Edited by Bill C.-

Before I start, let me take this chance to briefly explain how Vdubber of the Month is chosen. Attendance is recorded for each event our club promotes or attends, including our monthly meetings. Each member in attendance is given one chance in the quarterly drawings for each event attended. So, the more a person attends, the better their chances. All the “chances” for a quarter are drawn from to name the Vdubbers for the next quarter… just in case you wanted to know. Now, to our story.

David A., our Vdubber for January 2004, has been a member since June 2001. He owns a 1967 blue Beetle that is now in the process of restoring.

David first became acquainted with it when his friend Robert’s brother bought it in ’87. It was a high school daily driver and then passed down to Robert when he got his license. Robert drove it everywhere, everyday. David was riding with him one Saturday night on Summer Avenue, not long after it had been painted. Pulling onto Summer from the Blockbuster lot, they heard a really strange noise and the Bug started running terribly rough. They drove it all the way back to Rob’s house near Craigmont High and then to the shop the next day. Amazingly, it had blew a head on the passenger’s side (#1 & 2) and still carried them home. Some time after that problem was fixed, a few more little problems cropped up. Robert lost his mind and decided he would rather drive a Hyundai. So David took advantage of the situation and Robert’s reluctance to fix it and bought the little Beetle. After investing a few hours under the hood, he had it running great. That was 3 years ago. It became David’s daily driver for another 2 years.

He remembers the time he took a co-worker named Greg to lunch in it. At the time, they both weighed in at about 230 apiece. Another co-worker, Gil, and his wife, Jody, were already sitting in the Subway when David and Greg pulled in. That’s about the time Jody said, “Hey, look at hose two big guys in that little bitty car.” That’s when Gil said, “Take another look.” Jody realized it was Greg and David and they couldn’t stop laughing for what seemed like 30 minutes.

Right now, it is being rewarded with a restoration. The body is being sandblasted and the dings fixed by Phillip at Online Paint & Body off Pleasant View. After David saw some pictures on the internet of a ’67 freshly painted VW Blue, he decided that it will be restored to its factory, original blue color. The pan is in storage, waiting to be mated back to the body. David has all new rubber, trim, OEM running boards, transmission mounts, brake cables, etc. He will rebuild the engine, keeping the stock 1600 single port configuration. The wheels are the original ris, but are being painted to match the body with the center ring white like an early 60s bug.

David likes the fact that it is a ’67, right between the best of the old and the conveniences of the later bugs. He loves the low-back seats and old-style bumpers; and the weird looks he gets when he gases up by getting under the hood with the gas pump hose. But, then, it is also the first of the 12-volt VWs and has upright headlights.

That’s David’s Vdub, but what about David? He has a few other projects; like his ’87 Pontiac Fiero with a small black Chevy V-8 in the back. It needs a bit more work, but mostly just hooking up the rest of the little stuff. It reportedly, runs like a striped ape; a big change from his little Beetle. He also has recently purchased an ’84 GTI that is not running just yet. It just lacks a new fuel pump and it should be zooming again. He got the car dirt-cheap and its body is in great shape with no rust. However, the paint is pretty bad. So it looks like Phillip will be getting another paint job.

David has worked for Ingram Micro for some years; first as an employee and then as a contractor for just over a year after being laid off. He gets paid better and gets to telecommute; making him wish he had been laid off sooner. But there are a few drawbacks; having to pay his own insurance or writing a check to the IRS for a third of what he made all year.