Driven by Colorado Dubs: Grant Aslins VW Journey Ep19

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Music.

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To Dub Life Diaries. Today's guest is a guy whose passion for Volkswagens goes

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back to sneaking out of church to watch, what you're going to do, brother, Hulk Hogan.

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What's cool about that is, you know, he lives right here in Clearwater and his

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bar is 20 minutes from my house, right?

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Really? I've met Terry probably 30 times in my life. But anyway,

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this isn't about me. This is about you.

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So I just wanted to share that though, because I thought it was kind of cool

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to see that in your past, sneaking out of church to watch Hulk Hogan.

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I'm like, hey, that's pretty cool.

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That guy's right up the road from me. So he taught himself how to drive a stick

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on a VW Rabbit, I believe when he was 12.

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He's now the president of VW Enthusiasts of Colorado.

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He's a community leader, and he's a man who let Jesus take the wheel and says

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he built his current hot rod he's driving.

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Now let's welcome to the podcast, Mr. Grant Aslan. Thanks a lot, my brother.

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Thank you so much. That was an awesome intro. I appreciate that.

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Yeah, man. Of course. Of course. This is all about you, man.

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We're celebrating you. You've got some pretty awesome accomplishments in the VW community.

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So when I say I want to connect with guys like you and guys that are in,

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and women in the Volkswagen community, this is exemplary. This is exactly who I'm looking for.

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Before we dive into some really awesome questions and a great episode,

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I do have a couple of sponsors that I want to shout out.

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Number one volksmania magazine the

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flyest vw magazine on the face of the planet

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if you are a us subscriber you

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you'll get 10 off your first subscription www.volksmania.com check them out

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also this episode is sponsored by Salty Dub.

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Now, one thing I want to mention this time is that we started a new group with

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Salty Dub on Facebook called Salty Dubbers.

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All right, Salty Dubbers, all one word. This is a nationwide gang of air-cooled

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addicts, classic VW dreamers, road trip warriors, rust whispers, beachside cruisers.

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It don't matter if you're in a slam bug, a faded bus, or a pristine squareback,

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you've got some folks that are just like you here in this group.

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So check these guys out, www.saltydub.com. And again, that group on Facebook is Salty Dubbers.

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Last shout out, my buddy Dino Stiles, Dino's Garage, DC Metro.

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Obviously, thank you for your support of the podcast. And if you're in the market

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for a Volkswagen mechanic, They say everybody needs a good Volkswagen mechanic.

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If you're in the DC metro area, check out Dino's garage.

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Okay. My friend Grant, back to you, my brother, back to you.

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So, dude, tell me, how the hell did Volkswagens catch such a grip on you?

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Because they seem to be locked in on you.

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You know, Joe, I don't know if it was because they were so popular when I was

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a kid or if it was the shape or if it was just a family thing.

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But Volkswagen make has always been my favorite car. My dad was a GM guy. My grandpa was a GM guy.

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Volkswagens were always part of the ensemble between somebody in the family.

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Yeah, you know, those stories seem to run, you know, back with us,

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those of us that are in the community.

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I also had an infatuation with them since, you know, really before I could remember,

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meaning the shape or just the vibe of them.

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I just liked them, right? So when I was in 96, when I was 16,

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17, to buy, you know, to buy one and make it one of my daily drivers,

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you know, people around me were like, dude, what's wrong with you?

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Why would you want to drive that car, you know?

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And you could have a Honda Civic in 96, you know?

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I'm like, yeah, no, it doesn't hit the same for me. So I totally get that,

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man. I totally get that. Tell me about your upbringing, though,

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because you mentioned the family.

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I noted five brothers and sisters. You mentioned a carpet business,

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a body shop. What was the childhood like?

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So, came from a pretty big family, Joe. I'm the middle child of five kids.

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I have every sibling you could want, except for a twin.

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I have an older brother, Brandon Aslan, my older sister, Megan.

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Then there's me, my little sister, Leah, and then my little brother,

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Reed. Big family. I was married for many, many years.

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My mom's dad, Gus Gross, was a first-generation German immigrant, and he was a body man.

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He had a body shop in Colorado Springs, Gus's Body Shop.

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When he retired and shut up the shop down, he went to work as a teacher,

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an out-of-body teacher at Pikes Peak Community College.

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Oh, cool, man. He called it.

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That's awesome. When you just said that, I can envision it because I've got

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history in Colorado Springs. So, man, that's just such a cool thing, such a cool vibe.

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My mom's brother as well, Randy Gross, had Randy's Body Shop in the Springs

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right off Nevada Avenue.

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He specialized working on Corvettes and fiberglass, and he had many Volkswagens.

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He had a dune buggy that I remember, an orange one, and Uncle Randy always had

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a VW Caddy truck at his body shop that he used as a shop truck.

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Ooh, I love those. had at least one caddy truck sitting around.

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I love those when they're slammed and stanced out.

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Those are such a good-looking little car, little truck to me.

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My personal favorite Volkswagen is a VW caddy truck. Is it really? Okay, cool, man.

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So tell me, man, out of your childhood coming up, when did the VW obsession

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really start for you? Young.

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It was, I mean, one of the first loves of my life. They were just a passion, Joe.

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So looking at the magazines, looking at the pictures, looking at all the different styles,

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you know, back in the 80s and the 90s, the hot VWs, VW trends,

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my uncles had a body shop, like I said, Randy's Body Shop, and there were stacks

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of magazines in the body shop.

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And my cousin, who was a month younger than I, Scott Gross, was my best friend.

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We hung out in the body shop a lot.

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It was super, super fun. And not only were there Corvettes around,

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which are really cool, there was always Volkswagens, always Volkswagens sitting

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around. You mentioned the magazine.

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Do you remember the first VW magazine that you ever bought with your own money?

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I want to say it was probably a VW Trends magazine.

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When I was a younger kid, VW Trends was definitely my favorite magazine.

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Magazine and probably the first magazine

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like grown-up magazine that i i subscribed to other than ranger rick when i

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was a little boy or how about or how about mad magazine remember that so my

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dad brought me up on mad magazine so i remember the the back cover you could fold it into,

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you know, different person. I loved it.

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Um, I, I love mad magazine.

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I spent a lot. I have asthma. And when I was a kid, when I was an adolescent,

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I spent some time in the hospital for it.

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And magazines were a big, a big, uh, escape for me there too.

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And so mad magazine and Volkswagen magazines were the ones that I looked at

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pretty much exclusively.

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Yeah now the siblings there was

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many of them was this just a you thing or was

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your family your brothers and sisters into vws as

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well back then as as a kid back then it

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was pretty much a me thing okay my older siblings and my little sister definitely

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not really into cars like i was my older brother did have a volkswagen rabbit

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that was his first vehicle a 1978 volkswagen Rabbit diesel.

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That's the first car I ever drove when I was 12 years old. I joyrided it up the street.

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I didn't have any siblings growing up that were into VWs.

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My little brother, Joe, is 10 years younger than me. He was kind of a surprise.

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And because of that, I was able to maybe mold Reed a little bit.

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Reed hung out quite a bit with me. And Reed and I share a lot of the same loves in life.

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His first car was a Volkswagen Rabbit, a 72 Super, an orange one.

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He's always had a Volkswagen Beetle. The Rabbit, though, that 78,

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that was the car that trained you, right?

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That was the car you drove, like you said, at 12.

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12 is young. I learned how to drive a stick when I was 14, and I thought that was pretty young.

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So to hear 12, all right, man, you got me there.

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But I want to hear a little more about that. What happened that day?

