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Tue May 24, 2016 2:03 pm

Some German friends of ours were hosting a couple here for a few weeks, and we were all having dinner together when I told them about my Beetle, whereupon the visitors said I owned a "KnutschKugel".

The translation is variously either:

This was originally used to describe the old BMW Isetta, but is now used for tiny vehicles generally. It means "cozy coach" or more crassly, "french-kissing sphere/wagon/bubble/pod." Meaning: if you're sharing that thing with somebody, we hope you know them pretty well!

Or:

Knutschkugel means it is of small dimensions and has such a nice appearance that you like to kiss it (Knutsch = kiss in the sense of lovely looking)... It has become a general term for small cars from the 50's and 60's.

Tue May 31, 2016 6:58 am

I've been battling electrical gremlins in the Ghia. When I moved the battery to the front of the car, I was still using a lot of the stock wiring, so I had the power going from the front to the back, back to the front, then back to the rear for the EFI,,,, so I was losing a lot of current and the magic box wasn't liking it. So got out some 8 gauge wire and bypassed a lot of the stock wiring and got some amperage where it belonged.....

Thinking I had it sorted out, I took the car out on my little 3 mile test loop I use. Left one signal and was rolling onto the throttle, trying to get my gremlins to reappear. Damn, only boosting to 4-5 pounds, double damn, forgot to plug-in the boost controller and was only running on the waste gate spring..... Turned onto a side street so I could connect it back together... As I climbed out, this new GT Mustang pulls up next to me and rolls down his window... "I usually don't stop and congratulate someone for beating me, but that little thing is fast ! Whatcha got in it??"

"Just a stocker with a little boost," I replied, "If I'd known we were racing, I would of really got after it!!!!" Hope I don't go to hell for all the little lies I tell, LMAO.

He drove away shaking his head..... Don't mess with the Air Cooled!!!!! LOL

Sat Jun 18, 2016 6:53 pm

I was in my bug the other day, in the left turning lane waiting for the traffic light. A guy and his buddy in a mid 90's Chevy pickup pull along side me on the right, he yells out the window, "where did you find THAT?!"

I say "here in Clinton" (I was in the area at the time)

He says "whadya give for it?"

"Too much!" :wink:

"About $5000?"

"We will go with that"

He says "you'll miss it when you sell it" :?:

Confused, I said "I don't ever plan on selling it. I've wanted and looked for one for too long!"

As he starts driving off, he repeated "you'll gonna miss it!"

At least he seemed to like the car :D

Sat Jun 18, 2016 9:38 pm

"When are you going to paint it?"

:-k

Sun Jul 03, 2016 2:18 am

Two young lads ( about 12) walked up to my '66 bug

" what type of car is that mate?"

" it's a VW"

"Really? Wow! Cool car mate!"

"Thanks"

Then, as they walked on, one looked back over his shoulder

"Shit paint though"

Thu Jul 07, 2016 4:48 pm

I had one just like it!!!! :shock: I kinda doubt it.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 4:17 am

nice volvo....

looks like Mr. Roger's car

"thats" a volkswagen??

Tue Sep 13, 2016 1:22 pm

I had a guy yell at me from the sidewalk,

"hey, don't they call those things bananas!?!"

:shock: I have a blue and white 71 type 2.

I don't think so...

"yeah, my buddy had a banana, he called it banana split"

Oh, was it a splitty? Was the windshield split in two pieces?

"It was a banana"

:shock:

Tue Oct 04, 2016 2:08 pm

Fri Oct 21, 2016 2:43 pm

67jason wrote: I was out in the 64 bus and got called "hitler" and "hippy" within about 3 blocks by different people.

Fri Oct 21, 2016 4:18 pm

Great thread. I have enjoyed just about all of it.

