CVVC Fall Cruise
Transcription
CVVC Fall Cruise
CVVC NEWS LETTER Issue #85 - August 2011 Up Coming CVVC EVENTS! Where, oh where has the summer gone! It seems like it took forever to get here and now it is hard to believe that fall is just around the corner. The 3 events on this page are scheduled CVVC EVENTS and we hope that all of you will be able to attend. It’s a Parade! 2011 Labor Day - MON. SEPT. 5 th German Auto & Motorrad-Schau Sun., Sept. 18th 11 am - 2 pm It's our annual participation in the Ridgeland Labor Day Parade. We would like you & your Volkswagen to participate in this event to represent the CVVC. After the parade there is a Carnival and fun for all. We are number 28 in the parade this year. This means we will be more toward the begining of the parade than in the past so don't be late! Please be present in Ridgeland WI, on Cars will line up at 12:00 noon. Northern WI State Fairgrounds CVVC Fall Cruise Saturday, October 8, 2011 Cruise will depart from the Simmons house at 10 am. Call 715-878-4835 if you need directions to the Simmons. Cruise route will go into Buffalo County. Chippewa Falls Hwy 124/Jefferson Ave. The German Auto-Schau will be a part of the Chippewa Falls Oktoberfest celebration. Showcase your Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Mini Cooper or Volkswagen. Car driver & kids will receive FREE Oktoberfest Admittance the day of the Show. Guest Admission is $8.00. Drive in begins at 10 am on Sunday. Return to Roswell-2011 by Pat Sills Ever since I switched to a water-cooled Beetle a couple of years back, I’ve been intrigued by a rather unique event that takes place in the hot desert of New Mexico. For starters, when you’re talking about the Volkswagen community as a whole, there simply aren’t a whole lot of New Beetle enthusiasts. While this continues to baffle me to this day, it’s a fact nonetheless. Put simply, most VW fanatics either prefer the classic air-cooled models or sportier GTIs, Golfs, Jettas, and the like. Thus, for this very reason, I had to see for myself what the fuss in Roswell was all about. This is a bi-annual event that is exclusive to New Beetles built from 1998 and up. As we all should know by now, the up-andcoming 2012 models have dropped the “New” moniker and once again, they will simply be called Beetles. Beginning in 2013, the newest Beetles will therefore also be included, and there is talk of simply labeling this get-together as a water-cooled Beetle gathering. At one time, this show was held every year. Beginning in 2000, the show’s first year, over 200 New Beetles made the pilgrimage to this desert oasis of some 50,000 residents. For the next four or five years, interest slowly declined, and the numbers of New Beetle owners willing to make the trip likewise shrunk. As a result, and beginning in 2005, it was decided to hold this event every other year instead. By the time Return to Roswell 2009 rolled around, just 53 New Beetles were in attendance. Suffice to say, there would have been 54, but I didn’t get my New Beetle until a couple of weeks after the fact, so I would have to wait until 2011. Unfortunately, the numbers have diminished yet further; for this year, all of 37 New Beetles made the trip. But do I regret going? Not on your life. This was an awesome gathering. The people were great and made newcomers like myself feel like a long-standing member of a family. Any Volkswagen enthusiast reading this should be all too familiar with the ongoing division of the air-cooled and water-cooled camps as it were. The Roswell gathering effectively eliminates such barriers because everyone has the same model. Try to imagine a VW show with all Beetles from 1958-1967, all Rabbit/ Golfs, or all Bay Window Buses, and this is what Roswell is like for modern Beetle owners. Prejudice and bias are completely nonexistent. Moreover, and despite falling numbers of interested parties, the true die-hards continue to show up every year this gathering is held. And one named Pat Sills has just been added. I drove some 1600 miles from Eau Claire to Roswell, but this was because I went a couple of hundred miles out of my way to meet a portion of a caravan in Missouri. Specifically, I was part of the “Central” caravan that stretched from the Toronto area all the way to Oklahoma City. From Oklahoma City, a total of 14 New Beetles crossed the Panhandle of Texas and down into New Mexico. One other Wisconsinite, Lisa Glander from the Sheboygan club joined us in Missouri, but suddenly had to turn around in Tulsa when word came that her boyfriend had been hospitalized. We thankfully learned later that his condition improved. She was greatly missed, but understandably, emergencies of this nature take precedence. We also deviated from the Interstate from time to time and navigated parts of the old Route 