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Across the Pond and Into the Heart - Owner: Jodie Schaefer
There's a moment every Volkswagen enthusiast knows well, the moment you see "the one". After months of scanning classifieds, obsessively refreshing auction listings, and daydreaming about road trips yet to come, the perfect bus finally appears. For Jodie Schaefer, that moment arrived with a right-hand-drive 1972 Devon Moonraker parked thousands of miles away in the United Kingdom. On paper, importing a vintage VW across the Atlantic shouldn't have made sense. But sometimes numbers bend for destiny. "I never really thought it would be possible to bring him home across the pond," Jodie recalls. "But after crunching numbers and handling all the logistics, not only did it make perfect sense-it actually came in under budget!" And just like that, the adventure began.
Milo, the name that stuck the moment she saw him, is more than a Bus. He's a feeling. A memory. A rolling time capsule. The 1972 Devon Moonraker conversion gives him a distinctive stance and unmistakable retro charm, while the right-hand-drive setup adds an extra dash of personality rarely seen on North American roads. But something was missing. Milo had good bones, classic lines, and a warm soul, but he needed Jodie's touch.
One of the greatest joys of owning a vintage Volkswagen is the freedom to create. These vehicles don't demand perfection; they invite personality. "What I think is so amazing about a vintage VDub is the leeway you get to be creative," Jodie says. And so the transformation began, not with wrenches, but with imagination. First came a treasure hunt for genuine '70s accessories, each piece stirring memories of her childhood. Then came the boldest step: a Saturday afternoon decision to give Milo a "fauxtina" makeover.
What started as enthusiasm quickly turned into a lesson every vintage VW owner learns eventually-respect the art. "I got in over my head," she admits with a laugh. But a call to a talented friend who specialized in this type of work set everything right. Together, they crafted the perfect look, blending nostalgia with style. Flowers bloomed across Milo's panels. Then came the unexpected twist: a sidekick trailer, which of course needed the same custom aesthetic. Because when you commit to a vision, you commit fully-and Jodie did.
Today, Milo is far more than a restored Bus, he's a companion that radiates joy. "I smile every time I'm able to cruise around, heck, I smile every time I look at him," Jodie says. And Milo is just one star in the Schaefer family's growing constellation of air-cooled VWs. A '71 Squareback and a '68 Beetle round out the lineup, each with its own story and personality. With them has come something unexpected and priceless: community. Anyone who has ever owned an air-cooled Volkswagen knows the phenomenon, strangers become friends, weekends fill with shows and cruises, and suddenly you have a family you never knew you were missing. "We've met so many fabulous people and made really great friends through the VW community," Jodie shares.
But for her, the greatest gift is quieter and more personal. Milo has become a bridge between generations. "It's such a fun hobby," she says. "But for me, the best added bonus is spending quality time with my aging father. He loves joining me for cruises, he's my car show sidekick. I feel blessed to have this time with him." Milo's story didn't begin with Jodie, but it's thriving because of her. Every accessory added, every mile driven, every moment shared with her father or with newfound friends adds another layer to his history. This is what makes vintage Volkswagens magical. They're not just vehicles, they're storytellers. They carry the past, thrive in the present, and, with the right caretaker, promise a bright and meaningful future. And for Milo, that future looks beautiful.
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The Second Act - Owner: Mark Richmond
Some Volkswagens just live a charmed life. This 1967 Karmann Ghia Convertible - finished in radiant L554 Cherry Red - is one of those cars. Born on April 28th, 1967 at Ted Trudon Volkswagen in Talcottville, Connecticut, this particular Ghia has had the kind of well-traveled, well-preserved journey that would make any air-cooled enthusiast lean in a little closer. Its first four decades were spent quietly aging with dignity under the stewardship of three different owners in New York and New Jersey. In 1992, a New Jersey title application documented just 66,766 miles - a number that would barely budge in the decades to come. After a 15-year stay in Jersey, the Ghia made a brief stopover in Illinois before landing in California in 2008, where its second act would begin in earnest.
