Bugs for Breakfast

[SO-CAL Speed Shop L.A.]

Saturday I got together with a couple new friends for a way just to get out and enjoy what we love most- DRIVING our old cars! These guys are really cool long-time bug enthusiasts who have been messing with bugs for 40 years. Ron (HECKER) has owned his factory black '67 for over 30 years (it's been stolen, recovered, through a divorce- the whole thing) and Bruce (61SNRF) has been messing with his '66 (silver wheels) for a while and getting ready to paint it. I'm just plain having a blast with my '67 (with BRM rims) and driving it pretty much everyday.

We will be getting together somewhere between Whittier and Riverside for breakfast & BS-ing (maybe some wrenching) on Saturday mornings so let me know if you might want to join us. Thanks Jim

[Kaferdog]

Sounds  like a good idea to me ..!...I'm always down for "breakfast and bugs "....that's better than a bowl of wheaties ...!!!.....

[Hecker]

You go Jim, yeah its a cool idea... its time for some of us who LOVE to eat breakfast to get
out there & give props to our favorite places.....I'm almost always ready to eat & drive !!!

Hecker

[61SNRF]

Yeah, we had a great time just hanging out and BS'ing (for three hours!). Nice that it was aircooled only too, no Supercar or Big Block egos to contend with!
We met at Farmer Boy's in Diamond Bar off the 60fwy, very good breakfast and plenty of parking. We've been considering rotating to any good dives for breakfast along the 57 fwy corridor, so if someone has a favorite spot along there, let us know. It would be nice to come up with one good spot so it will grow and become familiar to our community as a weekly happening. All are welcome so keep it in mind for this weekend.

[SO-CAL Speed Shop L.A.]

Another cool element to parking a few VWs together is the positive "civilian" comments about their own memories. We will be doing this every week so stay tuned to where to get together.

[Rick Meredith]

Very Cool

I may have a place to suggest... When I used to live out that way I used to go to breakfast at Tom's Place. Typical Breakfast food and reasonable pricing. It's on Orangethorpe just east of the 57. Easy access off the 57 and just north of the 91.

[TexasBug]

Good evening California VW Brothers!  A VW friend here in Texas pointed me to this WebSite.  I was interested to read about the "Bugs for Breakfast".  I started a similar group out here 5 years ago this month.  We seem to have similar goals as yours.  We are proud also NOT to be a club--no politics!  But, we are a by-invitation-only group so that we can stay true to our vision of remaining air-cooled only.  We have some award-winning cars in the group but most of us own just nice, useable cars which we love.  We do the once monthly breakfast which no one wants to miss.  You can hardly drag some of us away even by mid-morning!  From our group have issued a number of solutions to the normal problems which we all encounter with these vintage cars.  I am happy to say that all of us benefit from any one person's expertise and knowledge because we are careful and good to disseminate all information to all of the members of our group whether they can be present at a given meeting or not.  I have never seen another group like ours for cohesiveness and genuine friendliness.  I trust that yours will develop into such a group as well.  Keep up the good work in California!  Out here, we look up to you California VW Brothers.  HAPPY MOTORING!  [I have a nice '67 Bug--my favorite year, I guess.  I have a continuing project of a '65 Bug as well.  It would take little to get it onto the road but I have to work up the energy now at my age (71).] TexasBug (jay)

[DKK Ted]

First, welcome TexasBug (Jay) to this place, glad to have you on board.  Second, this sounds like a great idea to me also. Great opportunity to meet new friends, and talk VW, oh ya, and have some breakfast too! 

Ted

[SO-CAL Speed Shop L.A.]

Very Cool

I may have a place to suggest... When I used to live out that way I used to go to breakfast at Tom's Place. Typical Breakfast food and reasonable pricing. It's on Orangethorpe just east of the 57. Easy access off the 57 and just north of the 91.

I have an in there- I live with Tom's daughter! She's my Uncle's girlfriend- GREAT FOOD!!!

