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Across the Fence:  The Saga of my 1971 VW Bug  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 09 2006 : 08:58:01 AM
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I am sure my bug started out life as a new, clean, shiny, and happy
bug. I am also sure that it drove for many years running smoothly and
making many people have bruised arms as their siblings yelled "Slug
Bug! No Slugs back!"
However, as happy as this imagined past is, somewhere along my bug's
journey it came into the well meaning, but slightly ignorant hands of
a boy in Colfax. After a few years in this boy's care, the bug had
many new modifications- some of which did not work at all. At this
point in the bug's life it came into my possession.
For over a year I worked on the poor thing. And just when I got it
running- the parts that NAPA had sold me- failed! Not once- but
twice! In the same day! Luckily two kindly families helped me out
that day- one that helped me to get to and fro from the bug (Rockin
Heart Ranch) and the family who fixed it for me.
As the summer went on, the bug was my main transportation to and from
work. I know that Nancy Wight (my boss) worried about me each time I
drove the bug. One day the bug's sun roof mysteriously shattered while
at the Ranch. (Bug=Minus one window) Then one day the starter decided
to stop working. The one I had _just_ bought in April of 2006! You
guessed it folks! Yet another part from my friendly NAPA store! But
I still love my NAPA store and I am sure that it is just a fluke that
my parts were faulty.
Anyway, so the Bug sat idle and somewhat abandoned on the side of the
road from mid July to now. Since August it has been the victim of a
window shoot out spree across Moscow (Bug=now minus two windows).
Then about a week or so ago, someone (probably drunk) decided to hit
and run on the poor thing (Bug= crushed driver side door, minus 3
windows). Then tonight at the wonderful hour of 4am some loving and
kind person decided to commit vehicular brushicide (Apartment complex
across the road is now minus one Juniper bush) and somehow decided to
attack the rear of the bug. The final count on the poor thing is- 1
shattered Sun Roof, 1 Crushed driver side door, 1 shot out driver side
rear window, 1 crushed and twisted engine compartment, 1 shattered
rear window, and several various damages such as broken and crushed
tail lights etc.
So the sad saga of the bug ends with me seeing it towed away. The
really sad thing? I had made deal to sell the bug to a family that
was going to repair and use the bug. The only reason they did not
take it yesterday was I asked for a money order instead of accepting a
personal check!
I hope you all enjoyed the Saga of My Bug and feel sorry for the poor
abused thing. Thanks to Moscow Police department for catching the guy
who was so brazen as to commit brushicide and bugicide in same evening!
*side note- the poor guy that commited bugicide ended up in a coma for a few hours and has no memory of the accident. He feels really bad about it all and I don't hold it against him. There were other circumstances involved*
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2006 : 09:44:21 AM
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| Nope- it had the normal vinyl seats. Poor things... I love bugs and I hate to see them "die" |
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Carol
Moderator/MaryJane's Design Diva
452 Posts
Carol
Moscow
Idaho
USA
452 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2006 : 10:04:09 AM
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Dear Alee.
My 1971 VW Bug (Margarita) and I are so sad to hear of your poor bug's fate (but happy to read her lovely obit)! I hadn't seen her sitting on the side of the road in my Moscow travels, or we might have been tempted to rescue her! I'm glad to report that Margarita is still running strong and has escaped any bugicides, drive-by shooting sprees, and brushicides - and she's been immortalized in our magazine! And I just love the thought of driving a 35-year-old car. Neither of us is getting any younger, but in the meantime, we're livin large!
Carol
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, red wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOO HOO, what a ride!'"
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2006 : 10:17:11 AM
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Carol- I think I drove behind you when Leo (my bug) was running. It was sometime in April or May and I saw the Farmgirl Sticker on your car. I would have honked but Leo's horn was not installed at the time. It was on South Mountain View heading to Palouse River drive.
He was black although he started out the Pacific Blue color. He did not like to idle- which I had just found out on Saturday to be because his carb was not fully secured. Other than that he ran fine.
My dad is the original owner of a 1970 bug. That was the first car that was "mine". I named him Mortis Oliver Phoenix- Mortis because in the book "On a Pale Horse" Mortis was the name of Death's horse. (Considering how easily bugs can roll I figured it was apt). Also Mortis had the engine from a bug named Oscar- but I just couldn't put Oscar in his name so I opted for an "O" name instead. An Phoenix because as often as he died- we kept fixing and resurrecting him. Literally from the flames once (My dad caught him on fire when replacing a fuel pump once. Silly dad- Disconnect the battery first!!)
