I'm Dave. I've been playing with VW's since '85 when my pal got a '74 super beetle when we were in high school. It wasn't long after that when I dragged home my own '67 beetle to learn the joys of VW's. I come from a military family so we've had VW's along the way as we traveled around the globe, but I never really took one apart or started collecting parts, specialty tools, magazines and a shared love of german engineering until the '67.

I'm doing a quasi-restoration on a '67 Type 3 fastback right now and I'm struggling with keeping it stock-ish. I've never had a stock-sh VW. I've always modified them in some form and typically focussed towards motorsports. In high school, my brother and I campaigned a butchered up '64 beetle in SCCA autocrossing EP class while we drove the '67 to school. Two cars, one motor - yup, we swapped it about every other weekend to go race and then scramble Sunday evening to get the street car back together to make it back to school on Monday.

Currently, my brother, Adam, and I have a turbo'd GTI that we dragrace with some success.

We race with Mike and Rich quite a bit - they're good dudes with the same VW addiction (air and water). It's fun showing up on a race weekend with three fast FWD VW's. The white one is ours:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vy6-YC2Fws

I know, it's a red light but it was a decent pass. We pissed off the Lightning driver for giving him the serious boot in front of his friends.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mbobelak#p/u/3/9CS6S_i5yWQ

Currently it make 512 whp and has a best of 10.28 @ 137. He drives because he's lighter. We're a little faster 0 to 100 than an Enzo Ferrari.

Regardless, I really dig VW's and have never not owned a 'dub. I'm looking forward to doing more events with the fastback as it comes together. Hope to see you out sometime!

Welcome Dave. Where in the show-me-state do you live?

Show off some pics of your rides...

Welcome Dave! We must be about the same age. I too was in high school in 85. Although at that time, I was REALLY into Mustangs (GASP) Had a 1965

cjones, I too was once into Stangs or so I thought. In my late teens, I thought I'd cool it with the VWs so I bought a '73 Grande (last of the long nose--this was a notch version of a Mach) I didn't have it 6 months when I kept seeing my dad driving around in my '73 Saturn yellow sports bug. I ended up parking the stang and going back to my bug!!!

I'm from the Illinois side of the river. I grew up on the west end of Belleville.

I'll get some pics up as soon as I can.

Welcome Dave. Glad to hear the fasty is being fondled again. You going to organize a "Fall Cruise" again? Last years was a great time mixing the water cooled with the air coolers.
Roy

Yeah, I'll probably put something together for a fall cruise. I've got some ideas we can discuss at ES over beers.

This video has some cuts from some of the more......sporting....drives from the past. They got somewhat entusiastic a few years back but I don't like to run like that anymore. The stretch of video from 4:00 to 7:00 capture it pretty well. I have some great routes already mapped, scouted and run that can go anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours all on country roads to some beautiful locations in our area.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgBBqYhbojg

I've got some silly fast water-pumpers but I'm really digging the slow and low fastback.

Welcome dave good to see you herwe. Are you bringing the GTI to E.S.
Looking forward to another fall cruise with your club again.

Thanks, man. I'm actually bringing my '67 Type 3 fastback to ES if all goes as planned.