There, a passionate Ghia enthusiast took ownership and opted for what he called a "minimally invasive" restoration - a careful process of preservation over transformation. The results speak volumes. In 2012, the car was selected for display at a vintage Volkswagen showcase at a dealership in Alhambra, California - a well-deserved spotlight for a survivor of this caliber. When the dealership sold off its vintage collection in 2020, the Ghia was picked up by a private collector who continued to keep its mileage frozen in time. I acquired the car from him in August 2021. The odometer read just 66,985 miles - a mere 219 miles added in nearly three decades. Let that sink in.
One of only 4,183 Karmann Ghia Convertibles produced for the 1967 model year, this car is a rolling example of Volkswagen's transitional design language - where '60s flair met evolving safety regulations. For Ghia nerds, '67 is a gold mine of one-year-only parts: two-speed wiper switch, unique armrests, seat belts, window cranks, and that distinctive rearview mirror. The car retains its original air-cooled 1500cc flat-four engine - still purring, still reliable. Inside, the story is the same: stock and original throughout, with the exception of a fresh set of German square weave carpets. The black convertible top was replaced using factory-correct materials and trim, and every chrome piece has been re-plated. The seals? Replaced where needed. And impressively, the original floor pans remain untouched - a true rarity in any VW of this vintage.
Glass throughout is factory "Sekurit", and yes - it's all original. The 15" steel wheels, powder-coated in black, wear a fresh set of Coker BF Goodrich whitewalls, while the hubcaps and beauty rings are either NOS or preserved originals. Even the trunk houses the original vinyl insert, vintage spare, and correct jack. Open the driver's door and you're met with an untouched dashboard hosting the original speedometer, fuel gauge, and analog clock. The five-digit odometer? Still ticking, still telling the truth. We call her "Joan" - after Joan Holloway from "Mad Men", that flame-haired office manager with unforgettable curves. It seemed only fitting. She shares the garage with her coupe sibling "Sophia", named in honor of Sophia Loren - another curvaceous icon of Italian design. But Joan is more than just a beautiful face.
She's a symbol of something rare: a nearly untouched, unmolested, well-documented survivor in a world full of over-restored show queens. And because of her originality, she still retains all those one-year-only components that can make restoring a '67 Ghia a parts-hunting nightmare - ignition switch, mirrors, seats, and countless other hard-to-find details. Joan's not just a car. She's a time capsule. A love letter to the era when Volkswagen wasn't just a car maker, but a cultural movement. And as long as she's in our care, that story - her story - will keep rolling.
Got the Funk - Owner: Paul Meyers
For Paul Meyers, the Volkswagen journey began long before he had a license-or even much of a memory. As a baby, he rode in his family's blue Bay Window Bus, unknowingly absorbing the vibe that would one day become a lifelong passion. But it was during his early teens that the real spark ignited. "My best friend's dad had a few VW Bugs and would take us to local VW shows," Paul recalls. "That's when I really got hooked." One particularly vivid early memory? That same friend's dad asked the boys-just 13 at the time-to move his VW Bug across the street. The only problem? The car was still in gear. "He just stood there laughing as we tried to push it around," Paul says, chuckling. "We had no idea what we were doing."
Fast forward a few decades, and Paul has owned no fewer than 15 Volkswagens-12 air-cooled classics and 3 water-cooled GTIs. But none have captivated him quite like his pride and joy: a 1966 Volkswagen Bus he discovered in Los Angeles. "I don't really know the history of it," Paul says. "But that gave me the freedom to make it completely my own." And *make it his own* he did. The Bus now features a fully updated drivetrain, including a straight axle transmission, a 1776cc engine with dual carburetors, and an electronic ignition system. Paul didn't stop there-he overhauled the entire suspension setup with a 4-inch narrowed front beam, 1-inch narrowed control arms, 5-inch drop spindles, and four-wheel disc brakes.
The standout modification? A full air-ride suspension system, custom fabricated by Paul himself and managed with an Accuair air management system. To top it off-literally-the Bus received a full 21-Window roof conversion, complete with 3-inch front and 2-inch rear tub raises. "It rides on 17x7-inch Airkweld smoothies, and I added all the details to give it character," he says. Those details include a roof rack, hand-fabricated ladder, Safari windows front and back, early pressed bumpers, and even handmade curtains for a touch of retro flair.