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You said you went to Joyride? percent honest i'm not

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exactly sure on the date it could be 11 but i

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didn't want to say it i didn't want it to say sound absolutely

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unreal yeah no that's awesome though

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when i was a young kid here's how it happened i'm

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super into the wwf i love

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hulk hogan and right randy macho man oh dude

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so cool yep the wwf comes

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on at 10 and is on till 11 well

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we don't get home from church as a family until 10

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30 and i end up missing the first 30 minutes

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of the wwf and

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it's kind of heartbreaking for me i'm going to be honest and so i

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talk to my mom and dad about it and i

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end up working out a deal with my mom that i can stay home from church on sunday

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and she takes me to the youth group on wednesday professional sales right there

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my friend professional sales fantastic

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deal and honestly because I was the young kid in the youth group.

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Most, most of the kids in the youth group were a little, a year,

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at least a year or two older than me.

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Not many of them were like sixth graders. And so it was cool.

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And I also got to stay home and be mischievous why the rest of the family was

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gone on Sundays. And like I said, I was part of a big family.

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I had a little sister, two older siblings, my parents.

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It was a community at the house, not a whole lot of alone time.

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And I got to drive my little brother's rabbit around or my older brother rather.

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One day I decide I'm going to take the rabbit out. My brother parked his rabbit

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in the rocks next to the house.

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I know kind of how the shift works. I know you got to push the shifter down

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and forward to get it into reverse.

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I know how a clutch works because I grew up around body shops and kind of moving

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cars around and riding mini bikes that my grandpa and my uncle built.

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My cousin raced go-karts and shifter karts. So I knew the concept of a pedal.

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I put the rabbit in reverse.

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I start the car. I get it out and kind of back it up eventually into the street.

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And try and get it into the first, Joe, and getting it into first wasn't as easy.

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I was just kind of, you know, when you're trying to get a car going and you

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don't know how it's, I'm shaking in the car and the car will go into gear.

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And I was sitting there sweating in that rabbit in the middle of the street,

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thinking the neighbors were watching me, that I was definitely going to get

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busted, not be able to move the car.

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And my whole family would be pulling in from church and the rabbit would be

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sitting in the street. But one thing about me, Joe, is I'm persistent.

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And so I just sat there and I worked that I was

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like well it's either I figure it out or I'm busted and

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eventually I don't know how long it took me Joe 5-10 minutes

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10 tries 15 tries but eventually I got that rabbit into first gear okay I scooted

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it up the hill and I don't know how far I went the first time maybe just up

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the block and around the corner but eventually I managed to gain some confidence behind the wheel.

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And I was pretty little, but I would take my brother's rabbit up to the corner,

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get out, walk across to 7-Eleven, get a Jolly Rancher for 10 or 15 cents.

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Take the rabbit back home.

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Bazooka gum for five cents.

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100% Bazooka Joe was a big thing. Yes. It was a bottom level 7-Eleven event.

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It sure was. I remember those. They had, they remember when they used to individually

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sell Rolos wrapped in gold.

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Yeah. Yeah. Like they would have like a bucket of them on the counter.

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Remember the Slurpee used to come with the toy that they would put in with their fingers.

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I don't remember that, but I remember Slurpees having like baseball cards on the bottom. Yeah.

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The little, I remember those. Stuff. Yeah. I remember those back in the day.

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I remember probably 82, 83.

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Out on St. Pete Beach, that 7-Eleven out there, they used to put the little

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spiders or the little plastic toys, like a Cracker Jack box, basically.

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And they would throw it in the bottom of the cup, and they'd fill your Slurpee up. Oh, man. Yeah.

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I don't think that didn't pass health code for much longer, I can imagine.

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I had a Slurpee addiction, Joe, for years. I pretty much just lived off Slurpees

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and beef jerky from 7-Eleven.

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What was the favorite flavor of Slurpee?

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Coke. Mine was wild cherry at the bottom, Coke on the top.

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Yeah. Yeah. I could do that. I think I did it the opposite, though.

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Coke on the bottom and a little cherry on top.

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Yeah, dude. Your little brother. I know he caught the bug.

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I know you kind of already explained

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that, but talk to me about his group that he runs right now. EPDC.

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Is that Eastern Plains Dub Club?

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Correct, Joe. Eastern Plains Dub Club. My little brother, Reed Aslin,

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and a guy named Dustin Blair.

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2015. Eastern Plains Dub Club were the big guys in town for a lot of years.

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Reed and Dustin did events. They showed up at a lot of places.

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They did cruises for a long time.

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The last couple years, Reed and Dustin, they had families and young kids.

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My last couple of years, you know, life happens, family happens,

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not so many events coming out of Eastern Plains Dub Club, but those guys are

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awesome. And I love them.

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Of course, Dustin's one of my best friends. Shout out to Dustin Blair,

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Colorado die cuts. Love you, brother.

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And my little brother Reed campers with K's on Instagram.

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Awesome. Good shout out. Let's talk about the beetle.

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What's your take on the beetle being a true like cultural connector?

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I think it's the shape, I think it's the value, I think it's how many that were

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around when we were younger Joe, they're kind of getting rare and rare every year it seems,

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you don't see as many of them on the road, so it makes them more nostalgic even

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from the ones that are around I mean there's not a whole lot of 60 year old

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cars 70 year old cars running around, especially in large groups.

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Nowadays and Volkswagen guys run in groups usually and so,

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I think that's a big cultural connector is everybody loves them too.

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Volkswagens are the people's car guys. They were sold all over the world.

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They were sold in countries like Mexico and Brazil and in countries where they

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didn't have the ability to buy cars like we did in America.

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Everybody loves VWs, man.

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Everybody loves them. Everybody's got a story about them.

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Everywhere I go, I'm sure everywhere you go, especially if it's somewhere new,

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they see your car and they say, Oh, that's just like the one that my,

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that, that girlfriend had in high school.

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And you're like, yeah, you know, you just kind of wave and people are telling

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their stories everywhere.

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Again, that's one of the reasons why I really wanted to do this podcast.

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I want to hear those stories from those people that ended up,

00:16:58.431 --> 00:17:01.311
you know, falling in love with the cars when they were in high school,

00:17:01.491 --> 00:17:04.571
like me, and then, you know, having a lifetime full of them.

00:17:04.811 --> 00:17:07.431
Yeah. My little brother, Reed Aslan, definitely caught the bug.

00:17:07.791 --> 00:17:11.111
He wanted to hang out a lot when he was younger.

00:17:11.291 --> 00:17:14.811
And I let him. My older brother, Brandon, seven years older than me,

00:17:14.951 --> 00:17:17.331
lucky for that because I was driving his car around.

00:17:17.351 --> 00:17:21.691
I found a fake ID in the glove box of that rabbit, Joe. And it was my older brother.

00:17:21.851 --> 00:17:26.631
He was already 21. So I swiped it. I had fake IDs for myself.

00:17:26.811 --> 00:17:30.211
I mean, that rabbit was a goldmine for me in so many ways.

00:17:30.651 --> 00:17:34.211
My older brother really didn't let me hang out with him. I hung out with him

00:17:34.211 --> 00:17:35.891
maybe once that I remember.

00:17:36.011 --> 00:17:39.031
I was thinking back, well, it was a different story between me and Reed.

00:17:39.251 --> 00:17:42.611
Reed wanted to hang out, and I always let him hang. Reed was part of the crew.

00:17:42.791 --> 00:17:45.671
I always had VW magazines sitting on the floor, Joe.

00:17:45.891 --> 00:17:49.531
My house was like Pee Wee's Playhouse. That's why I decorated it like this.

00:17:49.651 --> 00:17:51.631
I got stuff everywhere. I got magazines.

00:17:52.191 --> 00:17:56.351
There's stuff to be entertained with, and Reed was entertained by the VW magazines.

00:17:56.611 --> 00:18:01.931
I didn't own a VW. I wanted one. I had a VW patch on my hat.

