'65 Bug

I own a 1965 Volkswagon Bug.  It was my high school car.  PBY666, that's its license plate number.  Still has the old California black and yellow plates.  Its baby blue, at least in the non-rust spots. 

Thankfully, my house was at the top of a slight hill.  I always parked facing downhill so, in the morning, I could release the e-brake, roll down the hill, and, by the time I reached Kirst, have just enough speed to pop-start it.  For the rest of the day, it would start without a problem.  There was always had a brown paper sack of spice drops in the car. 

The radio is AM only so we listened to a lot of "oldies" stations.  4 speeds and, for reverse, you push straight down on the gear shift and then go sort of towards the driver and back.  The floor was so rusted in spots you could see the pavement running under your feet.  No air conditioning of course, so, in the summer, when it was unbearably hot and sticky in LA, we'd stop by Niffer's house, jump in the pool full clothed, and pile back in without drying off.  That probably didn't help the floor rust.

I brought it with me when I moved to Sonoma County to live with my now husband.  I crammed all of my worldly belongings in the Bug.  Brian followed me up Highway 5 in his parents' pick-up truck.  Just south of Los Gatos, I noticed him wildly signaling me to pull over.  I did so and the Bug immediately filled with smoke.  The engine was on fire.  I got out and started throwing everything I owned into the middle of the highway.  Brian stopped the truck a ways back, grabbed the six-pack of 7Up which was in next to him on the seat, jumped out, and ran towards the Bug, opening cans of 7Up.  He reached the Bug and put out the engine fire with the 7Up. 

I left the Bug here in Sonoma County when we went to college in Colorado.  Figured it wouldn't do very well in the snow. 

Since then, the Bug has been in various states of running.  Brian (bless him), sweated and cursed a new floor into it.  I had a lot of work done on it but just don't drive it very much.  I won't put the kids in it.  It doesn't have seatbelts and, to my understanding, is exempt from the seatbelt requirement becasue of its age.  It leaks so its not a good winter car.  And, since its never been upgraded from the original 6 volt electrical system, the lights are so dim, I don't like driving it at night. 

Its been sitting in my in-laws carport for the past couple of years.  My father-in-law has scrawled "Wash Me" in the rear window's dust.  I finally agreed to register it as non-op.  My mother-in-law has suggested that I torch the top off of it and use it as a planter.  I think they're getting more serious in their statements that its time for it to move out of the carport. 

Do I sell it?  We don't have the money to restore it right now.  Well, let me put that differently; we do, but there's other things I'd rather do right now, like show Nikki.  I don't want to sell it to just anyone.  I want it to go to someone who is going to lovingly restore it.  Even if I kept it and put enough money into it so that I could drive it on non-kid, sunny days, when I'm going to be home before dark, its just not safe from a crash standpoint.  But, I just have a hard time letting it go.