Subject: What life was like in a 54 beetle - History
kombikim
A.k.a.: Kim
Custom Title Time!
disfunctionally capable
Posts: 1521
Threads: 84
Registered: December 18th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Sydney, Concord West
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: always bleary
posted on December 23rd, 2002 at 08:24 AM
What life was like in a 54 beetle - History
It occured to me yesterday that I was one of the original Aussieveedubbers, coming home from hospital in a 54 on Xmas day 1956, & that very few of
you would know the trivial bits of history of what they were really like to live with, so hear goes.
My father ordered his cream 54 at Hercules Motors, before the 1st shipment landed, without having ever seen one, my trivial memories
----------------
It was very noisy.
from when I could walk & mum wasn't in the car I got to sit in the front on an upturned wooden box, so I could see out the windows, the
restraint mechanism in an emergancy stop was my father's arm, this only failed once & I hit my head on the dash.
I once vomited pineapple Juice on the front seat, this reacted with the leatherette & caused it to craze.
The car WAS NOT slow in its day, we really used to sit on 60mph on trips & really did get 40mpg.
Whenever we went away we HAD to have roof rack. especially by the time there were three kids.
Dad had a wooden measuring stick marked off in 1 gallon graduations for the petrol.
Sydney - Melbourne was a two day trip.
At least twice we went thru flooded roads that other cars couldn't, & I remember the sensation of the car actually floating for some
distance.
The car NEVER broke down until 1964 about half a mile from home, I think the diff broke, but I do remember that this led to the engine being
reconditioned at Wards Motors Penrith.
I remember I was very disappointed when dad replaced the semaphore indicators with the flashing "Ears" - the semaphores were fun to play
with,,,,maybe thats why they had to be replaced.
1954 beetles, easily identifiable by the small brake light above the tailight, were quit a status symbol among other Dubbers "we were the
first"
I was quite pissed off about the single exhaust pipe though, after all, with two pipes the other beetles had to be faster!
I was really upset when dad replaced the rear guards in 1965 with 1956 ones, losing the unique tailights.
when a hubcap fell off, usually on a corrugated dirt road, it was a big deal, we always had to hunt for it until it was found, they must have been
expensive..
I remember coming home from school in tears in 1964 because other kids called the car an old bomb. At that stage a car over 5 or 6 years old was
considered OLD.
I remember the first time we saw a 1500 type 3 (it was blue) & parked on the side of the Cox's River. It was a most beautiful thing, &
EVERYBODY was stopping to look at it, the poor guy couldn,t get away. Our car was traded in 1965 on a Mazda 800, which was also a fantastic car which
served us well until dad died in 1969. I saw the VW again in 1973 still with the original motor, which had not been reconditioned again & it had
covered over 400,000 miles, the car was near death though, looking at the body.
Hope this hasn't been totally boring
Kim
Menangler
A.k.a.: Dave Becker
Custom Title Time!
Posts: 1991
Threads: 309
Registered: August 26th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: South Coast NSW
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
posted on December 23rd, 2002 at 07:36 PM
Great story, my dad bought a new beetle in '56, a grey one with cream interior, He is a gadget man so he fitted some factory accessories, a rally
dash, rear blind, side weather shield, mud flaps, hazet tool kit, and driving lights. He traded that one in on a cream '59, complete with red
flash up the side and chrome trim kit.
He has some good stories about driving to Sydney from Orange across the blue mountains doing 360's in the ice and not hitting anything!
By the time I came along he had a company car, XM Falcon, and he's never owned a VW since, shame.
FAHRVERGNUGEN;
Description of a pleasurable sensation,
Experienced when a car and it's driver are in mutual harmony, A unique driving experience, Pleasure, Satisfaction,
A feeling experienced by Volkswagen Drivers.
Grey 57
A.k.a.: Dean
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
Old Grey Cruiser
Posts: 2937
Threads: 355
Registered: August 25th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Phillip Island
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: (OoVoO) (OVO).
posted on December 23rd, 2002 at 08:45 PM
Thats a great memory Kim. My dad was one of 7 kids and grew up with a father (my grandfather) who was a VW man. Started with the purchase of a 54
beetle for my grandma and as the kids grew went on to Kombis. My Dad was old enough to use these for taking girls out on dates and told me that he
used to be real embarrased picking his girl friends in a windowed Kombi. ??? He reckoned the beetle was better but only just. But this has obviously
scarred him for life because my Dad aboslutley hates old VW's with a passion. Looks at me like I'm from outa space when I talk about
them.
