How did you get into VWs

Love hearing stories on how people got into VWs.how did you get hooked on the greatest car that ever was...Share it with us.😀

When i was born, i was brought home from the hospital in a bay. Then my uncle had a cool black beetle with hotwires when i was a lil boy. It just developed. I must say, now im of age an early type 3 square is now my weapon of choice.
Steven

well mum and dad had one, dad worked at volkswagon and it was the only car that would carry 6 kids, then my first boyfriend had a kombi, so i got a kombi and we wanted to alope and live in our vans 4 eva and eva............. it didnt last.......... hes still my best kombi mate though. then my 5th boyfriend bought me a splitty for my birthday cos i regretted selling my first one so much .............. that didnt last either!!! i stand by my van, cos my van stands by me!!

Opened the door and climbed in!!! :P:P:P


Seriously, I'd been looking at a few VW magazines (when they were produced in Australia) and needed an 8 seater to cart foster-kids around in. I had a choice between a $2000 rusty, poor handling and under-braked jap-crap van, or a 76 2 litre fuel-injected microbus. :thumb:thumb:thumb

😠THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

😀no,i painted a couple,then a friend had 1 for years,then i got a cheapy done it up,
they just seem to keep turning up in my drive way............
]cheers:beer:beer

[Edited on 3-6-2003 by wrecker67]

i think the money devil made me do it😠

Ok....I'll give this a go....

It would be about 1985, and I'd just put my Triumph Dolomite into a ditch - I was 21.

Living on the Central Coast, chop top conversions where the rage [but not mine], and I met a moustach wearing bloke by the name of Peter Korsche [some of you on here would know him].

Anyway - Peter got talking VW's to me, and I had happened to stumble upon a 70 Notch - and I was hooked. Of course numerous VW Magazines got me hooked further, as did my friendship with Peter as I joined the Central Coast VW Club.

I cal'd my Notch, and got thinking other projects. I then found a 66 Ghia for a project after selling the Notch, and drove the Ghia as it was until rego was up. I then took the Ghia off the road and bought a 60 Kombi as my daily driver whilst I worked out the best look for my Ghia. The Central Coast guys around those days [late 80's] where great. We used to hang around Peter's workshop, look at all the old mags, and talk VW's with Peter, Mark "Kunzie" Kunze, Bob "it's a buzz" Barwise, Glen "spike" Shipway....the list goes on. We had a great time together and went on many great Central Coast Cruise with the club.

After getting the Ghia on the road [yep - cal'd it again], I then drove it around for a few years. Madness of marriage and a mortgage forced me to sell the Ghia, and be VW less for a while - but it wasn't long. Around '95 I found a 65 metal sunroof as a daily driver, and had this up until '99 whereby divorce saw me part company with the car - and the mid life crisis came early. I jumped into an FTO for a while, then a WRX as I was striving for more power. However, sanity prevailed - the WRX made way last year for a '76 Cab - which I still have.

I love it to bits, but a new marriage and space for soon to be 3 kids means I'm putting a question mark over the Cab. Hmmm.....I saw two nice [one early, one late] squarebacks the other day.....the journey continues.....

The big hook for me in the VW circles is the people and friends I've made. It's great seeing old faces from shows of the 80's still around today...we're all a little older, and a little wider - and wiser. The pinacle for me without a doubt has to be Nambucca. It's a pity that it is no longer yearly - but that just makes it more special. I haven't been for 10 years at least - and this year I am looking forward to more than anything.

I still see Peter, and saw Spike after over 12 years only last week. We spoke as if we'd seen each other the week before.

Gee I'm a sop.....

🙂

Squiz....

I wanted something cheap, a little different , and was easy to maintain and also wanted a sleeper. Dad had on in the eraly 70's so i got one. and due to the fact i ahve short arms, long legs and a tall body, its one of the few cars i fit into. And its great for blowing of ppl who think vw's are slow!!!!

you really should paint such a pretty picture of yourself.. he he:o

thanks :P

iam just weird like my car :alien

i was born with it in my blood. my dad has been in to volksys for 35 years , racing them and is a mechanic on them. how did you get into them damo?

