The Return of BUG - The Beginnings

 I first met Bug around 2008, or maybe it was 2009.

My great friend Gypsie needed a commuter car to get around Portland.  With years of experience working on his air-cooled Vanagon, he figured he was already part of the air-cooled family.  Bug came to him, like they always do.

   

He drove her around Portland for a while, and took good care of his horse.  It always brightened my day a little to see that happy Texas Yellow lighting up a gray NW winter.  She was a perky commuter; one of those reliable daily drivers that just keep going from 1972.  I was charmed.

In a couple of years, we were sad to see Gypsie move to Ridgefield, Washington.  Poor Bug sat.  She wasn't needed, so she slept a long nap at Gypsie Acres.  Bug became the classic white elephant.

Well, life went on.  In 2012 my daughter Terian graduated from college, and would soon be living in Portland.
  I was very excited!  She had been away for a long time and I missed her.  

Gypsie proposed a most generous offer - a trade for a fond guitar and a bit of cash, and Bug would be mine, to offer my daughter as a graduation present.  And so it was done.

Uh oh...that expression

Gypsie, Terian, and Bug

Full circle, Terian at 4 years old in 1995

Terian was delighted with Bug.  It was really fun to see the shock and surprise on her face.

  I got to work right away making things safe.

Tune up day

 New points and condenser.  Oil that wick if you have one! 

 The old spark plugs, very clean

Mini-procedure: heat riser cover repair

These metal bits fit over the engine tin where it meets the heat riser tubes.  They came from VW with an asbestos ring, but this is often missing.  With fiberglass mat and Permatex, you can restore these to function.  Cut the fiberglass mat with scissors and stuff it into the metal ring with a small screwdriver...insane but it can be done.

 If you are crazy, you will then paint them orange.  After the paint dried, I baked them in an old toaster oven.

 Good as new!  Garish too!

Installed.

Bug is now completely dialed in and running like a top.  I'd trust her to Guatemala or Topeka, Kansas.  She's ready for the road.  Teri learns to drive a stick shift as we drive in circles around airport industry, round and round and round.  She was really nervous, but she eventually got the hang of it.

But.

Bug sat.

Summer

Fall

Winter.  Clearly, Bug was once again a white elephant.

I didn't blame Terian.  Owning a car is a lot of work.  I could see that she was a bit overwhelmed with this little lemon Zeppelin from the '70s, so I took Bug off her hands.  She deserves a better fate, don't you think?

Poor Bug.  

Bug doesn't know it, but she's about to return to life.  Maybe she does?

To say the least: I am meticulous.  Call it OCD, "anal-retentive" (man I hate that one..), a CRAFTSMAN (yeah that's nice).  I always take my time to do a job right.

  Please follow me along as I bring Bug back to life!