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