Well a step up from a Fiat 600 to a 61 1/2 beetle was a major transformation back in 1968 as a couple of mates had powerhouse(and I use the term loosely) 1500 beetles with 14x6s , GT stripes and Lukey extractor systems. Made just the right noise and sounded as if they went fast. Enough to convince me that was my type of car. Since then stopped counting more than 15 years ago after I had owned and disposed of over 100 vws. Have had more than that again since those times but don't count anymore(think alzheimers is kicking in, come to think of it how many have I got today!!!!)volma1:jesus

hi greg, have you got any karman ghias u dont want? is that how u spell it, i know i dont deserve one if i cant spell it!

After seeing "THE INCH PINCHER" and "STUTTBEE" I saw the potential having been around the punk scene I hated the cliche bay standing on its tippy toes with some feathers and bird bones hanging of the rear veiw mirror but after seeing the jap and u.s.a and europe restocustoms, oldschools etc i knew this is where its at my first up front and schoolin on VW coolin was seeing Sprintstars ghia and The volkommen boys rides at the first Jamboree,Also German folks and edubs website and OLDESKOOL site gave me some insperation.Ive always been around cars but Im hooked on dubs 4ever...Thats why I started THE OILDRIPPERS to bring the KOOL NEWSCHOOL TOGETHER>>>>>:thumb

My grandfather was cleaning out his shed when I was 16. And at the back was a "spare" 1961 volkswagen beetle that he bought of a lady that had cancer and could no longer drive it. It only had 50000 original miles on it, anyway after sitting there for years and years my grandfather decided to fill it up with fuel and put a battery in it and try to kick it over and it started!!!!! He asked me if I wanted it for my birthday - to which I replied "DO I EVER!!!" Then proceeded to do it up for 2 years.....:bounce

Getting lazy, but no only have the 59 and 61 ghias Rach, no spare ones sorry. volma1

When I was very young my parents had a white Beetle. I remember being able to lay in the parcel area over the motor looking up at the stars through the back window at night. I can still remember laying there listening to the engine working it way through its gears. Then it got tee boned (probably would've still been OK for a buggy) and was written off.

The my mum and dad then got a yellow super bug. This car lasted for a few years. When the family grew too large my dad traded it for a small station wagon.

I then forgot about VWs as these two were gone before I was six. Then about 17 years later my dad won the Manx. His only regret about this was that he didn't win it sooner. Since I was the only family member interested in it we negotiated a price and it was mine. Now my only regret is that I didn't build one sooner, like when I was an apprentice or something.

This little car has tought me alot about VWs (not the boby work of course), but I now have alot of respect for the German engineers that created it. The cars of today are just not built the same way, and they are not built to last.

For quite some time we were a one car family. I drove the car (non-VW) to work during the day as my wife had a work from home job. Then the big retrenchment axe came down one day and no more work from home for my wife.

After a few months of trying to juggle public transport, work hours, swapping the car around, dropping off and picking up our two girls, it became pretty obvious that one car just wasn't going to cut it anymore. This was around the time of a VW show at Penrith Panthers early last year. We went out to have a look because a friend at work had a Bug in the show and we made a day of it.

Wandering around the carpark and looking at the Kombis put an idea in my head that this might be the way to go. Easy to get the kids/prams/miscellaneous baby stuff in and out of a vehicle and the prices were very very good compared to 2nd hand people movers that we had been skimming over in the classifieds.

Went home and stewed on it and perused the online Trading Post for the next day or so. My wife actually spotted the one we have now and it read pretty good. I was still a bit hesitant but she pushed me to go see it. I did so the next day and was very impressed with what I saw and the price being asked. The previous owner had done an exceptional job in its maintenance and restoration.

Took some digi photos and went home and showed the better half. By that time I was much more keen on the idea and thought it would be great to have the camper as a 2nd car. Went back next day for a test drive and I thought, god am I ever going to be able to drive one of these properly. I had beads of sweat from nerves taking it on the test run through the steep and winding back streets of Greenwich, especially having never driven any VW before. I was still determined though that it could be mastered so once again went home to discuss with the Minister of Finance. She said we should go for it and that's how we ended up with KOM123.

I have since done alot more to the camper and intend on taking a visit to the previous owner as he was pleased it was sold to someone who was going to look after it and not thrash it around the countryside.