My Grandmother loved the 54 Beetles. Hated the Kombis , too slow. She told me stories about beating Jaguars on some of the rough roads in New Zealand
in the 50's. She said that in a straight well made road the Jags would go flying by, but when the road got rough and twisting she would catch up
to them and take great pleasure in showering the Jags with rocks as she passed them. She was a real lead foot.
Will try and find some old family photos of the Holden family VW's
Dean
kombikim
A.k.a.: Kim
Custom Title Time!
disfunctionally capable
Posts: 1521
Threads: 84
Registered: December 18th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Sydney, Concord West
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: always bleary
posted on December 23rd, 2002 at 09:15 PM
June 1960, somewhere near Grenfell,
thats MY first car on the roof I was scared I would lose it every time we went under a Bridge, inside the car as well as mum are two 3month old babies
- what a load!
Error
Sorry, you must be a registered user in order to download attachments.
kombikim
A.k.a.: Kim
Custom Title Time!
disfunctionally capable
Posts: 1521
Threads: 84
Registered: December 18th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Sydney, Concord West
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: always bleary
posted on December 23rd, 2002 at 09:22 PM
1960 again, doing the Greasing, I always helped, from when I was about 2, by 1960 (age 3) I knew all the greasing points & would let dad know the
ones he "missed" note:: we were real men in those days & did not need jack stands!
ALSO see windscreen wiper, on the 54 at least they were still set up for left hand drive, so that is where it had to park to cover the right hand side
sweep fully.
Error
Sorry, you must be a registered user in order to download attachments.
kombikim
A.k.a.: Kim
Custom Title Time!
disfunctionally capable
Posts: 1521
Threads: 84
Registered: December 18th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Sydney, Concord West
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: always bleary
posted on December 23rd, 2002 at 10:05 PM
I wish my dad had been a leadfoot, unfortunatley he always stuck to the letter of the law & never had a lose, not even on all the dirt tracks we
used to go on. One thing I did remember about the incredible milage we racked up on the engine was that he reckoned the very early (oval window I
suppose) cars were less stressed & therefore lasted longer if treated right, he always used to put ReDex in the petrol too,
Grey 57
A.k.a.: Dean
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
Old Grey Cruiser
Posts: 2937
Threads: 355
Registered: August 25th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Phillip Island
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: (OoVoO) (OVO).
posted on December 23rd, 2002 at 10:12 PM
My Grandmother swore by the handling potential of a Beetle. Told me that there was nothing to fear about going around a corner fast in a VW as long as
you didn't lift your foot of the accelorator pedal and that the pedal was nailed to the floor.
She was a great driver. Had been driving in old roadsters from the age of 13.
London Bugger
A.k.a.: Robert Blackman (Prowagen)
Seriously Crusin Dubber
Posts: 164
Threads: 17
Registered: December 20th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Kent, UK
Theme: UltimaBB Psyche Blue
posted on December 23rd, 2002 at 10:15 PM
Great stories guys, I just wish i was around when the Bug was new, I would love to have owned a new one off the line
I know my dad had a 68 beetle and a 72 Van years ago before i was born and my first memory of a VW was when my uncle drove me round in his 67 when i
was about 4 and was thrilled!!! It was in the blood and was my destiny!!
Rob.
Grey 57
A.k.a.: Dean
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
Old Grey Cruiser
Posts: 2937
Threads: 355
Registered: August 25th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Phillip Island
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: (OoVoO) (OVO).
posted on December 23rd, 2002 at 10:28 PM
Thanks for starting up this topic Kim.
It has triggered some really nice memories of a much loved grandparent that had the greatest sense of fun and adventure and the best sense of humour
of any person I have ever known.
Cheers
Dean
kombikim
A.k.a.: Kim
Custom Title Time!
disfunctionally capable
Posts: 1521
Threads: 84
Registered: December 18th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Sydney, Concord West
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: always bleary
posted on December 24th, 2002 at 07:29 AM
that's OK Dean,
I think its important we pass these little memories on, we can't all sit around & write a book but the internet is a great way to pass things
on, because evrything has changed so much, & things we took as everyday life are inconceivable or unimaginable to our kids
kombikim
A.k.a.: Kim
Custom Title Time!
disfunctionally capable
Posts: 1521
Threads: 84
Registered: December 18th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Sydney, Concord West
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: always bleary
posted on December 24th, 2002 at 07:54 AM
other significant VWs in Glenbrook, were a spliitty over the road, light blue not sure which year but it had indicators & was converted to a
camper with no pop top, the owners, who were teachers, always used to disapear into the desert somewhere in the holidays & paint landscapes
(remember what the roads in central Australia must have been like in the early '60's) as soon as the new Bay window came out they replaced
it with one of them. when the neighbors bought a new 63? beetle I used to go & sit in it to gaze in wonder at the fuel guage.
