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Post by Volktales on Jul 18, 2023 13:17:23 GMT -8
Got through the border, no rubber gloves required. Sitting at the ferry terminal and patiently waiting...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 19, 2023 7:50:09 GMT -8
Soooo, let's get this started... First up is the early morning shot from BC Ferries. The only reservation available was for the 5:15 am ferry which required us to be there by 4:45 am. Getting up at 4:00 is fun... Our first stop once through the border, was to find the location of Jerry the machinist' new location in the wilds of Mt Vernon. While wondering where the banjo music was coming from, we spotted this DUK and had to take a pic... Finally we found Jerry at the end of a country road. Zander European Auto Repair is the place, and this Caddy is owned by one of the staff. We stopped here first to see how Don's engine that is being built for him was progressing... Now in Seattle proper, here is our host Steve backing his '62 ragtop out of his tiny garage. This is quite a nice car, and for once Steve has hung onto it for awhile. The 1200 is long gone, and a smooth running 1600 is in it's place. I had an opportunity to drive this machine, and it was quite pleasant. Steve said I drove too slowly however... Now off to the Burger Meet portion of the show... Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 19, 2023 8:09:53 GMT -8
Now here we are at the Burgermaster in Seattle, as this is the Friday part of the event. VWs take over the parking lot as a show and shine, and there was lots to see. Don was all over this single cab in his favoured blue. Don't like a single? Make it a double... Always quite a variety of original/custom/nice/ratty VWs... Loved the colour on this oval. The 1950's VW metallic colours are all very nice! This split was dripping with options... Unfortunately I intended to go back for more pictures, but was distracted and it was gone... This Ghia was here a few years ago and for sale back then. Don wished he could have bought it, as it was the same year and colour of one he owned in his distant past. This US spec Rabbit truck snuck in the parking lot later. Quite different to the ones we had in Canada when new. An early oval with the desired "heart" tailights. A Sea Blue '66 Deluxe. That orange Beetle was absolutely glowing in the evening sun. How a patina car should be. Solid with surface rust only. Pretty sure this one had metal work done, that was very well blended with the "original" finish. This nice Corrado was spotted hiding in the back of the parking lot. Early Notch had a sunroof as well. The patina crowd was all over this... There were not that many convertibles in the show, but there were a few... I grew up in a late model Beetle, and was all over this 1970 naturally. It was very nice. A Bahama Blue '65 for your viewing pleasure... Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 19, 2023 8:38:40 GMT -8
Split era panels are rare, and this one was very nice! An early square window ragtop. Vanagon Carats were always rare in Canada, but were a good seller in Washington state. Saw quite a few of them on the roads... A late Squareback, with some '80's bling for wheels... There is that oval again, glowing in the sun this time. Mmmm! This '60's Ghia was rough and tough... Remember when the New Beetle was introduced in the bright Cyber Green? Lots of original Beetles where painted that colour back then, and this was one of them... Another VW with unusual rims. I think Don said he liked them, but I am not so sure... A Zenith Blue '67 with a big muff! This split "transporter" was highly modified for car hauler duty. And it was highly sketchy too. The early 356 on the back doesn't look too bad does it? Oh wait, never mind. The owner bought this with two other Porsche projects, and does not really know what he is going to do with this one... For the very brave only... I have not seen this style of wide five rim before, and it looked pretty sweet on this ratty split. Always liked the Mango colour on these era buses. Bay windows with meaty tires are becoming a thing now. Full approval from Don as he was drooling a little bit... Interior was nice in the same bus as well. This would have been known as "resto-cal" at one time. Don't think that term is a thing anymore... This pic was just for Rob S. I think he will find things he likes in there... And that is the container for the previously shown engine. Nice! And later this Mk 4 Golf snuck in. Liked the glowing green colour on this model. And let's conclude day 1 of the show, with this shot taken from "my" room for the night overlooking Lake Washington. A stellar day to be sure! Now the bad news is that this is the final year for the Friday event at this Burgermaster. The property this restaurant is on is extremely valuable, and developers are moving in. The adjacent Safeway is already closed down as the two properties will become one. The numbers of VWs that attended this evening were also down from previous years as well. The Cascade Kombis club will have to find a new location for this portion of the event next year. However the good news is that the main event on Saturday was HUGE, and from what we were told was MUCH better then last years "post Covid" event. LOTS more pictures coming for Day 2, starting tonight. Hope you are enjoying part 1...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 19, 2023 17:40:42 GMT -8
So it is now the next day at the main show venue, the parking lot of Shoreline Community College. And first up is a 1970 Beetle, in green with thin line whitewalls. As that is what my first car looked like for many years, I was definitely attracted to it. The huge number of Beetles at this show, far outweighed any other model... Soooo many Beetles. Couldn't possibly take picture of every car there... Those Porsche "nipple" caps were once very common. Nipple. Now that is a satisfying word... This poor '67 has seen some action... Yup. Previously has suffered an engine fire. Bummer. No shortage of blue Beetles! Zenith Blue is always a favourite colour... This one was a '71, and was nicely restored. Yet another blue Beetle, a nice 1967 that was missing its bumper for some reason... Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 19, 2023 21:06:19 GMT -8