Well that's our story, hope it wasn't too boring 🙂

The first car I have memory of is a 62 split panel and my mum telling me to hold on tight to the handle on the dash as I could'nt see over it,this was my dad's V.W. shop car and you can't escape the dubs if you know what I mean.

love your work damian - love your work

with me - my father had a '64 on it's roof in our backyard, a '57 oval at the side of the house (the engine that i posted a week ago 'how i caught the (oval) bug' came from it) and an early 911 in the garage.
my first car was a '54 followed by a '57/8, '64, '65, '66, '63, '71, '67, my current '67 Fasty a '69 Fasty (with a 12a rotary) and as well as my current, a '66 Fasty shell (which is my current project).
And between my '54 and '66 i helped restore a '62 Karmann for my brother.

[Edited on 3-6-2003 by vw_carrera]

Bought my first Beetle, a 64, for $300 to get to work after my EK holden died then bought a kombi, a 1974, 1800cc in 1978. fitted it out and travelled the coast from the Goldy ( where i lived) to Sydney (where my girlfriend, now my wife, lived) a few times. then travelled overseas, came home and bought a 1976, 2 litre, fuel injected kombi, wow bloody thing flew. Needed a kombi to get my 4 kids around. had a few 4 x 4s and then my sons were old enough to drive so they have a kombi each and i thought, bugger it, iv,e always wanted a splitty, so i bought an old one and restored it. now my youngest son wants a splitty and we are in the process of resoring another one. lots of work ahead. cheers, fish:bounce

Well mine started while delivering newspapers at the tender age of 13.
6 days a week i would deliver to a house which had a red baja in the driveway.
And an oval in the garage.
Started pestering my parents till i got my first one 3 years later just before started learning to drive. Still got it some 13 years later. Although it remains in the UK.
Just got my 56, 68 bugs and the 76 kombi here now on the coast.
BUt garden still has room for more so the fleet might grow !!!!!!

Always loved vw's bought a '63 for $300 before I had my license built it up into a baja eventually fitted an 1835 and that was it i was definately hooked kept it for a few years.

Then I did a silly thing and went thru the V8 stage thank god that didn't last long. stayed out of the scene except for an old barn door 11 of us owned " the booze bus" every 11th weekend you were the designated driver and it was your job to hose it out, you get the picture.

Then I bought a '67 from a car yard that was in fantastic condition spent lots of money resto/custom till some f#$%head stole it and I never saw it again.

Then about 2 years ago I bought a '68 for a resto to do with my 3 boys. Pulled the body off and cried at the extent of the rust.

Well lets just say I gained some valuable parts before the tilt tray arrived.

But now I have my '69 which will never leave my side and the great thing is my boys all love vw's(one even likes notch's do you believe that?..........joke).😀

The boys from Volkomenn told me never to admit this, But It was Paris' Blue BEAST that got me into dubs! Most Melbourne, and a few sydney guys will know the car! Blue, Fuchs, Big motor turboed! WICKED!!!

N!😀

i first decided to get a kombi when i was watching old surf documentarys and saw them from that point onwards i feel in love with them big small round or tall 😀

I loved beetles since i cant remember, Then when it came around to the time where i was learning to drive i kept telling my parents i would get a beetle for my first car, my parents were mortified! (though i later found out my dad had 1, and my grandad had 3 ovals!!! as grandpa was a civil engineer in the middle east and they are perfect for driving around in the desert)

lo and behold i got my license and my parents started looking for a car for me... volvos, mitzis, holdens...anything! but i refused them all (even the cushy turbo volvo!) because i was adamant that i would have nothing but a beetle, and here is the clincher, nothing but a RED beetle.

