One for Randyo

[Stig / Major Tom]

This Vanagon in Yellow Springs was pristine....and I wasn't the only person looking at it!

We took the pup for a little socializing after a good walk in the park. She doesn't get to town often.

Everything fascinated her! Y.S. was packed as usual.


It was a gorgeous day.



I had a Shot-in-the-Dark from Dino's, with a xtra shot of expresso. (=3) Ladies had something brown....


that same street....at 6AM.


Stig

[Neil955i]

Lovely photos as ever Stig.  Thanks.

[randyo]

how do you know what gear yer in, my son said to me

and I told him just to push the floor shifter in that general direction, it'll find it's way

[Stig / Major Tom]

how do you know what gear yer in, my son said to me

and I told him just to push the floor shifter in that general direction, it'll find it's way

I had my local German/auto shop (BUG HUT) put Red Line in - made the shifting a lot smoother - especially in the winter!
I sold our Vanagon GL because the owner of the Bug Hut retired. It had been so nice to have an old VW mechanic doing the work - rather than the kids at the dealer. I could drop it off and walk to work - was ready at quitting time. Two quirky things - At replacement time - discovered that Micheline did not sell in the USA the tires it came with. And, it was made in Austria.

Here I am getting it cleaned up for sale, after 20 yrs. Similar color wife's Jetta GL just in the pic. Both were great cars! Kept the 91 Vanagon (bought new @ $18,500*) for 20 yrs, the 89 Jetta a little longer. Always thought the Vanagon color was pretty classy - but it was like waxing a 3 bedroom house! (used a stepladder) Brother managed a Porsche/Audi dealership and got me a nice Blaupunkt at cost! Slid right in.

Removed the head-rests, unclipped that back seat , it slid forward and then laid back. With that mattress over the engine compartment - it made a comfy bed. Some discussion that daughter #4 was created there! ("a VW baby")



Stig
*bought my first cream-over-orange Vanagon the first year they came out. Was it 1980?, air-cooled. At that time the Vanagon was the most expensive VW ever sold in the USA - baby was $10,000 !! Horrible MPG's! Slow off the line and thirsty - wonderful combination!
Early magazine ads called the new Vanagon "the Porsche of vans!" Its handling compared ot US barges.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Lovely photos as ever Stig.  Thanks.

That's amazing!
Never seen anything like that.
Thanks Neil.
Stig

[randyo]

I've been in a sports car frame of mind, looking at Ghia's

the pretty ones are big $ and ones that still cost 4x new need big work

[Iahawk]

I can't tell you the last time I saw a Karmann Ghia around here! I knew 2 girls who drove them in high school back in the 80's and a hippie art teacher in elementary school drove one in the 70's. Here in Iowa we salt the roads too much for old cars to survive.

Mustie1 is a youtuber from somewhere in the NE US..he works on lots of old VWs and has done a number of vids on refreshing old Karmann Ghias.

Good looking cars but as you said, getting very expensive to find a nice one.

[randyo]

I can't tell you the last time I saw a Karmann Ghia around here! I knew 2 girls who drove them in high school back in the 80's and a hippie art teacher in elementary school drove one in the 70's. Here in Iowa we salt the roads too much for old cars to survive.

Mustie1 is a youtuber from somewhere in the NE US..he works on lots of old VWs and has done a number of vids on refreshing old Karmann Ghias.

Good looking cars but as you said, getting very expensive to find a nice one.

even empty stripped bodies w no engine are going for $15k, restored examples going for $50k, for a car that cost $1,800 new in '67  Engine no big deal, easy enough to build one, the one I posted the pic is a '67, first year 12volt but still old style bumpers, would be the ideal year

Salt eats cars here in NH too

[Stig / Major Tom]

even empty stripped bodies w no engine are going for $15k, restored examples going for $50k, for a car that cost $1,800 new in '67  Engine no big deal, easy enough to build one, the one I posted the pic is a '67, first year 12volt but still old style bumpers, would be the ideal year

Salt eats cars here in NH too

I paid $2120.00 OTD for my new '71 Beetle. Ghias were @ $700 more....but repairing that nose always worried me.


All my buds in the Army had to keep putting $ into their American cars - So I was determined to buy a VW, or a Rolls Royce.
2 year warranty~!.

Stig

[wymple]

My cousin bought a new red Ghia fresh out of the military way back when. It was cool, neat little car, but sure was a dog.

[randyo]

I paid $2120.00 OTD for my new '71 Beetle. Ghias were @ $700 more....but repairing that nose always worried me.


All my buds in the Army had to keep putting $ into their American cars - So I was determined to buy a VW, or a Rolls Royce.
2 year warranty~!.

Stig

2120 otd with an 1840 sticker, ? my first car was a '68 Beetle. I bought it used, but remember a $1,7xx sticker still in the glove box

wish I kept it, I thought I was stepping up in the world when I sold the Bug and bought a '72 Vega

[Viper254]

I walk past a VW van most days (will do in the next hour with the dog) that's been hand painted orange from top to bottom - still going though, and somebody must love it I guess!

[Neil955i]

I walk past a VW van most days (will do in the next hour with the dog) that's been hand painted orange from top to bottom - still going though, and somebody must love it I guess!

Yeah, we got an old VW Campervan in the village which I see occasionally.

[randyo]

I sold our Vanagon GL because the owner of the Bug Hut retired. It had been so nice to have an old VW mechanic doing the work - rather than the kids at the dealer.

used to be a guy like that here, Skip's Bug Barn. He won a lottery and retired,
I wouldn't trust the local dealer with anything air cooled, they didn't become a VW dealer till after VW stopped making em. Before that, they were a Yamaha motorcycle dealer

I was still a DIY guy when I had  VW's