While the Bus has yet to debut at any major VW shows, it's a regular at local car meets and weekend cruises. Paul also takes it camping, enjoying it as a "weekend fun car" rather than a garage queen. Now that his matching 1963 "Lil Loafer" trailer is complete, he has his sights set on attending larger VW events where both builds can shine. Of course, like many vintage projects, the Bus isn't without its flaws. "There's still a bunch of rust and rot I need to fix," Paul admits. "But that's a whole new can of worms. Right now, I just want to enjoy it."
When asked if he'd ever sell the Bus, Paul doesn't hesitate. "No way. It's a big part of our family," he says. "My wife would divorce me if I did!" he adds, only half-joking. And that connection-to the vehicle, the people, and the culture-is what keeps Paul so deeply involved in the VW community. "I like owning a VW because they have *funk* to them," he says. "Everyone gets enjoyment from it, young and old. You can create them to have any type of style you want-from cheap hippie vans to expensive custom show rigs." At the end of the day, Paul Meyers' '66 Bus is more than just an old van with shiny wheels and custom mods. It's a rolling piece of history, a personal expression of creativity, and a vessel of joy that brings smiles wherever it goes. "It's truly the People's Car," Paul says with a grin. And for him, it always will be.
The Dream - Owner: Chris Eanes
When you are young there are dreams that you have and sometimes, they just don't work out the way that you had planned. My '64 Seablau Type 1 fits that description. The dream was always to build a 60's muscle car and take epic road trips just like the stories that we read in every car magazine on the rack that flashed massive amounts of chrome and over the top paint jobs. In a life that was started young with car culture and winters waiting for the World of Wheels to come to my home town. I had visions of Barris Kustoms, Linda Vaughn signing autographs and guys trying to sell you the latest and greatest waxes and polishes for your special ride. It was a foregone conclusion that someday dreams would come true. Well, I did achieve my dreams but in quite a completely different way. Build my own car. Take it on epic road trips. Take home trophies from lots of car shows.
That brings us to ten years ago. My dad tells me that he has bought a Volkswagen. A '71 Super Beetle that started the new chapter in our journey down the road of life. If one car is fun, then two must be better. What I didn't know was he had already planned the next project. I was shown a Ruby Red basket case that would eventually become the car that you see today. No timeline was set on completion and no expectations were set up front. Just a father and son project that was never planned that way. At the time I was working a job that afforded me the time to devote to this project without taking away from any other obligation that I had. It was almost like the perfect time for this to happen.
Months go by and I would get little updates on the progress that was being made in the body work and the chassis. It was a long winter and much work was done. Spring came along with the call that it was time to bring it home. Flat towed to Pop's garage as it was called then. A two-car garage that had just enough room to do what we needed comfortably. That is where we completed our project and had the best time doing it. A couple hours a day. If you got frustrated just walk away for a while. Get a major part in? Sounds like a good time to stop to us. This process went on for several months. We learned a lot. For such a simple platform there are a lot of little parts that are needed to build a complete, reliable and solid car.
The first test drive took place with no glass installed and one seat. It was quite the accomplishment. After that day we were on a mission to complete the build. This is not unfamiliar to the era that this car came from when NASA had "go fever" to put people into space. Now was the time to start tweaking and tuning. Dialing in and shaking down. Not one part was untouched during the restoration but it took a while to get us to a solid car. A little bit about that. We went with a forty horsepower, pretty standard 1200cc to drive the platform. The only thing that we really changed was adding electronic ignition. For what it is the car drives extremely well. Build a car, check. Now on to the next steps. One of the first trips that we took with this car was to Tampa. What an epic trip.
