Bug collector fondly recalls crawlers and those that flew

Last week's Cartharsis took a look back at 1962 Volkswagen Beetle, triggering the following response:

When I read the article about the bug, I thought the author was sending me a letter. The accompanying photo I'm sure was of my 1971 VW, which was also yellow.

When I read the article about the bug, I thought the author was sending me a letter. The accompanying photo I'm sure was of my 1971 VW, which was also yellow.

I had 6 bugs over the years, from a 1963 piece of junk to a 1972 Super Beatle. My '71 went on my honeymoon to Canada with me.

It didn't keep up on the highway, but it made good time. I blew a gasket on the way to the shore my junior year of college and managed to get the gasket replaced in less than an hour by my mechanic (a great shop on Eagle Road at Darby in Havertown). And it only took 8 quarts of oil to get from Egg Harbor to Havertown to Sea Isle.

I remember the dreaded cable freeze for year-round heat; the wing windows open for air on 95, going to my dad's house in Connecticut; the box I built for extra speakers behind the back seat and parking on a hill when the starter went bad while at school.

I used to get in behind the trucks going up 95 to save money on gas. They'd pull me all the way to Exit 18 on the turnpike and my gas gauge wouldn't move. To this day, in my home office, I still have the manual I bought to fix some things myself to save money.

I traded my last one (a '69, fire-engine red) for a Jetta GL in 1987. It was my first new car. It wasn't even in the same league as the VW. It was trouble from Day 1. I've looked half- heartedly over the years for another one.

At least now I could afford to keep it running well, although you don't really have to. If one cylinder works, you're good to go. *