Bugs & Bimmers: fond memories then and now

[jgerock]

Just found some old photos from 1982 when I was redoing my 1st car (66 Sunroof VW). I was in the 10th grade and didn't even have my driver's license yet. Both heater channels were toast along with the front and rear bulkheads. Not too bad for $ 50.00. No fancy garage at my old place (also no money to spend on it).

After the "bodywork" and a low-buck paint job, here is the car in 1983 posed next to my neighbor Fritz Kestermann's 2002. How I longed for that car!

And now

[M3M3]

cool comparo!

i like the honda in the background..memories...wife had one of those when we were dating. that was a, ah, couple years before '82...

'78 with my car at the time. gotta get her pic with the "new" MB 75.

[Colin]

My first real car was a 66 bug, too! Thanks for sharing. =)

[HarryPR]

Ahh..Mine was a '64, in Repaint Blue just like the one above. That one was followed by a red '66.

[SCRATCH]

Great pics! Man, I love that old civic!

[c.d.iesel]

my first was a '59 bug

[bluedevils]

I had a 65 too. BTW, Jim is that a super beetle with independent front suspension (no torsion bar) in your garage? Looks like she has a turbo judging from the big ass muffler.

p.s. I have a nice3-point retractable seat belt set up for VWs with all Europe parts (just in case you need some quality...) not too expensive. All the aftermarket belts are shit for those cars.

[M3M3]

don't know if his car is super beattle, but it sure is super looking. cal look show car. stunning.

[nesky45]

Had a 62 bug. Blew the engine in high school, and my girlfriends dad rebuilt it for me. Got me thru College and all I did was change the oil and gas her up. Heater never worked, but lived in SoCal, so never really needed a heater.

Great to see you realized one of your dreams, a souped up VW and a nice 2002.

Craig

[Mike Self]

my first car was a 59 Renault 4CV--which I still have--and drove for 14 years until my wife got the 73 2002 with A/C and I got the '69 BMW (my first new car) to drive. Still have them too.

Her first car was a brand new Ruby Red '63 VW Beetle...

mike

[cliffwarren@yahoo.com]

No money for jackstands either! lol... (I would have approached it in the same way...) Thanks for posting.

[jgerock]

Wow - thanks for all the responses and the added pictures! (someone even hacked into my P-bucket account).

The White Civic was my father's car he bought new. 1975 CVCC with four speed, beige vinyl interior, AM radio and not much else. My sister and I drove the snot out of it when we were in H.S. It ate Midas mufflers like crazy (mainly because my sister would leave the choke cable out and it would backfire like a gun after it was shut off). Absolutely the best winter car we ever had.

The '66 VW was a really bad decision, but I was young, broke and stupid. The entire car was rusted so bad my father and I cut the whole bottom out and a neighbor helped us weld/bolt in another bottom section from a used green '68 Bug. I had new floor pan sections installed and then had continuous brake, clutch and transmission problems for several years. Turns out the left (swing) axle was bent and caused the axle bearing (and housing) to self destruct every 6 months. That car was sold to a friend who fixed it up and totalled it. I replaced the '66 with a '75 Rally Yellow Std. Bug (not a Super) and drove that for a few years and sold it for $ 2,500.00.

Since we didn't have a garage, we didn't have a floor jack. I had to borrow the neighbors jack every time (and it was very often).

My current Bug is indeed a torsion bar VW (not a Super Beetle with McPherson struts)

It has a nice set of 3-point retractable front seat belts that have a hair-trigger ratchet. I don't drive it enough so they are fine (sorry Al).

Here is what I started out with in April 1993

Marshall - we need to find a Pinto Hatchback and re-create your picture with Janice leaning against the '75.

[jgerock]

my first was a '59 bug

My parent's owned a '59 Bug that I was brought home in from the hospital after I was born in March '66. They told me I used to fall asleep behind the back seat when they took trips down to NC. They replaced that with a brand new '68 VW Squareback (bright red with fuel injection AND A/C!). Somewhere, I have a picture with my big sister posed next to it and I also have the A/C operating instructions. Sadly, it had major issues and they traded it in on a new '69 Ford Country Squire Station wagon (390 CI V8 with 2-barrel carb, black vinyl interior with A/C - no fake woodgrain).

[M3M3]

LOL..i had to use my 20 years of IT security experience to hack into your publicly viewable pbucket folder....;-)

finding a pinto that hasn't burned up may be a challenge...

[c.d.iesel]

I removed the rear seat back so I could transport my

'66 FENDER Bassman amp and Guild Starfire bass

to band gigs.

When my friends would hop into the back - their heels

would pop up in the air from no back rest!

4-teens could sit cross-leg'd back there

Great for getting close to the babes

here's a page from the '59 Owner's Handbook

kept the book but the car is probably worm food

someplace now

I sold it and moved on to a used '65 MGB, then on to a Brand-New '71 Honda 600 Coupe