Well I ran across some interesting photos and decided to start playing with the scanner again
Enjoy-
This was my first VW-

And my first restoration project- finished Aug. 1990. I know Dave remembers this one. I slid around the corner and was full speed ahead by the time I passed his house- Its a wonder im still here


And.. this is my driveway in 1996..

This is the first ragtop beetle I had. My father owned the car back in the late 70's. After it was sold it floated around a bit until I traded for it in 1996. After I sold it, it sat indoors for a while and was sold again.. Supposedly its still in the state.. If anybody knows its wherabouts, please let me know-

The is one of the stroker engines that David Johnston built in the early 80's.. I stuck it in my beetle while I did a valve job on the original one. It ran flawlessly and was dead reliable

What happened to james?

Damn, I hadn't seen James in a couple of years.  Used to work for Jim.  I remember James as having a bit of a hot temper, but knew a lot about these cars, especially the early water pumpers.  Learned a lot from him.  I'll miss him for sure.  

Jim and i were talking about it one day, and he said a while back something about how so many who had worked for him had led hard lives, and how a number of those guys were now gone.  I guess I am literally part of a dwindling population.  :cry:

On another note, Jim may have been working on a VW in that picture, But i guarantee it wasn't Monday morning or Friday afternoon....

I learned alot from those guys when I worked with them as well.. All of them have helped me alot.. If you worked around James very much, you had no choice but to learn a few things- if nothing else, a few new words

Chris

Overhead Cams just love slinging oil out that little hole...
Never met either of these two fellas, but it was nice to see the photos,
Man I wish I had a problem of too short of a driveway to hold all my VW's.
Those cars looked great, do you still own any of them?

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, even if it wasn't my memories I liked it.
KC

I remeber working with him and he asked me to pull the trigger on an impact gun, he was holding the other end off a wobble socket, it slipped off and smashed his finger,  i learned a few things that day!

I bet you didn't know that "Damnit could be said in many ways and forms and volumes when things didn't go quite way for Jim. :shock:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: .   Grasshopper knows :lol:  :lol:

The Bug-A-Paluza pictures are from #2 . . . the "Show and Shine" and Bug-A-Paluza 1 we had store-bought plastic trophies.  Bug-A-Paluza 2 was the first year we used rods for trophies (as seen in the picture) and the last year we had the show at the dealership.  That would have been April 2000.

I've seen plenty of Beetle pedal cars, but I don't think I've ever seen a Rabbit Convertible . . . that really is one cool ride!  

Thanks Zen- I know Ive got more somewhere, but, Ill just have to dig

I always like looking at those early BAP pics. I think it really puts into perspective how the show grew from just a few enthusiasts, to a premier event in just a few years...