A little while ago I was running errands around town. As I was exiting my bug, I noticed the name DePaul Motors from my driver-side door side pocket. I don't know where it came from. My only guess is that it was stuck to the inside of the pocket for many a year. Perhaps to cold weather allowed it to come unglued from where it was affixed.
Do you see where the service adviser bravely and selflessly included her phone number? How's that for service. I hope the company paid her well for her dedication.
As you can see, DePaul Motors was located on East Meighan Blvd. I don't know when the Volkswagen dealership left Gadsden - I think the early 1980's. Mrs. Betty Hale (my mother in-law) bought her Superbeetle from DePaul Motors back in 1973. I remember DePaul well because the Finlayson family owned quite a few VW's back in the day. I used to have to drive them down when dad needed to get one fixed. Brook on the other hand usually fixed his broken bug. I personally don't know much about fixing VW's. I hear they are pretty easy to work on - that all you have to do is replace the rubber band every now and then.
I've recently had an ongoing problem with my bug. It's not a big problem - nor an expensive one. If I keep loosing my tailpipes - it will start to be one. Is there some secret to keeping them on? I lost another one yesterday. VW tailpipes are not that expensive (about $6.00) and can be purchased easily enough from Ed's Foreign Car Parts. I clamp them on as tight as I can get them and yet they find a way to get free and roll away. I wonder if there's some kind of adhesive.
When I need to get my bug fixed, I take it to Floyd VW on US Hwy 431. Eddie Floyd is a great guy and knows his stuff when it comes to fixing anything Volkwagen. I'm glad I paid the money to get the heater going last year. The little heater in my Superbeetle now warms me up better than any other car I own. Mickey Boyd is also still in the neighborhood (down 77 in Rainbow City). Mickey once told me that he even had an old VW 4-11 back there. I used to drive a 4-12 years ago. I would love to walk through Mickey's back-lot of old bugs. It's nice to have folks close by who can fix old VW's.
I do remember the day when I'd take broken bugs to DePaul.
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3 comments:
How About JOHN THOMAS FORD?
My father had a cousin that loved bugs and he had one and bought the van for the family car. So economical and to me as a kid...so kool. When it came time for me to start thinking about a car, my Dad just didn't think they were safe, so i never was able to get one. Until way later in the 80's I bought a type 3. That's the sedan right? It caught on fire! Meh, I think I bought an old Volvo after that. I figured it just wasn't in the cards for me to be a VW guy.
Fin! You may remember this add, I can't find it online, but it starts w/ this guy driving a bug
Voice: here's harry
Voice: harry meets marge
everyone is all smiles
Voice: along comes little harry,jr., they get a station wagon type
they add a Dog
then they get a van and add a dog
and then they add the mother in law the whole time HArry is getting more and more stressed out
Finally it shows the Karmen khia pull out and harry sitting in the seat with a broad scarf flapping in the breeze w/ a smile on his face again. by himself
voice :here's harry.
Stuck in my head since.
I enjoy driving mine. If I could have another, I'd get an earlier model - something in the late '60's.
When I first got my '73, Eddie my mechanic told me to go straight to the store and buy a fire extinguisher. He said VW's do catch on fire from time to time. I remember my first VW, smelling gasoline and finally pulled aside the road to look at it. I flipped open the lid and saw gasoline dripping down on the engine. Not good!
Nevertheless, I like bugs.
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