66. It was so cool seeing all of these New Beetles in formation; both on Route 66 and the Interstate. To say the weather was hot would be a gross understatement. From Oklahoma onward, the midday temperatures averaged around 105 degrees. At one point, the thermometer in my Beetle read 112! We arrived in Roswell around 6:00pm on Thursday, June 9th and had supper at a Mexican restaurant with outdoor (and fortunately shaded) dining. On Friday, we each spent the morning doing whatever we wanted to do, but met in the afternoon for an amusing Parking Lot Olympics. This included driving though obstacle courses lined with cones while holding a cup of water and seeing who could throw an old engine cover the furthest. Needless to say, I didn’t win at either competition. Later that night , the Roswell UFO Museum graciously opened their doors for us after-hours so we could take a look around. To those who may not know, Roswell was the site of an alleged UFO crash in 1947, and it is even claimed that alien bodies were recovered. Legend has it that the military covered the incident up. I knew a little about this beforehand, but bought a book covering the events so I could reach my own conclusions. After the museum visit, the Roswell alumni lit their Beetles up and added alien themed-decorations to their cars for a parade right down Main Street. As for me? All I had was a cheesy penlight. I‘ll be better prepared in 2013.…….. Afterwards, we all gathered at the hotel and talked for hours in the parking lot. Finally, on Saturday, it was time for the show itself. It was located in a nice park with lots of shade to thwart the heat. It’s quite possible that these may have been the only trees in New Mexico! It was mostly another social gathering as opposed to a traditional car show, but several curious spectators made their way into the park and complimented us on our cars. Instead of a presentation of trophies at the conclusion of the show, we had to wait until a banquet took place later that evening The categories included the following: Best Chick car • Best Masculine car • Highest mileage Lowest mileage • Most pimped-out car • Best Bud Vase Best Alien Theme • Highest & Lowest car from the ground Mayor’s choice • Dirtiest car Longest distance driven to show Shortest distance driven to show The only objection I had was the fact that nice, clean stock Beetles (such as mine and a few others) didn’t stand a chance against all the fancy modified and tricked-out Beetles. I therefore have suggested a Stock Class for the next show, and most seem to be in agreement. With that said; however, new friends, memories, and a rapport that words can’t adequately describe are far more important virtues than driving away with a trophy. For anyone owning a water-cooled Beetle, Roswell serves as a very special event that you must experience for yourself. Trust me. You will not be disappointed in the least. Chetek Car Show Beetle Ranch - located in Texas, just off old Route 66 by Carrie Simmons The 4th of July weekend is a time when many folks get away for a long weekend and that is exactly what Larry and I did. Our annual VW show usually leaves Larry and I in desperate need of a vacation so we packed up our Camper/ Herbie hauler and headed north to spend four days at Island Lake with my parents. Bob and Jackie Tudahl offen attend a Chetek car show that is held annually that weekend and since we were not that far from Chetek, we decided to join them for the day with Herbie. Larry and I had never attended this show and as it turns out we were quite impressed with the event. So much so that we are looking forward to attending again next year. The show brought approx. 300 cars of all makes and models. Bob and Jackie Tudahl were there with their 1957 Beetle and Herbie was there of course. We also saw former club member Steve Shilts with his Bugster and several other Volkswagens such as a VW Beetle Convertible and a Dune Buggy were entered in the Import Class as well. In addition to the show there is a rather large craft fair and great food. There was so much to keep us entertained for the day that the time just Dubs In The Valley-2011 flew by. Cars were voted on by peoples choice in each class. The car selection was fabulous, so much so that Larry and I were in total shock when Herbie was awarded 1st Place in the Import Class and he had been up against cars such Jaguars, Austin Healey’s and not to mention Bob & Jackie's fabulous 57! This show is a 5 star show in our eyes. Not because of the award but beause there is so much to do and see that you will certaily not be bored. We had a fabulous time and we hope you join us next year. by Pat Sills For the past couple of years, some friends from the Clearwater Dubs club have joined CVVC members on cruises and attended our show as well. I