Air-cooled rules at Bugrun 2015
 

Maybe this should go in Events and Meet-ups; if so it should move. On 20150530 I found myself at the Northwest Bugrun. Here's a photoessay in report:

First the good news: I came back with these. They're not aerodynamic and eco- but they are sorta mega-rare. They are genuine VW parts that came on a special model called the Marathon. I got 5 at $25 each. I plan to blast and Plastidip these. What color do you think? I'm leaning to Copper centers and Silver/Turqoise flip-flop for the rims.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...7-100-0920.jpg

Onward! VWs for sale. I saw engineless Bajas for $300-500.

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This dune buggy had a Pinto engine. A clean narrow install with the muffler tucked up against the block. It was only $2000!

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At the car show, I didn't even try to see the Cal-look, stock Beetles, busses offroad, etcetera; just the rat rods, so this is unrepresentative of the rest of the show, drag races and swap meet.

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One of my two favs:

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The finish didn't photograph well, it's OG paint and rust with a satin finish clear coat. The contender:

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Others' details included a beverage cooler:

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The one electric conversion I found:

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Normally I don't like Coca-Cola themed cars (don't see the equivalency) but this one is redeemed by the keg/barbecue.

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The Dub Box Mini-dub was there:

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Which would be nice with this retro roof carrier on top:

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Edit: on further review, I missed one. This is likely a BGW Speedster, a fiberglass knock-off of the 2-passenger Hebmuller of the 1950s.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...1-100-0905.jpg

It looks like the color is Koral Rot or Sealing Wax Red. In the swap meet there was a very trick Tri-X header :eek: But it was $400.

Much as I dislike fake patina, I love that chop-top. :D

$2k for the dune buggy? Wish bugs were that cheap here. :(

Cool show, lots of creativity there.

niky -- The topless one? It isn't fake patina so much as anti-patina. It has real rust but it's sealed with gloss clear coat. If it's a water-based clear coat, that would be very ecological; compared to multiple layers of primer, color and top coat. One of my favorite things, along with the Go-Pro mount. And the door and rear quarter upholstery panels are luan plywood.

That row of 5 Beetles were probably negotiable but around $2K on average. There was a total-wreck 72 Superbeetle on offer for $1200 that needed at least $5K of work. Wheels for two or three times the $25 I paid for the Marathons. There was no one around the Mini-dub toy hauler, but their website says $8K. And that Tri-X header! I didn't take a picture and I'll probably never see another one.

Here's a picture I took to encourage my friends with a International Scout up on blocks. The asking price for the red convertible was $3000.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...0-100-0892.jpg

UFO -- Here's the relevant page at the Rose City Volkster's website. Right now a banner crawl says a bigger story goes up Tuesday—it's mostly racing results.

http://www.woodburndragstrip.com/lea...ws-everywhere/

Google Images is weird, years past there were pictures up on the web by the time I got home. Now it's all logos of their various advertisers. YMMV

$500 Baja? $2000 dune buggy?? Man good thing I didn't go! Any kind of running, driving Manx copy with papers is worth $5 -$10k all day long here in the summer time.

The thought of leaving rust on any surface worries me, but sealing it with a clear coat would hopefully keep it from spreading.

Nice stuff. Was at a show full of old Minis myself the other day. Lots of variation (had a Moke and a Limo), but not at this level!

War_Wagon -- You'd like the Portland Swap Meet. It's been going on for 41 years and covers acres (you can't see it all). It's 'always in April' so the next one is April 1st, 2nd & 3rd next year. It's been a while since I went to one of those. Portland Swap Meet Homepage

niky -- what did you think of the finish on the nose of the one with a sun visor and Moon tank set into the front? Paint is higher maintenance than rust, but bare metal is higher maintenance yet. I'd Plastidip the nose every Fall and peel it off for show season.

Looking at them again, it looks like the one with the beverage cooler might be faux patina. It's almost like a two-tone paint.

I'd be scared to get it wet. :D

I think bare could work if you apply a gloss to it... but still... kudos to the guy for such an interesting build.

If I were going to rat rod one of those things, I think I'd stick to simple black, like the car beside it.

Black (with red wheels) is traditional, and stands out in traffic, but gathered in groups I like the Easter Egg approach. Like the two that could trade hoods and you wouldn't notice.

But on the one with flat black front wheels, fender wells and headlights, those sort of disappear.

20160604 Bug-run!

I wuz there. The first thing that caught my eye was:
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Blackout lights and South African side trim. Interesting. The 20" rims and big chrome swamp cooler are anachronistic. Popped everything. I call you attention to the 4" third brake light hanging inside the CO port. If that oval window is closed and you touch the brakes, that's going to light up your life for sure.

I drove an oval-windowed sun roof for eight years, so... sniffle.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...9-100-1044.jpg

This is sweet. Your looking IMHO at a Beetle door and a 1927 Ford T roadster turtledeck, and a large metal patch. And the rear axle is only moved forward a leetle bit to fit that shiny engine under the lid.

Here's two for contrast: All the relevant parts of a convertible for $375.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...3-100-1051.jpg

'Auto Restoration' is more like overrestoration:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...4-100-1057.jpg

I talked to another guy that said he is making a living restoring Ghias (he had a stockpile of "20 or 30"), but this just looks to me like someone has cash flow like a fire hose and they pointed it at a VW.

My vote for most ecomoddable (IOW needs everything):

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Butterfly-doored bubble-top EV? Something more traditional?

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I saw the same roof rack available separately for $160. (Paid $30 for mine)

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$1500. It may not show but there's a fortune in aluminum diamond plate aluminum under the camo.

This looks like a great idea, but I think they were just parked together.

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You couldn't pedal the crank and the bikes too nice for the compressor. But if there were a PTO and a pedal powered compressor—Bingo!

...and probably the best of show:

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Narrowed front and rear lids and suspensions, front engine, hydraulic clutch, torque tube and [probably a Porsche 924] transaxle. Those Centerline wheels probably help with the unsprung weight. In the background of the last picture the car on the right is that roadster with the '27 T turtledeck.

So there're trailer pictures to go in another thread. There were overflowing crowds last year, but this year some show categories were like a ghost town. Mainly the water-coolers. Something happen in the last year that put water-cooled back on it's heels? So sad. Antifreeze is poisonous to puppies and kittens anyway.

I'll likely go next year. If I can find a spot to recharge my SRK. :thumbup: