A Volkswagen Beetle with a Mission | Thank Our First Responders Spencer Crutchley Ep88

0:09 [SPEAKER_03]: Welcome to Dub Life Diaries. [SPEAKER_03]: The podcast where passion meets the open road. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm Joe Parson, your host, and also a lifelong lover. [SPEAKER_03]: Book it up because this ride is just beginning. [SPEAKER_03]: This podcast is sponsored by Volk's Mania Magazine. [SPEAKER_03]: Good times, great cars, awesome Volk's Maniacs. [SPEAKER_03]: Visit Volk'sMania.com to learn more about this class leading VW Magazine. [SPEAKER_03]: Welcome back to Dublife Diaries. [SPEAKER_03]: This one's going to be a super fun one this evening. [SPEAKER_03]: Now, what if I told you that a Volkswagen Beetle could do a whole lot more than just turn heads at a car show?

0:50 [SPEAKER_03]: What if I told you that it could honor a fallen hero? [SPEAKER_03]: That it could bring together law enforcement agencies across the entire state, maybe even carry a message of gratitude all the way up to Washington, DC. [SPEAKER_03]: Today's guest has a lifelong passion for Volkswagen's [SPEAKER_03]: Spencer Crutchley has been building his VW story since all the way back in 1988. [SPEAKER_03]: He bought his 1971 Beetle unlike anything he's ever owned before, but this isn't just a show card. [SPEAKER_03]: It's a tribute to his brother-in-law, a Lee County Florida Correctional Deputy, who tragically lost his life in an off-duty motorcycle accident. [SPEAKER_03]: After five years of work, Spencer has brought this bug this [SPEAKER_03]: really awesome bug to bug Jim in 2025.

1:37 [SPEAKER_03]: He won best display and he got third place in his class. [SPEAKER_03]: You guys see the bug behind me. [SPEAKER_03]: It's a vulture out in Let me tell you. [SPEAKER_03]: It's really awesome if you see it in person. [SPEAKER_03]: But this story was only the beginning because now he's on a mission to collect patches and signatures from all 67 Florida sheriffs. [SPEAKER_03]: all over the state of Florida with his site set on a national police week in Washington, DC, which is going to take place in May of 2007, want you to think about that for a second. [SPEAKER_03]: 67 sheriff office locations, one Volkswagen Beetle, thousands of miles in a mission to honor the men and women who dedicate their lives to serving our communities.

2:23 [SPEAKER_03]: So how did a life-long VW enthusiasts end up on this incredible journey? [SPEAKER_03]: Well, we're going to find out. [SPEAKER_03]: What happens when a car becomes a rolling tribute to the people behind the badge, and can one man's passion make a difference far beyond the Volkswagen world? [SPEAKER_03]: We're getting into it tonight. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm excited to welcome Spencer, Crutchly, who's the president of Think Our First Responders. [SPEAKER_03]: This is Doug Live Diaries. [SPEAKER_03]: Let's get into it. [SPEAKER_03]: Spencer, welcome to the podcast. [SPEAKER_02]: Hey, thank you for having me. [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you, thank you, thank you. [SPEAKER_03]: You are so welcome. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm excited. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm excited. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm excited. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, hey. [SPEAKER_03]: Hi. [SPEAKER_00]: Hi.

3:03 [SPEAKER_00]: Hi. [SPEAKER_03]: Thanks for joining. [SPEAKER_03]: Of course. [SPEAKER_03]: Are we going to see or are you just going to hang out in the background? [SPEAKER_01]: I'm hanging out in the background right now because I'm at the park with the kids. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I'm going to mute your microphone then. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. [SPEAKER_01]: Okay. [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_03]: Yep. [SPEAKER_03]: No problem. [SPEAKER_03]: Enjoy. [SPEAKER_03]: all right buddy back to you. [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: Before we dive in and Kayla thanks for joining Kayla amazing story uh Spencer I'm actually going to let you tell us in a second who Kayla is but real quick before we dive into the story and some of these personal details let me thank all of our amazing sponsors first up on the list Volkswagen Magazine [SPEAKER_03]: You guys already know how I feel.

3:44 [SPEAKER_03]: Some exciting things going into next year, 2027 and the rest of the future for Volkswagen Magazine, all five magazines that they have in print right now are all becoming calendars. [SPEAKER_03]: So over the course of time, you'll get to see those evolve and get to see all the exciting twists and turns that are coming for the Volkswagen brand. [SPEAKER_03]: Also shout out the salty dub. [SPEAKER_03]: From the beach to the base, salty dub is bringing the passion, bringing the events, bringing the community together. [SPEAKER_03]: The whole fall lineup is live. [SPEAKER_03]: It's on the website. [SPEAKER_03]: Now salty dub.com. [SPEAKER_03]: We got merch. [SPEAKER_03]: We got our vent clips. [SPEAKER_03]: We got sunglasses, hats, all kinds of cool stuff on the website. [SPEAKER_03]: Check it out. [SPEAKER_03]: Make sure you utilize your discount code.

4:26 [SPEAKER_03]: Doubleife 10. [SPEAKER_03]: If you use doubleife 10, you'll get 10% off of merch. [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: Now it doesn't work on the events. [SPEAKER_03]: So you can't get any discounts on the events, but you can use it and speaking of events, man, we got a pretty awesome fall lineup. [SPEAKER_03]: Just a week ago, we announced that we have a a show coming up called the summer camp in. [SPEAKER_03]: Why is it a camp in? [SPEAKER_03]: Well, because we're camping indoors. [SPEAKER_03]: So at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, we contracted them, we rented out what 88,000 feet inside. [SPEAKER_03]: So we get the polar Volkswagen's inside set up a campsite and we get to be out of the weather in the AC and we get to hang out with our dub family.

5:08 [SPEAKER_03]: We're going to set up a giant movie screen. [SPEAKER_03]: We're going to be playing Volkswagen theme movies. [SPEAKER_03]: We're going to have all kinds of fun in there. [SPEAKER_03]: There's going to be events going on in and outside. [SPEAKER_03]: We're hoping that it rains. [SPEAKER_03]: why we hope and that it rains because we're inside and it doesn't matter if it rains. [SPEAKER_03]: There's no Volkswagen events really in the summertime because these are air-cooled cars and a lot of us really don't go out to play when it's too hot out, especially in Florida. [SPEAKER_03]: So we're hoping, salty to Alan and I are hoping that this draws in people from all over the southeast really all over the country because there's really not an indoor camping event really anywhere on the east coast. [SPEAKER_03]: They do [SPEAKER_03]: Shout out to Salty Dub.

5:51 [SPEAKER_03]: Make sure you check those guys out. [SPEAKER_03]: Salty Dub.com. [SPEAKER_03]: Last shout out is kindness, reality, which is my real estate brand. [SPEAKER_03]: My wife and I own a real estate company here in St. Petersburg. [SPEAKER_03]: My wife is our broker owner. [SPEAKER_03]: She's been licensed down here since 2006. [SPEAKER_03]: She's a wonderful wall of knowledge, super smart. [SPEAKER_03]: If you have anybody or no-one-body that is moving to Florida, [SPEAKER_03]: give Kindest Realty a call. [SPEAKER_03]: It's Kindest Realty.com. [SPEAKER_03]: K-I-N-E-S-T [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, buddy. [SPEAKER_03]: This is my last shout out, man. [SPEAKER_03]: And then it's time to get into your amazing background and your stories, all right?

6:32 [SPEAKER_03]: Last shout out to my buddy Kurt Seagrist. [SPEAKER_03]: Kurt Seagrist runs Bogorama, ICT out of which it's all Kansas. [SPEAKER_03]: If you are tuned into the podcast or at least any of the social media, as you'll see, I just gave him a shout out a couple days ago because he sent me these really awesome shirts. [SPEAKER_02]: I got two shirts. [SPEAKER_03]: I got a bunch of swag. [SPEAKER_03]: I got key chains. [SPEAKER_03]: I got these really cool plaques. [SPEAKER_03]: They're metal. [SPEAKER_03]: They're really cool. [SPEAKER_03]: But Kurt Man, he's got a lot of great things going on. [SPEAKER_03]: He puts on huge events out there in which it's all that benefit veterans, children. [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, he's, he's really got it going on. [SPEAKER_03]: Check him out buggeramaict.org.

7:14 [SPEAKER_03]: and check out all the things he's doing. [SPEAKER_03]: If you're ever out that way, which at all, please check out his events as well. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, my man, your turn. [SPEAKER_03]: Here's where I want to start with. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, before we go in here, tell us who Kayla is, the, the, the fine lady who joined us from the park. [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, yes. [SPEAKER_02]: So Kayla is a very close family friend. [SPEAKER_02]: She's like a sister to me. [SPEAKER_02]: 20, probably three years, if not longer, because she's, and, um, three years ago, we were up in New York, um, upstate New York for my sister's wedding Emily, and, uh, [SPEAKER_02]: Kayla and I, we were in the hotel room getting ready for the wedding and I started not feeling well.

