The year was 1975, and I was looking for my first car. I think I had seen just about every car in a 30-mile radius from my house that was within my price range.
One afternoon I spotted a gold 1966 VW Beetle in a lot called "Park Towne Motors" In Madison Wisconsin. The car had come from California not long before, and of course this is where someone had decided to paint it Sun Bug Gold. It came with a semi pornographic decal on the driver’s door, which the lot had peeled off along with most of the paint. Inside they had replaced the stock seats with newer high back buckets (and hose clamped them to the seat rails). The gas pedal had been replaced with a big metal pedal in the shape of a bare foot. Regardless I felt immediately attracted to the car. I was warned by a friend not to buy the VW, but my mind was made up.
I don't really remember what I paid for the car now, but I think it was around $900.00. I didn’t understand the fine art of negotiation at that age, but it would have served me well if I had. I soon put more than the sale price of the vehicle into the mechanics of the vehicle.
The first week I had the car I was driving down the highway and the rubber started coming off the tires, they were retreads. $$$ New tires!
The second week the front end fell apart going over some railroad tracks in Lodi Wisconsin - 30 miles from home. $$$ - New Ball Joints!
Starter gave out in the fall and I was broke - I ended up push starting the car most of the early part of the winter, until December 20th...that’s when the engine blew - $$$$$$$ - increased my loan at the bank to pay for a new engine and starter. My Dad who had been telling me for months that "Your going to get killed in that thing!" was a great sport and took me out to pick it up when it was finished.
What else could go wrong now? Hadn't everything pretty much been replaced?!!
Well next was the ignition switch - but I fixed that myself for about three bucks. Then it was the windshield wiper motor and posts - $$$.
As much money as I poured into the bug, the closer I felt to it - it was a great car, and tons of fun!
Finally by the summer of 1976 this bug was mechanically perfect (thanks to Tom of Tom's Barn, one of the greatest Beetle Mechanics I have ever had the pleasure of knowing) and the body was almost perfect too (I had the door repainted just after I bought it, and I had undercoated the car myself). Unfortunately, the vehicle was totaled in the summer of 1976 when an uninsured motorist blew through a stop sign and hit me at 60 miles per hour.
My next beetle came 2 years later and it was a 72 Super Beetle - although I liked it, it was a shadow of the 1966 model. I still missed the 66. The 72 finally rotted out from under me in 1982, and I moved into more family oriented vehicles. Then in 2003 I returned to the VW Family when I found another 1966 Beetle on line. Again I poured a ton of money into that beetle as well, then actually owned two 66 beetles for a while last fall. I have since sold the 66 that I purchased in '03.
My current 1966 Beetle came from California last July and I have taken it completely back to stock, as it would have looked when it rolled off the factory line. It has almost an identical feel to the original bug that I had way back in 1975 - and you know what they say about first cars...
John Martini
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My First Car
Very nice story anyway update us more on your project car and if you need help we are always here to help you out.
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Australian1966
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pachizeron
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Thanks
Thats a really really great story! Really inspiring for me. I have a lot of work to do on my new bug. It kinda feels frustrating at first because its so hard to find original parts.
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