Back in gear

Wow!  So today is the first day off, when I would normally be at work.  I left Foresight Sports after being there 6 months.  I had a great time, but after they cut the other Mech. Engineer, I was left to do everything, and there was no outsourcing or delegating, so it was like running around non-stop putting out fires, and working with a lack of focus, which doesn't rest well with me.   I gave my two weeks notice before things got bad, and I'm super happy to be finished.  I left on good terms offering services as a consultant if needed.

I sped off to Sebastopol on Thursday to check out a sweet 1971 Adriatic Blue Karmann Ghia Coupe. The car was a little off from the description, but not bad enough to ruin the deal.  It is going to be my daily driver for now, and I'll let the Jetta go since I'm not a commuter anymore.

Below is a photo of the car farm at this point.  The Jetta is in the yard since I'm going to touch up the rear bumper and install a new headliner prior to listing it for sale.  Earlier today I went to Pick a Part, seeking some Jetta parts, and found the vent grill for $7 which looked better than mine with paint chips.  I also bought a couple speakers out of a benz for cheap that will likely go in a Karmann.  That place is actually kind of fun.  My Dad used to take me when I was little when he was seeking bargain deals.  Good memories.

The other cars that have been around are below.  I removed the gas flap to have some custom Ravenna Green matched today.  I have a few touch ups to do on this 3000 mile original gem.  This was a super rare find on Craigslist, that took me to Phoenix, twice.  I drove the Jetta out to nab the deal and make sure it was legitimate, then did my normal rental truck and used a tow bar to get it home.  The red Ghia is Rose, and she was found in Long Beech, garage kept, single owner autostick.  

Cloudy was my escape plan.  I had Happy, below in the garage, but really wanted to get out to the Hot Springs last Spring, so I happened to stop by a guy cutting his lawn with Cloudy, another covered bug and a bus in the street.  I asked what he was doing with the cute light blue bug and he said he wanted to sell for $1000...I had my tools in Happy, and proceeded to bring the little buggy back to life.  I ended up driving away in this bug a half hour later and came back for Happy.  The next weekend the Fiesta VW fest in Chula Vista was happening and I met David of 

http://www.zelectricmotors.com/

He sold me new tires for $20 each, a new roof rack for $90, and many other sweet deals, which is the heart of vdubism...there are always many treasures to be had from the vehicle finds, to the swap meets, as well as the people you meet along the way that drive them, or have a story to share.  In fact, today was the first day out in the blue coupe and the first person I ran into had to let me know how much they like my car....then the woman mixing the Jetta paint also said Karmann Ghias are her all time favorite car.  The stories go on, and on, and on....

 Happy with his new amber lenses right around Christmas 2015.

This is another find that turned a little sour.  I'll spare the details, but I drove to Orem Utah to get this little low light summer of 2015.  These are getting more rare each day and starting to claim some real money.  I love this style the most and want to restore this or drive it as is for my daily driver.  It needs a lot of work including an engine.