From: jgladu@bcm.tmc.edu (grungy (John F. Gladu))
Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw
Subject: Re: Car Collections
Followup-To: rec.autos.vw
Date: 7 Jan 1993 18:28:41 GMT
Organization: Systems Support Center, BCM
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: j.ssctr.bcm.tmc.edu

In article <1993Jan6.164336.8859@nntp.nta.no>,
BARANSKI@veamf1.nusc.navy.mil (Jim Baranski) wrote:
> 
> I gather form various people's posts that some people have quite a collection
> of VW's...
[lots of self-justification :-) deleted]
> Anyway, sorry to ramble on like that, I hope it was entertaining, but how you
> do justify your collection of VWs?

I've only sold one of the cars that I've ever owned. It was a '61 Bug with
the entire right side caved in (still ran).  Sold the engine to a friend
and the body to some crazies...

My first Bug, a '71 Super Beetle, was burnt while in the shop - someone was
apparently upset with my mechanic... I have great pictures!  Glass all
melted, aluminum all melted, engine a lump of slag with an iron core...
*sigh*

Second Bug, a '72 Super Beetle,  was broadsided and totalled - I stripped
every nut and screw off of it and saved them and the engine went in my '61
Panel after a rebuild.

Bug three, a '68 named "Frunobulax", is sitting in my barn in La Grange
waiting for me to have time to work on it.  What does it need?  New
floorboards, new engine, new front end (it turns RIGHT!), new back window,
new upholstery, new tires, new engine cover.  I'm thinking of 'bajaing' it
out to use on the ranch.  The front of the body is a mess from a previous
wreck (before I owned it) and the easiest fix would be to just cut it off
and replace it with BajaBug stuff; also, I like the ease of access to the
engine that cutting off all of the back of the body gives you.  Time and
money will determine the progress of this one.

Bug four, a '69 (I think) named "Bertha", is sitting in a friend's airplane
hanger.  What does it need?  Full restoration.  My wife GAVE me this car as
a birthday present several years ago (before she was even my fiance).  She
knew that she would always be able to get it back, no matter how far down
the line...
Rusted pan, no engine, new transmission, new upholstery, minor body work,
paint, new wheels and tires (it came with unbelievably tiny mags in front
and unbelievably huge mags in the rear (with air shocks)), brakes.  Someday
I want to do this one right and give it to our daughter, who is now two
years old.  It may take that long to do it.  Then again, we may not be
allowed to drive things like that in 14 years.  Who knows?

And the Bozobus, a '61 double-double-door panel van.  [My baby]  We bought
him from the Rice University Campus Store in '76 with 13,000 miles on him. 
200,000+ on him now.  Body is rough, some rust, the Rustoleum fence paint I
put on him ten years ago needs replacing, the tranny is going, but...

My justification: I'm a pack-rat.  I rarely throw anything away.  I have
acquired the items and I have the means of storing them.  What other
justification do I need?  When something breaks, it's nice to go out to the
barn and dig out a spare...

I'm also storing a lot of my brother's VW and Honda stuff in the barn.
[To the purists who will object to even this tiny reference to a Japanese
product here - they're parts from Honda 600 sedans and coupes - 2-cylinder
air-cooled engines - not as wonderful as VWs, but still air-cooled (and
damned hard to find top-end parts for...)

I've owned vehicles since '73 and they've all been air-cooled. No H20.

grungy (John Gladu)
Systems Support Center -- Baylor College of Medicine
INTERNET: jgladu@bcm.tmc.edu  | VOICE: (713)798-7370
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