[61SNRF]

Good to have you here TexasBug(Jay), age and location is no object. It's nice to hear that you've got good friends in Texas to share your enthusiasm with. We have a number of long running car related Sat morning cruises here in SoCal, but there are enough of us we thought it would be appropriate to have an exclusive VW gathering.
It actually started because myself and fellow DSK club member Ron (aka Hecker) met Jim in person at the WolfsburgWest spring show. We had a great time there and thought we should get together again soon. Jim is a super nice guy with lots of car knowledge and must have oil in his blood.
Ron needed some follow up work on his car, so we decided to meet the next week for breakfast and then head to my house afterwards to wrench and bench race. That was two weeks ago but Jim had other things come up so the first meeting me and Ron had breakfast at Norm's Famous Charbroiled Burgers in Whittier. Because our Bug's were out front we attracted the attention of another old enthusiast. We saw him looking at our cars then he came in to talk to us. He is retired, and said he was looking for a '67 decklid for his wrecked Bug. One thing lead to another, so after breakfast we headed to his house where he had stored the car since 1982 when it was hit in front of his house. Long story short but let's say he needs alot more than a decklid! The car looked to be fairly original, black with red interior, parked since '82 just like he said. The big suprise was it has two original Empi five spokes on the front, a S&S header with a glasspack, and an 010 distributor! He also has an old fiberglass buggy and other VW parts (somewhere in the garage!). He still wants to fix them up so we left him our names and numbers, who knows what will come of it. BTW he has a super nice 58-63 decklid in OG Anthracite if anyone is looking to trade for a good '67 sedan decklid.
So, the next meeting is open for discussion. I can make Tom's if all agree, let's do the planning soon.

[Rennsurfer]

Good job, you guys. Sounds like fun. If it's cool with you all, just might have to join up for some breakfast. I'll stay tuned to your future locations.

[Hecker]

Sure thing Mark / Fred --- its pretty cool to just BS with the non-vw crowd that ask about the cars.....
Seems that EVERYONE has had a bug or a friend with one. I swear at a parking lot once -I overheard
some lady say she had lost her virginity in the back of a VW !!!!    The best is when people guess
what year a car is or should be, or can't be........Join us Mark--- it will be fun to have another "shiny"
car......and anybody else, stay tuned for the place, or make your suggestion !!     

[SO-CAL Speed Shop L.A.]

Bruce- I want to trade him that decklid I mentioned to you.

[SO-CAL Speed Shop L.A.]

Oh, I already lined up Tom's Place off the 91 if that's cool with you guys.

[SO-CAL Speed Shop L.A.]

It actually started because myself and fellow DSK club member Ron (aka Hecker) met Jim in person at the WolfsburgWest spring show. We had a great time there and thought we should get together again soon. Jim is a super nice guy with lots of car knowledge and must have oil in his blood.

I don't talk TOO MUCH about my non-VW projects, but I was raised restoring classics and building hot rods with my dad (he has 30 cars- mostly early V-8 Fords). I have been the Editor of the "Goodguys Gazette" and the Senior Editor of "Rod & Custom" Magazine before I opened my SO-CAL Speed Shop franchise store. I closed that this year due to the economy and have returned to writing about cars- only now looking more at finally writing about VWs. I have also freelanced for other magazines like The Rodder's Journal, Street Rodder, Classic Trucks, Hop Up and Rod & Kulture. Also have my own on-line magazine "Traditional Speed & Kustom" that has a message board with its own VW section as I believe many hot rodders have a soft spot for VWs.

So yes, I do live and breathe old cars and have oil in my blood. 

[javabug]

But, we are a by-invitation-only group so that we can stay true to our vision of remaining air-cooled only.

A very similar group was just started this year here in Pennsylvania.  Our food focus is slightly different, as we seek out "fund-raiser" meals held by churches, fire halls, etc.  Usually all-you-can-eat for cheap!   

[Dave Rosique]

Ummmmmmm... breakfast..... My favorite meal!

If you guys want to venture out from your regular gig, say make a roadtrip out of it, I'd like to suggest the Hollandburger Cafe in Victorville. Located about 80 miles north of the big "OC" it's a very cool place to go. Just off I-15 on D street (old Route 66 )
After breakfast, a quick trip to the Route 66 museum, then cruise by my pad on the way home and hang out in the shop for a while... I've talked about this before to other VW friends... I'll put something together if we have interest. 