8:11 [SPEAKER_02]: I started feeling clammy, my arm started hurting. [SPEAKER_02]: I checked my blood sugar as said 600 plus, which that's not a good sign. [SPEAKER_02]: I am diabetic and so I looked over at Kayla and I was just like, girl, you need to call. [SPEAKER_02]: So she called 911, Peter Metic showed up and they transported me right away to a hospital, a cath lab about seven miles away and they said she called at the perfect time. [SPEAKER_02]: And I ended up having a major heart attack, a Widowmaker, and they gave me three cents, and they said that if she wanted to call, I would have never made it.

8:57 [SPEAKER_02]: So I thank her every single day for saving my life. [SPEAKER_03]: uh, awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: And now she's joining to see you on this awesome podcast. [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you guys for for both of you for joining and Kayla. [SPEAKER_03]: Good, good call. [SPEAKER_03]: You made a great call. [SPEAKER_03]: You saved Spencer. [SPEAKER_03]: So awesome. [SPEAKER_01]: I just heard that it was a very scary moment, but thank you so much. [SPEAKER_03]: you're welcome. [SPEAKER_03]: You're welcome. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, buddy. [SPEAKER_03]: So I want to start with the car, but obviously I have a feel in this conversation is going to go a lot deeper than horsepower and air-cooled engines, but start with the car when somebody sees this beetle that's behind me. [SPEAKER_03]: Sorry this way.

9:37 [SPEAKER_03]: For the first time, what do you hope they noticed before anything else? [SPEAKER_02]: When I pull on to any place or whether I'm traveling down the road, I hope they see where I've been all first responders. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, at night it glows. [SPEAKER_02]: It has reflective ground effects down the side. [SPEAKER_02]: So they see the light shining on it. [SPEAKER_02]: They pull up and they think me for what I'm doing. [SPEAKER_02]: They give me a thumbs up. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm at gas stations and kids are pulling their [SPEAKER_02]: And I'll be like, Diane, just a minute, let me show these kids and the parents the car.

10:18 [SPEAKER_02]: So I'll open the door. [SPEAKER_02]: I'll let them sit in the car, you know, like they're so fascinated the first time that they see it. [SPEAKER_02]: And really that's really why I built the car. [SPEAKER_02]: I wanted something that stuck out. [SPEAKER_02]: I wanted something to show appreciation to all first responders, all the levels. [SPEAKER_02]: And so that's what I wanted people to see. [SPEAKER_02]: when and I'm still not done with it, but I'll tell you, I'm pretty damn close. [SPEAKER_03]: it's pretty awesome and a lot of you have seen it in person because he's been all over the place and been to a lot of shows. [SPEAKER_03]: But those that haven't, I'm going to be flashing some pictures of it in the YouTube version of the podcast.

11:00 [SPEAKER_03]: So wait until you see this thing. [SPEAKER_03]: This thing is absolutely awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: For this car at what point for you did you realize that this one just [SPEAKER_02]: Well, when I purchased it in 2020, I started it. [SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, this is kind of like the car that I've always wanted to have. [SPEAKER_02]: When I was younger, like, when you buy your first Volkswagen at 16, [SPEAKER_02]: You can't do what you can when you're an adult or at least I couldn't. [SPEAKER_02]: So I wanted to build this the way that I wanted. [SPEAKER_02]: I wanted a rat ride, chopped bug, suicide doors extended.

11:42 [SPEAKER_02]: It's something that I've always wanted to do. [SPEAKER_02]: So [SPEAKER_02]: And as I was building it and it's crazy I did find a picture and I don't know if I ever sent it to you, but it's a it's a picture of a drawing that I did in 2021 and how close and I took screenshot how close it looks like to the car these days speakers up on top wide fenders in the back. [SPEAKER_02]: push bar in the front with the headlights and the fog lights. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean roll cage in it with the badge and this is 2021 when I do this picture with the badge on the front corner apron. [SPEAKER_02]: It's crazy on how, you know, my, you know, vision, how, how I saw it back then and how it turned out is so close.

12:32 [SPEAKER_02]: Diane the other day said, you see that push bar on the front. [SPEAKER_02]: You would have never gotten that on there if you didn't meet me Tim Heckler and he gave it to you like and it must have been somewhere that someone said you got to meet this guy he's going to give you something to put in your car that you want to have as you're rolling tribute. [SPEAKER_03]: it's cool how how these things come together, right? [SPEAKER_03]: But it's almost like when you put things into the atmosphere, so to speak, a lot of times when you give them energy and you give them thought, they happen, it's almost like, you know, speaking things into existence. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, you drew it into existence. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you're right, you're right, but you know, and as I, as I was putting it together, you know, everybody that knows me and knows my family, new Scotty.

13:27 [SPEAKER_02]: And, and I had to do a tribute somehow. [SPEAKER_02]: So when I registered the car for the very first time, I actually have his badge number [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, cool. [SPEAKER_03]: It's like the little details, right? [SPEAKER_03]: And nobody can do that. [SPEAKER_01]: I did not know that Spence that is amazing. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh my gosh, how did I not know that part? [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, that is a pretty cool detail. [SPEAKER_02]: Yes. [SPEAKER_02]: And on the back, you know, on the bottom rear apron, you know, most most of my wider, my fiberglass parts on this car is from Creative Carcrack.

14:08 [SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, so I told them that I wanted to do a [SPEAKER_02]: and the watch for Scotty on the back of the car. [SPEAKER_02]: So I said, I need it. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't need a full apron. [SPEAKER_02]: I need a partial apron, but I need it to be flat down the bottom. [SPEAKER_02]: Don't think I need as a cutout for the stinger exhaust. [SPEAKER_02]: So they custom made this re-raper in for me. [SPEAKER_02]: And then I had my powder coating company, local 239 powder coating company. [SPEAKER_02]: And he literally cut out a piece of metal welded each end so I could bolt it to and I have this and it's in reflective and it says and to watch deputy Scott Wheeler and with the date and so you know on the back of the car it's a big tribute to him and that just started the whole thing.

15:02 [SPEAKER_03]: That's really awesome, man. [SPEAKER_03]: And again, it goes beyond what people can really just see, right? [SPEAKER_03]: Details like the license plate number, all that stuff. [SPEAKER_03]: It's just, you know, those little small details is what really makes it, right? [SPEAKER_03]: That's so cool. [SPEAKER_03]: Thanks for sharing that. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, let's go back to 88. [SPEAKER_03]: We've got a whole lot of time where we'll talk about the car, right? [SPEAKER_03]: But let's go back to... We sure do. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so you bought your first Volkswagen, which was a 72 square back. [SPEAKER_03]: I guess just maybe bring us back to that time, right? [SPEAKER_03]: Because this is a Volkswagen podcast. [SPEAKER_03]: What was going on in your life? [SPEAKER_03]: And I guess what made you choose to buy a square back? [SPEAKER_02]: So at the time I was living with my brother, a Michael. [SPEAKER_02]: He's a year and a half older.

15:45 [SPEAKER_02]: He was driving this baby blue. [SPEAKER_02]: car had asked him what it was. [SPEAKER_02]: It was a square back. [SPEAKER_02]: So, um, and I just so happened said I said dude, I want to, I want to drive your car and if I like it, then I want to buy one just like yours. [SPEAKER_02]: It literally got. [SPEAKER_02]: the exact same car, the exact same color. [SPEAKER_03]: And he was like, dude, really. [SPEAKER_02]: But my other guy, we have always gotten along really well and, you know, and he's the one that started it for me. [SPEAKER_02]: Like he went from the the square to a camper.

16:27 [SPEAKER_02]: He had a green camper with a white top. [SPEAKER_02]: I remember that. [SPEAKER_02]: I took my square back and I said, well, I don't want it baby blue. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, so, um, and, you know, he handed up moving up to Orlando, and I stayed at the house for a while, but, um, I bought this 72 square back, and I had it painted yellow. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, I was even thinking about chopping it back then, and I was just like, I don't know, I just could do with Volkswagen's, but this Volkswagen boss, um, literally posted on Marketplace the other day, and [SPEAKER_02]: and the Volkswagen bus was chopped like 10 inches. [SPEAKER_02]: I was just like, oh my god. [SPEAKER_02]: I seen it was the Bay window, the white one.

17:09 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes. [SPEAKER_02]: Yes. [SPEAKER_02]: I was like, oh my god. [SPEAKER_02]: But you know what, Diane said no. [SPEAKER_03]: Hey, you know, we got to pay attention to that when that, when the, when the voice of reason talks, we got to listen. [SPEAKER_03]: That's how you stay married for a long time. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so the square back I know in your story line you eventually ended up selling it to get a fast back, right? [SPEAKER_03]: Yes. [SPEAKER_03]: So so then you sold that fast back eventually to get your your first beetle. [SPEAKER_03]: Tell me what it would like, I guess, at that time in your life, to have that influence, to have those cars, to trade those cars, to sell them, to, you know, to, to, to fanagle the deals, however, whatever you had to do to, to just be in, in, encompassed in the community like that, and to have the different Volkswagen models, what was drawn you toward these cars at that time?

