Rolling Up My Sleeves

Kennesaw, GA

Before even beginning a lick of work on this old 1970 Volkswagen Bug, I took several pics to begin the documentation process right. Below you’ll see what I saw when I first started assessing the task and dream of restoring this lovable bug back to its’ original glory.

But before we get into details about the Bug… Here’s some history for ya.

The Blue Beetle (or Ol’ Bloo as we’ve taken to calling him from time to time) had been sitting and rusting on my in-laws’ driveway for about 5 years or so. Though for years it was a commuter car as well as a cherished family vehicle it had  been relegated to immobility and the undemanding task of keeping a red Super Beetle company. Both had been well shaded during that time by the unforgiving though gorgeous Georgia pines above. The years of weather and a little lack of love kept these two Beetles from doing much more than collect debris and cake on quite a thick layer of grime. So by the time I arrived, I knew there was a lot of work to be done. I took the pics you see once I had firmly decided it was time to seriously consider rescuing the VW I had had my eye on even back in the days when my wife Hannah and I were still dating.

But there is still so much more to this tale to tell and no lack of fascination I derive from the prospect of repairing a vehicle that my wife and all five of her siblings once rode around together in throughout Acworth, GA. (That’s right, 6 children, 1 dad, 1 Beetle. You put two in the front, three in the back seat, and the two twins- My wife and her sister Lydia- would squish in behind the back seat… if you can imagine that!)

So this Beetle Blues Blog will track the story of restoration as well as the many road stories and retrospectively, those of a car that has seen nearly 40 years, several owners, and has captured this blogger’s heart with its’ simplicity and spunk. I look forward to sharing this process and the journey with you as we breathe life back into Ol’ Bloo.

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