00:18:02.867 --> 00:18:09.067
And when I was 15 years old till the time I was 20, I was wearing that Yankees hat with the VW patch.

00:18:09.227 --> 00:18:12.367
I always wanted one. I saw myself as a VW guy.

00:18:12.607 --> 00:18:17.987
The guys who drove VWs were the cool guys in school that I wanted to be friends with. Yes, dude.

00:18:18.487 --> 00:18:22.747
I relate to that. Josh Hoyer, shout out to you, bro. You have the coolest Mark

00:18:22.747 --> 00:18:24.987
1 Scirocco in Overland High School.

00:18:25.167 --> 00:18:29.527
And I wanted to be friends with him. And I ended up being in a class with him

00:18:29.527 --> 00:18:31.707
in high school, a physics class. He was my partner.

00:18:32.007 --> 00:18:35.507
And I wrote in his Scirocco, man, I wanted to be a Volkswagen guy.

00:18:35.687 --> 00:18:40.827
I wanted to be Cole Brothers' first car, 72 Super Beetle, orange one.

00:18:41.387 --> 00:18:46.007
Growing up, looking at magazines, Joe, So Fine Interiors. You would see their

00:18:46.007 --> 00:18:47.727
ad in all the VW magazines.

00:18:48.307 --> 00:18:54.787
I'm 24, 25. My little brother gets his first car. And I had arrived at the time.

00:18:54.907 --> 00:18:57.207
I was making some money. I drive my car.

00:18:57.387 --> 00:19:03.267
I had a Buick Regal GS. I drove my Buick up to So Fine Interiors and custom

00:19:03.267 --> 00:19:06.867
ordered a custom interior for my little brother's Volkswagen.

00:19:07.267 --> 00:19:13.227
So sweet, man. So cool. I remember paying $500 cash for it, plus tax.

00:19:13.247 --> 00:19:15.587
I think it was $525, something like that.

00:19:16.087 --> 00:19:20.587
I still have that interior. It's got a couple cigarette burns in it.

00:19:21.947 --> 00:19:25.827
But I still have that interior. It has my name written on it from when the guys

00:19:25.827 --> 00:19:28.427
made it. I'm stoked. Yeah. Yeah, very cool, man.

00:19:28.987 --> 00:19:33.367
Let's fast forward just a little bit. The 2017 Golf.

00:19:34.107 --> 00:19:37.967
You named the Golf Gus. And I know this was after your grandfather,

00:19:38.247 --> 00:19:40.347
which you kind of mentioned just a little bit ago.

00:19:40.487 --> 00:19:43.887
But tell me a little bit of a deeper dive in the story behind that car.

00:19:44.547 --> 00:19:49.027
Okay, so my grandpa Gus was a body man. He had Gus's body shop.

00:19:49.147 --> 00:19:52.827
He also taught body, auto body at Pikes Peak Community College.

00:19:53.147 --> 00:19:57.067
He was a first-generation American from Germany.

00:19:57.567 --> 00:20:02.707
If you've seen the movie Inglourious Bastards, the unit patch that Brad Pitt

00:20:02.707 --> 00:20:05.067
wears, that was my grandpa's unit in World War II.

00:20:05.107 --> 00:20:08.447
He was a paratrooper. He was airborne. He was a bad dude. Dude.

00:20:08.967 --> 00:20:12.147
When he got out of the army, he married my grandmother.

00:20:12.567 --> 00:20:17.827
The day before he left, he was all over Europe killing Nazis.

00:20:18.127 --> 00:20:20.907
And when he came back, he started a body shop.

00:20:21.227 --> 00:20:25.807
We hung out there when we were kids. We hung out at my uncle's body shop.

00:20:26.958 --> 00:20:30.798
My dad's parents died when they were young from alcoholism, so my grandpa was

00:20:30.798 --> 00:20:32.758
the patriarch of the family.

00:20:33.238 --> 00:20:39.358
He was mostly into GMs, but he was a German. And so when my older brother got

00:20:39.358 --> 00:20:42.838
his first car, it was a Volkswagen Rabbit diesel that was a wreck.

00:20:42.978 --> 00:20:47.338
It was a salvage title vehicle. They rebuilt it at Pikes Peak Community College.

00:20:47.438 --> 00:20:51.118
It was a $400 car that was painted like a Porsche.

00:20:51.138 --> 00:20:55.578
It was a beautiful metallic green. I remember when my grandpa dropped it off

00:20:55.578 --> 00:20:57.798
at our house, he was so proud of that rabbit.

00:20:57.958 --> 00:21:01.958
And he said to my brother, there's no other rabbits that are that color.

00:21:02.098 --> 00:21:03.398
They only came in four colors.

00:21:03.678 --> 00:21:05.838
And that wasn't metallic, beautiful green.

00:21:06.478 --> 00:21:09.298
It was an awesome car. And I get emotional thinking about it,

00:21:09.538 --> 00:21:11.558
you know, because that's the first car I drove.

00:21:11.698 --> 00:21:15.398
And it's just such a connection to the house. My grandpa, Gustav Gross,

00:21:15.538 --> 00:21:17.318
what an awesome guy. He believed in Jesus.

00:21:17.578 --> 00:21:21.358
He also believed in aliens. He was a crazy dude, but he was awesome.

00:21:22.698 --> 00:21:26.958
That was great That was so awesome He

00:21:26.958 --> 00:21:30.338
would tell you stories Joe He would tell you stories And he

00:21:30.338 --> 00:21:33.718
was a great guy So I bought that 2017

00:21:33.718 --> 00:21:37.378
Mark 7 golf In 2020

00:21:37.378 --> 00:21:40.238
I was working in the restaurant business For 30

00:21:40.238 --> 00:21:43.818
years I worked for Ruth's Chris And the restaurant shut

00:21:43.818 --> 00:21:48.138
down Because of the lockdowns I ended up going to work for a buddy from church

00:21:48.138 --> 00:21:53.218
Who I met through the restaurants in church who who had a cabinet company i

00:21:53.218 --> 00:21:58.098
was making unemployment and i was doing some cabinets on the side and i ended

00:21:58.098 --> 00:22:01.898
up having a little bit of money and i was looking for a car and my ideal car,

00:22:02.498 --> 00:22:07.378
was a gti mark said i mean i'm a volkswagen guy i'm gonna buy a car i want a

00:22:07.378 --> 00:22:10.398
gti you know my brother had a gti i thought i thought,

00:22:11.123 --> 00:22:15.543
I'm a Volkswagen guy, Jeff. You don't need me to explain why I want a Volkswagen GTI.

00:22:15.943 --> 00:22:19.823
No need. No need, my friend. You're on the internet. I'm looking. I'm searching.

00:22:19.943 --> 00:22:22.663
I don't have a whole lot of money, and I see this one pop up,

00:22:22.723 --> 00:22:25.223
and it's a salvage title, but it's pretty clean.

00:22:25.363 --> 00:22:30.123
And this is the type of cars I grew up with. We drove salvage title cars.

00:22:30.363 --> 00:22:31.723
We drove wrecks that were fixed.

00:22:32.903 --> 00:22:36.303
There's character to that. They were all good cars, Joe.

00:22:36.503 --> 00:22:40.243
They just were banged up. I want to touch on that because, you know,

00:22:40.343 --> 00:22:45.343
I grew up being taught from like friends that were in the car business,

00:22:45.343 --> 00:22:48.223
like, hey, you avoid salvage titles.

00:22:48.483 --> 00:22:51.463
You know, you're not going to be able to get the same insurance and you're not

00:22:51.463 --> 00:22:53.203
going to just avoid them. Don't look.

00:22:53.623 --> 00:22:57.903
So I always think that it's cool when somebody finds a niche in something like

00:22:57.903 --> 00:22:59.963
that and then has a why behind it.

