This is a 1968 VW which I have owned since about 1974 or so. The original color was a tan which I never quite liked. When the Houston sunshine began to burn off the finish, I took advantage of the situation to have the car repainted a light ash grey which my family constantly accuses me is really white.. oh well... The engine is the original but has been overhauled twice and currently has almost 200,000+ miles, low for a car of this age. The interior has been redone with new carpets and headliner and the bug looks and feels new inside.

Maintenence of my bug I entrusted for many years to a local Houston mechanic, Mr. Kevork. He is truly an artist with bugs although naturally he works on all makes and models. Sometimes I wonder if he dosnt love my car more than I! Kudos to you Mr. Kevork.
He retired last year in 2005 and since then I have been on the search for a mechanic with the same integrity and quality, thankfully the bug continues to run well. You can see on the odometer that, since I began taking the bug to the office my milage has fallen off dramatically. Since the gas milage fell below 25 mi/gal it is telling me not all is well. Mr. Kevork, would that you are still with me!

Update 2010.. I have started driving my bug regularily to the office on the newly enlarged highways now, and can avoid the stop and go traffic that characterized my earlier driving. Mileage has picked up dramatically, to 30-32 mpg. Now that's OK for the old bug! With Mr Kevork retired, I start to have service on my car trusted to a local Houston VW specialist, Herr Schmidts. Its not as convienent, but they understand VW's, (I think).

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How about a walk back to a Montana winter of 1976, the old bug as it was then...

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Other bugs in the family exist as well, the following two photos show the next generation (as it were) of family heirlooms.

My niece Kerry and her husband Fred have beautifully restored this vintage orange beetle:

Nephew Kevin and his wife Christine's recent acquisition, much work, but almost a shame to touch the color scheme!:

Finally, the first VW I drove on a regular basin, that of my father. He bought the bug new in 1965, the only car he ever bought new in his life as far as I know. I drove this bug from around 1971 to about 1974 when my father bought me the bug I continue to drive to this day:

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Some recent views:

At home in its bed.. well, in the garage where it belongs..

Here parked outside my office at Shell's famous Bellaire Research Center..

At Herr Schmidt's Garage, getting breaks checked and its fourth odometer. Under Herr Schmidt's care my VW has gone from a competitive 25 MPG city to its current 12 MPG city. I have repeatedly needed to return the car there to get the reparis repared and almost every time the car gets out of their garage it is running worse than when it went in. Desperately looking for another garage.

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Go back....