By old car standards it couldn't have gone better. There is nothing better than being on the open road in a vintage car and seeing the smiles on the faces of other people passing you as you gently motor along. Epic road trip, check. The third dream came from the judges of the car shows that were attended. There is no greater compliment than being recognized by your peers for the hard work that you went through to accomplish your dreams. Be recognized, check.Looking back over the times I have had with "Bluto" as he is known, has been great times. I got to live out my dreams even if they didn't start the way they were intended. The major bonus, that was never thought of, was the time that I got to spend and still look forward to spending with my father. He has been the catalyst in this journey and I am forever grateful for his presence and gifts in my life.
The World's Oldest T34 - Owner: Lee Hedges
With a long history of restoring vintage VWs, Lee Hedges from San Diego California has spent the past 40 years focusing on the Type 34 Karmann Ghia models. Since his first one in 1987, Lee has owned ten. Type 34s are tough to restore properly since there are few NOS parts, even fewer reproduction parts, and the quality of existing T34s for sale is usually poor. Never sold in American VW dealerships, the T34 was typically brought into the USA by servicemen and tourists. And today there are more T34s in America than any other country, likely because there are fewer restrictions to drive them than other countries.
When you hear "world's oldest T34" you'd expect it to be from Germany or a nearby European country. But #0 001 200 was discovered in Arizona USA. With no history prior to 2005, there's no idea how it got into the USA. It's the oldest known T34 chassis number in the T34 World database of 1800+ T34s, collected over the past 40 years. Tim Miller found it in 2007 and spent a decade finding the missing parts before offering the incomplete body shell and chassis to Lee in 2016. From the day he got it home, Lee knew there would be only one path for this historic T34, a frame-off full stock restoration with no regrets and no compromises.
The Karmann factory built body shells that were then mated to completed rolling chassis built by VW. Each T34 was hand-stamped with a consecutive number, hiding underneath the body identification plate riveted to the front compartment. Karmann began at 100 and this T34 has 111, making it the 11th T34 built. Production date is 06 November 1961, only a month after the entire VW 1500 series were introduced at the Frankfurt International Auto Show.
The coachbuilt body was stripped to bare metal, and the small rusty areas were cutout& welded. The rusty dash had been hacked to fit larger Porsche 356 gauges, so a donor 1962 T34 was bought in eastern Canada and shipped to California. The floor pans were replaced with stock Type 3 pans. And the left-rear tail light base metal was replaced, as it had been dented beyond repair. After 12 months in the body shop it was painted single-stage Sea Blue L360.2, a lighter greener version than the Sea Blue L360.1 on 1959-60 KGs.
Over the past 30 years Lee had been buying parts for use on a special T34, and this was the one. As the 1962 did not come with most of its parts, he needed everything. Dash pads, seats, rims, turn signal lever, tail lights, bumpers, lights, gauges, switches, and 1962-only scripts and emblems. In April 2024 the "wedding ceremony" was held with a dozen of Lee's best amigos helping to lift the painted body onto the restored chassis. And over the next 75 days his amigo Pedro Sainz completed the fitting of Shadow Blue carpet, Ice Blue seats, interior panels, and Ice Blue headliner. A new wiring harness was installed. Windows and seals were fitted, scripts added, body height adjusted, and mechanical components dialed-in. It was back on the road in July 2024, 63 years after it was born.
A few accessories make the T34 more useful. Looking at the gauges, the bent full-circle horn ring gives the driver great visibility and looks cool. The Blaupunkt Frankfurt AM/FM radio with NOS Bosch blue-tip antenna provide tunes from the DIN port connected to Lee's smartphone playlist. The ivory Kamei under-dash parcel tray stores phone, glasses, and wallet. The thin 0.75" whitewall radial BF Goodrich tires add elegance. And the lap seat belts provide safety for the lucky passengers cruising down the roads of San Diego.
A Father-Daughter Story - Owner: Casey Fortson
My name is Casey Fortson, I am 25 years old, and this is my father-daughter VW story. My father Chris Eller and I have always tinkered with and built things as a hobby together, as a way to bond. At a very young age, my father assisted me with building skateboards and as I got older, we progressed to restoring and building vintage bicycles. Once we got the hang of that, we decided to build a car. We toyed with the idea of building a Volkswagen Beetle because, at the time, it was my dream for a first car.