18:05 [SPEAKER_02]: You know, I guess you would probably say this implicitly of working on them, um, I literally [SPEAKER_02]: You know, and I guess part-spin readily available, like, I mean, I had a place in Lake Alfred, Terrell's Pugging Muggie that would work on my cars, but then he would show me how to do some things on the car that I didn't have to take it to him all the time. [SPEAKER_03]: Right. [SPEAKER_02]: So I would say this simplicity of working on the cars and the VW community that, um, [SPEAKER_02]: You meet driving these cars around like, you know, everybody always says and it's my me too that one of the first [SPEAKER_02]: manual cars that you drive is a Volkswagen so you know and so I would drive these cars and I would love a daily driver compared to a show car because then you can drive it all the time and I'm so close and I'm not saying that I would drive this car that I currently have every day.

19:11 [SPEAKER_02]: But I would definitely drive it more to car shows and you know, and be with all my Volkswagen, you know, family and friends, you know, cruising to a car show because how awesome would that be. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I, I would love it. [SPEAKER_02]: And you know, but I bought the trailer, you know, to fulfill my mission and to get my car to every place that it needs to go and you know, so it comes back to the simplicity of how easy the cars were to work with. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. [SPEAKER_03]: Now, eventually you ended up with a beetle with a bug, right? [SPEAKER_03]: And this bug that you got was customized to look like a taxi.

19:53 [SPEAKER_03]: I did see pictures of it. [SPEAKER_03]: Walk me through that build. [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe describe for the listener is what that looked like. [SPEAKER_03]: And I don't know what were people's reactions like when you drove that car around that they try to hire you very taxi. [SPEAKER_02]: So, it's funny, when you drive through, you know, like Orlando, like on international drive, or you drive like in Tampa, downtown, I do remember people trying to flag me down. [SPEAKER_02]: It was painted. [SPEAKER_02]: I would say like a hummer yellow and a bright white and then I was like my graphic shop that I had back in the 80s and 90s was Gator graphics and winter haven and And I was just like, I would love to paint [SPEAKER_02]: You know, black and white checkers down to the side of the car, you know, to make it look like a taxi and they were like, why don't we use final graphics?

20:48 [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm like, okay, so that was my first experience with vinyl graphics. [SPEAKER_02]: So we did a black and white checker down to the side of the car. [SPEAKER_02]: And then I looked up, taxi light. [SPEAKER_02]: I bought a taxi light and they did the vinyl graphic taxi across there and then you know custom license plates and you know and I always wanted to have the bumpers by Brits for the rear bumper. [SPEAKER_02]: never never did it but i painted the rear bumper white and they were like let's put checkers down the side and i'm like okay so i took this car and i did it to the best that i could at the age that i i was when i had it [SPEAKER_02]: And, I mean, I just kept going, stereo, CB antenna because I was in the CB club back then.

21:39 [SPEAKER_02]: And then I was just like, oh, I'm gonna build a center console. [SPEAKER_02]: So I started building a center console with speakers through it. [SPEAKER_02]: And in the middle of that, and I had neon throughout the car, I put a fish tank. [SPEAKER_02]: and inside the inside that fish tank I would throw like we were doing a Saturday night cruise in like old town or we would do going down international drive in Orlando and I would throw a couple gold fish in. [SPEAKER_02]: and people like this is awesome and so they were like what do you do when you're done for the night I was like well I put them into fish bowl at home until the next time and sometimes they made it sometimes they did it but I had a neon light above that fish tank so it glowed like I would pull up to a drive through or you know down international drive and you're like [SPEAKER_02]: Oh my god, looking at that car, there's a fish tank, but that was one of the things, you know, that came to my mind and I was just like, I got to do it.

22:39 [SPEAKER_03]: Now, eventually this car was total, right? [SPEAKER_03]: Tell us what happened. [SPEAKER_03]: Tell me maybe how that changed your relationship with the car. [SPEAKER_02]: On June 7, 1994, I was working at SeaWorld, [SPEAKER_02]: And, um, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, [SPEAKER_02]: So I would literally come in every single morning and I would have to run water through the beer lines at the hospitality center and I would have to sample two ounces of blood but life but drive, make make life, make drive, make dark, bush, bush light, ojules and carols work every single day.

23:35 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, that's 18. [SPEAKER_03]: That's a bit of a friend. [SPEAKER_02]: Every day. [SPEAKER_02]: So I did that for a while and that's a pleasure to have. [SPEAKER_02]: And let me tell you my dad goes, if you ever quit that job, you're not my son. [SPEAKER_02]: So, um, so I, and then I ended up working out in the parking lot, um, you know, the second half of my career at sea world. [SPEAKER_02]: And, uh, I left there right around 1996 and started that Disney. [SPEAKER_02]: But, uh, one night when I was getting off, I was walking through the parking lot, saw a bunch of friends running inside the parking lot. [SPEAKER_02]: and got in my car and, you know, it had rained that day and the windows were kind of fogged up a little bit and I was looking at them waving to them and I hit one of the light poles in the middle of the park a lot.

24:27 [SPEAKER_03]: do. [SPEAKER_03]: So it's kill. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I went right through that windshield, um, bent the frame in six inches. [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't think I was going that fast. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, literally, for the next two days, I camped out at SeaWorld, like until someone could pick me up and take me back to winter haven. [SPEAKER_02]: So, I would have to say my relation between me and that car, I guess we divorced at that time because I never got to drive it again. [SPEAKER_03]: Kind of fast forward a little bit. [SPEAKER_03]: Now you, I think you get into split window buses and eventually over time you own several buses then before getting your first Carmen Gian in 1995, right?

25:12 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I owned a couple bosses, I owned 61 and a couple 62s and that 61 boss that I had was a daily driver. [SPEAKER_02]: I drove it quite often. [SPEAKER_02]: I had it at the side of my duplex that I lived in and where I haven't. [SPEAKER_02]: My brother was like, dude, you know how I got you into Volkswagen, right? [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm like, yeah, he goes, uh, how about you tell me your 61? [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, I love you, but, you know, okay, so I sold him my 61. [SPEAKER_02]: He had that. [SPEAKER_02]: probably until 2012, and he ended up selling it.

25:54 [SPEAKER_02]: Someone came up and was like, dude, I see this bus in your garage all the time. [SPEAKER_02]: He goes, uh, he goes, you want to sell it? [SPEAKER_02]: And he goes, sure. [SPEAKER_02]: So I think he told me he sold it for $10,000. [SPEAKER_02]: And he said, yeah, they turned around and he saw it on Marketplace for like 25,000 like a week later. [SPEAKER_03]: And I will hurt right there, shot to the heart right now. [SPEAKER_02]: And the crazy things is, as I tell everybody that Volkswagen's back then, we're a dime a dozen. [SPEAKER_03]: Like, I would not pay over $1,000 for a Volkswagen bug or boss or any Volkswagen, an air-cooled Volkswagen.

26:34 [SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't pay over $1,000. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: One of my bosses I left at Duplex. [SPEAKER_02]: you know that i i moved to Orlando let me tell you that they they probably love that you know who ever ended up acquiring that one uh but i ended up selling the other boss and uh and uh eventually um i got the car mega well year well year was the gear [SPEAKER_02]: it was a 63 and let me tell you it was it was a blue like a midnight metallic blue and it was I I saw this and it was like 1200 dollars and I was just [SPEAKER_02]: You know what?

27:19 [SPEAKER_02]: Let me drive it. [SPEAKER_02]: I drove that thing and fell in love and you know, and I'll tell you When I say I drove that thing everywhere My friend that lived in Boone, North Carolina He was like bring it up here. [SPEAKER_02]: Let's I got my Toyota Supra and you got your Carnegie at the first person from Boone to Asheville wins. [SPEAKER_02]: I was like, well, what do we win? [SPEAKER_02]: He goes [SPEAKER_02]: nothing really but you it's wins. [SPEAKER_02]: So he had this like he had this like 87 super red 87 super and in my granddad he was World War II fighter pilot flew to the P51 D Mustang in the P40 flying tiger and lived in Boon North Carolina and Hilthead Island, South Carolina [SPEAKER_02]: uh... during this time and uh... and i drove this car and i'll tell you [SPEAKER_02]: I drove back car up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway countless times.

28:22 [SPEAKER_02]: Matter of fact, when it was I think the 95, late 95 family reunion, I took it to the reunion and at that family reunion, I stepped on a fish and spear and had to get 20 outer stitches and like 17 interstitches or something and they were like, um, you have to drive [SPEAKER_02]: And I was in Lake Louis North Carolina and I was like, I don't know how I'm going to do it. [SPEAKER_02]: So one of my cousins, Elizabeth, she goes, I'll ride with you, we'll grind it. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, at the age, you know, I'm in my 20s and my cousin, she's like probably 11 12.

29:10 [SPEAKER_02]: So she rides with me and and the first stop and we'll be back to Florida as it helps ahead South Carolina. [SPEAKER_02]: So I go over the bridge and the hill ahead. [SPEAKER_02]: And I get pulled over and they're like, don't think you can drive this car fast through my city and stuff like this. [SPEAKER_02]: And I mean, I was just like, listen, it's a badass car, you know, like everybody, like this. [SPEAKER_02]: So, but I drove that car until it broke down on me once and don't ask me why I didn't, young and dumb side of I for probably around.

