Blue American / Red German

Hmmm... Not too many folks ask me about my cars. I have two of them. One is a 1973 red Volkswagen convertible Super Beetle. The other is a powder blue 1964 Buick LeSabre sedan. Like Patty and Cathy Lane they are "...different as night and day!"

There's really not a whole lot to write about them. The VW came from a former co-worker of mine. It was the first and only car I had ever purchased on lay-away. It stayed in the owner's garage until my $3000 payment was finished ($500/month). I've had it for 15 years. The blue Buick was bought in 2002 online. The people who had it owned it from day one. It had low mileage and was kept outdoors in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I flew up there and drove it home.

Both cars have done the drive between San Francisco and Los Angeles. I've never dared take either of them to Palm Springs as neither of them has air conditioning. I also seldom drop the top on the convertible, however I must say that that car has probably done more extensive hauling than ANY other vehicle I have ever owned. Being able to drop things in from the top of a car makes packing a lot easier. I've moved sewing machines in their casements, Christmas trees, boxes during house moves and lots of groceries.

Most folks feel more comfortable in the Buick and are amazed that there are no shoulder belts. Seat belts didn't become mandatory until 1965. I think there is only one state in the USA that doesn't require seat belts. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10378859

The Buick is a non-smoking car. The VW has a four on the floor. The German car fills up from the front passenger side. The American vehicle's gas tank is in the rear on the driver's side. The VW takes regular gas. The Buick takes the highest octane and also requires a lead additive.

Why did I buy the Buick? It was a family car of ours while I was growing up. It was around in my life from age 4 to age 12. Obviously I never got to drive it. I often wondered what the allure was about it. Now I've experienced it, but unfortunately it's just too big. I don't need to spend that much on gas, don't need that much space, don't like the hassles of parking it and worry about it getting scratched or dented. The VW is the true work horse. It ascends and coasts, it keeps up with traffic, it is cooled by air and it's cheap to fix. It's on its second engine and I never begrudge paying money to fix it because it serves me super well when it is running.

Thanks for asking about the cars. I generally don't think too much about them.