I just wrote a long write up about my bug to submit to autoblog’s Reader Rider of the day. The oringal post is here.
Here is…
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A Friend and I Grow Up
You asked for details so here is a story about my lover, my 1969 VW Beetle. Please check out my flickr set of my favorite photos of the bug and pick your favorites.
This is my 1969 VW Beetle. I have been driving it since I received my license in 2003. The girl was given to my family from my grandpa. Grandpa purchased the car from his daughter (my aunt.) The car had gone through fun high school projects like putting a CD player in. Installing two 12″ subs (started as a joke, and some friends acted on the joke.) Later building a perfect 2.1 cubic/ft sealed-per-speaker sub box for the luggage bin. Then came the CB radio, later a better speaker upgrade with kick-pannels, ‘eyelashes’ for the headlights, auxiliary lights, luggage rack, bike rack… The car and I grew up together, proving our freedom and driving it further than the parents recommended. (Ski trips, dirt road adventures into the mountains.)
I live in Denver, and I love the bug driving days in snow. The recent blizzards we received gave me days to head out, times with the head out of the window, as the front window would never defrost. Hours in the seats, sometimes not going anywhere, big-dream-talks with friends.
A few months we continued with a dead battery. We would find hills to park on, or I learned I could push start it myself on flat land. (Put it in 4th gear, push and push, when you hear rhythm, jump in and give her a squeeze of gas.) There was a night of installing my new $18 fuel pump with a headlamp.
Cylinder 3 had a stuck exhaust valve, but she took me to and from my university for over two months while I found a solution. The solution was found when I picked up a hitchhiker started a conversation about the bug, and introduced me to his vw-fanatic housemate. I bought a motor from the housemate that was sitting in the dirt, with the famous words “it was running when I took it out a year ago.” With no experience I found a partner to help me rebuild this purchased motor. The project was a success; pushing the bug with a new displacement of 1600cc! Speed limits up hills here I come (usually in 3rd gear and high revs.) The ‘new’ motor has been pushing me for over a year (7500+ miles) with no trouble.
The bug has been my daily driver every day since I received my license. Every mile is logged in a spreadsheet with statistics galore. (Don’t ask me what kind of MPG you get with 3 cylinders.)
The motivation to write this comes from the last adventure, of two nights ago. Coming down the freeway at about 60 the back end races around to my right. I attempt to correct- thinking no matter what this is, all the days of playing on the snow will fix this- but it is impossible to correct. The car drives into the guard rail and decelerates. After quick investigation my rear wheels are not parallel, but the passenger-side right is cockeyed out. I believe the spring plate rusted through, and the rear wheel turned and pulled the rear end (towards the guard rail.) Motherhood-adrenenle let me bend out the fenders with my hands, and I was able to drive it like a crab for a few hundred feet out of the way of trouble. I think this was her life. *deep breath* Fenders, bumpers, paint, and repair is too much for the college budget, watch out craigslist.
I enjoyed her, and I know all of the passengers did. I’ll miss the gas smell she always seemed to leave on me after a long drive.
Anyone have Linear Algebra and Its Applications, (preferably the 3rd edition) floating around? Will repay in (1) free dinner with yours truly, redeemable anytime during borrowing-ship.