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Old July 18th 2004, 13:32
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oasis oasis is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: timonium, md usa
Posts: 1,290
I have a new old car!

I am now the proud owner of a 1971 Super Beetle. Yay, me!

It is Shantung Yellow (L12D) -- a one-year only color which was available on Beetles, 1302s, Type 3s and Type 4s. (A US 1971 411 in Shantung yellow must be the rarest thing on earth as '71s only existed April through July that year.) I really like the color, so I have abandoned my plan for a Cinnabar (LK2Y) respray which is a 1997-only, Cabrio-only color. I think Cinnabar would be awesome on a GLer.

I went there two Saturdays ago unannounced (I have my reasons) when the car first appeared on eBay. No one was there but I was able to crawl all around like the village idiot checking the car as much as I could from all of the great advice I have received here and elsewhere.

I went again last Saturday with the auction still running to test drive it. Some of you will remember the questions I raised after that experience, so there is no reason to rehash all of that. Ultimately, I was the high bidder but I did not meet the reserve.

After stewing a bit, I called to find out the reserve. I came up; they came down; I agreed upon certain stipulations; they agreed.

My third trip to Ephrata, Penn. proved to be the charm. The car handled the somewhat dodgey roads of my neighbor to the north without complaint and buzzed down I-83 at 65 MPH effortlessly. The stock set-up had more to give but I was still learning its "personality" ... and to me, there's nothing sadder than a car with temporary tags broken down or in an accident.

The car has some minor quirks which I want to have addressed before I proceed any further. There is a vent lever of some sort inside the defroster vent on the right side which is missing or broken. The floor mats are from a Ford. One thing I didn't test before because I couldn't figure out how was the rear window defroster. It doesn't seem to work although the dash light comes on.

After that, I want to get disk brakes. But here is where the trouble begins.

My wife and daughter want me to keep the car as close to stock as possible because how nice it looks externally. It is rustfree and the respray was done correctly -- indeed, it looks like it was done 13 days ago, not 13 years ago.

The interior is somewhat worn and is the only indicator that the car is as old as it is with 94k miles on it (which I believe to be correct). The headliner is no longer bright, but there are no tears. It would take little to make this ready for a movie set (my wife's idea).

The trouble is there is a part of me which agrees with them. My German Look plans have been scaled back somewhat just because I think a 1302 and a 1303 (my original focus was a '75) offer very different looks as a basis. My plans for the 1303 included wider fenders, a lower stance and would have been more in-your-face with its attitude in its final form.

Since I have gone flat-screen with my purchase, it will be more subdued without embarking on anything which isn't reversible. It'll be more of a sleeper.

It's funny how I have to get reacquainted with starting a non-fuel-injected car again. It's also funny how I used to sneer at ads for saying, "it really turns heads." But now, I'm experiencing that -- and much more than I ever did driving my little Rabbit-based Pickup.

I buzzed around downtown Baltimore for its first night drive last night. My daughter said a couple of times, "People are pointing," or something like that. I forgot how, um, pedestrian the dash lights are. At least they work! Woohoo! Oh, I need to get an interior light and a sunroof crank handle. Two more no biggies.

It is odd to look at "Shantung" -- when I do GL it, it'll be the "Shantung Racer" -- co-mingling with the its water-cooled brethren. First off, it's not white whereas the other three are. Then, after hearing my wife saying several times, "It's like a toy," (It is, dear. It is) it is actually surprisingly close in length bumper-to-bumper as her Golf IV.

I could go on and on but right now, I have somewhere to go. I don't know where exactly but I know it's gotta be now!

Thanks to all who have helped getting me off the sidelines and into the game. Now, I've got to start calling some plays!
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