We Dragged It Out of the Woods by Paul Greco

I was complaining about the fact that my fine '63 ragtop was rear-ended when a young co-worker spoke up; "I've got one of those out back in the woods that I'd like to sell." The picture that entered my mind was that of a mouse infested, rusted hulk with maybe a tree growing through it. I politely made believe I was listening as he proceeded to describe the car but my thoughts were "Hey, I'm from the Bronx and if you think you're going to put something over on me, you've got another thing coming!" I feigned interest and asked what year is it? "1960" he answered. "Cooool," I thought to myself, vintage!!! "It doesn't have an engine." he said. Nooo problem, got plenty of those. "Does it have air in the tires?" "Yeah" ... "I'll be there Saturday." And thus I committed myself to the purchase of yet another fine VW. The cool crisp air washed my face as I loaded the borrowed tow bar into my friend's Jeep. I had a few bucks in my pocket in anticipation of the deal. I pointed the Jeep towards Spring Valley, near where I was employed at the time in Rockland County. How I came to be working there is another story, but the commute from the Bronx was taking its toll on my current Bug. As I drove the 30 or so miles, I reminisced on how many times I made this trip running on three cylinders, or with oil pouring out a blown seal. Add to this the ritual of baking feet due to heater boxes tied open! Every day was an adventure but I began to appreciate calling in for the day off and hearing the personnel director say "Car trouble?" "Yeah..." No one ever questioned me about maybe why I don't get a better car. Heck, I couldn't answer that myself. I guess I just had a love for old Bugs. (Actually, I was just thrifty!) photo courtesy of Volkswagen Jake "the Lovebug66" I rolled up their driveway and immediately scanned the Bug sitting at the edge of a field. There weren't any other ones so I thought "This must be it, no tree!" I parked the Jeep halfway between the house and the Bug as if to lay claim to it. A few people emerged from the house and greeted me although my attention was on this faded black treasure I was hoping would be a score. My first impression was positive - looks like it's all here! A quick glance at the interior was also good, with the seats and headliner somewhat intact and those rubber floor mats I had come to love. "Looks OK" I said. "Fifty bucks takes it" was his reply. I forked over the cash, hooked up the tow-bar and dragged it out so quickly that the look on the guys face said "Hey, I wonder who's getting taken here?" As I pulled away, he shouted, "It's got a reserve tank." I had no idea what he was talking about but knew I had to high-tail it out of there before he changed his mind about the whole affair. Arriving home, I surveyed the damage. No engine or battery, OK. Otherwise everything was there - except for a fuel gauge. When I first heard about the car, I was hoping that the dashboard would be one of those weird looking ones I had seen in pictures. I really didn't know much about Volkswagens then, but I did remember him saying something about the "reserve tank". While cleaning out the car I discovered the lever next to the gas pedal. "Aaaah" I thought, I wonder which way is ON? Of course I would later find this out the hard way, stuck on the Thruway with $2.63 in my pocket which was plenty for gas at that time, but the service truck wanted a five-dollar service charge! I asked him for a break and that I would send the money, but all I got was a dirty look. I guess he had some dealings with people from the Bronx before. He was kind enough to direct me to a gas station about 3 miles down the road, but no offer of a ride. I proceeded to customize the car to my tastes. I installed the ragtop sunroof that I cut out of the '63, threw in a spare motor and battery, and fired it up. To my surprise, it ran. The old tires were toast, so I replaced them with custom made offset rims that started life as the wheels on my brother's transporter. They were 14" diameter with extra-wide rims. They wouldn't fit in their stock form, so I cut off the welds and moved the centers to clear the Bug suspension. With a set of Midnight Auto Supply tires and some black spray paint I was on my way. This car was quite good, except....... Well, the reality was, this car was old. It took me a while, but eventually I learned that all of my problems were related to the wiring. Not so much the wires themselves, but the connections. The combination of six-volts and those plastic and set-screw terminals was not working! Things would stop or start functioning and I felt powerless as to my fate. That was until I figured out that I would periodically have to tighten them up. Life was easier after that and I actually sold this car!