29:50 [SPEAKER_02]: 96, 97 left it on side the road. [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't, I didn't, you know, dime a dozen. [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, and in between that time, I owned, probably 12 to 14, maybe 15 Volkswagen. [SPEAKER_02]: So I was, I was trying to write them all down. [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm like, wow, I did only chopped. [SPEAKER_02]: Volkswagen Bobbaha with 35 inch for swoppers on it. [SPEAKER_02]: And I drove that thing around. [SPEAKER_02]: I drove that thing around Polk County and winter haven and I lived in Polk City at the time. [SPEAKER_02]: I owned a GT 40 kick car and I just saw it at a Volkswagen shop in Orlando.

30:36 [SPEAKER_02]: Can't remember which one it was but they were selling it for like 800 bucks and I was like, [SPEAKER_02]: bring it to my mini storage and and I'll put it together and never got put together. [SPEAKER_02]: It was one of my other cars that I had, you know, and when I cut the contract with the storage unit, I said, listen, I'll leave you a car in the storage unit too. [SPEAKER_02]: So some of these cars that I [SPEAKER_02]: You want to like punch yourself in the face and say why did you do that? [SPEAKER_02]: You know the buses that you leave on the side of a duplex the Carming here that you left on the side of the interstate You know the GT 40 kick car that you leave inside a storage unit I hope that people that found these three cars that I left behind did something good with Oh, you you know, they probably did they're probably you know who knows they may make may still be on the road Even even today [SPEAKER_03]: All right, let's touch on the VW lifestyle, the cars, the people, the memories, that's really where a lot of these conversations end up going, right?

31:45 [SPEAKER_03]: The cars are what bring us to the community, but it's the people that kind of keep us involved in this in this community. [SPEAKER_03]: So let's talk a little bit about what it was like for you being a part of the the Volkswagen community in the 80s and in the 90s and then let's maybe even compare it to what it's like today in your opinion has the culture changed from back then to now. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, I do see some of the things that have changed that the shows. [SPEAKER_02]: We're really big back then, like, you know, when I went to Buckjam back into early 90s, like it was humongous. [SPEAKER_02]: It did have a lot of vendors, but, you know, the people that you meet at these car shows, like, you turn in the family and, you know, and you stay in touch.

32:36 [SPEAKER_02]: And if you ever need help on your cars, you can reach out to them like, [SPEAKER_02]: You know, just friends, one of the people I met at a show, and it wasn't bug jam, but it was a show for all, and Don from Sarah Soda, like I ran into a problem right before my show earlier this year, an electrical guy came over to my house, and all of a sudden, by the time he left, I didn't have power to my Volkswagen, I gave a foreshow, and I'm like, [SPEAKER_02]: Well, this Don and Zer soda I call now. [SPEAKER_02]: It's just like, oh my gosh.

33:17 [SPEAKER_02]: I don't have any power to my car. [SPEAKER_02]: He goes, okay. [SPEAKER_02]: Okay. [SPEAKER_02]: Listen, I can't come down tonight. [SPEAKER_02]: But let me walk you through it, you know, and he goes, okay. [SPEAKER_02]: So you got this wire and this wire coming through the fire wall. [SPEAKER_02]: It's the battery and then this this wire is going from the battery to the starter and this one's going, you know, up to the front and this one is going over here. [SPEAKER_02]: And he goes, I said, wait a minute. [SPEAKER_02]: I said, something just clicked and he goes, so check the wire underneath the seed it might ground it out. [SPEAKER_02]: He he he walked me through it and like he it's crazy like the people that you need that these shows turn into family. [SPEAKER_02]: And the Volkswagen community like it's crazy that's why I say [SPEAKER_02]: Once a Volkswagen guy, always a Volkswagen guy, there might be a little interruption because just like you said, you had a little interruption with your Volkswagen for a while because of family.

34:11 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I'll tell you, I had a wife and five kids. [SPEAKER_02]: And the Volkswagen's were not priority. [SPEAKER_02]: So, right, the dealer. [SPEAKER_03]: That's the same. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, wife still around five kids still there too. [SPEAKER_03]: So, yeah, man. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, you know, and it's crazy, you know, and my ex wife like we're still best friends and it is and it is what it is, you know, so I know in 2002 2003 she literally said [SPEAKER_02]: If a Volkswagen is what you want, go get a Volkswagen and so I drove down the Naples and I towed it behind the van back to the house and I had that for several years and we took it from a house to house to house and I ended up selling it and because I knew that I couldn't do what I wanted to do with a Volkswagen but always had the support [SPEAKER_02]: You know, from my family, they knew my love for Volkswagen's, but I did take a break.

35:19 [SPEAKER_02]: I took a break for, kind of, we're talking like 12 years. [SPEAKER_02]: I took a break. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I did too, man. [SPEAKER_03]: I did too. [SPEAKER_03]: And you know what, it was never, it never left me. [SPEAKER_03]: I was always into, you know, my big thing was always looking on eBay, eBay used to have an app. [SPEAKER_03]: When apps first came out, they had the automotive app, [SPEAKER_03]: and I could log into the eBay app when it was real popular in the early 2000s. [SPEAKER_03]: I could log into the eBay app and I could scroll through the different car selections and go through all their pictures. [SPEAKER_03]: And I'd read their descriptions and I'd learn, learn, learn, and I'd see all the trends and all the stuff that was happening in the Volkswagen community, all the cars. [SPEAKER_03]: I'd see the Brazilian ones.

35:59 [SPEAKER_03]: I'd see the German ones. [SPEAKER_03]: I'd be able to just [SPEAKER_03]: still kind of be a fan, right? [SPEAKER_03]: But I would do it in my own time. [SPEAKER_03]: Um, you know, I think they call that doom scrolling these days. [SPEAKER_03]: Going back to your cars, right? [SPEAKER_03]: You've had squarebacks, your fastback, you've had beetles, you've had buses. [SPEAKER_03]: You had the gear, you left on the side of the road. [SPEAKER_03]: If you could bring one of these cars back, which one would it be? [SPEAKER_02]: I would probably say the one that I saw you most recently and the car McGee, you know, it's just it's sleek looking it's low to the ground now granted my car is low to the ground It's sleek looking But I I've come very close You know in the last few years to say [SPEAKER_02]: God, I would love to own another karma gear, you know, just, and there's one that I saw in Oklahoma and I showed Diane this and it was green and it was trapped and it had suicide doors, it was 20,000 bucks and it was metallic and it was custom done and I was just like, [SPEAKER_02]: Babe, I would never think in my life that I would ever think about paying $20,000 for a Volkswagen, but let me tell you, this Carme gear was top notch and it's old and I don't I don't blame the person for buying it, but I would definitely, I would definitely own another Carme gear, you know, just for the fact that

37:36 [SPEAKER_02]: uh... i had so much fun with it back then uh... you know i i would say it was my most dependable car because there's been cars were five minutes after i purchased them i was going down a road in Orlando and the fuel line broke and hit the distributor and it caught on fire five minutes after i bought it and like that's a part of [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so, but I'm also going back to the last question, how do you see it different from now, and it might have not been in that question parks availability from back then to, to now I've noticed a change there seems to be a lot more, um, [SPEAKER_02]: Retailers, you know, like I used Rocky Mountain motorworks.

38:22 [SPEAKER_02]: I used with West Coast Mets. [SPEAKER_02]: I used Fisherbuggies and their old location back in the 90s. [SPEAKER_03]: And I used Andy. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: And you should go there. [SPEAKER_03]: They did a motor for me in 96. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and you know, so when I heard the they changed location, I was just in the new location not that long ago I had to buy some side mirrors aluminum side mirrors that I and I can't believe that I keep buying these side mirrors People love to come up to the car and touch the side mirror and it breaks it off [SPEAKER_02]: So I literally have like three sets of them now and there's $69 each, but it is what it is.

39:06 [SPEAKER_02]: That's, that's the, you know, style that I was looking for and it's the style that I'll keep up. [SPEAKER_02]: When I got back into the Volkswagen's in the 2000's, I saw super chargers and co-chargers and, you know, and all these other things and I'm like, I don't remember these back into 80's and 90's what I was doing and I probably got on. [SPEAKER_02]: But but I don't remember I'm so there's like the shop that my car's that right now He's going through it. [SPEAKER_02]: He's he's making sure that everything's running right I had a little loose steering linkage so he fixed that I just want to I said if I happen to do a cruise anytime soon and I know I'm gonna do one in January [SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, and then I was, um, also I'm going to do, uh, the, um, what do you call it?