00:23:00.143 --> 00:23:03.323
So what's the why behind the salvage titles?

00:23:03.523 --> 00:23:08.823
You're pretty much explaining it. They were great cars. Did your family rebuild these cars?

00:23:09.123 --> 00:23:13.363
Yeah, my grandpa did. My uncle did. Always rebuilt by my grandpa.

00:23:13.843 --> 00:23:17.303
And there would always be a couple bolts left over.

00:23:18.783 --> 00:23:19.703
That's awesome.

00:23:21.663 --> 00:23:25.883
That's hilarious. That's like a model when you're putting it together.

00:23:25.883 --> 00:23:28.243
You follow the instructions perfectly.

00:23:28.363 --> 00:23:33.463
And you look down and you're like, huh, where did those parts go?

00:23:34.143 --> 00:23:39.803
I had a model of a of a pre-67 volkswagen

00:23:39.803 --> 00:23:42.763
beetle a green one that was from like costco or something

00:23:42.763 --> 00:23:47.683
years and years and years ago got it for christmas when i was 15 a green one

00:23:47.683 --> 00:23:52.783
i melted the suspension slammed it painted the doors two-tone white made a custom

00:23:52.783 --> 00:24:02.583
antenna carved a little orange 76 ball And it was part of my shelf life Like my dream car,

00:24:02.783 --> 00:24:08.483
Joe For many, many I can't, for decades That model car sat there,

00:24:09.124 --> 00:24:13.404
All throughout my teens and 20s. Amazing. You dreamed it into existence.

00:24:15.744 --> 00:24:19.424
So back to the 2017, you said it's the nicest car you've ever owned.

00:24:19.684 --> 00:24:23.604
You drive it off into the sunset one day. Tell me why it means so much to you.

00:24:23.904 --> 00:24:29.724
You know, it's a salvage title car. It's beautiful blue. It drives really nice.

00:24:30.204 --> 00:24:33.904
It's not a GTI. I didn't get a GTI, but it's a hard loaded Golf.

00:24:34.264 --> 00:24:38.224
It has leather. It has heated seats. It has a sunroof.

00:24:38.224 --> 00:24:41.724
It has apple carplay it has a touch screen it

00:24:41.724 --> 00:24:44.604
has a banging sound system in

00:24:44.604 --> 00:24:47.924
it from fender from the factory it drive it

00:24:47.924 --> 00:24:51.164
goes fast it has a dsg transmission

00:24:51.164 --> 00:24:55.024
it goes real real fast joe i can i

00:24:55.024 --> 00:24:57.944
don't want to say that that i i do 100

00:24:57.944 --> 00:25:01.924
miles an hour every day when i get in it's just so fun um

00:25:01.924 --> 00:25:04.784
i got it with 33 000 miles i paid eight

00:25:04.784 --> 00:25:08.164
grand for the car wow man it's got

00:25:08.164 --> 00:25:13.624
102 000 now i just turned 102 the only thing i've done is is a thermostat it's

00:25:13.624 --> 00:25:18.784
man it's such an awesome car i love it yeah that's that that's so awesome and

00:25:18.784 --> 00:25:22.564
i've banged it up since then i've wrecked pretty much every other corner of

00:25:22.564 --> 00:25:27.124
it i was just pulling out the fender it's been smashed up and it doesn't matter.

00:25:27.444 --> 00:25:30.664
You know, paint it again, put it back together. I love it.

00:25:31.144 --> 00:25:33.364
Yeah. That was a good point. It doesn't matter.

00:25:33.964 --> 00:25:37.724
You know, a lot of folks, that's when they discard their cars is when they start

00:25:37.724 --> 00:25:38.824
getting banged up and dented.

00:25:39.124 --> 00:25:43.344
When you know how to work on them and you can, you know, replace fenders and

00:25:43.344 --> 00:25:44.724
bumpers and all that stuff.

00:25:44.864 --> 00:25:48.924
I mean, what a privilege. You can keep the cars that you love around you forever.

00:25:49.544 --> 00:25:55.064
Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome, man. So let's touch on this miracle money.

00:25:55.264 --> 00:26:00.124
I want everybody to hear this because I know at some point in your background,

00:26:00.124 --> 00:26:03.684
you had talked about a time that you needed money that you got some,

00:26:03.844 --> 00:26:06.244
we called it miracle money, right? From your best friend.

00:26:06.624 --> 00:26:10.764
What went through your mind at that time when you were in a place like that

00:26:10.764 --> 00:26:12.644
and you got money like that?

00:26:13.244 --> 00:26:20.944
Joe, it's kind of hard to explain, but I'm a believer in Jesus and things like that.

00:26:21.064 --> 00:26:26.464
And when you hang out in church as much as I do, you might hear stories about

00:26:26.464 --> 00:26:32.104
checks arriving in the mail and God just showing up and dreams coming true and things happening.

00:26:32.104 --> 00:26:39.184
And I've always believed in that and I've always had faith in Jesus no matter what.

00:26:39.524 --> 00:26:45.064
And so several years ago, I got a check in the mail for my best friend.

00:26:45.204 --> 00:26:48.984
We grew up, I met him in the third grade in third grade.

00:26:49.144 --> 00:26:52.664
He knew exactly what he was going to do in life. He was going to be a concert promoter.

00:26:53.044 --> 00:26:55.324
He asked me what I was going to be. And I said, I don't know,

00:26:55.584 --> 00:26:58.044
um, plain to me what he was going to be.

00:26:58.144 --> 00:27:02.424
He explained to me what a concert promoter was. He knew, he knew at a young,

00:27:02.504 --> 00:27:05.044
young age, what he was going to do in life. Pretty cool.

00:27:05.974 --> 00:27:08.874
The next year in fourth grade, we became best, best friends.

00:27:09.054 --> 00:27:12.234
Garbage Pail Kids arrived. We were hanging out. Oh, yeah, buddy.

00:27:13.294 --> 00:27:16.814
The WWF, and him and I just really, really connected.

00:27:17.314 --> 00:27:21.714
We were best friends. Beavis and Butthead to shortly follow. Yeah, for sure.

00:27:25.154 --> 00:27:29.694
We started a band in high school. He's a drummer. I was a singer. I played bass guitar.

00:27:29.954 --> 00:27:33.034
And when we were freshmen in high school, we started a high school band.

00:27:33.034 --> 00:27:37.714
We voted the best high school band in Denver from Westward Magazine when we were a little bit older.

00:27:38.274 --> 00:27:41.934
We may or may not have stuffed the ballot box to get that title.

00:27:43.894 --> 00:27:48.094
But we did shows here in town to promote the band.

00:27:49.174 --> 00:27:54.034
And Dan ended up going to school in Oregon. Here in Denver, the business wasn't

00:27:54.034 --> 00:27:58.074
super successful. It was successful, but not to the point that it was when he

00:27:58.074 --> 00:28:01.774
moved to Oregon. There wasn't a lot of other promoters doing shows. and he started.

00:28:02.154 --> 00:28:06.334
The company really blew up in the early 2000s when he moved to Oregon to go

00:28:06.334 --> 00:28:07.514
to the University of Oregon.

00:28:08.094 --> 00:28:12.214
So the the concert community, the promoter community in Denver,

00:28:12.354 --> 00:28:14.654
there was a lot of promoters and not a huge market.

00:28:14.894 --> 00:28:18.394
There was a lot of guys that were willing to lose money on the show,

00:28:18.394 --> 00:28:21.294
it seemed like. And so we couldn't afford that same.

00:28:21.874 --> 00:28:25.774
People were fighting for talent in Oregon. It wasn't like that.