Needless to say that i drove around in other peoples cars for 6 years, until my dad got talking to some friends of his, who as it had turned out used to have a beetle, and they convinced him that just because its old doesnt mean its a piece of shit, which made dad think about how his old bug and his dads many older bugs were pretty good actually...and so the hunt for the perfect beetle began. we looked at a few, but they were mostly too expensive and too rusty, and didnt feel "right", so the hunt got called off for a few months until i stumbled upon an ad in the trading post that sounded pretty nice, and was only up the road from my parents place, so i asked my dad to go have a look for it and tell me what he thought. He rang me that night at work (id been living, studying and working in the city for 4 years, mostly night shifts and needed something to get myself home in!) and basically told me that if i was going to get a beetle, this was the one. YAY! went up that weekend, had a look and took it home 3 days before my 23rd birthday!!! Thus began my love affair with cherry the '69 carrera bug, and the waving, beeping and smiles that go with it.

This story just proves that if you persist, you usually end up with more than you wanted in the first place!😀

My first car (when at uni) was a T3 fastback. It was a matter of timing, I needed a car, it was within my price range, in very good nick and cute. I regret getting rid of it, I had to choose between it and a trip to Germany to see meine Grossvater. Family won. Reading all the posts I realise it now how precious it was.
Currently, the idea of getting a beetle came from doing the Variety Bash. They are big on themes and entertainment. the 'Ladybug' idea was suggested and the rest is history.
I still miss my fastback 🙁

I didnt have much choice, my dads been collecting VWs since he was 15 so I have been around them all my life, I cant remember a time in my life were there wasn't at least 1 VW in the drive and at the moment we've got around 70.

Im a third generation VW owner, my grand father owned a splitty, my dad had Beetles, I owned a 65 beetle, now I own a 77 Kombi, there will always be a VW in my driveway, hopefully I will be adding another pre 67 beetle soon!
Rob......

my father had a beetle as his first car, and before that they used one of the last aus made bugs as a family car for their family of 5! trips to the grampians with my father sitting in the space BEHIND the rear seats! beside that my aunt recently purchased and restored a beetle up in Tweed Heads, and i wanted a car that was a little different, then i wanted a camper so i could cruise Aus, and simply put, vdubs make the best setup campers around! (uncle thinks maybe its a defective gene, he's a v8 man)🙂

I was driving this at the time. Brightest yellow telstar with fiberglass flares and spoiler. Fartey sounding muffler. THought it was the bees knees. Blow away my mates corollas and escorts, even the SSS datsun I had beforehand. You get heaps wiser in your old age.

My mate had a type3 wagon. My ex bought a 64 cal looker. Went to a few shows in 1988, 1989. It was inevitable. I've been reaching into the pockets ever since.

my sister was a big kombi fan, and although she never had one she got me into looking at vw's more. i noticed a type 3 sqaure when i was about 14 and wanted one.
it came time for a first car and since i was about to be living between ballina and sydney, dad talked me into a 92 corolla, which i still have. i moved back to sydney six months later and decided to do a resto on an old car. the mk 1 escort or mk2 rs2000 was the weapon of choice. found a nice mk1 that i was about to buy and a week later while driving with a friend we almost got wiped out by a t3square. the rest just falls into place, we were pissed at the guy but it made me change my mind, two months later i bought my first of hopefully many t3's. i am the ugly duckling of the family as one cousin was a ford man and my old man has an imaculate old benz. the corolla is now on the way out so some engine mods can be done to the sqaure. once that is done, my spare square is getting stripped for a full resto
so there it is.... sorry if i bored you to death.

ps. if any t3square owner who lives in the hills district was responsible for almost wiping out a nissan pathfinder about 6 months ago, let me just say THANK YOU:thumb

[Edited on 4-6-2003 by type3kid]

I got mildly interested when i was in the army in 87-90 , i was in the signal corp and our radio gear was run by vw powered generators that never failed to impress us in they're reliability. I then joined the RAAF and met a bloke called gunno , cant remember his real name but anyone posted to richmond in nsw might remember him, (he was with ATTU). Gunno was vw mental and his yard was full of them , the most impressive was a split, 23 window sunroof that was in a never ending state of restoration. Any how a bit later in life and a EJ and valiant pacer later ( way to go maaate) i bought a vw golf , then a 71 super when i moved to melbourne and more recently a 67 deluxe beetle that should keep me busy this winter.
If anyone on this forum knows of gunno (or if your reading) id like to get in contact. would really like to know if you finnished that split champ.

cheers chris

Always loved them, any type.