learned of a show held in Oshkosh every August called Dubs in the Valley, or DIV. Since I made the transition to a water-cooled VW in 2009, I’ve always been curious about this event. The problem is that DIV is always held on the same day as the Northern Wisconsin VW club’s show in Appleton. However, I learned that there is about a 30-minute gap between the end of the NWVC show and the beginning of the DIV show. Appleton and Oshkosh are only 17 miles apart, so one could make both shows easily, albeit it being a very long Saturday. I decided to satisfy my curiosity this year by doing just that: attending both shows on the same day! Following the NWVC show, I drove to Oshkosh and stopped at McDonalds for lunch. I had left my directions to this show at home, but fortunately, an employee steered me in the right direction and I arrived just after 3:30 pm. This show is held in a rather unique setting, on the second level of a parking ramp above Becket’s Restaurant in downtown Oshkosh. As I wound around the ramp, I found the registration desk. The entry fee was a bit hefty at $25.00, but I was deter- mined to see what this show was all about. Within minutes, I realized just how out of place I was. Before me were some 200 Volkswagens and Audis. About 95% of them were extensively modified with aftermarket wheels, lowered suspensions, massive audio systems, chipped engines, wild paint jobs, and the like. If I had to take a guess, I would venture to speculate that the Jettas, Golfs. GTIs, and A4s had a minimum of $10,000-$15,000 added to the original sticker price. I’m going to be 52 in a couple of months, and practically everyone there was young enough to be my son or daughter. I saw maybe five people with gray hair. The rest were in their early to mid- twenties at most. I mentioned this to one of the people at registration, and they said, “Well, that just means you’re twice as cool!”...Ok. Industrial rap/techno pop loud music played and the concession stand served water, pop, beer, and lemonade. I did run into former CVVC President Tristan Henderson, Cory Gutshall and Henry Zwiefelhofer from Clearwater Dubs, and John Crosbie, who is a technician at Car City VW. Cory Gutshall is also a CVVC member. The most amusing event at this show was held just before the “trophies” were awarded. A beat-up Jetta from the mid-90s was drained of its oil and participants placed $5.00 bets on how long it would take to blow the engine. The Master of Ceremonies poured beer into the crankcase every minute or so while someone behind the wheel revved the engine up to maximum RPM. It ceased up after about six minutes. Needless to say, I didn’t win the bet, which awarded $100. I did get a trophy, but by default, for I had the only New Beetle there! The “trophy” was a beer bottle! NWVC Show 2011 by Pat Sills On Saturday, August 6, the Northern Wisconsin VW Club held its 12th annual show at Bergstrom Imports in Appleton, Wisconsin. Larry and Carrie Simmons, Bob and Jackie Tudahl, and I represented Eau Claire at this event with our respective VWs. We also met up with George Lambesis, another CVVC member who brought his very nicely-done 1971 Camper Bus. Typically, I accompany our group in a caravan to Appleton early on Saturday morning, but I had some vacation time that needed to be used, so I departed Eau Claire the night before and stayed at a KOA campground down by Fond Du Lac. I arrived at Bergstrom’s massive complex of car dealerships around 9:30 and both the Simmons’ and Tudahls were already there. I didn’t realize how far away Fond Du Lac actually was from Appleton and thus underestimated how long it would take to get there. On the way, the skies were quite overcast and it even started to rain a bit. This would have proved to be a long day if this weather had continued, for I also made plans to attend the Dubs in the Valley Show in Oshkosh about an hour after the NWVC show came to an end. Fortunately, the rain stopped and the sun came out. However, what resulted was a very hot and humid day. Temperatures were probably in the mid to upper 80s, but the humidity made it feel like it was 100! There were approximately 25% fewer VWs in attendance this year. In all, there were 32 cars registered. By far, the overwhelming majority of Volkswagens were air-cooled Beetles. In addition, there were a few Buses, a Vanagon, a couple of Kharman Ghias (one of which had very rare period accessories), a Dune Buggy, a Baja Bug, a couple of New Beetles (including mine), and a Jetta or two. Thus, the ratio of air- Thoughts & Prayers Yes, you are reading this correctly. The show ended around 8:00 pm. A big party was to take place afterwards, but I didn’t stick around. New Beetles are a more or less in a class of their own, especially if they are factory stock as mine is. However, if you want to