39:58 [SPEAKER_02]: Um, the gas periliprade, the Hillsborough County Sheriff has invited me to lead the parade. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, good man. [SPEAKER_03]: Hey, I'm going to have to come and see that. [SPEAKER_03]: We got to see it. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, my God. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm leaving that thing. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so he said, my sheriff deputies are going to lead the gas Braille parade on their motorcycles and you're going to be right behind them and I'm like. [SPEAKER_03]: Good. [SPEAKER_03]: It's cool. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, thank you. [SPEAKER_02]: And that's kind of like how I'm meeting these people and they're inviting me to all of different events and stuff like that. [SPEAKER_02]: And it's just crazy. [SPEAKER_02]: But I don't want to get off subject. [SPEAKER_02]: But yeah, it's, it's amazing. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so before we change the topic, we're talking about the community, let's let's talk a little bit more about community now a lot of people a lot of people in this culture right they usually have a daily driver they usually have a show car and they usually have a project that never quite get fit that we'll never get finished right.

41:00 [SPEAKER_03]: That's just how to have those. [SPEAKER_03]: I can say I have that in my driveway right now with the 62 beetle that I have and then my wife's car, which is that Carmen Gia, which finally after years of work and it's finally, I'm not going to say, done. [SPEAKER_02]: I saw a band built. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I saw it being built. [SPEAKER_02]: That's awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, yeah, exactly. [SPEAKER_03]: But what's category do you fall into? [SPEAKER_03]: Are you one that really kind of focuses on the daily driver? [SPEAKER_03]: You'd one that's the more the showcar type or you the one that has the project that never gets finished. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I'm kind of all three. [SPEAKER_02]: So I would love to be the daily driver.

41:42 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm back in the 80s and 90s. [SPEAKER_02]: I was the daily driver. [SPEAKER_02]: Me too, I was always the daily driver. [SPEAKER_02]: And the 2000s, I was the project person. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, and now the show car, uh, you know, trailer it to the shows and yeah, and, um, you know, never thought I would be that person, but you know, it's scary to see these drivers out here and, um, and think that I put so much blood sweat and tears into a car and, um, and have someone, you know, damage it or something like that. [SPEAKER_02]: So right now, [SPEAKER_02]: I am definitely a go-car person.

42:28 [SPEAKER_03]: 10, 4. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: All three is the way the way you answered that and how cool. [SPEAKER_02]: I want to be a car guy. [SPEAKER_03]: But right now, right right now, I'm stuck in the in redoing them. [SPEAKER_03]: And I'm about to I'm about to trade my beetle for an older bus an early Bay window bus a West value, which I'm [SPEAKER_03]: The only downside to it is it doesn't have a motor, which [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, no big deal. [SPEAKER_03]: I have a motor. [SPEAKER_03]: I've got a 1600 dual port. [SPEAKER_03]: It's a 71. [SPEAKER_03]: So last year, I believe of the upright, you know, so it'll, it'll, it'll pop right in.

43:15 [SPEAKER_03]: So super excited about that. [SPEAKER_03]: But always a project for me and where I'm at right now. [SPEAKER_03]: The gear is pretty close, though, to being a showcar and and being done. [SPEAKER_03]: I still need to do interior on it. [SPEAKER_03]: But, um, [SPEAKER_03]: That original interior that's in it is just so nice. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm just like letting it go for now. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: It really looks good. [SPEAKER_03]: That car only has 48,000 miles on it still original. [SPEAKER_02]: Wow. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: Wow. [SPEAKER_02]: So it's funny because the seats that you saw in my car are five point harness. [SPEAKER_02]: Look at seats. [SPEAKER_02]: And what's funny is, [SPEAKER_02]: I actually went over to Miami. [SPEAKER_02]: I was in Hialia and I was going up and I'm like, hey, I'm looking for this person, no English, no English.

44:00 [SPEAKER_02]: So Diane's like, listen, you're not going to find many people over here this speaking English. [SPEAKER_02]: And so I showed them the picture of the guy and he goes, oh, I want her. [SPEAKER_02]: I literally got vintage low back. [SPEAKER_02]: bucket seats for four of Volkswagen for three hundred dollars for the pair that were brand new upholstered. [SPEAKER_02]: Wow, it's crazy like so you know her and I we went we drove all the way over there we picked them up and I said they this is like a deal look at some of these seats that are for sale and it's just the springs and the track and the frame and there's three hundred dollars [SPEAKER_02]: I'm hoping that the guy this weekend when he finishes my lighting on the car that he's able to swap out the seats with the bucket seats, so I have them for bug jam because I have these custom seat belts that have like a flip lever like a park ride and we're welding a sheriff deputy badges onto these buckles.

45:09 [SPEAKER_03]: So cool man. [SPEAKER_03]: The small details you guys focus on with this. [SPEAKER_02]: My seat belt buckle is a gold badge and it's a florida sheriff badge and I'm the top of it is says think our first responders and on the bottom it says Lee and it's a florida sheriff ad that's my buckle and then Diane's is pink [SPEAKER_02]: Um, she said I can't serve survivor and um, so hers is pink and it's just it's going to be awesome. [SPEAKER_02]: Like you said the minor detail. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, no, that's that's it. [SPEAKER_03]: That's everything. [SPEAKER_03]: That minor detail is everything because it's almost like for somebody that's an enthusiast.

45:54 [SPEAKER_03]: It's like the gift that just keeps on giving. [SPEAKER_03]: It's like every angle you look, you're like, wait a minute. [SPEAKER_02]: There's more. [SPEAKER_02]: They're so much I haven't even put into this car yet like the safari windows. [SPEAKER_02]: I haven't even put me yet. [SPEAKER_03]: Awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: Awesome. [SPEAKER_02]: What a cool box right there in a box right beside me. [SPEAKER_02]: I keep telling my guy because I found this friend at a car show and he's like dude. [SPEAKER_02]: I love working on cars. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm a electric bogey. [SPEAKER_02]: He goes I'm a fabricator. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm a welder. [SPEAKER_02]: and he goes he goes okay your car's ready it's not the way that it's not done yet but you can come pick it up and I'm like how much draw you goes no no until I'm 100% done with your car I'm not charging you I want you to be happy so literally I picked this car up and he he added right before [SPEAKER_02]: to be trash, he added 12 more lights to it.

46:57 [SPEAKER_02]: And so, and I already had like the side lights and everything. [SPEAKER_02]: And so this weekend, he's probably going to add more lights like in the ancient department, underneath the hood, underneath the dash, and, you know, so he just goes the town. [SPEAKER_03]: So let's slow down just a little bit for the story now because this kind of where is in your timeline where the story kind of changes, right? [SPEAKER_03]: July 2020, you purchased another 71 beetle, which you had one way back in the day, but you purchased another one. [SPEAKER_03]: And then decided that this car would now become, which obviously is the one we're talking about, right?

47:38 [SPEAKER_03]: A tribute to your brother-in-law who was [SPEAKER_03]: uh... correctional deputy for lee county right lee county florida killed in a motorcycle accident while off duty can you tell us about him tell the listeners about him what kind of person was he um... maybe just give us a little backstory on your brother-in-law yeah so uh... my brother-in-law was deputy scout wheeler um... we all call them scottie [SPEAKER_02]: family guy like the best uncle brother father that you could have, you know, like my my kids and some of them, you know, were at a decent age that, you know, remember, I had, you know, one born in 2006, one born in 2008, so they didn't get to, I mean, four years old, six years old, [SPEAKER_02]: recognize or, you know, remember, um, but that's what we get that memory special.

48:40 [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: That's yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: And um, so, but he was always willing to help out anybody like he was a mechanic before he was a deputy, um, you know, and so he would take everybody's car over to his house. [SPEAKER_02]: He would work on everybody's car, charge you next to nothing. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, he wouldn't charge me anything. [SPEAKER_02]: Thank God. [SPEAKER_02]: But I'll tell you what. [SPEAKER_02]: I learned how to do breaks from them. [SPEAKER_02]: And that is the one thing that I love doing. [SPEAKER_02]: And now these days, I repay the favor of helping my friends do their breaks. [SPEAKER_02]: And, uh, but, you know, family man he had, uh, uh, uh, [SPEAKER_02]: Two kids, eight in an atty, and then his fiancee was pregnant at the time that he was killed.

49:32 [SPEAKER_02]: So they had three kids together, but he would, you know, he started off with night shift. [SPEAKER_02]: He ended up moving the day shift, he loved his job, he worked in corrections. [SPEAKER_02]: And he applied for that job with his best friend, Ryan Keller, and unfortunately Ryan ended up getting a job with Charlotte and Scotty got a job with Lee. [SPEAKER_02]: The whole crazy thing is it's how this turned around in 2011 after Scotty had passed. [SPEAKER_02]: Ryan actually got almost the same position that Scotty had in Leica.

50:14 [SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, after he passed. [SPEAKER_02]: So, um, he would, he would call me and he, he's just like, dude, Scottie's pictures right up on the wall, you know, when you walk in every single day. [SPEAKER_02]: And, um, you know, so amazing person, um, you know, and I still, you know, obviously with the trippy vehicle, I talk about him every single time someone comes up and asks about the car. [SPEAKER_03]: Sure. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, because, you know, originally, [SPEAKER_02]: That's what I was making the tribute vehicle for until I realized, you know, how many of my family and friends are first responders, so I ultimately made it for all first responders. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. [SPEAKER_03]: But the special features that I got started to cut job, I was just going to say how the idea of a Volkswagen like first come to you, you know, for for for this tribute vehicle.