00:28:25.854 --> 00:28:28.834
There was just Dan and one other guy and he teamed up with them Instead of fighting

00:28:28.834 --> 00:28:31.634
him, he teamed up with him, and they became the power. They did all the shows.

00:28:32.254 --> 00:28:37.214
Lynn was a better promoter, and that guy had the name. And so the company really took off.

00:28:37.874 --> 00:28:43.254
Dan kept doing shows out. Dan Steinberg, shout out to Dan Steinberg in Pourion

00:28:43.254 --> 00:28:46.114
Presents. I love you, bro. He had a huge podcast, Promoter 101.

00:28:47.794 --> 00:28:53.134
Dan Steinberg, he's a legend, bro. He's a legend, Joe. He's my best friend.

00:28:53.734 --> 00:28:57.254
And I got a check in the mail from him one day, and I didn't honestly expect

00:28:57.254 --> 00:29:01.614
it. I probably honestly shouldn't talk that much about it, but what was it? What was it for?

00:29:03.494 --> 00:29:09.674
Dan sold the company. We started, I don't, we kind of started the company here in Denver, Joe.

00:29:10.134 --> 00:29:14.834
I walked away because I was doing my own thing and I was making a lot of money. Okay.

00:29:15.174 --> 00:29:18.294
And it, it was the concert thing. I was the face of the car.

00:29:18.434 --> 00:29:24.014
I walked around, I shook hands with, with, with talent and I hung out, but it was Dan's baby.

00:29:24.694 --> 00:29:29.634
We started doing raves. We did raves. We had so much fun, but it was Dan's baby.

00:29:30.074 --> 00:29:36.594
When Dan sold the company for lots of money, he's a gentleman and he's a generous dude. Yeah, dude.

00:29:37.194 --> 00:29:41.974
One day he decided to throw some cash at his best friend. And honestly,

00:29:42.094 --> 00:29:43.974
I think it was probably to help me out with some bills.

00:29:44.454 --> 00:29:47.534
I don't know. He didn't say, but when I called him, I get a check in the mail,

00:29:47.634 --> 00:29:49.174
Joe, and I'm surprised by it.

00:29:49.294 --> 00:29:53.634
I call my best friend like, hey, Dan, hey, I got, and he really doesn't say

00:29:53.634 --> 00:29:58.214
much about it. He just says buy whatever you want Or do whatever you want with it.

00:29:58.926 --> 00:30:08.346
Um, and so I wanted to buy a Volkswagen and I, uh, I, I honestly,

00:30:08.546 --> 00:30:11.546
Joe, the first thing I did, I meant also into mini bikes.

00:30:11.726 --> 00:30:17.966
I grew up riding Pook mini bikes, Austrian mini bikes. I had an old Pook that was a beater.

00:30:18.326 --> 00:30:22.586
I sold that beater and I bought the Pook I always wanted for,

00:30:22.706 --> 00:30:24.566
I basically, it was a $500,

00:30:25.246 --> 00:30:28.086
deal from what I sold my bike for and bought

00:30:28.086 --> 00:30:31.106
the one I bought and I got the sweetest Pook

00:30:31.106 --> 00:30:36.866
I ever got a low rider green Pook 76 and it's beautiful nice tuned and ripped

00:30:36.866 --> 00:30:40.586
and it'll do 50 miles an hour I love it that's the first thing I did with the

00:30:40.586 --> 00:30:44.326
money and honestly it was like 500 bucks it wasn't much yeah sweet but then

00:30:44.326 --> 00:30:48.446
I had my eye to the street for a caddy or a rabbit honestly,

00:30:49.086 --> 00:30:58.786
I love bugs I had a bug model I love beetles but ideally I wanted a green rabbit

00:30:58.786 --> 00:31:03.926
because that's the first car I ever drove so that was my dream was to find a

00:31:03.926 --> 00:31:06.606
green rabbit but I was looking around and looking around and,

00:31:07.244 --> 00:31:12.144
And the car you see, people see behind you, Joe, a vehicle that looked very

00:31:12.144 --> 00:31:16.644
similar to that, maybe not in that condition, but popped up on air-cooled for

00:31:16.644 --> 00:31:18.344
sale in Colorado one Saturday.

00:31:18.544 --> 00:31:22.944
And it was at a great price, Joe. And I was working at Ruth's Chris.

00:31:23.644 --> 00:31:27.604
My little brother sends me a message with a picture of that car.

00:31:28.024 --> 00:31:31.824
And I felt, I was like, oh man, that's my, that's my car.

00:31:31.984 --> 00:31:36.744
It's my colors. I love it. It's slammed already. So I called the guy and messaged

00:31:36.744 --> 00:31:38.104
him and told him I was interested.

00:31:38.344 --> 00:31:41.424
And it was a Saturday night late about 1030. When I got off work,

00:31:41.504 --> 00:31:45.824
I called him a gentleman named Mike Bishop. I told him I'd be calling him in the morning.

00:31:46.244 --> 00:31:49.764
First thing, Joe, the next morning, first thing was six 30 for me.

00:31:49.844 --> 00:31:53.004
And I called Mike Bishop and he said he was up. And I said, I was heading his way.

00:31:53.164 --> 00:31:56.584
He was half an hour across town. I did 140 miles an hour.

00:31:58.424 --> 00:32:03.944
And I got to, I got to golden in about 21 minutes. time.

00:32:04.724 --> 00:32:10.424
And when I pulled up, Joe, a guy behind me in a Volkswagen Bay window pulling

00:32:10.424 --> 00:32:12.904
a Beetle was right behind me.

00:32:12.964 --> 00:32:15.364
And I waved at him and said, sorry, the car's already sold.

00:32:17.964 --> 00:32:23.904
Take it over, baby. As soon as I get there. I, yeah, I bought that.

00:32:24.024 --> 00:32:26.824
I bought that Volkswagen Beetle sitting behind you with part of the money.

00:32:26.944 --> 00:32:28.364
I took it for a short test drive.

00:32:28.564 --> 00:32:33.204
The next day I went on the Monday to bring the check and take the car home.

00:32:33.944 --> 00:32:38.744
And when I got home, Mike Bishop called me or I called him and I don't think

00:32:38.744 --> 00:32:41.744
he expected the car to make it all the way to my house.

00:32:42.244 --> 00:32:46.284
He sounded surprised. He's like, did you make it home? And I did, Joe.

00:32:46.464 --> 00:32:51.064
I don't think he had the trust in that Beetle that I had in it from the start,

00:32:51.084 --> 00:32:53.404
but I always had trust in that car.

00:32:53.604 --> 00:32:57.224
It made it across town. It was looking rough. It wasn't as shiny as it is.

00:32:57.524 --> 00:33:01.944
It didn't have bumpers. It, it, uh, had a pretty nice interior.

00:33:03.424 --> 00:33:06.784
This is the 65, right? Yeah. The one sitting behind you. Yeah.

00:33:06.904 --> 00:33:08.584
Yep. Yep. Okay. Just making sure.

00:33:08.784 --> 00:33:11.744
It's been buffed out since then. I've kind of went through the whole car.

00:33:11.884 --> 00:33:16.204
I bought bumpers for it first, redid all the brakes, redid the engine and carbs.

00:33:16.324 --> 00:33:19.324
And now the engine's been done again because there wasn't an engine based seal

00:33:19.324 --> 00:33:20.984
on that car and it was overheating.

00:33:21.184 --> 00:33:25.044
First year I got it quite a bit. One, I made buddies with a bunch of guys in

00:33:25.044 --> 00:33:28.164
town. You know how tight the VW community is. Oh, yeah.

00:33:28.784 --> 00:33:33.164
Some of them are always super highly skilled mechanics.

00:33:34.684 --> 00:33:37.604
And it's like, you know, dang, you know, thanks.