So, in 2012, we started on the hunt for a solid Beetle. We found a 1979 Volkswagen Super Beetle Convertible in Ohio and my father drove up there from North Carolina to go and pick it up. Once he got it back home, we noticed the whole car was leaning to one side. We began to tear it down and noticed that it had been hit in the front end. The frame head was twisted, and the previous owner had replaced the front clip of the car with one which was completely rusted out and couldn't be saved.
In an effort to try and fix this car, we bought another one in South Carolina which we thought was better, and it was just as rusted as the first one after we had it sand blasted. Unfortunately, we ended up scrapping both of those cars and parting them out. My father and I had just about given up the car building experience when our friend mentioned that his father had a dune buggy and that would be a great way to salvage the parts we had left.
So, we scoured FaceBook Marketplace, and we found the perfect donor body and chassis which had already been shortened, and it was only an hour away from home. $500.00 later, we came home with a fiberglass Dune Buggy body and a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle chassis that had been cut to fit the body. For the next eight years we tinkered and tinkered with this body and chassis, not knowing a thing about Volkswagens. Together we learned how to use a Dremel and fill in fiberglass stress cracks, how to properly lay fiberglass mat and all sorts of other bodywork techniques.
We spent years doing trial and error research on how VW's work, and finally we got it all put together. I wanted to build something with my father that I will have for years to come and something that we can both be very proud of. This was a hard project but without the help of my father and Lloyd Snider at Mechanix VW in Lexington, NC there is no way I could have done this alone. I started this journey in high school, worked on it throughout college and finished it a few years later.
I am now grown, married and a teacher at that very same high school I graduated from. My students are obsessed with my Dune Buggy, they are very interested in how air-cooled engines work/operate and want to learn how to build VW's as well. I try to teach them everything I know about VW's and fiberglass work every chance I get.
The Bug Hunt - Owner: Anthony Rapsawatdi
For as long as I can remember, the Beetle was my first introduction to Volkswagen. It was the first VW that I had ever been in. Throughout the years I have always wanted a Bug, but it never aligned with life. Looking back I wasn't ready or worthy to own one. My first VW was a 96 GTI VR6 which was a dream car also. I acquired it from a friend in 2006 that imported it from Japan. My second VW was an '88 Jetta coupe with a VR6 engine swap that I acquired around 2012. Driving that car gave me a glimpse of the feeling of driving an older car that is not common. My third VW is a 2014 Sportwagen TDI that I acquired in 2016. It's my daily driver and I absolutely love it! Keep in mind that I still have all of these cars. Such awesome unique cars, but I still wanted a Bug.
Throughout the years I have alwasy been searching for that elusive Beetle. But they were either too far away, a color I didn't like, or something else. In 2018 I saw a listing on FaceBook Marketplace for one in my area that literally called out to me. I was at work and stopped everything to call the seller. I was the first person to physically call to inquire, everyone else sent messages. The owners father who was handling the sale was so appreciative about me taking time to call and ask about the VW in person, that put me at the top of the list. I set up a date to look at it with my wife.
I was already in love with it, but when I asked him to start it and heard it for the first time... my wife saw the look on my face, she knew I was getting it. Being use to hydraulic clutches I didn't understand the physics of wire clutches. I had such a hard time driving it, but still wanting it, they were worried about me driving it home through traffic and town. So they offered to deliver it to my house. Everything aligned and it was meant to be. I'm so thankful! I didn't build this Bug, but I've made some changes and fixed enough things to make it my own.