51:09 [SPEAKER_03]: was it something that you knew you want to do right away when you bought the car right away or was it kind of an idea that kind of developed you know as you owned it you know how these these cars for us we we get them sometimes and then we start to envision you know a name and it's almost like these cars have a personality right we talk about it all the time but interested to hear how how that develop for you so [SPEAKER_02]: It's crazy when I bought the car and and of course it's going to be a Volkswagen because like Volkswagen's is my life in my passion and and you know that's what I've always wrapped around with in vehicles on our Volkswagen's right but I have and I don't know if you'll be able to see it but I have a drawing that I did.

52:02 [SPEAKER_02]: Um, and this car. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't know if you can see it. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you can see it. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: So the data up on the top. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: Twenty two. [SPEAKER_02]: January 16, 2021 and how much this car. [SPEAKER_02]: So on that car, it's crazy because you can see the share badge with the blue line through the back then. [SPEAKER_02]: Back then, it was going to be a tribute vehicle, you know, or I was going to do some kind of, you know, part on the car for Scotty and literally I had these stars, it custom cut out from my powder coder.

52:43 [SPEAKER_02]: blue line through it and I was going to put end up watch, you know, January 12, 2011 and then I just kept coming up that ideas and coming up with ideas and my powder cover goes I will never run on a business because you keep coming up with these ideas and I said damn right. [SPEAKER_03]: So overall, you've spent what five years kind of developing this tribute beetle, what were some of the roadblocks or some of the hardest parts of creating this tribute. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, the, one of the biggest roadblocks I had was getting it painted, um, just to try to find someone that you could trust, someone that, you know, is taking your, try to joy the, you, you know, your vehicle that you've been waiting a lifetime to build, um, and this guy had it for a year and a [SPEAKER_02]: And yeah, and he's the suicide door hinges and, you know, in charge of me next to nothing and I'm like, wow, I mean the doors are awesome.

54:04 [SPEAKER_02]: If I could just get people at car shows to stop leaning on my doors, you know, it is what it is. [SPEAKER_02]: That's why we never leave the side of it. [SPEAKER_02]: Either Diana or I are at that car. [SPEAKER_02]: the entire show we we don't leave because you know i don't want anything that obviously happened to it um so painting it and then everybody here and we talk about it every day that they see me they're like hey did you ever get the car painted yet i'm like oh he goes well i'll tell you what there's this chuping guy that um is painting cars out in lehigh acres which is about you know 20 minutes away from here [SPEAKER_02]: and he is doing the bodywork, turn it around the same color that you would love for $1,800.

54:50 [SPEAKER_02]: What? [SPEAKER_02]: I said, yeah, I said, get the hell out of here. [SPEAKER_02]: Like, let's do it yesterday. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm trying to get out of tomorrow. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, unfortunately, I think I found him. [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, thank you. [SPEAKER_02]: I know, but let me tell you he goes now the only proud sponsor is he doesn't speak any English. [SPEAKER_02]: I said let me tell you I have enough associates that speak Spanish. [SPEAKER_02]: I said I will load this car up on a trailer and I will take it out to them and I'll let him you know talk to him and that's what I did I was like Joe here coming with me. [SPEAKER_02]: And we drove out to Lehigh and the rear fenders all off and everything and I said I just want it map like that's all I want and he goes okay and I said oh and I need the rear apron welded back onto the back because it wasn't Baja so after it was chopped and everything I had to figure out how I could put the rear apron and [SPEAKER_02]: onto the back of the car.

55:51 [SPEAKER_02]: I said, so just take this rear apron. [SPEAKER_02]: So he goes, well, it's going to be more than $1,800. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, okay. [SPEAKER_02]: He goes, it's going to be 2000. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, no, you're like, okay, 500 or two. [SPEAKER_02]: And so I was just like, okay, so I guess my next big question is when am I going to get it back? [SPEAKER_02]: I said, I'm leaving my car out here and leave high acres. [SPEAKER_02]: And, and I'm leaving it with someone I don't know. [SPEAKER_02]: I said, when can I get it back? [SPEAKER_02]: He goes, today's Tuesday, you'll get it back next week.

56:32 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, done. [SPEAKER_02]: So, literally, the following week, I went up there with Joe and we picked it up and it was completely painted. [SPEAKER_02]: The rear apron was welded on the back and I was just like, oh my god, I waited a year and a half and then this guy charge around and doesn't in a week. [SPEAKER_02]: Wow, man. [SPEAKER_02]: So, how cool. [SPEAKER_03]: That was the story. [SPEAKER_02]: Yes. [SPEAKER_02]: so that was one of the biggest things and then the other was um i just i guess i didn't have the motivation and um you know i i just recently gone through the doors um in between um you know 2020 and uh you know 2023 i had gone through the doors so i wasn't motivated and uh when i started [SPEAKER_02]: Um, she was like, why is this car still sitting in the garage?

57:28 [SPEAKER_02]: She goes, don't you want to get motivated and finish this car? [SPEAKER_02]: And she goes, I will help you whatever way I can and with her motivating me. [SPEAKER_02]: Let's go, Diana. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, so, and, and I'll tell you. [SPEAKER_02]: So, another crazy thing to think about with this whole thing is Diane worked with Scotty and corrections. [SPEAKER_03]: So yeah, so maybe even some some motivation there from from her to right to yeah to see this this kind of project kind of come to you know come to fruition.

58:09 [SPEAKER_03]: I know part of the identity of this of this project was you know collecting these first responder patches. [SPEAKER_03]: I guess how did you decide that patches would become a part of this car's identity. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, the net was naturally happened or was that tell me how that happened? [SPEAKER_02]: I think it, yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: I think it naturally happened. [SPEAKER_02]: I know the very first patch I got was from the Fort Myers Police Department Roger Valdivia. [SPEAKER_02]: He gave me the very first law enforcement patch and then I made a welcome board underneath the hood and all those were my very first patches [SPEAKER_02]: Um, and then, as a, um, talking to people, I started getting more and more patches in.

59:00 [SPEAKER_02]: So I was just like, wow, this is awesome. [SPEAKER_02]: And then, um, I was thinking, so I, I looked at the whole scope of, like, [SPEAKER_02]: how many shares are there in the state of Florida? [SPEAKER_02]: How many police chiefs are there in the state of Florida? [SPEAKER_02]: How many fire departments? [SPEAKER_02]: So when there was 67 counties in 67 sheriffs, I was like, how awesome would it be if we collected all 67 sheriff patches, put them underneath the hood? [SPEAKER_02]: And so that would be a tribute to first of all, Scottie was a lead county sheriff, Deppie. [SPEAKER_02]: So it's pretty much a rolling tribute to the sheriff's of the state of Florida and so I started collecting those patches and and then I started getting others and I was like well I'm going to make my driver store family and friends so I literally looked up.

59:58 [SPEAKER_02]: where everybody lived in the United States and I reached out to their corresponding departments or fire department, some of my cousins are fire fighters and like Las Vegas and Sacramento. [SPEAKER_02]: So I reached out to their and I told them what I was doing and they sent the patches. [SPEAKER_02]: So I ended up doing [SPEAKER_02]: family and friends on the drivers door fire fighters fire departments on the past year door and then pretty much throughout the whole car i said you know what this is this is going to be tribute to all first responders so and i just i mean i'm at someone i at the show beach rash um [SPEAKER_02]: And I just got to patch the other day, New York State Police, you know, that I admit that that show.

1:00:50 [SPEAKER_02]: And he goes, yeah, like I promised, here's the patch and he sent me a New Jersey State Police patch. [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, every show we meet so many people and we hand out the business cards and patches just keep coming in. [SPEAKER_02]: at bug jam. [SPEAKER_02]: I have bug jam. [SPEAKER_02]: I will have a banner behind me that will say think our first responders and it has like 140 patches there, then I have law enforcement, fire departments, overseas and military, and I have all those banners I usually display at car shows.

1:01:32 [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm looking forward to seeing everybody's reaction with all the banners that have [SPEAKER_03]: Awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: Let's jump to a bigger, a bigger part here, bigger mission. [SPEAKER_03]: March 26, I think you travel to DC to visit the National Law Enforcement Museum, right? [SPEAKER_03]: Yes. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. [SPEAKER_03]: Tell us a little bit about this portion of the experience. [SPEAKER_03]: I know while you were at the museum, you saw a bunch of patches that were displayed. [SPEAKER_03]: And you got to talk about the car, you know, talk about, but I guess just bring us to this, this is like the highlight right of this car.

1:02:19 [SPEAKER_03]: You're leaving Florida going up to DC. [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, it just must have felt so awesome. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so, so in March we traveled up to Washington, D.C., we went to law enforcement museum because the couple times that I went to Washington, D.C., previously to March. [SPEAKER_02]: I never got to go to, you know, the law enforcement museum. [SPEAKER_02]: So. [SPEAKER_02]: uh we went in there and we were in one of the simulator rides and i was talking to the guy in ex uh a law enforcement i think at ex FBI and i was telling him about my car and he was like wow that's amazing he goes you know what i got to get my supervisor over here you got to show him this and uh i showed the supervisor and uh he was like two food [SPEAKER_02]: How awesome would it be to bring your car up for police week and and display it in front of the law enforcement museum and I'm like whoa what I mean mind blown like I looked at Diane and I was just like [SPEAKER_02]: Hey, do you know how big this is, right?