Learnt to drive in my fathers Type3 Sqback and got to drive it as my car so long as I took my mum for her shopping (fair deal)

When I first met my 1st husband (:o) he was driving a sweet blue type 3 fastback which he drove into the Yarra River one night when coming home drunk from hois brothers birthday party. Prior to meeting me he had written off a beetle. So after the Yarra incident he swore off of VW's and would not allow me or the kids to own one 'cos it was the cars fault not his.

A couple of years ago Jon (2nd) and I did a long weekend in Hobart and I rented a bug from 'Rent-a-Bug' down there and loved getting around in it. It fired my dream of owning a beetle. The next week Bel was sitting by the side of the road, near here, with a 'For Sale' sign on her and she was mine!!!!:kiss

Cos she is such a sweet beetle I wanted to know how to look after her, so now I'm here and now also own Dr L the Type3 sqback:bounce

So a late starter but addicted all the same😎

I'm fairly new to VWs in a way. My grandparents always had Kombi's as long as I can remember. The old '68 parked out the back under the walnut tree was always a bit of a laugh until my grandmother gave it to us and my husband started to restore it. At the beginning we didn't quite realise that 'restore' meant 'rebuild from the ground up' but after 7 months and a LOT of learning experiences it is now on the road. It's a long way from finished since the back is still bare but it goes and is registered so that was us with one VW.
Then last week we found an Ad in the local paper for a '71 Superbug convertible with a Carrera Kit and decided to go have a look (nothing to lose after all) and immediately fell in love. Needless to say now we have a his and a hers. The Ford Festiva is being readied for selling off, after all we got something much better now! 😀

Good one Shani!
Sounds like you have a top grandma! I wish mine would give me a splitty!
Any how welcome to the forum, I hope the resto dosen't cost too much and you can finish it soon and post us some pic's

Rob.....

ooh sorry for misleading you, it's not a splitty (We just wish!) It's the first model of the Bay Window Kombis. Still a nice one but not a splitty. If my husband has his way we'll end up with one eventually 😉

Splitty, Bay who cares! any VW for free is a bargain, I love my 77 to death, as far as Im concerned, any VW is a good VW.

Rob....

Gotta agree with you there! I'm working on getting a pic of my lil Bug set up to use for an avatar (watch this space 😉 😀 )

Lots of kool stories every single one of em make a great book I recon..😀

Grew up with VWs around me. Dad bought a 72 new(i think) before i was born. Then as i was growing up he restored a 61 at home over a 2 year period. Can remember going to the paddock it was lying in, seeing it get dragged home and dad lying under it for every night for many years (thats how it seemed when i was 3). Learnt to drive in a 71 fastback which also became my first car. Since then i have owned a 68 baja and a 61 kombi. I currently own a 68 type 3 wagon, 72 wagon, 65 beetle, 63 kombi ute (now deceased), 60 ute and my current driver a 71 type 3 wagon. Yes i am obsessed just wish i had some land somewhere. Never owned any other car than a air-cool VW. 😉

When I was young, we had a family mechanic, who used to do our services in the driveway; a polish guy named Ken. Ken had worked on military vehicles during the war and became an "official" VW mechanic afterwards (he was an active member of the underground and effectively "defected" to West Germany.) Ken was a real lover of automobiles and infected me with a love for VW engineering. He later bought an Audi, but I forgave him as he still loaned me tools and gave me all the advice I needed. But I think it was the Baja/Dune Buggy craze of the time that clinched it for me. 😀

Some crazy, hairy days in the Kombi didn't hurt, either...

:jesus

Can vouch for what 242 says, except it was a 74 VW 1300 beetle. I wanted a reliable car and it was. He is true when refering to the 61 beetle. It was two years of hard work. Stripped to the chasis and built from there up. Now it is the 63 ute being restored and an 82 Air cooled camper which is also the daily driver. I did teach 242 to drive in the fastback and started him on the road of appreciation.

Been a long time now

Started in '82 with a really good 64. I was an apprentice at Hoover and there was an enginner there into them and it was a bit hippy-ish. My mate had a splitty and an old tool maker had an oval.
Just kept on them cause they were easy to work on and cheap.
Moved to a dog od a 67 an few years later then in 91 i got Blue1.
Wife put up with me for years - but finally submitted. Asked me to sell the Falcon wagon and buy a kombi.
Looked for ages and couldnt find what we were after. Ended up with Richard Holzl's (V Force) old 82 air cooled bus. Now she is in love with Daisy!