Now for the good stuff! It's a 1969 Type 1Beetle, with a 1776cc engine, featuring a 110 Engle cam, 69mm stroke crank, CB Performance in/out oil pump, CB Performance Los Bandiitos heads, CB Performance 40x35 valves, Facet electronic fuel pump, Holley fuel pressure regulator, Pertronix Flame Thrower Ignition distributor/coil, dual Webbers, Gene Berg linkage, Gene Berg oil filler, transmission 78/79 Super Beetle freeway flyer, real Hurst shifter, front brakes CB Performance disc brakes, rear disc brakes from a 1985 Porsche 944 non turbo, front wheels are 15x4.5 - 5x130 with 155/60R/15 tires, the rear wheels are 15x5.5 - 5x130 Fuch reps with 205/65R/15 tires, adjustable narrowed beam, adjustable rear torsion plates, and finished off with some beautiful leather Recaro seats. This Volkswagen Beetle is my true love! Sometimes I still don't believe that it's me driving or that I own this amazing VW. Every time I drive her, the smiles and thumbs up I get, make me so happy. A Bug makes everyone happy at least for the moment, but it makes me happy everyday of my life.
Orange Crush - Owner: Jon Rivers
I grew up in the '80s in England. When I was 17 and able to drive, I looked around to possibly buy a Volkswagen Beetle, but I ended up taking a different direction and bought a Ford Escort Mk1. In the 90s, I started to get the Bug (sorry for the pun) more and more for Volkswagens. I had friends who were surfers who had buses and a work colleague who had a black Golf GTI convertible MK1 (wow, that was an amazing car). Eventually, I bought my first Volkswagen, a Silver First Generation Scirocco. I had a lot of fun with that car until I blew the head casket on a heavy, cold day. It froze, and eventually, water got into the engine.
The car was never the same after that, so I sold it. Roll forward as I got older (now living in the United States), I promised myself that I would buy a 1968 Karmann Ghia Convertible when I turned 50. By the time I turned 50, I still hadn't brought the Karmann Ghia I promised myself due to being unable to find one at my price point. 2020/2021 came around I started to look at other years. A few possibilities came up, but when I reached out, they ended up being scammers! But the search didn't stop. At the end of the summer of 2021, I saw a Facebook ad for a 1973 Orange Karmann Ghia Convertible in Bartow, Florida, not too far from where I lived.
I took a drive out to look at it. The car belonged to an older gentleman (he had a VW Thing as well that he had already sold) who was unable to drive it anymore because neither he nor his wife could get in and out of it. The Ghia was clean and rust-free, but the only thing that bugged me was that it was orange, which was not my favorite color at the time. The car had also had a full restoration about 10 years previously by the current owner. Anyway, I decided to buy it with the thought I would eventually change the color. This made me the third owner. Since I have owned the car, I have done minimal repairs.
Apart from that, I had to have the engine rebuilt because we found a nut in the piston. After nearly owning the car for 3 years, the orange paint color has grown on me, and I wouldn't change it. My kids call the car the "Orange Crush." Everywhere I go, the car turns heads, including when I was among over 350 Volkswagens driving over the Skyway Bridge in Florida. I can't wait for the nighttime drive over the bridge later this year. It's not a museum-quality car, but it's enjoyed and driven to VW events on a regular basis in the Tampa area.
Marking its Spot - Owner: John Palmer
I fell in love with air-cooled Volkswagens when I was a kid. I was never a fan of gas-guzzling muscle cars like everyone else in high school. Small foreign cars always seemed to appeal to me for some reason. Just the sound and smell of an air-cooled VW always excited me. My father bought the first VW in our family. He was stationed in Germany in the Army from 1953-1955, so I am sure he was exposed to many VWs in his time overseas. He bought a red '66 Bug new, about 5-6 years before I was born in 1971. Eventually that Bug got passed to the oldest of my 3 older brothers in the mid-70's. When I was like 5 years old, I can remember his girlfriend (later his wife) also had a Bug... a black '65. He wasn't much of a car person, and to this day, I can still remember him lying under her Bug, at night, in the dark, working on something on it, complaining that oil was dripping in his mouth. Being like 5 or 6, I thought it was funny, but as we now all know, that Bug was just marking its spot!
