BUG IN 25 1980 DKP Mike Billings 1967 VW Sedan Best of Show A History in Images

[richie]

Ron Griener worked at a couple of different AHs finishing up at the Orange AH.

He currently owns Profromance in Orange.

He's on The Lounge but he only pops in from time to time.

Ron works for Scat,Dave greiner owns Proformance in orange

cheers richie

[Donny B.]

Beautiful car...!  Just curious, but were the one piece windows by San Bernadino Glass?  They look to be similar to ones I've seen by them.

[delux67]

Simply beautiful, Mike....

Long time no see. Hope all is well!

Keith

Thanks Keith, appreciate the sentiments. Hope all is well for you too.
Remember, I get first right of refusal on my old club jacket. What was I thinking?

[delux67]

Beautiful car...!  Just curious, but were the one piece windows by San Bernadino Glass?  They look to be similar to ones I've seen by them.

I really don't remember whose glass kit it was but I do remember what a pain in the ass it was to get the windows to roll up and down in a stock-like manner. They wiggled, waggled, rattled and cocked. Took a lot more work get them somewhat tight and to roll up and down properly than it did to get them mounted in the doors. Somebody wasn't thinking when they designed them and I was already committed when I realized i wasn't thinking by installing them but there was no going back. They did look good though.

[Rick Meredith]

Ron Griener worked at a couple of different AHs finishing up at the Orange AH.

He currently owns Profromance in Orange.

He's on The Lounge but he only pops in from time to time.

Ron works for Scat,Dave greiner owns Proformance in orange

cheers richie

DOH!!! I got my Greiners mixed up.

[Fastbrit]

DOH!!! I got my Greiners mixed up.

Damn, that sounds painful! Did you tell the doctor?

[Rick Meredith]

DOH!!! I got my Greiners mixed up.

Damn, that sounds painful! Did you tell the doctor?

I'm in the ER right now and surfing the web from my smart phone! 

[Lee.C]

OFFICIAL: The Best Thread EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But where is it NOW!?

Do you mean where is my car now?

I sure do dude 

[delux67]

OFFICIAL: The Best Thread EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But where is it NOW!?

Do you mean where is my car now?

I sure do dude  

The last time I saw the car was about 1987 or 88. The guy who owned the car
found me (how I have no idea, no internet then) because the motor wasn't running well.
He thought I was the guy to fix it but I couldn't. The empi manifold broke and it had a huge intake leak.
For many years after I was focused on my career and not VW's.
About 8-10 years ago I began to inquire as to the cars disposition. No one knew. I talked to many difpeople, nobody knew. I previous owner of note, told me he heard the kid who came to visit me had crashed it. It has since hit the four winds. Nobody knows anything at this point. No parts of any kind have hit the market that can be att :)ributed back to me. Big Mystery! The car will forever be part of our collective memories/imaginations.

[Lee.C]

Its out there, Somewhere 

[Diederick/DVK]

it seems that the most commonly told story is that is has either been shipped to the land of the rising sun or that it has been crashed...

i do however have to admit that Jere's photos with the fish bowl lens made it look even better than it probably already did. love those shots!

[delux67]

it seems that the most commonly told story is that is has either been shipped to the land of the rising sun or that it has been crashed...

i do however have to admit that Jere's photos with the fish bowl lens made it look even better than it probably already did. love those shots!

My opinion and also the opinion of Rich Kimball and I must admit he's seems pretty convinced himself is that the kid he sold it to, the one who came by my house in the late 80's to see if I could fix it ,crashed the car in the Riverside/San Bernardino area of So. Cal.
The car does't exist anymore. Otherwise, at the very least, parts from the car pedigree'd back to my build  would have surfaced by now if not long ago. Anybody who's in the know would've eventually located bits and pieces. It was probably totaled out by an insurance company which payed the kid and it became part of junkyard heaven.
There are lots of guys that do business with Japan. If it were in a collection over there it seems to me we may have heard about it by now.
Who knows? The only positive I can take away from this is that the car will most likely be linked to my build until folks begin to forget about it. Amazingly to me is that this hasn't happened yet in 31 years.
One day I may post how, just by chance, I found out about the Lounge thru a DKP III member who I believe was once a DKP I member .  He used to come by FAT quite a bit which is how we met.
His current ride a 67 of course, at first glance looks very much like mine and it always illicit's a double take from me.
Those are my thoughts as of now and are subject to change based on more conclusive information.
If anyone wants to share any leads i'd be most interested and enthusiastic. Time for bed.
Best wishes to all,
Thanks,
 Mike

[speedwell]

There are lots of guys that do business with Japan. If it were in a collection over there it seems to me we may have heard about it by now.
Who knows?

not sure  mike , look at fenchy ghia who went to japan too and DKK lisa same stuuf their cars went to japan  and were well know in socal in the late 70's early 80's , and we never heard something about them  , only lisa  know that is car still exist in japan  and there's a picture of frenchy ghia repainted  , so who knows for yours

[Frenchy Dehoux]

   Mike

   When we spoke at the Host hotel for the Bug In a few weeks ago see if you can locate the VIN# of the car if somehow you may have one of the old registration and see if you can run the VIN's and see where it may be you never know until you try. Take care
 
    Frenchy

[delux67]

Frenchy,
The likelihood of me having old vin# in zero to none.

