The Cal-look Lounge

Alright fellas, i'm sure many of you have been in this same spot.  It's been months since i've gotten anything new for the car, and several years since i've been able to drive it.  I've started having nasty thoughts of selling off everything and clearing space for something else.  I really don't want to and honestly don't think I ever would, but my inspiration seems to be fading faster these days. 

With the lack of air-cooled activity, i've turned to scooters for my tinkering.  They're a blast, but .........

Please help, i'm in dire need of some air-cooled VW words of inspiration and wisdom here!!!

Here's the poor bug sitting under a coating of dust..
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/kafercup/Bug/IMG_2980.jpg)

Here's the scoots:
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/kafercup/IMG_20100912_183846-2.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/kafercup/IMG_20100912_183806-2.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/kafercup/IMG_20100912_183745-2.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/kafercup/IMG_20100912_183713-2.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/kafercup/IMG_20100912_183657-2.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/kafercup/IMG_20100912_183639-1.jpg)

Dude - scooters are a fad - VW's are a way of LIFE - Buy something or put something on your car, so you can say that I HAVE WORKED ON IT. IT'S NOT JUST A MONEY PIT. Dont give up on it now.  Call me any time, or come by the shop. I will give you a hand any time you need it.

 Tony

I know the feeling.  As I live in a town where I'm basically the extent of the VW activity, lol, it's real easy to get burned out and bored, especially only getting to go to one VW show a year anymore.  In my experience, it doesn't take much to get the fire back, usually going for a drive or traveling to a show does the trick for me... I often flip flop and consider selling all my VW stuff to start fresh with a hobby that doesn't consume so much of my limited resources.  My '70 is a complete piece of shit, lol, but it'll be a fast piece of shit if I ever get the 2.0 liter engine finished for it.

I say give it time.  If you find yourself consistently thinking it's time to move on, then maybe it is.  My philosophy is I'll keep doing it until it stops being fun...

Here's some inspirational words my dad used to tell me
"GET OFF YOUR ASS AND DO SOMETHING!!!!" hope this helps

This is another part of my problem. All the cool aircooled guys ( except you, Tony) have sold or moved out of the area, now I don't have any cool aircooled pals to hang out with.  Its all watercooled up here now :(

o0o0o0ohhh oettinger.   8)

I don't have much to offer...my car's been laid up since May.  I'm sad too.   :'(

In my humble opinion scooters are cool, especially if you're into the Quadrophenia scene. Otherwise they're just transportation.
But a VW is somewhere between comfort food and a good dog, something you learn to appreciate and value more as you mature.

I only lament the cars I let slip away...never the ones I kept.   ;D

Many a time I've sold cars that I still liked but was bored with or just lost interest in. Not one sale put me on easy street.. in fact, I usually replaced it with something different but very much the same... a project still needing time and money invested.
I say keep it. Have some fun with the scooters (they are very cool) but don't do anything you'll regret later.  As Race Head said, buy something for the car, or just roll it out and detail it up a bit.. commit to a small project on the car you've been wanting to get to.. do something and I bet the spark will come back.

As Phil just said "I only lament the cars I let slip away...never the ones I kept"
Very true Phil..
 
   

Just smoke a joint and think what gives you passion! Filter through the crap and what makes YOU ! happy. Move on from there. Have fun and you only get one life.

Dude, you've become quite philosophical since moving to Carson City.

Jim, I don't think it's the location...   ::)

I live in a one bug village. Grab a wrench or a screwdriver use it on your car for an hour and you probably
will rekindle interest.
Make a list of jobs to do. Set a target. Even if your struggling, your bug will be easier to sell if its on the road.

Good luck

It took us more then 2 years to get my bug back together (typ4 engine, IRS, 944 brakes, ...) and I also lost the feeling a bit but the moment I start the engine and take of, the feeling was back instantly  ;D.
Scooters are for kids who're not allowed to drive a car yet  8).

Start your bug and you'll forget the scooter thing!

Good luck

Wout

I've had many friends take the piss out of some of the stuff I've done to get my car running and driving (I will never be winning any show trophies!) while they've spent years working towards their dream car... and many of them have lost interest due to timescales etc. and ended up without their car, or missed years and years of racing andf fun while they constantly move the goal posts on their projects....

The number 1 thing with any project is being able to have even a little bit if fun with it. If you need your enthusiasm recharging, think about doing the minimum of work to at least allow you to give it a blast around, even if its not road legal and only on a strip.

I guarantee, a little seat time (even if its only a handful of seconds up the strip) makes it worthwhile and would spur you on to complete the project....

GO FOR IT!

Good points here, I actually DO have something...

One hour a day or every other day gets more accomplished than waiting to find a whole afternoon or day to spend.  Last fall I used this method at night after the young kids were in bed, and amazingly managed to get my stroker motor installed and drivable — not just putting the motor in but running new fuel line through the tunnel, oil system, etc.  It kept me motivated without the fear I was going to burn myself out.

easy fix. We send case to Ray, get him to get it ready for 84mm crank. We need to get main bearings (not avail right now, unless you can find some), rod bearings, head studs. The heads you sent me do not have any spring shims under the springs, that's a job, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Dude, that car has been in your family, you can't kick it to the curb. I'll put a call into Ray. See if you can start getting the oil system in place... get the kafer bar set up... go see Holleran, he'll get you all revved up. Hang in there buddy.  8) Come visit us.... we'll go for a wild ride.

