Date:         Thu, 22 Jun 2006 11:21:16 -0400
Reply-To:     Richard Golen <rgolen@UMASSD.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Golen <rgolen@UMASSD.EDU>
Subject:      LVC - My Beetle Turned 50 Today!
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Greetings Vanagon-listees,


Fifty years ago today my 1956 Beetle (Chassis number 1226221) rolled
off of the assembly line at the VW plant in Wolfsburg, (West)
Germany. On the 25th it was shipped off to its home in the USA, where
its first "home" was in San Fransisco, CA.

I purchased it in July 1975 (after my 63 sunroof was totaled) for
$50. At the time it had a blown engine, but I rebuilt new 36 hp
engine for it (from another 56 beetle) and drove it through grad
school and until 1979 when VW said "no more beetles" were coming into
the USA. It sat in a garage until 1993 when I put a new battery in
it, pumped up the tires, put some new gasoline in the tank, and fired it up.

Today, we celebrated by doing an oil change and valve adjustment. Now
we're heading off for a cruise around town!

Taking a line from Neil Young..."Long may you run!"


Ric