Re: oldies,newies..they're all goodies

[Theo Thepen <thepen@pi.net>]

Trish & Ted Davis wrote::) Also, as a child (in the
> '70's) my parents' '68 was smashed into in fog because the taillights
> were hard to see. Never drove right again. As a parent, this actually
> matters to me. Bigger taillights aren't always bad! The important thing
> is, we all like the cars, even though we definitely don't all agree on
> how they should be treated! :) -T

Hi folks,
Just my contribution to this discussion. Like always, the saying 'beauty
is in the eye of the beholder' defenitly applies to cars and especially
to type 3's. I myself prefer the old style cars, not just for type 3 the
final year when it comes to looks for VW was '67, especially for the
Beetle. I think the situation on this side of the ocean is very
different from the US and Australia. Overhere most type 3's are owned by
enthusiasts that have them for fun, not for daily driving. Unlike you
would expect, a type 3 on the road is rare. When I go to california or
Australia I see them driving regularly. They are basically just another
old cheap car for most people I think, whereas overhere you have to be
pretty determined to drive a type 3. I bought my first type 3 when I was
a student in Australia and as most students working overseas, I had no
money and bought the cheapest car I could get, that drove well, and that
I myself could maintain at a cheap rate. It was love at first side, I 
still remember me and a friend driving to the guy that sold the car 
and the first time I saw it. The world turned pink and I didn't care 
about the faded paint, the rough second gear, the dripping oil, the lack 
of carpets, nor the rattling front. I sim;y had to have it and after 
some dealing, mainly by my friend who thought it was a pile of shit and 
told me to get away as fast as possible, whereas I was just glazing at 
the car, completely in love, $400 Australian (about $300 US) was 
affordable.
In Holland, people tend to look
a bit funny (albeit generally sympathetic) at you when you drive a type
3, though virtually everybody either had one, got driving lessons in
them, had a relative that had one, or used to do autocross with them.
For me, I just love them, especially my own cars and I don't give a hoot
to what other people say. They're just jealous!
Cheers,
Theo