For Your Christmas Enjoyment

After my VW yard display last Christmas I just couldn't resist doing a Transporter nativity scene this year. Merry Christmas!
-Nathan R.

Club night in eight days! Who's with me?

August Meeting. And, Oh Yeah, The Classic!

Where to start? How about: It's Club Night! No? You're right. I should have typed this up a week ago, maybe posted it over the weekend. Sorry. Went to the bustling metropolis of Hurricane last weekend for my niece's baptism. The drive was fine, the service was swell, the visit was great, but I missed driving my car. If only I could convince my wife that a lack of air conditioning on a 100-plus degree day isn't such a bad thing. That and her Jetta has a bigger trunk than my Beetle. Oh, well.

So, I guess the first order of business would be last month's club meeting on the 13th. July 2011 was one of those "low numbers but we had fun anyway, so there" months. At least the regular meeting was. We missed a few of our regulars, but got to meet some new friends (Hey, Buddy, Jenny and Charles!) Just to shake things up, it was decided to cruise south, last month, to the La Casita Restaurant in Springville. There we enjoyed some dang good eats and a chance to ooh and aah a little early over Tony's freshly minted 15-window. Charles brought along a photo album of all the work he's doing on his Bug, since he couldn't bring the actual car (can't wait to see that!). And Buddy and Jenny amazed us with their 1971 Autostick Super Beetle.

Three days later, on the 16th, we hosted the 13th annual Wasatch Classic VW Show. Can I just tell you how great you people are, driving so much farther out of the way, dodging so many traffic cones to get to the park and make this year's Classic the biggest one on record? The number of registered cars this year was a good 30% more than either of the two previous shows. Special thanks go out to Kranky Franks and Frosty Frog, who kept us all from starving or frying. Both proprietors said they enjoyed the experience and would be happy to come back next year, and I must say it wouldn't hurt my feelings to have them back! I'm sure you noticed the Channel 5 truck that showed up. Also, I want to thank all of our sponsors, new and old. Local businesses like Parts For Imports and Ken Garff Porsche Audi VW take up a lot of slack that the clubs can't carry on their own. Of course, if it wasn't for the awesome people who come out and participate, there wouldn't be anything to sponsor, now would there? So, thank you, too! If you missed the report on the news (the next day, tacked on after a bit about the Keep On Rollin' Charity Show), I've got it saved on my DVR and just need to get it transferred to where I can post it. There are a bunch of photos uploaded to the WVVW Facebook page. Check'em out!

A lot of people have asked why this year's Classic wasn't in the same park as it's always been, and there's no short answer. The Farmers Market, most of you know, contracted with the Mayor to have Pioneer Park all to themselves. North Park, which is just north of Pioneer Park, was reserved in February but was denied us by the Parks Department because of changes in the rules for special events in Provo. Specifically, Provo will no longer allow cars to park on the grass. Between that and some other events that were going on at North Park on that date, our Special Use Form was denied. Other venues were suggested, and I'm sorry that none of the ones outside Provo were given greater consideration. In visiting locations that the Parks Department suggested, I quickly discovered a sharp contrast between what one hears about a venue at the Parks Office and what one finds when he visits that venue in person. So the need to inspect the venue directly and the dwindling availability of what locations there were left me picking the best place I knew we could get without moving the date. I think it's safe to say, the hunt for a 2012 venue is already on.

Ours wasn't the only event of July to feature our favorite cars: The Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Southeast Idaho hosted the inaugural VW Invasion at Wackerli VW in Idaho Falls on the 30th. Those of you who couldn't make it to Idaho for the Invasion missed a great start to what should make for a killer annual trip. Kudos to our southeast Idaho brothers for a show well done!

Lastly, but certainly not least, remember to mark your calendars for the 20th (if you haven't already). This is the 6th year of the NO Show (Not your Ordinary Show), and the Ogden guys always do an awesome job. Make sure you can attend!

Many many thanks to the hardy souls who made Wasatch Classic 13 the biggest and arguably best Wasatch Classic yet!

On the bright side, think of how sparkly our cars will look, early on.

Okay, I was wrong: I was just at Bicentennial Park, and at 9:00 a.m., most of the parking area was in sunlight.

