Pest Control Fail: Vice Grip Garage Brings A Beetle Back To Life (WHY?)
I am not a classic Volkswagen fan. Let’s get that out of the way first. Ever since I was a kid, even before I was a mini-gearhead, I disliked the tweeting noise that indicated that one of these air-cooled Germans was approaching. I instantly disliked my uncle Neil’s Squareback wagon. I gave a Karmann Ghia a shot when a friend asked me to drive her car to a shop back in my military days, and while it drove just fine, having the seat jammed all the way up front didn’t help sway my opinion.
But the worst of them all was the Beetle. The Type 1. Bugs. Two doors, four seats, an exhaust note that sounded like somebody was pitch-shifting the sound that Tweety Bird would make if Sylvester caught and strangled him. They looked like somebody took your generic mid-1930s shape and shrunk it in the washer. And just when they couldn’t be any more irritating, there was every super-cheerful girl I ever knew in high school who thought these things were “K-YUUUUTE!!!” At least most of them stuck to the New Beetle and didn’t bother with the classic ones.
Frankly, most of my opinions haven’t changed over the years, but I have mellowed on the car itself. Beetles are simple creatures, straightforward and basic. There is one near my house, derelict and wasting away in the trees. Every time I see it, I wonder how easy it would be to rescue it and do a basic revival on it.
Derek’s latest project is a ’74 Beetle that has been wasting away for at least thirty years, maybe more. We’ve seen him work on all manner vehicles, but an air-cooled VW is new on his list. Even if you are like me and not into Beetles, give this one a few minutes of your time, because Derek’s kicking off his latest giveway vehicle(s)…and trust me, you will be interested in this prize package.