00:33:38.644 --> 00:33:41.864
I love the community, man. There's nothing, nothing better.

00:33:42.364 --> 00:33:45.644
Honestly, the car, when I got it was a really great start. I loved it.

00:33:45.704 --> 00:33:47.724
And it's my favorite colors, green and orange wheels.

00:33:47.864 --> 00:33:50.624
I probably would never put orange wheels on a car if I built it,

00:33:50.684 --> 00:33:53.364
but Jesus built the car and, and I love it.

00:33:53.444 --> 00:33:57.664
And it's just the way I, when I look at it behind you, it's perfect to me.

00:33:59.044 --> 00:34:02.244
Yeah. I'm going to have you elaborate on that though, because you're,

00:34:02.384 --> 00:34:05.644
you say Jesus built your hot rock. Tell me exactly what you mean by that.

00:34:05.844 --> 00:34:12.984
So this goes back to a song from the, it's a band called Ministry from Chicago, Illinois.

00:34:13.264 --> 00:34:17.284
They're an industrial like hard rock band I was into in high school.

00:34:17.404 --> 00:34:20.764
I'm still into them. Al Jorgensen's the lead singer. And they had a song in

00:34:20.764 --> 00:34:23.384
the nineties when I was in high school, Jesus built my hot rod.

00:34:23.564 --> 00:34:29.444
It's kind of a goofy song, but I believe in Jesus. And when I pray and,

00:34:29.564 --> 00:34:36.144
oh God, you know, like this is the, this is when I look, I feel like God built

00:34:36.144 --> 00:34:38.124
it. Mike Bishop actually built that car.

00:34:38.464 --> 00:34:42.864
A bunch of guys from Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Colorado before I ever hung out,

00:34:42.964 --> 00:34:46.384
Joe, I have, I got video of them slamming that car.

00:34:46.544 --> 00:34:51.404
They did a rough job and it's been done better now. It was already lowered when

00:34:51.404 --> 00:34:54.204
I got it. I put some adjustable spring plates on the back.

00:34:54.384 --> 00:34:58.444
I didn't do it. But a guy who's living in Florida now, I met him at Volkswagen.

00:34:58.904 --> 00:35:01.964
I don't know how I, honestly, I think we probably met online, Joe.

00:35:02.284 --> 00:35:08.364
And Conrad and I met here in Denver. He started, he was a mechanic at New Vintage here in town.

00:35:08.464 --> 00:35:10.784
New Vintage is a Volkswagen parts repair shop.

00:35:10.944 --> 00:35:13.304
I met a guy online and we started hanging out.

00:35:13.964 --> 00:35:18.624
He's a mechanic and he did a lot of work on my car. He put that engine bay seal

00:35:18.624 --> 00:35:22.124
on. And when I, he did that, he honestly totally rebuilt my,

00:35:22.344 --> 00:35:27.564
or redid my engine without me knowing it for a present that car. Oh, wow. Wow.

00:35:28.021 --> 00:35:31.961
That's pretty awesome, man. I wish I could send you some pictures of what my

00:35:31.961 --> 00:35:34.561
engine looked like when it was overheating, and it was pretty rough.

00:35:34.901 --> 00:35:39.221
Conrad said he's going to replace this engine base seal and put my spring plates

00:35:39.221 --> 00:35:42.321
on, my adjustable spring plates on the rear. And steady oak you up.

00:35:43.041 --> 00:35:50.061
When I get the car back, it's totally, the engine's totally redone and painted. Oh, dude, man. How so?

00:35:50.761 --> 00:35:55.541
Yeah, cool guys, bro. Yeah, good work, Conrad. Good work. He's living down in

00:35:55.541 --> 00:35:58.341
Florida right now. Conrad's Mobile Mechanic on Instagram.

00:35:59.001 --> 00:36:03.881
Oh, yeah? What part of Florida do you know? He's in the Miami area, I believe.

00:36:04.141 --> 00:36:09.121
Okay. I was just down in that area not too long ago. It's about four hours from me.

00:36:09.281 --> 00:36:13.801
I went down there. My son's a boxer. He did Golden Gloves in Fort Lauderdale.

00:36:14.121 --> 00:36:20.581
Good area. Busy area. And a huge dub scene down there. Have you seen the stretched out thing?

00:36:21.261 --> 00:36:25.021
Stretched out thing? Yeah. That guy's in his club. The sixth door?

00:36:25.421 --> 00:36:28.321
Yeah. Yeah, dude, I just seen him. Miami Dubs.

00:36:28.761 --> 00:36:34.481
Yeah. He hangs out with that club. So something I saw on your Facebook when

00:36:34.481 --> 00:36:40.141
I was doing my investigative approach was this Volkswagen's on the green,

00:36:40.161 --> 00:36:43.781
which is where we're going to take the conversation now.

00:36:43.961 --> 00:36:48.181
The first time you rolled into Volkswagen's on the green, tell me what that

00:36:48.181 --> 00:36:55.121
experience was like because I seen the drone footage this year and all I got to say is wow.

00:36:56.201 --> 00:37:00.321
Thank you so much. Rolling into Volkswagen's on the green for the first year

00:37:00.321 --> 00:37:02.401
in 2023 was a little different.

00:37:02.701 --> 00:37:04.801
It was at a different spot.

00:37:05.741 --> 00:37:10.401
It was at this old airport south of town called the Everett Airport.

00:37:10.641 --> 00:37:15.121
So it was a different location, but same feel. It was more country and there

00:37:15.121 --> 00:37:16.641
was a lot of pine trees coming around.

00:37:16.841 --> 00:37:19.541
There was a big, long driveway pulling up.

00:37:19.841 --> 00:37:25.481
A big gang of about 25 of us were coming out from Southeast Denver and Aurora.

00:37:25.981 --> 00:37:29.681
The club that we kind of hang out the group of guys there's

00:37:29.681 --> 00:37:33.321
a few clubs but honestly it's a group of guys that all hang out eastern

00:37:33.321 --> 00:37:36.561
plains dub club volkswagen enthusiasts of colorado yeah

00:37:36.561 --> 00:37:39.521
kind of together it's all the same stuff so we have

00:37:39.521 --> 00:37:42.581
a group of about 25 guys that meet out

00:37:42.581 --> 00:37:48.101
of walgreens and we're rolling in to volkswagens on the green 28 i'm in 2023

00:37:48.101 --> 00:37:54.241
and there's this huge winding drive I'm a little bit of a crazy driver Joe so

00:37:54.241 --> 00:37:59.201
I threw a couple red lights back in the country because I know there's no cops

00:37:59.201 --> 00:38:02.321
some of the other guys who are a little bit you know,

00:38:03.041 --> 00:38:08.521
more sissy wouldn't do something like that so I end up kind of in the front

00:38:08.521 --> 00:38:12.021
of the line which is radical I'm about five lines from the front of the group

00:38:12.021 --> 00:38:16.041
there's some pictures that get taken when we're pulling in there from a guy

00:38:16.041 --> 00:38:17.961
named Aaron Childers that.

00:38:18.939 --> 00:38:23.659
When I see it is like a dream come true.

00:38:23.999 --> 00:38:29.759
There's a picture I could show you. It's like an S turn. There's about 15 or 20 dubs lined up.

00:38:29.959 --> 00:38:33.759
My car is right smack in the middle of like a sweet spot in the photo.

00:38:33.959 --> 00:38:38.679
And I see the photo the next day. And it's after the day before I was like, I couldn't believe it.

00:38:38.779 --> 00:38:42.119
You get this nostalgic feeling like, wow, that's my car. I can't believe that

00:38:42.119 --> 00:38:43.419
this is such a beautiful shot.

00:38:43.679 --> 00:38:46.139
Thank you, Jesus. Like, how did this even happen?