He eventually passed the red '66 to the youngest of my 3 older brothers who I guess was a senior in high school at the time , so I was like 6. Over the years, he had 2 other Bugs as I was growing up. When he got rid of the red '66, he then bought a light blue '71 Super Beetle, maybe around 1980. Then when he sold that one, he got a blue '67 Bug. He kept that one even after he upgraded to a VW water-cooled car in 1983 for a daily driver, and eventually fixed the '67 up, painted it and sold it. Back then I loved any time I went anywhere with him in those Bugs. I just loved riding in them! Riding around in them throughout my youth just made me fall in love with them. So as time went on and I got older and got my first car in high school, it wasn't a Bug, but it was a VW Rabbit. Still I always had this thought in my mind about getting a Bug. Graduated college, got married etc. I didn't have a house with a garage or a place to keep an extra car, especially one that may be out of commission, and being worked on from time-to-time.
I didn't get a house with a garage at the age of 44. I started looking around for a Bug 4 years later, so it wasn't until I was 48 that I became a first-time air-cooled VW owner. It was about 2 months after COVID started, in May 2020 and I spotted a Bug I liked on FB Marketplace. A '68 Bug with a 1600 DP engine in it. In Maryland we were in lockdown at the time. We were only supposed to go out driving if it was absolutely necessary. Well, I would say that this is necessary!!! Plus, I figured not too many people would be looking at it since we were in lockdown. Took a wad of cash one evening and traveled 90 minutes away to look at it. The seller was an older retired police officer, who had a nice piece of property with his house, 2 garages, and horse stable on the eastern shore of Maryland. He only had the car for about 18 months at the time. He had bought it from a guy in Virginia, who had done all the "refurbishing" work to it. Engine work, paint, seat covers, headliner, shocks, brakes, bearing, seals, rings, ball joints, carpet, clutch, etc.
He was selling it to finance the '65 Mustang he was working on. Took it for a test drive, loved it, worked out a price, slapped the money down in front of him. He also had the rear pop-out windows for it, that he gave me and mentioned that he thought it was going to need a new battery soon. I didn't expect to be driving a Bug home that night ... but I did. Drove it home, just outside of Baltimore, and mailed him his license plate back. My garage had become more of a really big shed, so had to move things around and clean it out to over the next few days to get it to fit in there. Over the course of the following week, I had driven it a few times. On the third time, it died in my driveway. Hmmm, maybe it needs that battery he mentioned. Popped a new battery in it, and she fired right up. Until about 3 more drives later and wouldn't start again. Replaced the starter. Fired right up ... until about 3 more drives later again.
Finally figured out that it was the voltage regulator, and replaced that and it has been fine ever since. The only other significant repair and upgrades I have done to it include fixing the wiper motor. I didn't intend on driving it in the rain, but I wanted a fully functional wiper motor in case I got caught out in the rain. When I got the car, the wiper motor only had 1 speed ... SLOW ... and when turned off, the wipers didn't park, they stopped where they were. After finding the wiper motor wiring diagram online, realized that some of the wires were on the wrong terminals, so switching them around fixed everything. Now I have 2 speeds ... SLOW and SLOWER! But they do park. I also added an electric washer fluid tank and added a knob for it. Ended up replacing all the rear brake components and converted the front to disc brakes. When my clutch cable broke, and I went to replace it, my Bowden tube was seized in the bracket and stuck. Heat got it loose, but in the process of getting it out, I somehow ruptured the hard fuel line where it exits the chassis.
So then I ran a new fuel line through the driver's side of the car along the brake line. And then ended up putting some sound deadening and carpet behind the back seat since somebody had ripped it all out at some point. Have also added my personal touches to the car. Floor mats, shift knob, etc. Added the roof rack and put the surfboard on for a decoration. After Thanksgiving, I swap the surfboard out for a sled and put Christmas lights around the roof rack and car. I put the rear pop-out windows in, and have added stickers to them and the rear window. A lot of people ask me about my stickers at car shows. They are just stuff I like. Stickers for bands, VW vendors and events I have been to, Looney Tunes and Peanuts characters, Baltimore Orioles, some Get Smart stickers, because that is my favorite TV show of all time. Hence I named my Beetle "Maxwell". I have a USCG sticker since I work for them. Since my dad was the first in the family to have a Bug, I have 2 stickers on there for him, representing the 101st Airborne Division, and 7th Army, where he was in while in the Army.