1:03:30 [SPEAKER_02]: Like, damn. [SPEAKER_02]: So he gave me a business card and of the director of the law enforcement museum and he goes, so we talking this may. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, no, I said, there's a little bit of logistics involved. [SPEAKER_02]: And at the time, I don't think I had [SPEAKER_02]: I don't think I had my car trailer yet, but anyways, I was just like, you know, now we have a car trailer. [SPEAKER_02]: We have a truck, you know, and we're, we're telling it everywhere already. [SPEAKER_02]: And so I said, how about we look at 2027? [SPEAKER_02]: And so I called the director and she's like, sure, where would you like to park it?

1:04:14 [SPEAKER_02]: And I said, in the museum, no, I just said, I should have said that. [SPEAKER_02]: I said, maybe out front, I said, I said, the best place where it will be visible and, you know, for everybody to see it. [SPEAKER_02]: And she goes, well, if you can find a place, send me a picture of where you would like to do it and we'll make that happen. [SPEAKER_02]: So, [SPEAKER_02]: When Diane and I, we went up again, we were like, wow, the main entrance is right here to the left of the main entrance is on a sidewalk. [SPEAKER_02]: We could do it there or in the memorial garden right underneath the tree on the other side of the street where the memorial is, I was like, babe, this is the spot like we can set up the tent.

1:05:02 [SPEAKER_02]: We can be right underneath this tree and the director was like, yeah, we'll just have to move back just a little bit because I did like that [SPEAKER_02]: GPT to show where I wanted it, you know, across the street under this tree. [SPEAKER_02]: And she goes, not a problem. [SPEAKER_02]: We'll make it happen. [SPEAKER_02]: So then, you know, we started, you know, I'll think about like, how are we going to raise money? [SPEAKER_02]: You know, so those are those are the things that we have going on right now. [SPEAKER_03]: So let's fast forward a little bit. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, not necessarily fast forward, but let's touch on this because you're saying how are we gonna raise money? [SPEAKER_03]: So let's talk about the organization itself, right? [SPEAKER_03]: Thank our first responders.

1:05:43 [SPEAKER_03]: This is a nonprofit, right? [SPEAKER_03]: You registered with the state of Florida as a 501C3. [SPEAKER_03]: I think you said you're at the beach bash that your application was pending. [SPEAKER_02]: Yes. [SPEAKER_02]: That's the case. [SPEAKER_02]: It's still the case, we're looking at emails every day to see when it finally goes through. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. [SPEAKER_02]: Exciting. [SPEAKER_03]: Exciting. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I don't get to involved with the, the paperwork side. [SPEAKER_02]: I have my vice president over there that, uh, does all that. [SPEAKER_02]: And she's doing an amazing job. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, awesome, man. [SPEAKER_03]: Awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: Collectively, though, what have you learned about the administrative side of, you know, organizing or running an organization like this that obviously begins with a car.

1:06:32 [SPEAKER_02]: It started with the car, and when we started the nonprofit and our mission statement, what we originally came up with was we with a few of my sponsors that I have like Chick-fil-A is the biggest that I'm going to work with. [SPEAKER_02]: They're going to provide me with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and I'm going to take it to the first responder agencies, whether it's police or fire, or military dispatch nurses. [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, corrections, you know, and one of the first places I want to deliver a meal too was corrections because that's where you're scotty, you know, work to end.

1:07:15 [SPEAKER_02]: and it's not a big issue at all because Chick-fil-A is like, you just let me know. [SPEAKER_02]: And you know, every event that I go and hold, all I do is I text my person at Chick-fil-A and don't bring me over 45-50 Chick-and-Samages for all the volunteers and everything like that. [SPEAKER_02]: Wow, man. [SPEAKER_03]: Shout out to Chick-fil-A. [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_02]: So I've known Billy, when he opened the Chick-fil-A a long time ago, we're talking probably 16 years ago, and I've always partnered with him with my job, you know, I'm a manager at Lose, and so when I have a, you know, a big meeting or something, I always partnered with Chick-fil-A, [SPEAKER_02]: but I've carried that relationship on to thank our first responders.

1:08:09 [SPEAKER_02]: But we've changed our mission a little bit just to finish visiting all 67 counties. [SPEAKER_02]: Getting the sheriffs to sign the car. [SPEAKER_02]: Our mission right now is to finish with all 67 counties, all 67 patches, all 67 sheriffs sign in the car. [SPEAKER_02]: and 67 challenge coins to represent each one of those guys. [SPEAKER_03]: so cool man. [SPEAKER_03]: So let's imagine for a second what national police week's going to look like in 2027. [SPEAKER_03]: It's May. [SPEAKER_03]: You've got all these signatures now, 67 of them. [SPEAKER_03]: You've gathered all the patches.

1:08:50 [SPEAKER_03]: Your your car is dialed in. [SPEAKER_03]: You've raised enough money for the journey. [SPEAKER_03]: You're finally heading to DC. [SPEAKER_03]: You've been talking about it for a couple of years now. [SPEAKER_03]: What's this drive going to be like? [SPEAKER_02]: It's going to be a long drive. [SPEAKER_02]: It sure is absolutely. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, actually picked up that Carmen guilla that you saw that I had painted and you know, I picked that car up north of DC in Pennsylvania in a barn. [SPEAKER_03]: It was a one owner. [SPEAKER_03]: Wow. [SPEAKER_03]: feet female owned her her whole life. [SPEAKER_03]: It was her favorite car. [SPEAKER_03]: She left it to her son when she passed away and I bought it from her son and it was in the back of this little barn at, you know, needed brakes and all this other stuff.

1:09:33 [SPEAKER_03]: But my point was this, when we picked the car up, I trailered it on a you haul trailer. [SPEAKER_03]: Because we were so close to DC, we actually stopped at DC and this [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: So it was the fourth of July. [SPEAKER_03]: So we stayed for fireworks over, you know, the national cemetery. [SPEAKER_03]: And we, we got to see the most amazing display of fireworks and go and check out all the monuments and, you know, so when you're, when you're talking about, you know, DC, I'm really, I'm, I'm violent man. [SPEAKER_03]: I feel it. [SPEAKER_03]: So, yeah, man, just so, so cool, but you're, [SPEAKER_03]: It is going to be a long drive.

1:10:15 [SPEAKER_02]: I guess it's my point because yeah, but yeah, so it's crazy. [SPEAKER_02]: So we haven't planned out where we're going to stop halfway up there. [SPEAKER_02]: We plan on getting there Tuesday night sometime to a hotel maybe outside DC because you can only take a trailer and a truck and DC during certain times like you need to you need to get in and get out and so [SPEAKER_02]: So when we get into DC, we plan on early morning dropping it off at the law enforcement museum. [SPEAKER_02]: Diane will stay with it and we're talking with the fraternal order of police in DC as well as a firehouse about storing the trailer.

1:11:04 [SPEAKER_02]: We also talked to the organizer for the vintage and tribute, please cars that are doing a parade in a car show, and he goes, dude, you're talking to the right person. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm a VW guy too, and I said, come on, baby, let's go. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah, so he drives a Mexican, [SPEAKER_02]: police car during police week and so it's the green and white with a red light up on top and so yeah, he drives that so we plan on dropping the car off [SPEAKER_02]: hanging out with the car that day. [SPEAKER_02]: Thursday, I believe is going to be, maybe Friday is going to be the vintage car and tribute vehicle parade.

1:11:53 [SPEAKER_02]: So we're going to drive all around DC with all lights and everything on, you know, through DC with all these vintage police cars. [SPEAKER_02]: So, and trippy vehicles, so, and we end up, so on the parade, we actually end up in the White House on that property and get the tour of the White House. [SPEAKER_03]: Come on, baby. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and then not only that, but like on the last day, they have a car show in the mall of all the vintage blue cars and the trippy vehicles and then we drive it from there to like I think the memorial gardens or something.

1:12:39 [SPEAKER_02]: but it's just going to be great. [SPEAKER_02]: It's going to be a fun filled amazing three to four days and I can't wait like just to see, you know, there were response. [SPEAKER_03]: Speaking of response. [SPEAKER_03]: If Scotty could see this car now finished, the signatures, the response from people around the country, you know, the energy that this car now brings and what you're accomplishing with it. [SPEAKER_03]: What do you think he'd say? [SPEAKER_02]: uh... he would he would probably punch me in the shoulder say great job rather like pick me up pick me up like he was a big dude so he'd probably pick me up and uh... he would you would say job well done like you know i mean he would be praising me like there's snow tomorrow [SPEAKER_03]: That's so cool, man.

