Seems I have TOO MUCH free time on my hands and looking for any and all ways to keep car contented lately. I was raised in a 24/7 classic car family where we messed with old cars everyday restoring a wide variety of different vehicles like a 1919 American LaFrance Fire Engine (the first motorized engine from Inglewoodm, CA) along with a wide variety of Early V-8 Fords and Tri-Five Chevys. This was during the late seventies and early eighties and all I could think about was getting a Cal-Look Bug to drive when I turned 16 in 1982- that wouldn't happen and I would have to wait until I was 20 to buy my first Bug (a well worn '61). Also from an early age I was addicted to car magazines- and by the time I graduated H.S. I had a complete collection of EVERY hot rod and custom car title back to 1948.
My dad tried to steer me away from making cars my career- and it worked for a short while when I joined the Air Force when I was 17 and continued a career in commercial avionics until the industry vaporized in So-Cal in 1992. Still playing with VWs I was driving a super clean 1970 Bug when I moved over to cars working at an Early Ferrari restoration shop. I bounced around a few more car related jobs until the unexpected happened- I was asked to work for Petersen Publishing- the company I had spent so much of my life studying all their old magazines (much to my recent Ex-Wife's displeasure). Funny thing was I had tried to start a magazine career with Hot VW's a few years before- but they pretty much haven't had a staff change in the last 35 years!
I eventually moved on to be the Editor of the Goodguys Gazette and got to travel the country for 3 years going to great car events 26 weekends a year and writing about cars inbetween. Then the magazine I learned to read out of when I was 3 years old asked me join them- and I was Senior Editor of Rod & Custom Magazine. That lasted another 3 years and then they started "downsizing" and I was able to jump over and start my own SO-CAL Speed Shop franchise store. I got the lower half of the state of California as my territory. Any other time this would have probably been a dream job- but just a few months in the economy took a nose dive and Hot Rod parts and apparell became a "non-essential" item for most people and we struggled on for 3 years until closing this March. That event came at exactly the same time my 21 year marriage came to an ammicable end.
Now here's my dilemma- I have a TON of new found freedom, I FINALLY have an old car that RUNS (my recentlly repurchased '67 Bug) instead of a project that waits for years in the driveway as I work on ENDLESS house projects (for the wife) and I GREATLY miss the daily car interactions the magazine work and shop owning gave me.
Also- I've relocated from my familiar Redondo Beach (born & raised) to 60 miles inland to Corona, CA. What can I do to fill the void??? I've already organized all my magazines- TWICE! The Bug is RARING to take me new places! Are their Cruise Nights? Sat & Sun morning events I should know about? Any VW shops need a mascot that can write up stories for them? Will their EVER be a chance to be a contributor to Hot VWs? I've only waited like 25 years and actually went out and got some experience
I didn't add that my first correspondence to HVWs was a 12-page HAND WRITTEN letter! Didn't learn how to use a computer until I got hired by Petersen!
So embarrasing!
Sorry for the ramble- just need to find an outlet for this car addiction!
Thanks Jim
P.S.- I want to add after a majority of my life in the "hot rod world" I'm totally refreshed at the pure friendliness and comradarie I've experiend back in the "VW world". Was talking to some friends about how cool it is where EVERYONE still builds thier own cars and takes pride in using them. Even though I will always have some amazing hot rod friends- too many raging egos and pro-builds in the hot rod world sometimes. My faith has been totally restored with VWs!
The Cal-look Lounge
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