I’ve had my ’63 only about a month, and have only gotten positive comments and big smiles – a guy on a bicycle with an ear-to-ear smile asking the usual ‘what year,’ and ‘so cool’ stuff, the two fingered piece sign from the driver of a New Beetle in front of me at a stop light, compliments from a local guy with a ’57 Caddy with a vintage camping trailer to match, and various other positive comments, smiles, and thumbs-up at various places.

I don’t mind questions or comments based on ignorance. Most people don’t know a whole lot about anything, and even less about how to start a conversation (which explains the genuinely stupid questions and comments), or differentiating between Beetles from different decades. To those not in-the-know, a ’53 and a ’73 Beetle are amazingly similar. So what if they don’t know the difference. Getting upset over that stuff is pointless to me. I’d rather be happy and live longer.

When people want to argue and not believe truth, I’d rather let them wallow in their ignorance than knock myself out trying to convince them.

What does bother me are people who say mean things, unprovoked (I could do a whole psychological thesis on this one). One of my favorite responses to a mean comment is, ‘Is everyone in your family as tactless as you?’ No real good answer to that and often leaves the offender proverbially scratching their head. haha

And any woman who thinks my car is cute is okay with me. ;)

Sat Nov 19, 2016 7:41 am

Funny aggravating and sad story from this morning... :?
Sitting... waking up.. drinking my Starter Fluid.. cruising the web..

Home phone rings way too early.. :shock: ..

Caller Hey I talked to your dad.. about your convertible???
Nut.. who is this?

C. the convertible bug
N Where did you see this convertible ?

C out back
N The steak house?....Who is this??

C name.... i seen it at your dads house...
:-k
N was it green or red? (trying to get us on the same page.. and car)

C. yeah green or blue.. it is a 67
N.. Man I crushed that one..its long gone 3 years or more...

C.. oh no.. naw that cant be...
N yep

C naw I just seen it..
N when

C bout two years ago
N.. its gone.. parted it out and sent the rest to the crusher

C no its there
N no sir most of it is a cake pan or toy by now..

C damn.. thats a tragedy right there..... are you nuts...
:lol:
N yeah.. most days.... I wouldnt say its a tragedy.. lots of parts I sold off it saved many more.. so in reality .. it was more a life saver..

C huh?.... you must be crazy
N its been rumored

C mumbling something... Im 72 years old

N.. Ok.. ? ... would you be interested in a 62 Ragtop?
C ragtop?

N yes.. do you know what a ragtop is?
C yeah its a convertible

N well.... yes and no...(explained the Vw difference)
C never seen one of em.. must be rare..

N Well... medium rare..
C how much u want fer it?

N 4k..
C can I drive it home?

N yes.. but it will have to be on a trailer because its completely apart....

long pause..

N I appreciate the call but not quite ready to sell it anyway..
C ahite then..

N good talkin' ta ya.. 8-[

.

Sat Nov 19, 2016 8:19 am

Yeah, it's sad how fast time goes by & you talk to people you haven't talked to in years. I recently visited an older gentleman that I had bought several cars from & hadn't seen in a few years. I started talking to him about some of his vehicles that had been there for 10+ years & negotiated a price on a 1970 bus, after finding the title he looked at me kinda confused & asked me if I was the person he was talking to a few minutes ago. I felt bad for him & left shortly thereafter.

Sat Nov 19, 2016 8:57 am

^ Seeing the loss of memory it my own father.. is certainly hitting me hard.
He can remember stuff from 50 years ago.. but has to fight things from last week..

I feel certain lately he has been avoiding helping me like he used to.. so it doesn't show as much..
What hurts me the most.. as I can see it in his eyes...as he knows what's happening... :(

.

Thu May 25, 2017 2:43 pm

Over the 3 years I've had the buggy, I've heard countless stories of "I (or insert familly member here) had one just like that in the 60's or 70's"... Most of the people are respectful, some of them, genuinely touching.

