Been doing a lot of thinking plotting scheming about my Volkswagen lately. If I had the finances to get all the work done, there'd be a lot less plotting and scheming and a lot more driving. But them's the breaks.A couple weekends ago, we went to a small VW show and drag race not far from here. It was hotter then 40 hells, but still fun. (How could two vintage Beetles dragracing NOT be fun?) Got a few things for my car, looked over some nice rides and walked away having caught the Vee-Dub illness all over again. Since then, I've been digging through my stash of old "VW Trends" and "Hot VWs" maganzines (pornography for car nuts), flipping through catalogs and trolling the web. Oh, and just standing in the driveway looking at my car. Man, I got it bad.
One thing I've noticed about old Volkswagens is that the people associated with them are NICE, and they're almost all perefectly willing to spend some time telling you how they got a certain thing on their car a certain way. I believe the word is "helpful," one you don't hear too much these days.
There are few little things that need to be taken care of with my car, a '74 Standard (as in not Super) Beetle. Recently got a set of used EMPI 8-spoke rims; they've been cleaned but not restored. The windshield has a crack (courtesy of I-40). The new shocks need to be put on. And there's a dime-sized rust spot on the passenger side that needs some attention.
Then there's the big problem, which I'm afraid is my fault. The turn signals stopped working and it was due for an inspection. So, I went lookng for the hazard light switch--all sorts of electrical stuff runs through that switch. As it turns out, the switch for the '74 is a one-year-only part, and not too easy to find. I made a buncha calls and was told by a guy at a place out in California that they had one that would work. It didn't work. And to top it all off, the brand-new battery has now been drained to nothing. So, basically, right now my vintage VW is a large yellow paperweight. And I'm not too happy about it.
I've vowed to get the car running, spiffed up a bit and back on the road over the next couple months. Fall is a great time to cruise around in an old car, and I'm not gonna let it pass me by.
(By the way, the photo of the sweet custom Beetle was snagged offa cal-look.com.The one on the right is mine, taken just after I bought it.)