Jim

Sell one scooter, get a nice engine for your car.  8)

:)  Yeah, there's really no way I could see ever getting rid of the car.  It's been in the family since my Aunt bought it at Humphrey Motors in Hayward in '71.  I don't know if I told you, but she recently found the original window sticker for the car and sent it to me!

The CB heads don't have any shims??  Let me know the specifics on the bearings and studs we need and i'll track them down.  Usually the hunt for parts is a great inspiration for me! :)

nope... springs are right against the head.  ::)
I won't know stud length until I know cylinder length, I won't know cylinder length until I know deck, I won't know deck until I can put the crank in the case, can't put the crank in until we have bearings, and the case is chewed for 84 stroke. Sounds like a Dr Suess book....
I was bummed when I saw no shims.

I guess they weren't ready to run out of the box.......... :/

...they rarely are. ;)

1302's are getting pretty thin on the ground now especially clean one's , but theirs a lot more pic's of scooters here ? looks like you've already decided

Nope, far from decided.  The scooters are just an addition to the toys :) 

You know... I am in a bit of the same boat. I see the DKP guys as often as I can, but with family commitments etc, and living about 65 miles from the "epicenter", the majority of my air cooled time is solo... some time under the car, but mostly behind the wheel. Not sure about others, but driving mine does a number of things for me: 1) it's therapy to get up early on the weekend, fire the thing up and listen to it warm up, then run about in the hills northwest of where I live. I try to take the car out in clean bitchin’ condition, but not always. If it’s running well then it’s going out, regardless. The stress built up Mon thru Friday goes away pretty quickly after a few miles up and down the tach. 2)Keeps the car ‘dialed in’, through use. If it’s going to leak, rattle off, sever, burn up, or go flat, there’s a good chance that isn’t going to happen while idle in the garage. Every month I probably drive it a good 1000 miles or so. To work 2 or 3 days a week, then weekend country road runs, and of course, the drive to Fullerton and back. The times I’ve let it sit, then taken it on an extended drive is when I’ve screwed myself.
Anyway, not to take away from being a proud member of DKP, but really 95% of my ‘air cooled’ time is just me, no matter if I am washing it, tuning it, screwing new crap on or best of all driving it.

Simple....Move to where there are VW's   ;D

Man -- -- I hope you got a full face Helmet to ride those scooters -- 'cause I sure as hell be embarassed to be seen on one

They're fun to ride but you wouldn't want your friends to see you doing it!  ;D

Kinda like a Fat Chick ::)

If you're too insecure to ride one, you've got other issues to deal with.  70 miles per hour one one of these is a blast! 

70 MPH -- -- Man, I would say it is time to shift outta 1st gear

But hey I owned a Vespa once -- when I lived on Bermuda -- It never looked as nice as this one but it got me around


http://go2.wordpress.com/?id=725X1342&site=americanmusclecar.wordpress.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Famericanmusclecar.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F61-vespa400-rear.jpg&sref=http%3A%2F%2Famericanmusclecar.wordpress.com%2F

Yeah, the lack of shifting is different to get used to, but for a single cylinder 70CC two stroke, it's a blast to drive.  Like I said, it's just an additional toy to play with until the bug gets back on the road :)  There's definitely no comparison between the two......

I had one project that took from 1984 until 1999 before I finished it. I thought of selling and or bailing out more than once but I would roll it of the garage and wash it. I also kept up my subscription to Hot Vws to keep me going. The car ended up in Hot vws also so it was worth it. During the build I got into dirt bikes, boats, got married, moved from So Cal to Maryland and then to Oklahoma and I towed her along. I would get burned out and walk away for a few months and then go back and work on her some more. Just keep plugging away....The good part is she will keeping going up in value....Good luck with the car.
Larry

KC -- Just giving you the splatter of poop trying to redirect ya back at the Vdub -- anything that your doing that your having fun is OK -- even the fat chicks

I took it as exactly that :)  In reality, there's no way i could ever get rid of the bug.  I've always been a VW guy and still own 3.   It's just been a long, slow road on the most recent evolution of the car, made even tougher by the general decline of the aircooled brotherhood/scene up here i NorCal. 

One way or another, the bug will live again!!

well my comment (or help  ;D) would be exactly what Fiatdude said. i am not sure about the fatchicks though  :-\
anyway, you would look better and probally feel better in the bug. just try it. you'll see, just set it up that it isn't a whole deal to maintain, maybe a change in wheels, it can co wonders.

or come to my seminar: how to be cool again! deposits are taken at 500 dollars a session (norefundable)

just do what feels right (and sell the twowheelers)

i have a piece of round wood sitting im my storage in fullerton .......