I know some of you are Super lovers, so here is a '71 with the period correct checkered flag stone protector in place. This one was extra clean and reasonably original. Nice interior too, but now I think I may have mixed up two different cars the same colour... Oh well... Don't remember the exact year on this one, but liked it. Those red rims are not original style, but look good on this black Beetle. Another early unrestored square window. Note the paint damage to the front fenders, and how the bumper "protected" it in places. This one was around a 1963 Ruby Red ragtop. And the interior of the same car... Liked that steering wheel... And this German look type Super should appeal to Dave. The Anthracite Grey looked good. Interior was nicely done as well. Didn't pay attention to how big that engine was though... You don't need a bus if you have one of these. Was always people around this car all day... Here is Don checking out a nice Beetle. He probably was picturing it with giant mud tires and class 11 kit added... If I remember right, this was a very original car... Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 19, 2023 21:20:01 GMT -8
Now some more pictures of our host Steve's '62 ragtop. It presented itself really well. Interior has been mostly replaced in a stock-ish style, but nicely put together. Loved that shade of blue, but not sure EXACTLY which colour this was... Some of you would like that extra bling... As previously mentioned, soooo many Beetles... And as usual, I am always drawn to the unmolested survivors... This '62 had a lot of accessories... You know I liked that Coke cooler on the back. Mmmm, ice cold Cokes... Play spot the accessory in there... Era correct picnic basket, ready to go as well... This one was featured in previous years and is very nice. Just the one pic this year... Yet more Beetles... Still more... Barely scratched the surface of how many Beetles were actually there... Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 19, 2023 21:34:44 GMT -8
There is something about an early black square-window with red interior... And to brake up the monotony of all those Beetles, how about a Notchback? Interior is looking real nice as well. Looking good at the back too. Oh wait, what about the engine??? Yup. Someone couldn't help themselves and slammed a Type 1 engine in there. Gotta ask why? My guess is they didn't like the short manifolds and carb choices for the Type 3... The blue exterior and red interior sparked many comments about the look. One person called it the Superman VW. I wasn't a fan at all, but then it wasn't built for me... There were several late Squarebacks in attendance... Not my type... (Heh, heh). Yet more patina cars... Interesting wide fives on this early Notch. And yet another Beetle with a sagged out rear end... I don't know why, but all I could think of was Miami Vice while looking at this car... Waaaay too much white for me... Too tired to continue for now, but will be at it again tomorrow. And my favourite car of the show is coming up soon...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 20, 2023 6:50:03 GMT -8
This is it. My favourite VW at the show. This was the only Type 34 Ghia at the show, but what a car it was... This car had it all. Tasteful modifications, tasteful colours and materials chosen. Pictures don't do that interior justice. And it was all assembled with care. This was a true show quality car and the story behind it is cool. Like most of these rare cars, this one had previously deteriorated into a rusty wreck. The owner resurrected it himself with the help of friends. Awesome and it won first place of course... And at the opposite end of the scale was this rusty oval (which probably had as many fans as the above Ghia). Still a work in progress. Maybe... Another heavily accessorized Beetle. Another patina Type 3. No shortage of patina VWs throughout the show... There were not many Type 1 based Ghias this year. Here are all of them in one shot. Not my style, but this was another car with glowing paint. Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 20, 2023 7:02:21 GMT -8
Show was very light on Type 181s this year as well. This was one of only two Things at the show, and this was the best. I liked that colour on this one. Another oval slammed to the ground. Another oval with lots of goodies on it. Don't know if you could cram many more accessories in there... A better shot. Car was nicely done, though. Had the go to go with the show. Neat supercharger install and look at the clean installation. Now THAT is a set of nerf bars!!! Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 20, 2023 7:30:20 GMT -8
I am sure Don liked this oval that looked ready for the rally. Where are people finding these solid patina Beetles??? I swear there were more ragtops present then VW actually made... Now into the split Beetle era. I have tried to like the Foxcraft skirts, but just can't do it... Now into the seriously rare stuff. This is a coach-built D&S (Dannenhauer and Strauss), I think it was a '54. Apparently the only one of its kind left. Neat to see one in person. And Porsche power as well. Probably a tad expensive if you want one... These do look a bit odd from certain angles. And I have never seen one of these before in person either. A 1950 Hebmuller. If you are not familiar with these, they are a two seat version of a split Beetle built between 1949 and '51. A fire at their factory ended production unfortunately... Love the early dashboards. Imagine finding one of those air filters if yours was missing? These cars are the most expensive post-war VWs you can find... And here is another one, in the more common Hebmuller colours. Certainly looks like an original. Or is it? These are rare and valuable enough, that people have built quite accurate replicas. The fact that this one is lowered is suspicious, but I really don't actually know. Looks cool for sure, though... Now onto a few bay window buses. This double cab had some extra bling added. Westy tin-top was nice. There really were not that many bays this year. You just never know what will show up. In previous years the venue was FULL of bay window buses. Lance made the trip down in his freshly painted bay, and took home first in class. I am sure he was pleased... Now here is a lineup of cabriolets. Many of these were seen at shows here in the past. I always liked this '67. I think it comes here every year. This '64 was my favourite of the convertibles. That one year only seat upholstery has been reproduced and it looked great here. Very tidy engine compartment as well. Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 20, 2023 7:52:41 GMT -8
