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We Heard You --- and Thanks!Here are some of the love messages we got during our trip! I especially love the stories other VW owners have shared. Great stories, great Bugs and great adventures. The VW community rocks! Thanks for your notes of support - it's truly appreciated. Honk if you see us! Peace. To post your message, scroll to the very bottom of this page.
I got a great note from Mr. Fritz in Iowa: Saw your blog and video of Eldon, Iowa. We're located in NE Iowa Just last week we sold our 66 bug. My wife had driven it ever since she was 16.....she's 48 now. I drove it from San Diego to Minneapolis in 1980. Did it in less than 72 hours! We loved the car but had too many. We also have a beautifully restored 1954 Bug, a 1989 Westfalia Vanagon, a 2004 Ford Ranger and a 2006 Prius. Too many cars for two drivers! Besides, college tuition is our current reality for our 18 year old daughter. Enjoy your trip. May good VW kharma follow you wherever you roam.............. I got this wonderful and heart-warming story from Mr. Turner: WOW! How I wish there had been such a thing (blog) when I was wearin' a "younger mans clothes".
Personal computers were the stuff of the distant future in 1966 when I bought my first Volkswagen. A Java green, sun roof, '66 bug from Truman motors in ElCajon, a suburb of San Diego.
I served 30 years in the Navy, 1957 -1987, the '66 bug was the first new car I ever bought. Although a new bug at the time sold for about 1800 bucks, mine with AM/FM Sapphire IV radio, sun roof, camber compensator, a number of EMPI accessories, including the wood steering wheel sold for $2,350. Big bucks in 1966. Particularly when my pay as a new first class petty officer at the time was five hundred a month. With financing at the Bank of America, payments came to a rompin' stompin' 75 buck's a month.
Anyway, some 43 years later, we still own the car. I've kept all the paper work including the window sticker. The car was delivered on a friday, 6th of June, I think. The next day we, (my new wife and I, married in Tokyo three years earlier) drove it to Disneyland at Annaheim. A tank of gas was two bucks. A year later, we transferred from Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego to N.A.S. Whidbey Island, in Washington State where I had orders to sea duty in a new A-6 squadron. It was the first of four separate cross country trips across the United States in the bug.
I remember that first trip in particular. We drove east from San Diego across country to our ultimate destination, Washington, D.C.
From there we headed west through Chicago and out to Washington State. We had six weeks government travel time to make the trip. My wife had of course never seen the United States so I played "tour guide". The car ran perfectly and of course there were VW dealers everywhere in those days. The only thing that concerned me in 1967 was in some areas dangerous racial strife. It was the middle of the civil rights struggle.
For that reason we chose on several occasions to sleep in the car. Not something I was happy with as an African-American, Navy bluejacket. Plus, I never told my wife, prior to leaving southern California, I'd gone to a pawn shop and purchased a 45 cal. automatic. Cleaned and loaded, it was wrapped in an oily rag under the drivers seat. Memories,....memories.
On 9/16/08, we got this encouraging email from Chris M. who drives an awesome 1966 Pearl White bug! The photos of his bug are incredible and Chris lives in Northern California. Hi there, I stumbled across your website and was thrilled to find that you are going to make a cross-country journey in your beautiful 1966 VW bug. I live in Northern CA, near San Francisco, and own a 1966 Bug that could pass for Miss Hilda's twin. Like Miss Hilda, mine is Pearl White in color and has the original pigalle red interior. The upholstery material in mine is all original, just as yours appears to be. The seats with the basketweave material in the middle and solid leatherette on the sides was, I believe, a one-year only item for 1966. Here's a couple of pictures of my bug. Maybe our bugs can meet when you make it out here. Best, Chris (I sent an email reply to Chris - but unfortunately we won't drive through the San Fransisco area. Thanks Chris!) ______________________________________________________ On 9/20 from Annette: Peace & Love for a Groovy launch on Wednesday! On 9/25/09: Murphy's Law that three miles into your trip Miss Hilda needed a little pick me up. Figures right? The shot of the Flight 93 memorial was very special. Thank you for sharing. Will you be driving by or near Cleveland. Let me know your ETA and maybe we can beep as you go by. Mike Thanks Mike, and your red '66 Bug looks awesome! On 9/24/09 from Tom and Cammy: Have a great trip. We will be following your journey. Hope you don't need this book! (How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive- the bible of VW repairs)
Tom and Cammy: I have a copy in my front truck. Just in case! But I'm hoping I won't need it.
On 9/24/09 from Judy W. Miss Hilda and Leenie, I’m cheering for you! It’s such fun I feel like I’m there too! Judy Want to get trip video updates? We'll make fun little videos as we slowly putt-putt across the USA and you can get automatic video updates by subscribing to our YouTube channel.
CLICK HERE to go to YouTube to subscribe to Miss Hilda's trip videos.
Want to send a message to us? Just click the Your Feedback button, on the left side of this page and scroll to the bottom! Or send an email to misshilda1966@yahoo.com and we'll do our best to post it. We'd love to hear from you. You can send Miss Hilda a message by clicking here - and it will be posted on our feedback page!
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