By Ron Honig

WaytooFurious

The good thing about going to car shows is that it is always a good opportunity to catch up with old friends. At the Kustom Nationals on Sunday I caught up with my friend Dale, who I got to know many years ago when we both started selling cars for a living. He showed me his ’68 VW Beetle. It’s rough around the edges and he had it pegged as a parts car when he bought it. However as he spent more time with the car things just didn’t add up in regard to the options and specs. It turns out that it’s what they used to refer to as a Standard. This means it was the base model econobox of its day. It has a 1200 motor, limited trim and less chrome than you would find on a normal Beetle. The really interesting thing is that very few have survived. Because they were the base model of the day, the ones that were sold have been picked over, written off and modified out of existence. So although it’s not an expensive car, it’s a rare one. And according to Dale it’s definitely a keeper. So when did you realize you had something special sitting in your garage or drive?

CarDomain member powerpuffmookie created this amazing Herbie replica, after doing a full resto on a cream-puff, one-owner car. And earlier this year, he took it on Le Rallye du Cinema, which included 50 other movie replica cars, including James Bond’s Lotus Esprit, Magnum’s Ferrari, Bullitt’s Mustang and Burt Reynolds’ Trans Am. Check out the pics!

Ok, so it’s not four-wheel drive—which is kind of a big deal—but even still, you have to admire the craftsmanship of this monster Beetle. The chassis was designed by an aircraft engineer who wanted to make sure it was absolutely bullet-proof, the paintwork is beautiful, and it’s got some nice little touches—including a fiberglass tilt front end and a trunk in the space formerly known as the engine compartment—that illustrate how much time was spent getting this car right. As an added bonus, the person who took the photos of it has a great eye. Head over to Ange’s Space to check them out.

Last night I went to the Dead Baby Bikes Film Festival, and it was a total blast. I hadn’t geeked out over bicycles in a while, and the parking lot was filled with sexy stuff. Next time, I’ll have to remember to bring a camera. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Jerry York is a respected former auto exec, and while I’m sure he has a lot of good ideas about how to turn Ford around, his suggestion that the Blue Oval sell Mercury is kind of strange. Um, who would they sell it to exactly? And what would Mercury be without Ford? Automotive News
• Tesla has opened its first dealership in LA, and it’s about time. Hopefully they can ramp up production so all the pretty young things in Hollywood don’t feel like they have to drive a Pirus to get green cred. AutoWeek
• The new Beetle is ten years old. For a moment let’s forget that it’s front-engine, front-wheel drive, and focus on the bigger question: what the hell happened to the new version of the micro-bus? That seems like a total no-brainer. CarScoop
• Will Danica Patrick graduate to F1? After a test ride in Honda’s Grand Prix car, she might just find the big leagues to hard to resist. Top Gear

Like a buttery, rank-smelling plague, leather has crept into every automotive surface. There’s even some special-edition supercars now that have leather floormats—how does that even make any sense? On this Oxford Edition Beetle Speedster, red leather has spread to the insides of the headlights, for that bloodshot look. According to this thread on VW vortex, the car is for sale on Pistonheads.

In this VW spot, Heidi Klum is interviewed by a classic Beetle. It’s a great example of how effective a simple concept can be—particularly when that simple concept involves a supermodel. After the car welcomes Klum and complements her on being "a good-smelling woman," the conversation quickly turns to German engineering, at which point the Beetle becomes a little flustered. Funny stuff.

I can’t remember who said “if it wasn’t for my life getting in the way I would have a lot more time to spend on my cars”—but they did have a valid point. Last week, the head on my six-cylinder Hemi decided to pack it in. I shouldn’t complain as I have had this particular motor in the mighty Valiant for over ten years and it has done approximately a gazillion miles. The point is that if it wasn’t for my life getting in the way—job, house renovations, etc.—I probably would have looked after the head myself. Unfortunately, being time-poor these days, I tend to farm out most of my mechanical work, even basic jobs, to my mechanic. So I gave the motor a quick once-over and sent the car away. My most memorable instance of life getting in the way was when I managed to crack the block on my VW Beetle. There I was, stranded, we’d been having record-breaking downpours in my area, and I had to wade across a flooded creek to call for help. Instead of getting one of my friends to tow me home to fiddle around with the car, I simply called for a tow truck and had it shipped to the mechanic because I had an appointment to keep. Oh well. Has your life been getting in the way of your car fun lately?

Given that the voiceover at the end of this commercial is in Spanish, and the weird, kind of Mentos vibe of it, I’m guessing this vintage Beetle spot was done for South America. While it’s funny, I have to say I feel a little sorry for way the poor DeLorean is portrayed. And what’s with the 007 theme? I can’t imagine Bond’s copyright owners would license it for something this cheesy.   

I stumbled across PonyKiller’s ride page after he joined the Dubb Life group, and when I saw what he’s working on, I almost fell out of my chair. He’s turning this once humble "peoples’ car" into a tube-chassis Pro Street monster—and he means business. Just check out the huge blower and gi-normous Mickey slicks stuffed into the rear! With all the trick bits he’s installed, Ponykiller estimates the car will put down an amazing 550hp! Yikes! I’ll be following this build pretty closely, and let you guys know when he gets a little further along.

Didn’t get it together in time to find that perfect Christmas gift for Mom? No problem. Just pick up a 200-dollar Beetle with no floorpan and a junk motor. She’ll still love you; she has to, she’s your mom! Besides, hasn’t she always wanted a Beetle? Just be sure to let her know that her big surprise is going to be a little more late—like, maybe she’ll get it by next Christmas—so you can get it into some semblance of operating condition before you put that big bow on it. Just tell her it’s one of those gifts you have to make, not buy. Moms love those.