Date:         Thu, 20 Feb 1997 10:53:12 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Karen Winter <cen13504@centuryinter.net>
Subject:      Re: Cabriolet Freind

David,
Hello David. How are things in Atlanta?   I may be visiting an x-girl
friend in Decatur next month.  How far is Norcross from Decatur?  
I checked my contact in Marysville TN. J&M motors is the name of the
shop. The owner said he had not bought a Vw in months.  The story he
told me was that peolpe were stealing the cabs, striping and storing the
part, and leaving them to be found by the police.  When the insurance
payed off the car bodies went to the salvage sale. The theives would
then buy the car and have legal ownership to the car.  Within a few
hours they could reassemble the car and have a $10,000 car for $5,000
cash.  He said he had seen a few cases where they would come back with
the keys and steering wheels for the cars.  He also heard that the US
government was making small business loans to foreign vistiors to start
Businesses.  These visitor were using the money to steal and buy the car
frames.  True or not who Knows.

I am considering selling my Cab. I priced it to a man for $4400.  If  I
can turn that kind of a profit I may have to sell it.  After all I have
not bought a Vw in over a year and I fear I am having with drawals.

Good luck with the new beetle.  It really is neat car, but is it really
what the American Auto market is demanding right now. I am afraid that
VW USA has missed the mark again.  They have missed the mark for the
last ten years. I hope it is not to late for them here.

Later

Kenneth Winter
Knoxville
David Allen wrote:
> 
> Kenneth,
> 
> Hello from Norcross, Georgia!  Norcross is a suburb of Atlanta on the northeast side
> right off of I-85.
> 
> Chris told me last night that he had e-mailed you and to expect a response.  I'm glad
> you responded.
> 
> Thinking about this, I went out this morning to drive my Cabriolet to work, since I
> haven't driven it since my ski trip last month.  To my suprise, it was broken into!.
> 
> 8am this morning, I find glass ALL over the place.
> 
> I had a cheap cheap cheap, can I say cheap, radio from a Honda Civic in it and they
> took it. It didn't even have a face plate on it!.  I figured no one would ever want
> it.  Well, I stand corrected. (ha ha).  My driver's side door vent window was broken,
> the top part of the door had been pried away from the window. My lock-pull on that
> door was already out, therefore they could not unlock the door once they broke the
> vent window.  They then went around to the passenger side of the car and tried to pop
> the passenger side vent window.  In doing so they stuck something under the vent
> window and tried to pry it out, bending the metal way down in front of the mirror.
> The passenger side top part of the door was also pried away from the window and in
> doing so the window, I guess, broke.
> 
> Now my car is full of water from the torrential rain last night.  Until this point it
> was a beautiful Triple White Cabriolet.
> 
> I used to restore VW's for a living and still do on occasion.  I bought this Cab the
> same way you did with a little rear end damage.  I have straightened it out the best I
> could short of taking it to the shop, had it inspected by the State of Georgia and
> they awarded me with a clear title!
> 
> My Cab has 115K on it and it is mechanically in great shape and just need a clutch
> soon or to have the input shaft splines cleaned.  I will re-restore this Cab this week
> and not let things like this get me down.  To date I have owned 32 different VW's and
> had the registered and one point or another
> 
> I now have the 87 Cabriolet 5 speed, a 1973 VW 412 automatic (Type 4 squareback) and a
> 1996 Saturn SL2 5 speed. Gotta have a domestic car in Detroit unless you love to have
> you foreign car continuously vandalized by disgruntled RA RA union people that are
> still sore from the 70's.
> 
> I think the price on you clutch job is really good for what is involved.  You picked
> up your Cab for less that what I paid for mine.  I paid 1,200 for it, but it only
> needed a battery and a good bath.
> 
> I have a person in the office who is interested in the Cab and I may sell it this week
> and get another one.  I am curious to see where you purchased yours from and if you
> could send me information on them.
> 
> I am currently a student pursuing a Bachelor's of Fine Arts Industrial Design degree
> in Transportation Design, my dream.  I am striving to be an Auto Stylist, the guy who
> designs and builds the concept cars, and new models, etc.  I'm working very hard to
> get into a school in Detroit, Michigan called Center for Creative Studies, College of
> Art and Design for this degree.  It is the top school for Automotive Design in the
> country.  I hope to start fall 98.  I am also saving my pennies up for the new Concept
> Beetle due out fall 98 as a birthday present for myself (August 25).  I have many
> dealership contacts from working in the business that are keeping me updated on when
> the new Beetle will become available.  I am putting down a deposit as soon as they
> come available.  I want the first new Beetle Convertible to hit the Atlanta area.
> 
> Please write me soon, I would like to keep in touch and hear about you passion for
> VW's.  I run through my condacts and the paper here in Atlanta for the Golf you are
> seeking.
> 
> Feel free to contact me directly at home or work
> Home: 770-840-0324
> Work: 770-798-6558
> 
> Thank you
> 
> David D. Allen