1:13:31 [SPEAKER_03]: Let me ask you a question. [SPEAKER_03]: If somebody listen into the podcast, maybe I don't know, wants to see this beetle, or wants to follow you or follow along, or maybe even wants to help gather the signatures, or support you, where should they go to do so? [SPEAKER_02]: You can find us on Facebook, think our first responders, and when you spell that out, first is one ST, and that's spelled out, so one ST responders, or on Instagram, and we're trying to update Instagram all the time, but the Facebook, usually every stop I do, every interaction I have with the car, [SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, is usually on there and what I explain to people if they're having a vent.

1:14:23 [SPEAKER_02]: and they see my car fit for that event to contact me and I will be glad to come out to the event, just for, you know, for what's happened recently is the Soto County Sheriff, he loved the car. [SPEAKER_02]: He signed the car, he gave me a patch, gave me a challenge going, and before where I left he goes, hey, can you come to our our national right out? [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm like sure when is it and he goes he goes October 6th and I'm like okay that's a that's a Tuesday night so I said yeah October 7th is when we started at three day tour to visit 17 counties and three days [SPEAKER_02]: So, yeah, so we went to the Soto County to the Convention Center, Guyana, and I set up the whole, you know, fitting in the Convention Center, five to 700 families came in, saw the car, and the response that we got from everybody, and some people took our business card, we were see patches from them.

1:15:27 [SPEAKER_02]: We literally finished that event and drove straight to Flagler County, North of Daytona. [SPEAKER_02]: Got the hotel and then we started our three day events which it rained every single day from pretty much the time we woke up to the time we left so we had to put trash wrap on the car the entire time and I was like this is not usually how people see the car but listen. [SPEAKER_02]: you can't you can't control mother nature. [SPEAKER_03]: That's right. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, so then, um, okay, Toby saw what we did in the Soto County. [SPEAKER_02]: So, okay, Toby shares off his reach out to me, um, Monday. [SPEAKER_02]: And they were like, hey, would you like to come to our national night out?

1:16:09 [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm like sure. [SPEAKER_02]: I said, I just did the Soto's. [SPEAKER_02]: They were like, yeah, we saw the pictures. [SPEAKER_02]: We would love to have you. [SPEAKER_02]: So, I'm going into the Soto Hillsborough. [SPEAKER_02]: That's sheriff has invited us to [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, Michelle Cook is the sheriff of Clay County. [SPEAKER_02]: When we were visiting on the third day, we got a text message from one of her deputies, probably her PIO, asking if we could come to one of the events. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it was a big first responder event that that's happened in North East Florida, but I think it happened on Bug Jam weekend.

1:16:50 [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. [SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, unfortunately, I already signed it up and committed. [SPEAKER_02]: Right. [SPEAKER_02]: But I said, don't forget about us in the future. [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, and I'm sure she won't. [SPEAKER_02]: She was, she was, so there's only two women share of send the whole state out of 67. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh wow. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, that's a cool. [SPEAKER_03]: So, Clay County. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, Clay County is one and Miami Dade is the other and I just met her last week and she was like, she was like, where do I sign? [SPEAKER_02]: Let's take some pictures. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I almost had taken like 10 to 15 pictures where there it was.

1:17:32 [SPEAKER_02]: It was pretty awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: That is pretty awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: Heck yeah, I love all the energy that this car is getting. [SPEAKER_03]: I love what you're doing before we wrap this this podcast up tonight is there anything about Scotty about your brother and law about the car itself or maybe about the people that you've met along this this journey that you haven't talked about that you really want people to understand. [SPEAKER_03]: I want to make sure that you're able to pound your mission home here. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, the one of the biggest obstacles that we're having right now is raising funds for D.C. We're doing a raffle in a bingo and you know, and we're selling for $20 each and we're selling 200 of them and as soon as we sell through the 200.

1:18:21 [SPEAKER_02]: uh we're gonna have a non-line bingo um and that's really helping us out with the fuel cost to get the car to DC um because it's probably gonna be several thousand dollars in fuel uh towing that car yeah and um and but they can't afford. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah, and it's not getting any cheaper now fuel and so selling the raffle tickets and you can also make a donation online and either contact me or Diane [SPEAKER_02]: because we do have, um, think our first responders bank account with suncoast.

1:19:04 [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, if you have a suncoast, you can easily transfer and everything like that. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, so that that's been the biggest thing. [SPEAKER_02]: But I mean, in regards to Scotty, it really sucked on that day. [SPEAKER_02]: And, and I love the tribute I'm doing, and every chance I can, I talk about him. [SPEAKER_02]: I saw his son the other day. [SPEAKER_02]: I thought he was up in Michigan, and I see my phone ringing, and I'm like, Aden's, Aden's called me from Michigan, so I picked it up and he's like, those prints are looked to your left, and he's working a construction crew on the side of the road here in Cape Coral.

1:19:55 [SPEAKER_02]: What the hell you doing here? [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, it's just crazy like, you know, but I try to talk about him every chance I get at every show. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I think the Volkswagen community has an opportunity here to help you to help a fellow brother in the community. [SPEAKER_03]: But somebody that's been a dober, since the 80s. [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, you've had 20 plus of these cars over your career with Volkswagen's. [SPEAKER_03]: And now you're really plentiful. [SPEAKER_03]: You know, Volkswagen is on the map of Volk's rod, you know, bad-ass beetle, you know, putting us on on the map on display, doing things like leading parades and and going to all these sheriff's offices and these first responders, I mean, look, it's time for the the VW community to turn back around and support you.

1:20:48 [SPEAKER_03]: So I'm going to give a shout out now to anybody and everybody out there that's listening to this podcast, which was broadcasted in 85 countries, which I'm very [SPEAKER_03]: help the sky out man help throw Spencer a bone. [SPEAKER_03]: Let's let's make sure this car that up to DC. [SPEAKER_03]: Let's make sure you know we we get all these pictures and all of these memories that get to be created not just for Scotty but for the Volkswagen community as well. [SPEAKER_02]: I really appreciate the time here, and before we go, I'd love to do a shout out to my sponsors. [SPEAKER_02]: Wrap it up, Southwest Florida, and Fort Myers, local powder coating in Cape Coral, A&A Stereo in Wachula, Jack's Wax, and Fort Myers, Affertit, Illuminum in Cape Coral, Firestone on Skyline in Cape Coral, Chick-fil-A on Pine Island Road.

1:21:41 [SPEAKER_02]: and Andy at AV Motorsports in Cape Coral. [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you, everybody, for all the support. [SPEAKER_02]: I couldn't have done it without you. [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_03]: you guys know what happens when these Beatles show up places man these people get these smiles on their faces they they all have these stories they share about their Volkswagen you know past and everybody's got a story and and we get to hear them but not just that this also gets to be that first responder you know tribute and this tribute to Scotty so man we really appreciate you coming on and sharing this story [SPEAKER_03]: I think it lends a great reminder that these cars that we build can become something a lot bigger than just the car themselves, right?

1:22:26 [SPEAKER_03]: Sometimes of Volkswagen's a way to remember somebody. [SPEAKER_03]: It's a way to connect an entire community. [SPEAKER_03]: It's a way to take a message. [SPEAKER_03]: like you're doing across the country, brother. [SPEAKER_03]: So thank you so much for doing what you're doing. [SPEAKER_03]: I want to say good luck for getting all 67 signatures. [SPEAKER_03]: Best of luck on this trip. [SPEAKER_03]: I hope you get some funds. [SPEAKER_03]: Hopefully some dub community donates for you. [SPEAKER_03]: And I wish you the best of luck here for May of 2027. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, thank you very much, you know, one thing I didn't get to add in, so I have about 23 counties that I haven't gotten to yet, but Sheriff Billy Woods, which is the president of the Florida Sheriff's Association.

1:23:08 [SPEAKER_02]: He's also the Sheriff of Marion County. [SPEAKER_02]: He said whatever signatures I don't have at the end of my tour that ended last week. [SPEAKER_02]: He has officially invited me to the Sheriff [SPEAKER_02]: And he's going to ask all the sheriffs to come outside and sign the car and do the photo off and everything like that. [SPEAKER_02]: So that's pretty badass. [SPEAKER_03]: That's community. [SPEAKER_03]: That's how that that's how it happens. [SPEAKER_03]: That's how you're going to get to your goal, uh, awesome man. [SPEAKER_03]: And that's a wrap for this episode of Dub Life Diaries. [SPEAKER_03]: Thanks for riding along with us and diving into these incredible stories of the people in the Dub that drive their dreams. [SPEAKER_03]: If you love today's episode, don't forget to subscribe or hit that follow button so you never miss an adventure.

1:23:54 [SPEAKER_03]: Do you have a story to tell, or know somebody else who's living the dove life? [SPEAKER_03]: Awesome. [SPEAKER_03]: Reach out to us. [SPEAKER_03]: You can find us on all socials and dove life diaries. [SPEAKER_03]: Or shoot me an email. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm not hard to find. [SPEAKER_03]: The dove life diaries at gmail.com. [SPEAKER_03]: Until next time, keep the engine tummen and the wheels turning and always follow the road that inspires you. [SPEAKER_03]: This is Joe Person, I'm signing off, I'll catch you on the next ride.