Now onto the Kahiko Kula portion of the show. This is a VW club, intended as a get together for those originally with Hawaiian roots. They always have their own section in the show and they always have some pretty spectacular custom cars. This patina oval stood out, as their group normally favours bright and shiny. This is one of their amazing "club" cars, that debuted several years ago. Still looks like it was finished yesterday. Customized tires are pretty amazing. Always liked the colour on this one... Frank would be all over this... Now into some more buses. That bay was hanging out in the splitty section for some reason. Same one from the previous Burgermaster the night before, but I am starting to be OK with those big meats. Not putting any on my bus, though... Now onto some splits. Don had a better look at this one then I did, so he will have to tell you about it. This one was my favourite, and the owner went all out with his period correct display. Even the stove gas bottles were vintage... Note the sweet TV on the table. This bus had everything! This company had several VWs in the show, including the previously shown "Miami Vice Special" Another neat old camping bus. The way camping used to be. No modern concessions there! This one was cool too. I cannot remember now if it was this bus, or the one in the pictures above, but the owner told me he bought it 41 years ago! And there was a few Vanagons as well, this one the Syncro model. If you are not familiar with the interiors of Westfalia Vanagons, then here is a pic of what they are like. Quite nice in fact... Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 20, 2023 8:07:25 GMT -8
A bit too blingy for me, but some of you will like it. Don't recognize this? It is a Brasilia, logically made in Brazil for their domestic market. It was not perfect, but then can you imagine finding parts for this rare car... The only other Thing at the show. One of only three Baja Bugs as well. The orange one was my favourite. This was a widebody Speedster replica with a bit of a different choice for rims. A nice split double cab, again with some big meaty tires. Actually there were quite a few double cabs at the show. More of these showed up then the Ghias, Things, buggies, Bajas, etc... In previous years, this show really made sure that the different VW models were all kept together. This year you could find random cars pretty much anywhere. I think some people were looking for shade as it was smoking hot in the sunny areas. Not going to mince words on this one. Simply the FUGLIEST buggy I have ever seen! And I have seen a lot of ugly dune buggies... ! Someone obviously loved it... Continued...
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Post by Volktales on Jul 20, 2023 8:33:39 GMT -8
So that did it for the car pics, but we were not done yet. The swapmeet is always an important part of this event and it was EXCELLENT! If you wanted something, chances are it was there. Parts ranged from very common to extremely rare, and the prices from so cheap you must buy it, to get that second mortgage. I wasn't looking for too much in parts, but did manage to buy something I have wanted for awhile. Got my hands on a 1966 speedometer for a Beetle in Kilometers! The only downside is Beetle speedos from that era are normally found on every table, and can be had for $5 to $25. If you want the ones in miles that is. My KM speedo (in nice shape) cost me $125 which I whined about a bit, but paid the piper. Also got a sweet T-shirt, cheap repair manual and memories. Don's swapmeet purchase was much cooler than mine... Now back to Steve and Bonnie's place, and a couple of last pictures from their deck before hitting the road to Port Townsend. There always seems to be lots to see on the ferry to Bremerton, and this trip did not disappoint. The obligatory pic over the Hood Canal floating bridge... On one of the many beaches near Port Townsend. Apparently that is Vancouver Island in the far background... This sweet bike was found in Bergstrom's, the antique auto parts store. Don and I spent at least two hours in there rooting around for goodies (this place has a LOT of stock). Came out with a couple of magazines (one Corvair related), and a NOS tail light for my friend Terry's '62 Pontiac. In the big antique store across the road was this 1966 Honda Dream. Low mileage, fully operational, and all original, it was yours for a measly $9000! Ouch. In the same room as the Honda, was a fully restored 1920 toilet with wooden tank and seat for a much more realistic $2000. Ooooh! The streets of Port Townsend are full of cool old trucks like this. And lots of old Datsuns, Mazdas, and Toyota trucks still hauling without issue. And Don and I discovered that it seems every second house contained a Vanagon (or Eurovan), and a Toyota truck in the same driveway. No shortage of Volvos of all descriptions as well. Cool place to visit for sure! So that ends the coverage of the 2023 Vintage Meet. Hope you all enjoyed it, and it would be cool to see more of you there next year. It was certainly worth the trip! Only bummer for me was a distinct lack of my favourite Hostess products in the stores we visited. Waaaahhhh!
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Post by tony on Jul 20, 2023 16:55:55 GMT -8
Nice car show documentary as usual! Thanks Russ. 😎
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