Date:         Sun, 6 Jan 2008 13:12:09 +0000
Reply-To:     Vdub Guy <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Vdub Guy <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: What to do with a crash survivor(Air Bags)

In 1973 I bought my first new VW, a '73 Super Beetle. I remember commenting to the salesman about how large the center of the steering wheel had become. He mentioned that VW was probably anticipating the requirement of air bags in vehicles. Two years later my beloved Super Beetle was rear ended hard at a traffic light, so hard it pushed me into the car in front of me. Since the accident was less than 5 miles from home I had it towed to my house. I thought for sure it was going to be totaled, so I stripped it of everything I had put on it. Luckily I had kept the original wheels/tires. It unfortunately was not totaled, and was repaired at Lee Volkswagen in Springfield, VA. It was a mess when I got it back, paint was horrible, the nice mellow sounding extractor was replaced with some cheap piece of crap that was way too loud. I wanted to get rid of it after that and put it up for sale. Against my advice, my father insisted he wanted to buy it. For the next 3 years he bitched to me abo
ut everything that went wrong with it-it would jump out of gear, had numerous engine problems, etc. It had been hit so hard the belt twisted on the pulleys, and both valve covers popped off! Never sell a car to relatives or friends! I had tried to tell him!     Jeff