It's July! (And You Know What That Means...) - Take 2

And if you don't... Well, I'm sorry I haven't been using whatever social media you happen to follow. At any rate, I do hope you're ready to visit Provo's Bicentennial Park in seven days. The thirteenth annual Wasatch Classic VW Show suffered a couple of setbacks in efforts to have our show this year in the same location as the last twelve years. The Farmers Market (or, is "Farmers" supposed to be the possessive, "Farmer's"?) has waxed possessive with Pioneer Park to the tune of a mayoral contract, and the Provo Parks Department has chosen 2011 as the year they stop letting show goers park their cars on Provo Parks grass. So, for 2011, we'll be gathering at Bicentennial Park in south Provo, and we'll be parking on asphalt.

As I've started saying a lot, lately, Bicentennial Park is a nigh-perfect location for a family reunion. In addition to the obligatory park pavilion, Bicentennial boasts a duck pond, sand volleyball pit (anybody got a net?), and a wide expanse of well-manicured lawn. The trees don't cover the parking, but they do line the east and west sides of it, so the sun won't make its appearance until after the show starts. The playground equipment is mere feet from where the cars will be, and since the park isn't ringed with busy streets, those of you with kids can enjoy the show without your progeny asking to go play next to traffic. Like I said: great for a family reunion. Or VW Show. To boost the fun factor, and provide easy access to tasty grub, Kranky Franks of Springville (Home of the Danger Dawg) and Frosty Frog Shaved Ice have been invited to join us. Both Kranky Franks and Frosty Frog are on Facebook, so swing by and show them what they have to look forward to at our party.

Some things to remember about this year's show:

1. Location. If you drive to the park we used last year, you'll only find a Farmers Market. This year's Classic is located at 1440 South and 1510 East. If you're coming from out of town, it's probably easiest to take the University Avenue (Exit 269) and head east to State Street, turn left and look for 1440 South. It's only a half mile from the turn, and there's a sign that says "Bicentennial Park." If you're starting out in town, just head for the Juvenile Hall on the old road to Springville and turn east at the Sinclair station you'll see on the left.
2. Shade. Bring it. The club can cover a 20'x30' space and a 12'x12' space, but that leaves a lot uncovered. The park's lot has room for about 90 cars to park normally, and the more of that space we can shade, the better. Bring umbrellas, canopies, whatever.
3. Cash. We don't charge swappers to come to the show, but they'll probably balk at taking an IOU for that 1970 Karmann Ghia tail light lens you've been trying to find for months. There are businesses near the park, but none of them is a bank, so it will be a good idea to come prepared.

I want to thank all those who have preregistered on thewasatchclassic.com already. Last year, with one week to go, there were 16 preregistered cars. As of right now, there are 25. While that may not sound like a lot, the total number of cars registered for both WC11 and WC12 was 72. Both years, about 30 of those were preregistered, and most of those registered in the final week before the show. Compared to 2010, the number of preregistered cars seven days before show time is up over 50%. Preregistration really saves a lot of frayed nerves on the production side of this show, and helps in the task of getting what people are going to need. Plus, it can save you a couple of bucks on your registration fee if you pay it online.

Now! Since I had to miss last month's cruise, anybody want to get on here and give a report?

Okay, there are down sides to my new ability to post from anywhere with a cellular signal beyond the locations from whence I may or may not be posting.

y doesn't mean I WILL...

Well, folks, this is it. The Apocalypse is upon you. That's right: I'm posting this by TEXT MESSAGE! Of course, just because I now CAN post more regularl

Car Show Sponsors

This is just a quick shout-out to say thank you to the merchants and entrepreneurs that have thrown their name in with our beloved little VW Show, The Wasatch Classic:

Parts For Imports/Foreign Aid
Ken Garff Porsche Audi VW

Air Cooled Engineering
Bob's VW Parts
Borderline Reckless Pinstriping & Graphics
Duane's Auto Wrecking
Jimmy's Love Bug
Independent Import Sales & Service
La Voiture Auto & Cycle Body Workshop
Spencer Henderson
State Street Auto Wrecking
Vintage German Motors
Vintage Werks
Wayne's Vee Double U Repair
Westside Auto

Club Night - May 2011

Okay. You know you're preoccupied when your favorite day of the month is only three days away before you realize you normally would have tried to produce and mail a newsletter by now...