 

[javabug]

Looks like plenty of VW parking.  Me hungry...let's see...Driving Directions from Hershey, PA...hmmm.

[SO-CAL Speed Shop L.A.]

Meeting up this Saturday at Tom's Place, 4477 E. La Palma, Anahiem CA.
Give us an idea if you think you are swinging by- Thanks Jim

[61SNRF]

I thought we weree talking about the tom's in fullerton per dkk rick, rather not have to drive that far myself

[Rick Meredith]

I thought we weree talking about the tom's in fullerton per dkk rick, rather not have to drive that far myself

The one I was suggesting actually has a Placentia address but the one that Jim has us at is about 4 miles away. 

[TexasBug]

Hello again from Texas where we are heading for triple digits!  It is good to hear of the many VW enthusiasts out there.  Texas had a number of VW dealerships but nothing like the West Coast did.  Our VW maintenance shops are rapidly drying up.  I know of only one former Certified VW Specialistactually actually wrenching in the Dallas area now.  The rest are guys who learned on their own and now they are dying or retiring.

That's a good thing about our group--we focus on those knotty VW problems over a good breakfast, do some looking at parts in and out of the restaurant and do a lot of e-mailing back and forth between meetings.  There's never a dull moment!

The major VW Club in the Dallas area went downhill due to politics and from diluting efforts (charity shows, poker runs, etc.,etc) so that eventually no one was coming to the meetings in an air-cooled VW of the few people that did attend.  This helped to dry up one of the largest show/swap meets of the year.  Now, the closest meet is yearly in Fort Worth, which is a fair trip for a lot of us.  Having a smaller "family" group of our own makes up for these losses--and NO POLITICS!

I hope that you fellows can find a good spot for meetings so that you don't need to try to decide every time where to meet.

I'll follow your activities as I can.  It is good to know what's happening elsewhere.

I have a customer in Saigon.  Now, over there, they like to collect what you and I like to put right onto our cars.  I just shipped a pair of bullet signals, a pair of snowflakes, a pair of early, early window cranks, etc.  These will be show-cased for looking at.  I guess that one way or the other, they do the job for the VW enthusiast.  This particular person has just restored his 1966 Bug.  He and his friends meet every Sunday morning over breakfast.  Nice.

Take care and Happy Motoring!

TexasBug (jay)

       

[Dave Rosique]

Looks like plenty of VW parking.  Me hungry...let's see...Driving Directions from Hershey, PA...hmmm.

Only 2500 miles Mike
You fly, I'll buy

[Bill Schwimmer]

There is a Tom's place that Rick is talking about ,it is on Orangethorpe right @ the 57 on the eastside of the freeway if this is an easier location for you guys.  What time are you meeting?

[javabug]

Only 2500 miles Mike
You fly, I'll buy

Be careful what you offer, Dave...I'll make it out sooner or later!   

[61SNRF]

There is a Tom's place that Rick is talking about ,it is on Orangethorpe right @ the 57 on the eastside of the freeway if this is an easier location for you guys.  What time are you meeting?

Jim has set it up at the Anaheim location at 4477 E. La Palma, map shows it just north of the 91 near 55. I found more than one Tom's on a Google search, so they've branched out and all had good reviews. We can rotate to the other locations until one feels right, and we're still open to other suggestions as well. We can talk more about it when everyone's there.
Prior to this we met at 8:30AM and that's probably the earilest I'll get there. It's casual so come early if you're hungry!

[Rennsurfer]

Only 2500 miles Mike
You fly, I'll buy

Be careful what you offer, Dave...I'll make it out sooner or later!   

Let us know when you're out here, Mike... second round's on me.

[Rick Meredith]

I'll try to make it if the wife doesn't have a list of things for me to do.

[Dave Rosique]

I'll try to make it if the wife doesn't have a list of things for me to do.

Just do it man... besides, it's easier to get forgiveness than permission

 

[Rick Meredith]

I'll try to make it if the wife doesn't have a list of things for me to do.

Just do it man... besides, it's easier to get forgiveness than permission

 

LOL ya but this is the same wife that took 3 vacation days off and went with me to drag my car up to Danny's last weekend so I owe her!