Kids just think we are mad!!

Just the right truck for the job at the time.

The simplicity is what has kept me interested.........😎

:sandrine
I guess like everyone else I loved them
growing up. No one I knew had one, which for me made them twice as nice & unusual cos I hardly ever got near one.
I got my licence late in life as I had transport around me all the time.
When I did go to buy a car...you guesses it....must have one.
As I wanted & had to have a small car
being only 5ft 3, driving a big car looked
stupid...so saw a ad in paper @ Bug.
She was a real eyesore but a great motor
& good little runner.
My son & his friends laughed at me (as teenagers who love V8's & fast cars)
thought it just wasn't Kool to drive 'that'.
So we pulled it apart & complete facelift later....guess who thinks its now" Kool"
& wants to cruise & "pick up chicks'
in mums "tot-rod". (as they call it) lol.
Now I have converted them all....
owning is ....the koolest thing to do!!!
Judy (o\|/o)

Bought my first one in 1985, a '71 Superbug. I was a broke student so it made financial sense. Learnt how to repair VWs on it. One thing erretated me about though. Whenever I had my hand on the steering wheel and try to point to something, my finger hit the windscreen. So I decided an "L" model is for me. Bought one which I hotted up real '80s style (flared guards, enormous wheels, spoilers, etc). Made it to the front page of Unique Cars when I decided to sell it. Bought a Golf which I wrote off in three months (had an argument with a tram. No comments, tx). To day after 10 Beetles, 9 Golfs, a T3, a Passat and 2 KGs I am still hooked as ever. Never owned a Kombi so I a pretty certain its my next VW. But the Misses is saying "KG has to go first". No bloody chance
Raf

i think it's a combination of watching the love bug about 300,000,000 times between the age of 3-10 and the fact that my uncle used to have an awesome green '66 squareback 🙂

A Manly Tan oval. Knew bugger all about cars. Took it to Pound Motors ( I was at Melb Uni then) for a service & soiled my Y-fronts when I got the bill!
Resolved to do something about it so I stopped wasting money at the pubs & proceeded to drive the following people mad: W L Ryans for VW tools, the Tech Book Depot for manuals & magazines & not to forget Bob Prendegast who had just started up Imported Car Wreckers in some disused chook sheds in Oakleigh. As I began to earn an income, there were deviations into MG's & Jaguars-the latter costing me heaps!- but the VW thread has continued almost unbroken for nearly 40 years.

All these storries are so beautiful!!!
I used to walk to Primary school every day, and every day i would walk past and old rusted white beetle ( early 60's).
I fell in love with it and swore to myself when i was little that i would one day end up with one.
When i turned 18 i bought the car of my dreams.
A purple 67' convertible bettle with Empi 5 spokes.
She is the love of my life, costs me a fortune but i wouldnt trade her for anything!!!!! :sandrine

Well I was lookingto restore a car in my early teens (13) and wanted something different, not the everyday monaro or ute, i wanted something that would be wild and unusual... like an Austin, thenone day i was in a local newzagency and picked up a Volkswagen Australia magazine.

Inside stood proud and on the prowl Mark Gattwatts VW beetle, as Rod as you can go!

I loved it so much i was into them straight away, i began my search for a dub, but really i wanted an oval as they suppliied themselves with a rod look you just cant buy. but one day my dads friend bought one on wishful thinking of restoring it, and ended up saying he just wanted to get rid of it. My dad knew thats the car i wanted and took me to his place, i fell in love with it at first glance and got hold of it!

so there, if you want to read the restoration of my bug.... go to wy website by clicking "www" below

When I about 2 years old, my Dad got a 58 Goldie Sunroof Beetle with a Flying VW mounted on the Bonnet. He sold the Beetle 10 years later so I kept the Flying Vw of it.
I wanted to see the Emblem Fly again so I had to get a Beetle, and since I only ever have fast or modified cars I restored a Baja.

Now I have 3 Bajas and 2 of them have Goldie Sunroofs.
😀