Or, when you start a blog post, but instead of saving it as a draft because you have to change locations long before it's ready for publication, you publish it in its utterly unformed state...

Anyway! I find myself glad that, at April's meeting, I had already suggested that I may be taking the suggestions of those who indicated that the physical mailer may have outlived its usefulness. There is no way I could possibly get a letter out to you via snail mail, at this point, and still expect you to get it by Wednesday.

Speaking of the April meeting, those of you who survived it should all log on and tell your tale. I'll admit I was glad not to have to contend with rain, but I could have done without the threat of my children being carried away in all that wind. I apologize to any and all who came and suffered through it that I planned a barbecue in early April. That said, however, a big thanks to all of you who were there. The food wasn't too bad (especially those turkey steaks--YUM!), and there was actually a pretty good turn-out. It's not every day you see two Brazilias parked right next to each other (in Utah, no less). And we did manage to get some good planning done for...

The thirteenth annual Wasatch Classic VW Show! Things are rolling along, and I have begun to distribute posters and flyers to our various sponsors--including six businesses that have kindly added their name to our little venture. Sorry that I haven't updated the front page of thewasatchclassic.com to reflect this year's art, yet. I've kind of been running all over Provo, Orem, and Salt Lake to talk to sponsors and prospective sponsors alike.

So, in non-Wasatch-Classic car show news, the big one this month is, of course, the UVU Auto Expo on the 21st. That's at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. If, however, you'd rather spend that weekend a little more leisurely, the St. George VW Republic is planning a Volks Hollow Campout (at Sand Hollow) on the 20th. The mailer I got from the Vee Dub Club of Northern Utah lists a May 22 VWs on the Green event in Golden, CO, and a Bug-O-Rama in Sacramento on the 28th and 29th. June 4 is an Air Cooled Engineering Swap event in Murray, there's a "VW Classic & Cruises" in Irvine, CA, June 8-12, and a Bugg Craft Swap Meet in Ogden on the 18th. And, of course, don't forget Drive Your VW to Work Day on June 17. If you want to drop in on a non-WVVW club meeting, SCAC meets at A.C.E. on first-Thursdays, VDCoNU meets on third-Fridays at the Flag Pole, Layton Mall, and VW Republic (St. George) is gathering Saturday, May 14th, at 7:00 p.m. at In-N-Out. Or you could head north and visit the Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Southeast Idaho (VESI) at Holt Arena in Pocatello on May 21st.

Mark July 30 on Your Calendars, Boys!

The Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Southern Idaho (VESI) are proud of their air-coolers, too! And they've been kind enough to schedule around the Wasatch Classic and NO Show, to allow us to come up and participate. Come visit the VESI Forum for more info!

Oh, Okay. You Can Have Your Bus Back...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I can't help agreeing with whoever posted on the story's page that the insurer missed a golden opportunity, here. The VO guy says, "In fairness, she did get paid for it..." Yeah, in the '80s. What did she have to pay to buy it back? The going price of something like that is ten times (or more) what it was thirty years ago. And she says she sent money to the guy in Germany. I'd say she's been robbed twice, but I'll admit it just may be worth that to have a family member back...

Wolfsburg Changes It Up Again

Supposedly, the changes VW is making to the 2011 New Beetle (see: Pseudo Beetle) are going to make the beast a "manlier" car. No more does Wolfsburg want their asphalt bubble to come across as wheels for chicks. Apparently, there's no longer enough money in making "cute" cars. They've chopped the roof and widened the stance, added creases and squared the tail lights; and it looks like they've taken a page out of Porsche's book (okay, who can blame them?) and integrated the exhaust into the back bumper. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't look bad. It's just that it's still just a rounded Golf (albeit a little less rounded). And the engine is still in the wrong darn place. I am not ashamed to say that I much prefer my air cooled Beetle to anything spewing out of Wolfsburg these days.

You can, of course, judge for yourself. Examiner.com has posted a few photos for those non-purists who want to ogle. Heck, even I took a look purely out of morbid curiosity. It looks like a squared-up, flattened New Beetle. If that's your bag, have at. I understand they may even take another page out of Porsche's book and put a boxer engine in the back in the near future. At least then, you could almost call it a Bug.