I don't have a stereo in it, so I found this vendor local to me that makes Bluetooth speakers out of vintage suitcases and wooden boxes. That speaker is often in my back seat blaring tunes. I thought it would be funny to put a Mountain Dew can on the coil. I've also upgraded to "DMD" (Dual Mountain Dews) with one on the oil filler cap. It's a conversation starter at car shows for sure. I tell people it gives it extra horsepower. This isn't a show car, it's more of a good 10 or 20 footer. It has marks and blemishes, but it's my fun car. I drive it around for errands, grocery shopping, take it to work every once or twice a month.
I take it to car shows often. Not just VW shows, but a lot of shows for
all types of cars. I don't care if it gets a little bit dirty. If a kid
wants to sit in it, go ahead!! It's fun to hear the stories people tell
me. I don't know how many people tell me that his/her parents made him/her
or their sibling sit behind the back seat. Best story ever, was when a
guy told me "My parents told me that I was conceived in a one of
these." Yeah that's a head-scratcher there!! I had one woman start
crying one time when she saw my car. Her dad had one a similar color and
had passed, so it reminded her of him. But it is always fun to take it
out for a drive and puts a huge smile on my face and everyone elses.
That Blue and White Bus - Owner: Brandon Yavas
I was first introduced to VWs in 2017 by a YouTube Channel called Kombi Life. Every week I tuned in to Ben's adventures with his bus Co'Pito as he traveled the Pan American Highway in the "Hasta Alaska" series. For him, driving an old VW was a way to spark conversations with strangers and it ultimately led to him finding many off-the-beaten-path adventures. As a young adventurer myself, I was hooked, and a VW Bus made its way to the top of my list of dream cars. After 5 years of saving and daydreaming, I was ready to start shopping. One sunny day in 2022, I found myself driving around Long Beach, CA, not really having a destination in mind, just driving to clear my head. Down a dead-end road that I don't usually drive on, I found this 1972 Tin Top Westfalia Camper with a "For Sale" sticker in the window. I initially brushed it off because I was really in the market for a pop top camper but something about this one made me reconsider. It was nice, but not so nice that I would be afraid to take it camping. The owner, a nice fellow named Tony, explained that he rescued the Bus from a backyard where it had been sitting for years. He brought it to his shop, cleaned it up, refreshed the engine and the interior, and painted it.
I didn't know how to drive a manual at the time and Tony was very helpful in offering me some advice and was very patient with me as I learned. We agreed on a price and within 24 hours of seeing this Bus for the first time, I bought it. I named it "Zephyr" after a Red Hot Chili Peppers song. On the drive home, I stalled it three times. I had no clue what surprises I was in for. When I filled up the gas tank for the first time, the interior reeked of gasoline, making it hard to drive with the windows up. All the doors had different locks on them and the only one that I could lock from the outside was the slider door. It had Chrysler steel wheels, and the alignment was so bad that the front tires were showing their steel belts. The list goes on and I learned a lot of new skills over the past two years as I fixed it up and made it my own. The engine is the stock 1700cc "pancake" with a single Weber Progressive Carb and Pertronix SVDA distributor. I floored the interior with vinyl planks and added a custom storage cabinet and storage rack.
The stereo is a Custom Autosound unit with one speaker in the dashboard and two speakers in the front kick panels. I restored a set of VW 14" wheels and put General Grabber All-Terrain tires on them, white lettering facing out. The roof racks are Thule 387s with square cross bars. They hold my surfboard, a DIY road shower, and an awning. I have plans to put solar panels on the roof rack and install a refrigerator and camping battery in the storage cabinet. Zephyr has taken me camping in Big Bear, Big Sur, Sequoia National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Santa Cruz, Lake Havasu, the list goes on. He's a dependable bus despite his age and history. When you travel in a VW Bus, it feels like you have a friend everywhere you go. People want to take pictures, ask about it, and tell me their VW stories. I feel so much joy every time someone gives me a thumbs up or a peace sign. We put a lot of work into our VWs so when we meet people who recognize that and want to talk about it, it makes us feel great. Happy trails!
