Why we do this...because our cars make peope happy.

If you don't own a thirty year old plus automobile it's sort of hard understanding how much a pain in the ass it is to keep it running, especially if you're not a rich dude who can plunk down money to get an old car restored like it ain't no thing. I bought my car ten years ago about and put a new engine and transmission in it and thought that once I was a rich and succesful professional I'd just finish it and be done with it and then rub it lovingly with a soft cloth diaper. Well, my financial aspirations haven't quite worked out as I hope, and that's partially a fault of the cosmos and partially my own fault. Unfortunately it has an effect on my vehicle restoration goals, which haven't worked out quite as I hoped. My bug, while seemingly mechincally OK (I have to take it in soon to get it looked at before the winter and change all my window seals and replace the muffler), still looks like an old POS, which isn't fair to the car. I'm sure, like any other lady in her thirties, she'd appreciate a little nip and tuck where ever it's possible so I really have to get on the ball with that. Basically, this all leads me to the point I was going to make about my car, which is the pressure I get from lots of peope, most in my own family, to just get rid of the car since it's a financial and emotional drain.

This brings me back to the main point I was going to make. I don't want to get rid of my car because, a) it's a piece of history now. As you can probably guess from the way I dress, talk, feel, and mostly live, I sort of have a neo-hippy attitude at life (ok...not always and especially not lately since my karmic energies have been on the seriously negative side) and this car gives me a physical and emotional connection to the original hippsters that populated our world many many moons ago. The baby-boomers that danced naked in a mud-pit at woodstock, now currently voting republican because their tax rates are low. I don't want to call them sell outs, since it's easy to sell out when you have privat school they have to pay for their kids and stuff like that. I can at least voice my disappointment however. Anywho, it's sort of like, when I listen to the classic rock station and a particular song comes on the radio, I can sort of feel like my car is saying, "yeah..I remember when this song was first on the radio, and we were driving to an anti-nuke rally with Moonbeam and Rainbow with some hash hidden in an old guitar on the back seat...". I'm sort of an anachronistic throw-back to that time and while clubs like the SCA like to re-create the Renaissance, no one is out there recreating the late 60's and the 70's. Well, maybe Ben and Jerry but that isn't enough.

The second reason, is because my car makes people happy. It just does. Last night was another example. I was hanging with some friends and near totally out of gas I stopped at a station to fill up (now costing me $15 to fill up my 8 gallon tank...it never cost me $15 dollars) and this dude in front of me just came up and told me I just totally made his day because when he was younger he bought a car that looked just like mine as his first car, and we got to talking and stuff like that. I get that a lot. I get all kinds of stuff like that...people telling me about a beetle they owned or their parents or their favorite aunty or something and how it ties into one of their favorite memories. I totally dig how it brings people happy memories. And no one ever plays Punch Buick...no one does...it's Punch Buggy...and it's becoming hard since there aren't that many left around. Punch Buggy may potentially die off as a cultural icon if I don't help to preserve it...how much of a bummer would that be?

Anywho, I figured that since I was up so early on a Sunday morning and since there wasn't much else to do I'd post this little story. Keep on truckin' and have a good day. Peace

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Reply to
Mike C.
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.............Another refugee from three decades ago who missed the train while high on cocaine.

.........not a pretty sight, these ex-columnists from VWT.

:-)

Reply to
Tim Rogers

Actually...the train pulled out of the station long before I ever had a chance to buy a ticket. I'm only 4 years older than my 74 Superbeetle :)

Reply to
Mike C.

................. Oh......So your an old hippie wannabe. That's cool....I guess.

Reply to
Tim Rogers

Old hippie here. What do you want ?

Reply to
RSMEINER

Mike:

If that's how you feel man then bully for you. I don't particularly relate to the neo hippy thing even though I am old enough to remember the late 60s. My own views are probably fairly far to the right of yours. I just don't think it really makes a difference. I am not into VWs as a political statement. When I go to a VW show I want to talk to people about their VWs not about what their political or lifestyle choices or whatever are.

I just find something very reassuring and satisfying about playing with and driving them. I am tinkering with my 70 Fastback in the garage tonight. My cat comes and checks out what I am doing while I am trying to get under the dash. Yes, I could probably find something I could convince myself was more important to do, but I find my VW hobby helps give me a little balance to my life. (Is that hippy like? I don't know)

My dad got his first VW in the mid 60s when I was a little guy and their has been one in our family ever since. I have strayed from time to time with other cars but I always come back to AC VWs. I have a seriously rusted out KG conv that in spite of protestations from family and friends, I refuse to get rid of it. I will get it restored someday, to part with it now would be like abandoning the dream.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Doug

Reply to
ddh

WTF do you know, Junior. You have your opinions, and you have an asshole and they are interchangable. KILLFILE.

Reply to
jjs

Naw. He's a youngster for sure.

Reply to
jjs

Figures. May you rust in hell.

Reply to
jjs

Well that's nice. What's you're F*ckin' problem?? I may have neo-hippie traits but I'm still from NYC.

Reply to
Mike C.

JJ is teh funny. DY-NO-MITE!!!

Reply to
Shaggie

He's a d*****ad and you misspelled "your." But seriously. About both things, you yankee, you. :-)

Reply to
Shaggie

That's why you should never write two things at once while you're pissed off. :)

Reply to
Mike C.

Not that I'm one to talk, but.... No, that means you should never write even one thing while you're pissed off, and you should never let some usenet bozo piss you off to start with. ;-)

Reply to
Shaggie

Yeah...you're right. Probably he's over-compensating for something anyhow...feel bad for him really.

Reply to
Mike C.

Don't worry, JJ will bounce back. He's like... DY-NO-MITE!!! :-D

Reply to
Shaggie

Apparently he's pissed because he danced naked in the mud pits at Woodstock and now he votes Republican for the tax breaks. :D

K. John C's proof:

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Reply to
Kidd Andersson

Doug, we must have gone to different schools together years ago. Same here, I don't look at my vw involvement as anything political or as some sorta statement. I just like wrenching on them and drivin' around. My cat doesn't like my bug though, don't think she likes the fweeming noise. Too cold here for any vw work though at the moment. Mike C., yeah it might be a pain in the butt to keep 'em going but the friendly conversations at the gas pump help make it all worth it. Peace dude.

Reply to
Mike64Bug

John C's proof:

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I can safely say that baby boomers did not dance naked in the mud at woodstock.

Reply to
RSMEINER

The truth hurts, man ;)

Reply to
Mike C.

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