I've always had a special place in my heart for the Volkswagen Beetle... I owned a blue 1966 Bug back in the early 70's, in fact it was the very first car I actually owned. Not many perks but it got great gas mileage and was fun to drive. I ran into this red 1970 VW at Fry's in Renton, WA.

I was attending Green River Community College then and drove to Auburn from Renton. Then after classes to Enumclaw to teach guitar lessons at the Stan Boreson Music Store. Those were long days and finally around 7:00 or 7:30 pm back home to Renton via Maple Valley. That was a little over a 65 mile round trip everyday, yet a tank of gas lasted all week.

1970 Volkswagen Beetle
Very straight and cute 1970 Volkswagen Beetle in Fry's parking lot, Renton WA.

I loved the Beetle's simplicity. It was reliable, low maintenance, and with a little imagination it drove like a sports car. One drawback however was the internal heater worked off the air cooled engine. I remember a lot of cold wet winter mornings jamming for an 8:00 am class with foggy windows and your breath freezing on the inside of the windshield.

The drive from Renton to Auburn was straight down the valley and flat. It wasn't until the last 2 miles or so when I had to gun it up through Lea Hills to campus that it would finally heat up. Then, as if by magic, the windows cleared and you were now in an oven rolling the windows down gasping for air.

I put a lot of hard miles on that little car before it needed some engine work. If memory serves me, it was rings. My friend Steve Johnson, unlike me, had mechanical skills and we decided to pull the motor and do the repairs.

We rented a jack to hoist the engine and with me on top and Steve lying on the ground we unbolted the motor when it slipped off the jack. I'll never forget Steve bench pressing it up through the engine compartment grunting, "Here!" Thanks to Steve we got it running again and I was back on the road.

Good memories and many adventures... remembering my little blue bug. It was very good to me.

Originally posted on the blog: The Blackberry Chronicles, Remembering my little blue bug.

History of Das Auto

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René Fabre

René Fabre
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rfabre@firstam.com

 First American Title

First American Title
24722 104th Ave SE
Suite 100
Kent, WA 98030

  
 
Posted by René Fabre on 04/28/2012 12:06 PM   Comments (21)   Hyper Local Content in the Regional Channel   vw beetle  
Short URL: http://actvra.in/NcZ

21 Comments on Remembering my little blue bug.

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

APR
28
2012
630,963 Points 7 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I never could learn to drive a stick.. It sat and sat ..I tried and tried ..had to sell it and get an Oldsmobile !
12:14pm • #2
Called Shot Master

They sure are loved by many.  The Beetle is #4 on the Edmund's list of the 100 greatest cars of all time.  See the list here: http://www.insideline.com/features/the-100-greatest-cars-of-all-time.html

 
12:24pm • #3
1,526,060 Points 163 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

My first car was a 66 Bug, biege in color.  Then I graduated to a 1979 white convertable with the 1600 cc Carmen Khia engine.  I loved that car (Vinny VDub) until 2004.  We had lots of fun times together and my son abused him a bit in HS but he still kept on ticking.  Finally had to let him go but sold him for just under $7,000.  Still look at them driving downt the road and sigh.
12:29pm • #4
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Betty: Agreed... There's something about them that's almost like having a pet.
12:30pm • #5
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hannah: I had no choice. I think the first 4 or 5 cars I drove were all sticks! After the Beetle though, I went big with an Olds Starfire. Man that thing loved speed! 440 Hemi with a 4 speed automatic. An awesome gallactic cruiser sports car!
12:33pm • #6
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Peter: Great list! What fun to look over so many cars I've known from the past!

Cindy: Wow, you had that 79 for a long time. Those were beautiful cars. Me too, I always have to gaze when I see a bug go by and in the back of my thoughts I wish for one.
12:37pm • #7
971,333 Points 102 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

The Volkswagen beetle, for being a German import, surely was a part of 1960s Americana...  
4:00pm • #8
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Paul: Indeed it was! Totally iconic of the 60's and the summer of love! Peace!
6:09pm • #9
1,500,298 Points 354 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Rene...

That little air cooled engine was dependable and pretty easy to work on ... I never owned one but many of my friends did.
7:14pm • #10
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Richard: My joke was/is you only needed 4 tools... An adjustable wrench, a hammer, and a standard and a Phillips screwdriver and you could fix most anything!
7:41pm • #11
1,091,502 Points 201 Featured Posts Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master
Hi René, That was a great story and those are the memories that us all smile. A fun read!
10:16pm • #12
APR
29
2012
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

William: Thanks. It was fun to remember. Good memories.
3:00am • #13
APR
30
2012
472,704 Points 35 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I had a light yellow VW Karmann Ghia convertible as my first car - I loved it so much. I too always appreciated 'The Bug' - and I agree with your assessment.   How many friends were able to stuff in your Bug - I remember one of my friends managed to squeeze quite a few guys into the car for a fun antic. :)
9:12am • #14
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Debb: How could I forget stuffing as many guys into the car as you possibly could! I'll have to think about that one, I think we got 7... including me at the wheel once.
9:41am • #15
118,281 Points 4 Featured Posts Outside Blog

That's a great memory! I was just thinking about my first car a couple of weeks ago! AHHH the good ol days! :)
3:18pm • #16
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Stacia: Thanks... Love my Explorer and all its comforts, but I still have fond memories for that little blue bug :O)
3:32pm • #17
MAY
01
2012
1 Featured Post

I learned to drive in a 73 beetle.  My Dad's car.  It was a ugly brown color, but was so easy to work on, and I even knew the little trick to get it in reverse easily.

Great memories.
6:39pm • #18
MAY
05
2012
981,695 Points 114 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Oh WOW -- this post brought back memories.  My first car was a VW Beetle, blue ... kinda powder if I recall.  Loved that car.  Of course I didn't know how to drive a stick at the time and learned by doing.  ;-)
10:54am • #19
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Eric... I think my tool box at the time had a rubber persuader hammer, and adjustable big pair of plyers, a couple of standard screwdrivers and a couple of Philips screwdrivers and a small metric wrench set. You could fix just about everything!
1:22pm • #20
356,847 Points 27 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Carla... Love it... mine was that darker VW blue! Fortunately I learned to drive in my Dad's 1952 Plymouth which had a long throw 3 speed shift on the column. You'd a thought I was Parnelly Jones or something with a floor shift! Oh Yah!
1:25pm • #21

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René Fabre

Seattle, WA

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First American Title

Address: 24722 104th Ave SE, Suite 100, Kent, WA, 98030

Office Phone: (253) 850-5230

Cell Phone: (425) 749-9296

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René Fabre is a blogger, teacher, artist, and speaker living in the Pacific Northwest. His passion is the evolving social media environment and how it impacts every level of our lives.

A certified clock hour instructor, René teaches new media marketing for the First American Title Real Estate School of Washington.

He also teaches social media for entrepreneurs and small business in the continuing education department at Bellevue College.

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