Anyway- Leo only had gotten the one name so far. I figured he needed a brave name (Leo the Lion) since he had been through so much.
If you are driving past Auto Body Super Center you can see the poor crushed remains... |
Edited by - Alee on Oct 09 2006 10:18:30 AM |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2006 : 12:58:39 PM
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When I was a young gal of 18, I bought my bug. It was a 1967, navy with white interior, and it sold for 1545.00. My payments monthly were 45.00 and my sister swore I would never be able to make the payments. She was so wrong!!!!! :)
Oh how I loved my bug. She was so pretty and I washed her weekly and she went through snow banks like a champ. I kept her for only four short years, and I cried when I saw her second owner drive her away. My first hubby sold her and it was my little crack at independence that I saw leaving my life. Looking back, I should have kept the bug and my independence!
Peace |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2006 : 06:57:11 AM
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I was not the owner of a BUG but a Carmen Ghia during HS and part of college. It came to me as a $50.00 lemon yellow goofy car that was fun to drive and oh so good on gas. "Sunny" (for sunshine) was a very good car as it carted me back and forth to three jobs,classes and home from the "wicked city" on the weekends. I had 4 roomates who all kept very different schedules and there was only 2 hours out of the whole week that we all were usually gone. In that time frame, a mysterious moving van came and packed up the entire contents of our apartment and took "Sunny" who was having a "sick day" at home! Oh how I missed that car, it was never the same! Flash forward 20 years...I am out walking in what was my "new" neighborhood and I spot a lemon yellow Carmen Ghia! I approach slowly thinking how can this be but somehow I know THIS IS MY CAR! Not many improvements have been made but someone is driving this car as it is registered and has current plates! Just as I am about to get down and see if the hidden key box is still where I hid it a voice says "CAN I HELP YOU WITH SOMETHING?"
So I tell this gentleman my tale and he starts to look uncomfortable so I reach down and pull out the key box (which also had an address label stuck in it w/ my name!) Now he looks really ill! He and his son bought the car at a salvage yard and have been restoring it on weekends. He starts to get nervous and asks if I would like to call the police. I told him that I was paid when the car was stolen so I
think the car truly belongs to him and his son now. I don't know how they ended up with a legit title but that is a job for Columbo! The fun part is that they stop by and give me updates on the car and ask my opinion about something they might do to it!
So Alee... Leo may still have some life left in him OR you may be passing bits and pieces of him all over Moscow! Carol! Do you need any parts?!!!
with a happy heart |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2006 : 04:39:51 AM
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Wow, Bramble, what an amazing story!!!!
By the way, with everybody telling the names of their cars - mine was Volksy. I wonder if Volksy is around anywhere anymore?
Peace |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2006 : 05:55:12 AM
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I guess it really is true that real life is stranger than fiction!
with a happy heart |
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sleepless reader
True Blue Farmgirl
1022 Posts
CA
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2006 : 1:24:25 PM
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I used to have a '67 VW squareback wagon. Loved that car. Sorry to hear your bug is gone, but hopefully to greener pastures....um, parking spots????
Sharon
Life is messy. Wear your apron! |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2006 : 3:17:47 PM
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Well, after I was single again....and still in my early 20's, I bought a VW 412 wagon. It also was blue, and I could haul stuff! Supposedly it had a porsche engine, but still air cooled, so you had to keep going if you wanted heat! No sitting still! Or it would fill with smoke! I loved that wagon, too, but it finally threw a rod. It (to me) was so cool to look at, and was all mine!
Peace |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2006 : 04:59:35 AM
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Mine was not a bug but a 1972 Renault LeCar. It was also bright yellow.. How I loved that car, you could park on a dime. 45 miles/gallon.
I sold it when I started working at a domestic (Big Three) automaker.... I really, really wish I had kept it.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2006 : 09:37:35 AM
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Brenda- We had one at home too! I think Dad thought none of us would drive "that ugly orange crate" but I loved it! It's what I drove after "Sunny" was abducted until I was married! No repairs EVER and the gas mileage was phenomenal! I had one friend who used to make comments everytime I drove up like "Who knew you could drive a shoe?!" and "Did you bring the shoe horn so we can all get in?" It was tiny but it was fun!
with a happy heart |
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KarenP
True Blue Farmgirl
666 Posts
Karen
Chippewa Falls
Wisconsin
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2006 : 3:42:13 PM
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Bramble,
The yellow Carmen Ghia brings back memories, a friend in high school had a convertible one.
Boy,did we think we were hot stuff riding around in it!
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
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Across the Fence: The Saga of my 1971 VW Bug |
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The Saga of my 1971 VW Bug
