I'm out.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Cars... I've been saying this for a long time, but they don't make any cars I like any more. And you add all the headache on top of that, and they become a frustration. Any and all cars are just frustrations, that's all they are. They are just expensive wheelchairs to get us around.

I used to go to the new auto shows. I stopped going when I realized I hated every car that was there. I'll just drive the older cars that I can afford. I have three Insights that will outlast me if I can keep getting or making parts.

Having no car is peak ecomodding. Congratulations! That's great if you can get by without one. Where I live, I chose the frustration of maintaining an aging car over the frustration of no transportation. I've been to places where having a car is more frustrating than not having one. Helsinki, Finland is the first place that comes to mind. Great public transportation and an awful place to drive.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

I guess I think about cars too much and thinking about and discussing cars that I might want but will never be able to afford starts becoming a bit depressing for me. I guess I need to try harder to be happy with what I got. There are other things that are more important. For me, right now, taking care of my parents and my boys is priority.



I like VW air-cooled, but the Manx body is on the bottom of my wish list. I need at least some closed cabin heat capability and at least 4 seats, even if the rear two seats are tiny.

Lately I've been dreaming of owning a Thing (Type 181, aka: Safari). I most likely never will though. Now there I go again, dreaming...

It's OK to dream! I've realized I'll never have everything I want, but I can have a few things I want. Not those Things, even if they are really cool!

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

A biblical reference, what's got into you? :P

Which part?

Kustomrama
Chuck Atwood's 1959 Ford Galaxie - My Blue Heaven
Apr 29, 2023Rod & Custom May 1960 featured a 4-page story about "My Blue Heaven" by Peter Sukalac.The story was titled "Far-Out Ford," and it stated that Chuck had won "First in Class" trophies in its first two showings; The Portland Roadster Show, and a show in Medford, Oregon.It had also won two for "Peoples Choice," and "one giant size piece of hardware for "Sweepstakes.

Originally Posted by Gasoline Fumes

It's OK to dream! I've realized I'll never have everything I want, but I can have a few things I want. Not those Things, even if they are really cool!

Consider your alternatives. The Type 181 (let alone the Kubel/Schwimmwagen) is pricey, but the plans to make you own EMPI Sportster are available online.



Modifiable, of course. Here's a Porsche monocoque/tube roll cage:


Else one could go mil-spec:

[freebeard]

I'm starting to like the idea of selling the 1958 Beetle body [only], keeping the 1971 pan it sits on and throwing away the garbage suspension parts. Here's the Sportster build plans: www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/empi_sportster/empi_sportster.pdf

Maybe there's hope for the automobile after all:

The Vehicle America (And The Rest Of The World) Needs Right Now! The Freedom-Mobile

He has a three-point program, but his exemplar is the Corvair when it could just as easily be the Type I/II VW.

[Ecky]

I'm with you.

I moved to where I'm a 5 minute walk from work. I drive my car once per week, around the coast, then park it. I walk to work. I walk the dog to the dog park. I walk to get groceries. I walk to restaurants and to the movies. I'm adding a tank to my fuel history here once every 3 months.

Car ownership here may be less frustrating than in the 'States, but it still makes me question my hobby, or even owning a car.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Maybe some day I'll be interested in talking about cars. But I feel like the more I talk about them the more depressed I get.

Sometimes it's frustrating to find out newer cars are not so easy to repair with simple tools as their older counterparts, or at least to do a makeshift fix until the correct fix can be implemented.

There's just no hope in sight, nothing I want to discuss anymore.

Well, with the exception of older cars like VW air-cooled vehicles and such.

See? You're already open to talk about some older cars which both of us can relate to.

I just don't see me buying anything like that ever again even though I'd love to.

Once in a while I still lurk about buying an air-cooled VW, even if a restomod would be the case to improve usability under some conditions.

[redpoint5]

The worst car I ever owned was a '69 Beetle. Yeah, it was simple to fix, but the thing sucked and required constant fixing... or maybe my Dodge Ram 2500 pickup is the suckiest vehicle I've owned. Things that tell you what the problem is are easier to repair than things that don't tell you what the problem is.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

The worst car I ever owned was a '69 Beetle. Yeah, it was simple to fix, but the thing sucked and required constant fixing...

The easiest way to ruin every car is neglecting maintenance. As the Beetle is famous for being simple, some folks tend to neglect maintenance, and then all the years of neglect will have a price. Which may not be as cheap as it could be expected...

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

The easiest way to ruin every car is neglecting maintenance. As the Beetle is famous for being simple, some folks tend to neglect maintenance, and then all the years of neglect will have a price. Which may not be as cheap as it could be expected...

It was a crappy car that was an absolute joy to drive. It sucked for all the reasons that not even Mexico is making them anymore. Obviously it was a good car for its time, but that time expired.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I still see a reasonable amount of Beetles, some of them very well kept. Most likely some econoboxes which are more modern than a Beetle, yet no longer made such as the Opel Corsa B for instance, could be a better option for most people on a practical basis. When it comes to the Kombi, even though the engine compartment makes it harder to accomodate some loads, its compact size proportionate to the load capacity still makes it appreciated by many commercial operators here.