00:38:46.579 --> 00:38:51.419
Dude, I just went through that. I'm not taking your thunder,

00:38:51.419 --> 00:38:54.339
but I have to tell you how I relate to that.

00:38:54.959 --> 00:39:02.999
We just did the V-dubs on the pier show, and it was the first car show allowed back on the new St.

00:39:03.099 --> 00:39:05.919
Pete Pier since its new construction.

00:39:06.219 --> 00:39:12.219
Now, they used to do buses on the pier and Type 1s and Type 2s on the pier and Beatles on the pier.

00:39:12.319 --> 00:39:14.899
And they used to, you know, back in the 90s into the early 2000s.

00:39:14.899 --> 00:39:18.359
Anyway, me and my buddy Alan, we brought it back.

00:39:18.559 --> 00:39:22.059
And this year, you know, was slow registrations at first.

00:39:22.359 --> 00:39:27.899
And then it started to, you know, create popularity online. And then it started to get busy.

00:39:28.139 --> 00:39:32.499
Then we started to really, you know, pack it out. We had like 150 cars for our

00:39:32.499 --> 00:39:34.559
first year back that showed up this year.

00:39:34.959 --> 00:39:39.499
And when I saw the pictures from the pro photographers, like two,

00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:42.899
three days after the event, that's when it hit me. I was like,

00:39:42.999 --> 00:39:47.599
yo, I just got chill bumps so bad thinking about it. So that was the first shot.

00:39:47.859 --> 00:39:51.919
And then a day or two later, Aaron dumps all the photos from the show.

00:39:52.239 --> 00:39:56.119
And there's a picture of me in the front of the pack. I'm like single car.

00:39:56.219 --> 00:39:59.439
And there was two lines of cars like all behind me. There's like 10 cars in

00:39:59.439 --> 00:40:00.959
the shot. I'm like smile.

00:40:01.259 --> 00:40:04.719
All the cars are behind me. And when I saw that, I was like,

00:40:04.859 --> 00:40:08.179
oh my gosh, man. And I had so much fun at that show.

00:40:08.479 --> 00:40:11.639
Conrad Quezada, shout out to you, Conrad underscore mobile.

00:40:11.639 --> 00:40:14.759
Underscore mechanic on instagram miami

00:40:14.759 --> 00:40:17.499
v dubs conrad and i were hanging out we had

00:40:17.499 --> 00:40:21.159
met online but at that event we connected and

00:40:21.159 --> 00:40:24.079
we became best friends spud hughes had

00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:29.979
some swaps set up and we were like taking photos with conrad and spud and my

00:40:29.979 --> 00:40:34.659
brother with like doors and my brother was dressed up like joe dirt and it was

00:40:34.659 --> 00:40:38.799
because my brother had a joker beetle it was just like the funniest bro it was

00:40:38.799 --> 00:40:43.859
we i had the best day it was my first big vw show volkswagons on the green.

00:40:45.720 --> 00:40:48.600
My people oh my gosh my the pictures the

00:40:48.600 --> 00:40:51.520
next day yeah bro so this year how many how many

00:40:51.520 --> 00:40:54.380
cars were there this year this year we had

00:40:54.380 --> 00:40:57.820
over 400 that year it was probably like 250 let's go

00:40:57.820 --> 00:41:02.520
yeah over 400 cars joe i don't know when i look i'm trying to look at drone

00:41:02.520 --> 00:41:07.500
footage to get a real number and it says 400 to 450 yeah i understand that feeling

00:41:07.500 --> 00:41:14.560
400 it's over 400 um which is amazing we had 300 last year we had 260 paid so

00:41:14.560 --> 00:41:17.480
we had like three 300 something last year which is awesome,

00:41:18.040 --> 00:41:20.880
congratulations man so when i was leaving

00:41:20.880 --> 00:41:28.060
this first vw's on the green i went to 2028 volks 2023 volkswagens on the green

00:41:28.060 --> 00:41:33.160
28 the 28th year started in 1994 joe it's crazy how long the show's been happening

00:41:33.160 --> 00:41:37.840
yeah it's amazing it's a huge legacy and to be part of it is like such an honor

00:41:37.840 --> 00:41:40.680
It's a dream come true, bro. It's a dream come true.

00:41:40.860 --> 00:41:43.100
I can't even thank Jesus enough for it. I can't.

00:41:43.760 --> 00:41:45.780
So you have another passion, which

00:41:45.780 --> 00:41:51.940
is the VWEC, which I know is you're the president of this club, right?

00:41:52.800 --> 00:41:58.840
Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Colorado. Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Colorado member page on Facebook.

00:41:59.460 --> 00:42:05.240
So leaving that event, I'm leaving. I meet a guy who's got an orange smock on.

00:42:05.360 --> 00:42:11.680
His name is Sean Page. He's the president of VWAC at the time I basically congratulate

00:42:11.680 --> 00:42:16.780
him There's pictures of me too That somebody took of us Which are amazing too,

00:42:17.500 --> 00:42:20.380
I'm like literally connecting to that guy Like hey bro,

00:42:20.600 --> 00:42:25.860
this is amazing I had so much fun A month or two later However long it was later

00:42:25.860 --> 00:42:29.200
I see a Facebook post pop up Hey,

00:42:29.400 --> 00:42:33.720
from the club Hey, we're looking for people to show up at a club meeting To

00:42:33.720 --> 00:42:36.200
help plan the next Volkswagens on the green,

00:42:36.880 --> 00:42:40.080
I've been part of HOAs I've been part of business meetings.

00:42:41.265 --> 00:42:44.165
I was honestly in part of the recovery community for a long time.

00:42:44.325 --> 00:42:49.485
I got sober and was part of AA and clubs like that. And I helped run and organize meetings.

00:42:49.665 --> 00:42:56.965
I started meetings. And it really gave me some experience running and organizing

00:42:56.965 --> 00:42:58.845
events and communities.

00:42:59.725 --> 00:43:03.485
Shout out to people getting sober. You're awesome. That's awesome, man.

00:43:03.845 --> 00:43:09.425
Yeah. So I show up at this meeting, spuds there, a couple old farts.

00:43:09.425 --> 00:43:13.305
We're talking about organizing volkswagons on

00:43:13.305 --> 00:43:16.945
the green 2024 number 29 i really

00:43:16.945 --> 00:43:20.305
start helping out sean mackpage the president

00:43:20.305 --> 00:43:23.265
of the club has had back surgery at the time he's he's in

00:43:23.265 --> 00:43:26.005
a bad spot he can't get out he can't you know so i kind

00:43:26.005 --> 00:43:29.025
of stepped up i love doing events

00:43:29.025 --> 00:43:32.125
and so i start putting on events i put on a roller skate party i

00:43:32.125 --> 00:43:35.025
run the hoa where i live and i run the pool and i throw a pool party

00:43:35.025 --> 00:43:38.805
every year so i said hey can i throw a vw pool party they're like yeah bro i

00:43:38.805 --> 00:43:43.145
had A food truck with a VW on top of it Of all my homies out here at the pool

00:43:43.145 --> 00:43:49.805
Oh yeah Low rider ice cream truck so much fun Oh yeah awesome Had a cruise up

00:43:49.805 --> 00:43:53.765
to Bailey to the Coney Dog We had a clinic at New Vintage.

00:43:54.876 --> 00:43:58.776
Where we did like a buyer's clinic, what to look for if you're buying an air-cooled.

00:43:58.876 --> 00:44:02.116
It was on a weenie roast. We throw a lot of events.

00:44:02.616 --> 00:44:06.856
So much fun, and I love being creative. I love doing art and Facebook and social

00:44:06.856 --> 00:44:09.396
media. I love doing it, but it's just kind of a personal thing.