see all kinds of very cool and creativelymodified VW's and Audis, you can't go wrong by checking out this show. We wish to extend club member Dean Willett and his family our deepest sympathy. Dean lost his mother to pancreatic cancer in July. Cancer is always a difficult thing to deal with and even though she told her family, “I had 90 good years,” we know that Dean and his family will miss her dearly. cooled to water-cooled VWs was about 9 to 1. If even a few of the Dubs in the Valley participants would attend this show earlier in the day, the numbers of registered cars would have the potential to double. However, these are clearly two different crowds altogether, which will be described in a different article I have in regard to the DIV show. As in the past, a local animal shelter provided food and drinks and 60s era music was played throughout the day. A few years back, this show in particular featured a very unusual way of voting for cars: Entrants could only vote in their own class. However, this has since been dumped in favor of voting in all classes as nearly every other car show; VW or otherwise, does it, and as well as it should be. With that said, three Volkswagens representing the CVVC came home with four trophies! Larry and Carrie’s 1963 Herbie Beetle took 1st place in the Special Interest category. My 2000 New Beetle took 1st place in the New Beetle class, and Bob and Jackie’s 1957 Custom Beetle not only took 1st place in the 1967 and earlier custom/modified class, but was also voted Best of Show! You can’t get much better than that, can you? We continue to encourage all CVVC members to attend this show and support our friends in Appleton. Goodbye To A Good Friend Many of you will always remember our K-9 friend Winnie who accompanied Denny & Nancy Greene on many CVVC events. Winnie went to the Rainbow Bridge shortly before our annual CVVC show this year. We will miss our dear friend and sympathy goes out to Denny & Nancy. Jay Leno Drives a 1938 & 2012 Beetle While vacationing in Germany, Jay Leno couldn't resist dropping by Wolfsburg, the home of Volkswagen, to test drive both the oldest - dating from 1938 - and the newest Beetle. Check out his backto-back test drives to gauge the 80-year evolution of an icon! Check out this very cool video at the link below. www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/2012-beetle/1339992 CODY COMPANIES CODY INSURANCE / FINANCIAL A Division of Cody Companies Corp. Insurance: Auto, Life, SR-22 Filings, Farm, Boat, ATV, Motorcycle, Home, Health & Business Financial: Mutual Funds, IRA, Rollovers, Annuities, Retirement Plans CODY LIMOUSINES A Division of Cody Companies Corp. Home of the Trolley, Excalibur & Sedans 2, 4, 6, 10, 12 & 22 Passenger Stretch Limousines www.codylimousines.com 1717 Birney St., Eau Claire, WI 54701 Office 715-835-1000 • Cell 715-577-7777 Newsletter Submissions To keep this newsletter fun and informative for everyone the C.V.V.C. Newsletter encourages submissions of articles,classified ads, photos, cartoons or any VW related items. If you have a new VW addition to your family, restored one or just want to share your story, send us the information and we will add it to our publication. Club members who own their own business are also welcome to advertise their business in the newsletter for an annual fee. Please have all items to be included for the upcoming issue submitted by the 10th of the prior month. Please send Newsletter submissions to: C.V.V.C. Newsletter c/o Carrie Simmons - E2965 Willow Road, Eleva, WI 54738 Larry Simmons-Club President • Bob Tudahl-Club Vice President Larry & Carrie Simmons-Treasurer • Pat Sills-Newsletter reporting & writing Carrie Simmons-Newsletter editor,coordinator, designer & production. Boone Sesvold-Webmaster Club Website: www.thecvvc.com Club Email: [email protected] The CVVC is not affiliated with or endorsed by Volkswagen AG or Volkswagen of America, Inc. FOR SALE 1966 Beetle Ragtop - $15,000 Contact: Pete Roller Phone: 715-834-0235 Beautiful car that was featured in HOT VW Magazine a few years ago. FOR SALE 1983 GTI Contact: Boone Sesvold Phone: 414-243-1818 Email: [email protected] FOR SALE 1976 Westfalia Message from former CVVC member Jason Schroeder: Olive is for sale! We have officially outgrown her and we are looking for a good home. I will be posting a "The Samba" and Craiglist ad soon but want real VW lovers to see her and have her information first. 1976 Volkswagen Westfalia, 93.5k original miles, 2.0L FI 4 cylinder, also included is a German Herzog drive-away side tent. I have many other parts including spare fuel injection, louvered windows, used but good drive axles, extra fiberglass top, and a bike rack. Asking $8995 obo. I can be contacted via email or phone. [email protected] 1-715-503-4144 google voice number