DECEMBER 05 TM A Monthly Publication of The Scenic City Volks Folks Chattanooga, TN www.volksfolks.org wig On The Cover From the Prez... This month’s cover features a red The hometown Christmas port a very worthy cause, the convertible Super Beetle. The beetle parades have all come and gone, Chattanooga Area Food Bank. image was found on the internet as were the seperate images of Santa the stores are counting down the We've got another chance to and the Tennessee Aquarium. Each shopping days, and you seem to support the food bank lurking image was brought into Photoshop hear Christmas music everywhere around the corner. and the subject isolated from its’ you go. That means it's time for the Do you realize that there are only background then layered one on annual Volks Folks Christmas Party! I 4 more monthly meetings before top of the other. With the images hope that everyone can make it to Bug-A-Paluza 8? We will be partying positioned in place the pavement China Moon on Monday evening, at the December meeting, but the was extended beneath the car and December 19th to join in the fun! January through April meetings we'll a shadow cast from the car onto the Remember to bring a wrapped gift have lots of work to do and deci- pavement. Lastly the text was added to exchange in our Chinese auction sions to make about the show. So and modified to give it a three ($10 limit). enjoy the holiday season, but when dimensional appearance. If you who missed the Channel 3 2006 rolls around, it'll be time to roll Share Your Christmas Food Drive on up or sleeves and get to work. December 6th this year, you missed a In closing, please keep our troops good one. We had what I think may who will be spending Christmas have been our largest caravan of overseas in your thoughts and Volkswagens ever drive up and prayers, and when they come A Monthly Publication of the drop off food. For the first time in a home be sure to tell them thank you Scenic City Volks Folks few years, they asked to interview for a job well done. Our world will one of us on the 6:00 news. I had my be a safer place because of their two minutes of fame on live TV a sacrifice. few years ago, so I pushed the honor off on our show committee Happy Holidays, chairman (Herb) this time. This event Zen Hendricks is always a lot of fun, and it's to sup- Editor & Designer Charlton Wiggins SCVF President Zen Hendricks Vice President Susan Bailey Secretary Amanda Dempsey Office Supplies Furniture Technology Treasurers AV Supplies & Equipment Armoires AV Supplies & Equipment Basic Supplies & Labels Bookcases & Shelving Cameras & Scanners Cindy Lewis Binders & Accessories Carts & Stands Computer Accessories Breakroom & Janitorial Chairmats & Floor Mats Computer Media Bug-A-Palüza Business Cases Chairs Computers & Monitors Show Chairman Calendars & Planners Computer Desks Copier & Fax Machines Herb Keedy Custom Printing Desk Collections Data Storage & Networking Desk Accessories File & Storage Cabinets Office Machines Club Photographer Filing & Storage Lamps & Light Bulbs PDAs & Organizers Roelf Steyn Paper, Forms, Envelopes Office Furnishings Phones & Accessories Pens, Pencils & Markers Panel Systems & LAN Furniture Printer & Fax Supplies The Scenic City Volks Folks meets Printer & Fax Supplies Tables Printers & All-In-Ones the third Monday of every month School Supplies Workstations Software, Books & Maps at China Moon Restaurant in the old Eastgate Shopping Mall on 2271 GUNBARREL RD. • CHATTANOOGA, TN 37421 Brainerd Road in Chattanooga, TN www.volksfolks.org [email protected] MANAGER, JEFF HOLLIS 2 Scenic City Volks Folks Shoot the Breeze The Knowledge of Strangers It's amazing to me that I don't and I would never be lucky know as much about my VWs as I enough for them to buy my thought I did. I mean, I don't know hubcaps. Shoot, at that rate, as much as someone who has I've got a fortune in hubcaps been around them all their lives, but in my garage. I finished put- I do know a little. You would think ting the milk in the bus, made that I would have some knowledge sure the kids were buckled up, of at least the ones that I own. I and said good-bye to the VW don't profess to know it all, but I'm expert who had just taught not VW illiterate. There are some me a thing or two about the people out there that know way economics of vintage vehicle more than I do. ownership. Take this for example: I was at a Or how about the time that I local convenience store the other am at the filling station and day, getting some much needed this man walks up and asks milk for the "ba-ba" that keeps my what kind of engine is in my 2-year-old son from going ballistic. bus. I tell him that it is a VW 2.0 There was this kid (and I say kid, for liter 4-cylinder air-cooled engine. I elves to make their 4.5-cylinder he couldn't have been much more should have pointed out my engine engine that ran on refined elk drop- than 17) behind the counter who code and explained that it was an pings. And the body is made out of scanned my items and took my engine made in August of 1977, to the Cedars of Lebanon." No, I don't money. After I left the store and was be put into a US bound, non- do that. Mainly, because I don't putting the milk into a safe place California VW bus, but by what he know squat about a 1985 Ford (you don't want gallons of milk said next, I could tell that it wouldn't Escort Wagon, much less about rolling around in your bus.potential- have mattered anyway. He said, Fords in general; secondly, ly messy situation), I hear, "Nice van, "Oh, you have a Porsche engine in because I couldn't be sure that man." I look behind me and there there. My buddy had a bus and he what I thought I knew was the truth. he was, checking Oscar out. He had a Porsche engine in there." I It could potentially turn into one of took a puff on his cigarette, blew asked him if it looked like the one in those "open mouth, insert foot" situ- out the smoke and said, "You don't my bus, and he told me it did. I did- ations that I can't stand to have see these around much anymore." I n't tell him that he was an idiot, happen to me. Do you see what I agreed, knowing to myself that I because I couldn't be for sure that mean? do. I see them all the time. He then someone actually took a Porsche I don't want people to think that I proceeds to comment on the origi- engine and put it in their bus or did- am a VW genius, knowing all there nal hubcaps. "You can't find those n't, because I wasn't there when it is to know about them. I don't know things anymore. They ought to happened. I just know that my everything. But I'm not a fool, either. bring $100 each on eBay." I tell him, engine is not a Porsche engine. I I would consider myself a fool if I "No, you can find them. Try any VW didn't tell him either that, yeah, the went around spewing out misinfor- car show's swap meet, sometimes engine in a Porsche 914, a VW Type mation to others who might well about $5 each for some decent 4, and a late bus engine were more actually know more than me, even ones." "Oh, but the right person or less similar. It wouldn't have mat- to the point of them knowing the would pay a lot to get those," he tered. As far as he was concerned, actual facts. And if the person was says. I'm thinking that the person I had a Porsche engine in my bus not learned in the art of VW who would pay $100 for a VW hub- and that was that. OK. mechanics, misinformation would cap is also the person who would I don't mean to sound conde- only confuse them even more. I pay $99,000 for a split-window scending, but come on now; I don't have heard it said before to "stick to camper, few and far in between open my mouth and pretend to what you know". I'll go a step further know the facts about something and say to "stick to saying what you By the end of 1961, unless I am absolutely sure that it is know" as well. the honest-to-goodness truth. I Well, I've got to go. I need to hurry Volkswagenwerk and wouldn't walk up to someone and because I think there is a VW 101 its subsidary and proceed to tell them, "I see you lesson about to start at my local have a 1985 Ford Escort Wagon. post office and I don't want to be affiliated companies You do know that Ford didn't actu- late. Or is it at the gas station? Or employed ally make the Escort, don't you. maybe it is at Burger King today..