Tim says, “Thanks Dad, for the help.” Since then, Tim can account for 14 VWs in his wheeling and dealing since then; 2 Type-3s, 3 Bugs, 7 Busses, & 2 Ghias. If we have room, maybe I can show you the list he made up to count them. He would get a paycheck, then buy a Vdub. So, after a while, his folks got tired of what they affectionately called a JUNKYARD! Oh, the pain and hurt! But now that he’s on his own, he can have his very own, personal junkyard. And his girlfriend has gotten use to all this. But does she REALLY know what she’s gotten herself into? Martin does and he loves it! He says, “More seats to sit in!” Woof Woof! 

I asked Tim to tell me all about his Westy. Oh, so much to share and so little room. Though he did not go on about it, his friend and fellow member, Rick D. (Vdbubber for August 2002) owns the twin to Tim’s bus. Both are orange Westies, same year and only a few numbers difference in the VINs. I always have to look for the big driving lights on the front of Tim’s to see which is which.

When Tim first bought it, he describes it as a “nightmare.” But he saw through that. Some phrases he used, “… no dash… weed eaters and mowers in the back…. cabinets? ...  uhhhhh…”

3 weeks and he and Rick put it back together and decided to crank it up. RRrr-rrr-rrr… turning over - turning over… Uuddden! …. POP! … carburetor catches fire… udden udden… HEY! The carb is on FIRE! Whooosh! Fall back and punt. Wait a few days, set the timing and try again. This time it took and all went well. Many, many, nights, weekends, holidays, more nights, spring breaks and Christmas breaks later… the gem that is, was born.

Now, there is … maybe … just one thing that Tim (and about every other bus owner) would change. It has, what truckers call, the “water truck” syndrome. It runs down hill real good. But going UP hill is another story. If you have a bus, you probably know the old, “I was doing 65 mph 5-seconds ago. Now I can’t get over 25 going up this hill.” Martin says he will go along with Tim building a bigger motor, but only if it does not “bite” into his doggy food & snack budget. “Plus,” Martin says, “what about that complete resto you want to do someday?”

Tim calls the motif a “1970s Dream;” lots of plaid upholstery and wood grain. The paint isn’t perfect; getting a little thin, but lots of primer thickness left. Ha ha! And even though it is showing just a LITTLE age, he and Martin would NEVER trade it. “Westy” is his “favorite toy,” and it has a lot of sentimental value. And it’s that special toy that you just cannot give up. Plus, Martin says he would bite him if he did.

Yup, there are all those memories. Tim shares one, before we finish, which goes like this, as told by Tim:

“My first real road trip in Westy was BUSSES BY THE ARCH in 1998. All was good on the way. But the caravan go the best of it. We were going down some highway and it decided to spring a leak. 65 mph and the oil light comes on. Not good … pull over …. main seal.

Okay, thanks to everybody, we had enough quarts of oil between us to keep on trucking. It made it through the weekend at the rate of about 2 quarts per mile.

Finally, time to limp it back to Memphis. But we got another complication; number 2 plug decided to blow out about 45 minutes out of St. Louis. Se we stop for about 2 ½ hours. I had to work the next day… I’m in the middle of nowhere … all I had was a few tools … and NO heli-coils! But I had a return spring hanging on the emergency brake. Why, I don’t know, but I had this great idea. I could spin the plug in the spring and force it in the head. Well  I did … and it worked. I cannot answer how. Ask Rick Dieter. He was there.

So, I ended up with the nickname “McGiver” for a while. I drove the bus about a year with my return spring heli-coil. But now we’re on the 2^nd engine, 2^nd tranny.

I haven’t been back to BUSSES BY THE ARCH since (aka BUSSES NOWHERE NEAR THE ARCH). But maybe we’ll make it THIS year. We’ll see. Martin said he’s going too! "

HEY! Don’t forget the “practice run” coming up. We will have our 4^th Annual Spring Campout at Mac’s on April 24^th this year.

In the meantime, Tim is helping his little sister build her a bus so she will stop trying to steal his. And he has also acquired an Acapulco Thing. And while Westy waits in the wings, Tim still manages to keep active in our club. Really glad to have him with us in Volkswagen-dom on the River.

Air Bill

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