[Lee.C]

Frenchy,
The likelihood of me having old vin# in zero to none.

We tried this before, Come on Mike you MUST find that VIN# 

[Frenchy Dehoux]

   Mike I will give the personalized plate to a friend and see how far back he can go and see if we can get a VIN with that plate.


   Frenchy

[kingsburgphil]

Frenchy,
The likelihood of me having old vin# in zero to none.

Perhaps your insurance company does?  Also, I was under the impression that law enforcement has access to old DMV records.
I recall news stories of theft recoveries decades after the theft.

[delux67]

I changed insurance companies
25 years ago.
I'm amazed by the number of things I've actually found thus far.

Gotta find a friendly friend in law that can possibly track down what I sent you earlier.

[delux67]

There are lots of guys that do business with Japan. If it were in a collection over there it seems to me we may have heard about it by now.
Who knows?

not sure  mike , look at fenchy ghia who went to japan too and DKK lisa same stuuf their cars went to japan  and were well know in socal in the late 70's early 80's , and we never heard something about them  , only lisa  know that is car still exist in japan  and there's a picture of frenchy ghia repainted  , so who knows for yours

These references to the car being in Japan makes me imagine Mister Miyagi telling Daniel-san "wax on wax off Daniel-san, wax on wax off". And then Mr. Miyagi giving the car away to Daniel-san as a gift.
Mister Miyagi Give it to Me, Give to Me !!!

Seriously though, I'd love to know the car still exists. Truthfully, who more than I would like to find it? I literally dream about the car a dozen times a year.
I'll be going through some old boxes and whatnot that have been in storage for decades. Perhaps something will turn up then, which of course could be wonderful.
Now Daniel-san show me sand the floor! (Perseverance right?)

Speaking of old documents, one thing some of my friends on the Lounge may be interested in seeing is a few of pages of records related to The DELUX I come across last evening.
I'll be imaging and uploading those when at the first opportunity.

[Frenchy Dehoux]

   Mike funny I have all of the receipt when I did my Ghia which all the parts were bought at Don Ross Volkswagen 4 J Motors Lakewood Motors and a few others some from Auto Haus, Gene Berg Ent,Scatt,and a few others. Back in the days there was no Wolfsburg,West Coast Metric, for all the rubbers you needed  the dealers had them.

   Frenchy

[delux67]

Frenchy,
I am amazed at what I'm finding considering my record keeping is not that hot.
Two marriages, four houses, rampaging kids don't help in the quest for solid record keeping, tool retention, library organization, you name it. My life has not been my own for 30 years. That's a good thing....,right? That's what I keep telling my shrink  

[Frenchy Dehoux]

   Mike

    You could call Rich and ask him if perhaps if he has records or the VIN # on your car. I remember when Rich had your car in his garage.

   Frenchy

[Fastbrit]

These references to the car being in Japan makes me imagine Mister Miyagi telling Daniel-san "wax on wax off Daniel-san, wax on wax off". And then Mr. Miyagi giving the car away to Daniel-san as a gift.
Mister Miyagi Give it Me, Give to Me !!!

 

[delux67]

These references to the car being in Japan makes me imagine Mister Miyagi telling Daniel-san "wax on wax off Daniel-san, wax on wax off". And then Mr. Miyagi giving the car away to Daniel-san as a gift.
Mister Miyagi Give it Me, Give to Me !!!

 

Too Funny, too funny! What a coincidence that you'd have this image. LOL   

[Fastbrit]

Some friends had the plate made up and stuck it on my car last year!

[Rich_h]

  that would not happen to be Mr Lewis by any chance 

[delux67]

With the help of my new friend Fabian aka Speedwell, the master archivist, I have additional images (of which he has more than I) of The Delux to share with my friends and admirer's
Thanks Fabian

This is the Front cover of VW Porsche Magazine.
Images compliments of Jere Alhadeff.

[delux67]

This image has as a backdrop what used to be city buildings of the city of Brea behind the parking lot at the Brea Mall in Brea Ca.
The image back ground would most likely interest residents of Orange County at the time. Some local knowledge for anyone interested, California was initially settled by the Spaniards and then later the Mexicans. Brea is the Spanish word for tar. Lots of oil rigs and the like located in Brea back then, actually most all of Orange County that's how OC got its name. However as urban sprawl began real estate prices made it impossible for the growers to resist the prices offered for their land and the orange groves slowly disappeared and were replaced by asphalt and tract housing and then of course the ever growing traffic that have the dubious distinction of being famous for.  Also less areas for street racing ( I know not a good thing but who hasn't done it a t some point) and more importantly race tracks. Lyons, Long Beach, Ontario,OCIR.

One of the members on the Lounge says it best...His happiness increases as his fossil fuel consumption increases or something to that affect.
I hear ya man and I tend to agree, even at these ridiculously manipulated prices. Lets drill for our own on our own land etc. Any takers??

[delux67]

Rear Shot of the DELUX