdless of who says otherwise you NEVER use the handbrake for parking....never.....that and apparently i need medication....

Reply to
Joey Tribiani

I did. My manual says the same thing. If you'd followed the "parking/emergency brake" thread you'd see that I've said all along that the "hand brake" is used for parking.

"Stupid people are funny." - me

Reply to
Shag

He apparently did NOT follow the other thread.

"Stupid people are funny." - me

Reply to
Shag

That thread will rumble on for ages ! - cool :-)

Rich

Shag wrote:

Reply to
tricky

All hail the parking/emergency/spin-out-for-fun/hand brake thread! :-)

"Stupid people are funny." - me

Reply to
Shag

HA! Was just watching the local news. What a shame.....

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"DURHAM, N.C. -- A tractor-trailer crashed into an ABC store inDurham. The big rig was making a delivery at a Lone Star restauranton Chapel Hill Boulevard around 9 a.m. Wednesday when authoritiesbelieve the emergency brake was not set, and it rolled right into thefront of the ABC store." If only he'd been creative and used that emergency brake to secure his vehicle when he parked it. :-)

"Stupid people are funny." - me

Reply to
Shag

This is what you wrote. So I assumed that you thought the "handbrake" was not used for parking, but used for emergencies. There are some drivers who actually refer the "handbrake" as the emergency brake, so this should not be confused. I'm used to the straight foreword, use our real names approach. So when someone writes that the parking brake is only used for emergencies, not for parking, I'm assuming that's what he/she means.

The one thing I do like about the older VW manuals is, they get right to the point and I find them well written.

Good, glad we got that straight, the "handbrake" is used for parking and not emergencies. btw: Shag who?

-tom

Reply to
Tom Nakashima

Some drivers also smoke crack. ;-)

, so this should not be confused.

"Stupid people are funny." - me

Reply to
Shag

emergencies.

I just hope you're not one of them, at least if you're driving in back of me on a steep slope, but if you do..."Hit the Handbrake!"

-tom

Reply to
Tom Nakashima

We should use the handbrake (some car?s it is a footbrake like Mercedes) whenever we need it. I use them when brakes fail or to park... It also can be used to avoid a front colisions :-/ Joao

72 Super 1302
Reply to
Joao Eliseu

sure can....you jam the handbrake/footbrake while moving pretty good and you will definitely save the front end, now the rearend is a different story as it comes around...

Reply to
Joey Tribiani

You are right...but it can be you lucky day... :-)

PS: I never use the brakes that way

Joao

72 Super 1302
Reply to
Joao Eliseu

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