Like that Older man, once. I was at the hospital where where my girlfriend works to pick her up after her shift. This old man was out of the front door, in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank and nasal tubes. His eyes lit up when he saw me park right in front of the door. I turned the engine off and at that moment, his wife got out of the hospital and he looked at her and started pointing at my car, all agitated like a kid. "You see that, honey,?" he said "it is just like the ones I used to make". And we got into a long talk of how he used to be a VW mechanic and he did custom work and several buggies and kit cars. During this brief moment, he no longer was an elderly sick man, he was just a car lover. It really made his day. It sure as hell did mine too. When my girlfriend arrived she caught the end of the conversation and got all teary eyed. The man complimented her for being an eye candy, his wife fake scolded him and everyone left with smiles on their faces.

Thu May 25, 2017 6:14 pm

Singerdude wrote: Like that Older man, once. I was at the hospital where where my girlfriend works to pick her up after her shift. This old man was out of the front door, in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank and nasal tubes. His eyes lit up when he saw me park right in front of the door. I turned the engine off and at that moment, his wife got out of the hospital and he looked at her and started pointing at my car, all agitated like a kid. "You see that, honey,?" he said "it is just like the ones I used to make". And we got into a long talk of how he used to be a VW mechanic and he did custom work and several buggies and kit cars. During this brief moment, he no longer was an elderly sick man, he was just a car lover. It really made his day. It sure as hell did mine too. When my girlfriend arrived she caught the end of the conversation and got all teary eyed. The man complimented her for being an eye candy, his wife fake scolded him and everyone left with smiles on their faces.

Nice, probably added some years to his life that day

Thu May 25, 2017 11:54 pm

Thanks Everett, we put so much time, effort, love and money in these cars... And it is ultimately a very selfish endeavor. But sometimes our cars don't only do ourselves some good, they also do good for others as well. That's part of our hobby's beauty.

Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:24 am

While out and about in the bug I've come a cross a few older guys who worked at VW Headquarters in Toronto over the years.
Another fellah asked about my car just recently while we were parked in a Euro market and told me how he worked at 'The Warehouse at Warden and Eglington'. It's great to talk to these people, they always are so proud!
I've been to a few shows there in the early days of the Great Canadian shows in Toronto and I used to travel to headquarters with my Dad to pick up parts and cars when I was a kid so I can talk of being there probably around the times they worked there--I sometimes spend a lot of time in parking lots talking to folks lol.

Fri Jun 23, 2017 3:35 pm

this just came out in the out of the ordinary cars' thread but it was OT there so I'm re-posting it in it's right place:

Introduction:
when I was a kid my aunt drove me around letting me to stand on the passenger seat and stick my head out to take the wind off the sunroof of her blue fiat 500 (the aircooled made in italy one, not the bloated pandas FCA now makes in poland and mexico before sticking little italian flags all over them). That was the popular ride for gals of her age in the eighties even if it had been out of production for some years by then. (hers was indeed actually more fiberglass and bondo than actual car, but at least it runned, everything worked and it was probably held together by divine intervention thanks to the intercession of the many saint christopher's magnets on the dash) ...fond memories.
Anyway:
When I bought my current bug had to go to the PO's by train as the car was at quite a distance from my house and as I had a couple of checks to pay for the car in my pocket I didn't feel secure about and I'm always afraid of beaurocracy at work, my aunt -who also holds a Master of Law- offered her legal/moral assistance.
Then:
payment done, paperwork sorted without issue (PO really a top guy), I have the car titled in my name, I'm given the keys and whe leave heading home; then she -who never before had rode in a beetle- immediately phones my uncle and happily tells him with a big smile:

"you know, this bug is a very nice car, it's just like my old 500, only bigger".

Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:48 pm

Talking about my bug parked out back at work.

Customer: Here's something you might not know. Those cars were designed by Adolf Hitler. With help from Enzo Ferarri.

::awkward pause::

Me: You mean Ferdinand Porsche?

Customer: Was it Porsche? Huh. Learn something new every day.

I ended the conversation there.