00:44:09.556 --> 00:44:15.296
And I'm helping run the club and Bill, the treasurer, and kind of the head honcho

00:44:15.296 --> 00:44:17.016
behind the club for the last few years.

00:44:17.436 --> 00:44:22.296
And I have kind of connected, and he's kind of showing me what to do.

00:44:22.616 --> 00:44:26.056
And I tell him, you know, man, I hope I can, be the president someday.

00:44:26.176 --> 00:44:28.216
That would be awesome because it's like a dream come true, Joe.

00:44:28.396 --> 00:44:32.896
It's like, and he says to me, well, the president's the guy who acts like the president.

00:44:34.216 --> 00:44:37.836
Not only that, Joe, he says, I'm the treasurer. He says, and pretty soon you

00:44:37.836 --> 00:44:41.316
could be the treasurer too, and you could be in charge of the money. So that's even better.

00:44:41.636 --> 00:44:45.536
And honestly, it was like, so flattering. Like, I don't care about the money.

00:44:45.636 --> 00:44:47.096
And honestly, I don't care about the title.

00:44:47.236 --> 00:44:51.316
It's, it's, it's just about the love, you know, it's about getting out there in love.

00:44:51.396 --> 00:44:55.376
And I just, it's a full-time job, definitely a part-timer.

00:44:55.776 --> 00:44:57.576
I put in a lot of work doing the events.

00:44:58.096 --> 00:45:03.176
You've organized stuff. It's so much work, Joe. Oh, dude, it's nonstop.

00:45:03.516 --> 00:45:08.696
And I think you and I have a similar, I guess, personality in the aspect of

00:45:08.696 --> 00:45:11.236
pushing or forcing like a leadership role.

00:45:11.596 --> 00:45:16.976
So when I had a couple of opportunities recently in the last few years to take

00:45:16.976 --> 00:45:22.796
over V-dubs over the Skyway, which me and my buddy Alan stepped into a ride

00:45:22.796 --> 00:45:24.776
that had gone away post-COVID,

00:45:25.176 --> 00:45:27.376
didn't come back. They tried to resurrect it.

00:45:27.536 --> 00:45:33.476
We came back for the 25th year and one convoy going over the Skyway Bridge, which was insane.

00:45:34.016 --> 00:45:39.736
The line was over two miles long. And then this pier show that we're working on.

00:45:39.876 --> 00:45:43.076
Also, since the mid-90s, it's been something.

00:45:43.696 --> 00:45:49.716
So again, one of the reasons why Alan and I clicked is because he appreciates

00:45:49.716 --> 00:45:51.376
that about my personality and

00:45:51.753 --> 00:45:54.993
He's like, you know, hey, I'm just going to let this guy do his thing.

00:45:55.153 --> 00:45:59.933
That's what it's evolved into for you as well, because you have a way about

00:45:59.933 --> 00:46:01.913
yourself. You're just a get-or-done type.

00:46:02.673 --> 00:46:06.453
Yeah, I appreciate that. You know, I'm not always, I'm pretty lazy most of the

00:46:06.453 --> 00:46:09.353
time. You know, I feel like a job's nothing but work half the time.

00:46:10.293 --> 00:46:16.873
Something you love, it's easier for me. This is definitely something I love,

00:46:16.953 --> 00:46:18.053
and it's a dream come true.

00:46:18.313 --> 00:46:21.333
Yeah, that's awesome, man. The W's I have right now, Joe.

00:46:21.753 --> 00:46:27.313
The first two vws i've ever personally owned um but i've been a vw guy my whole

00:46:27.313 --> 00:46:32.253
life and to have all this happen so fast to where at the last vws on the green

00:46:32.253 --> 00:46:36.973
was an awesome event i was not i was showing up for the club but i didn't have

00:46:36.973 --> 00:46:39.313
a title my my official title was the whipping boy,

00:46:40.053 --> 00:46:43.073
i just showed up and did whatever i want i moved ramps

00:46:43.073 --> 00:46:46.553
i did what you know whatever whatever was needed yeah yeah bro

00:46:46.553 --> 00:46:49.293
because that's part of it you know i love people i don't care who you

00:46:49.293 --> 00:46:52.553
i'm just here to help and let's just make it and get her done and that's it

00:46:52.553 --> 00:46:57.933
see get her done type told you he'll ask me hey grant would you do the award

00:46:57.933 --> 00:47:03.773
ceremony last year and so my daughter rylan who was 10 at the time and i missed

00:47:03.773 --> 00:47:07.793
volkswagons on the green my daughter rylan and i did the award ceremony and,

00:47:08.443 --> 00:47:15.523
It was so much fun passing out the awards to people and seeing how excited people were.

00:47:16.703 --> 00:47:22.563
And I was kind of maybe a little bit of a politician that year and going around

00:47:22.563 --> 00:47:25.943
shaking people's hand, vote for my car. I really wanted to win, Joe.

00:47:26.683 --> 00:47:30.963
I had done some work on my car and gotten it to a point. I didn't win anything

00:47:30.963 --> 00:47:32.623
at Volkswagen's on the green 28.

00:47:32.823 --> 00:47:35.243
And even though I thought my car was cool, it was super rough.

00:47:35.703 --> 00:47:38.743
But at the next year like i had done a lot i not

00:47:38.743 --> 00:47:41.803
personally but conrad quesada and brian butts and myself

00:47:41.803 --> 00:47:44.543
uh watching them mostly did a lot

00:47:44.543 --> 00:47:47.863
of work on that car and it became tits bro

00:47:47.863 --> 00:47:52.123
it became tits it was a daily driver you could rip and it would do 80 miles

00:47:52.123 --> 00:47:57.923
an hour and was an inch off the ground i mean it bro it's sick i mean i love

00:47:57.923 --> 00:48:03.663
it and i love it i love custom as well so you know i know there's a,

00:48:03.683 --> 00:48:05.663
there's a couple of sides of that fence, right.

00:48:05.843 --> 00:48:10.363
With the classic and custom really like these custom cars a lot.

00:48:10.483 --> 00:48:15.483
I've got a 74 thing, you know, I want to slam it as low as it'll go,

00:48:15.903 --> 00:48:19.903
you know, static at this point, you know, if I ever really,

00:48:20.163 --> 00:48:23.883
really want to do it the real awesome way, I'll put some,

00:48:24.143 --> 00:48:27.923
you know, either some airbags or some type of, so I can really literally dump

00:48:27.923 --> 00:48:31.683
it and set it on the ground and then pull up a little bit so I can,

00:48:31.823 --> 00:48:34.703
you know, limp away i ever get

00:48:34.703 --> 00:48:37.583
money like that heck yeah that's the dream and there's guys

00:48:37.583 --> 00:48:40.963
in town that have air on their cars yeah he drives

00:48:40.963 --> 00:48:46.823
and builds the dopest cars in town per my opinion uno moss and el chapo are

00:48:46.823 --> 00:48:51.943
his two bugs that i love oh cool those cars are the sickest bugs on air you

00:48:51.943 --> 00:48:59.483
could see his i love that look my car's adjustable in the front right but it's static yeah uh.

00:49:00.251 --> 00:49:03.651
That's what I can't afford, Joe. Hey, man, it's all good, man.

00:49:04.131 --> 00:49:08.191
It really is. Listen, my thing is not even lowered right now.

00:49:08.611 --> 00:49:12.851
So I get it. I need to do, in order to lower it, I've got to do a beam.

00:49:13.011 --> 00:49:16.651
And then if I'm going to do a beam, well, I might as well do the rest of the

00:49:16.651 --> 00:49:18.091
front end. Well, hold on.

00:49:18.451 --> 00:49:21.011
Now, there's a couple of spots in the floors you've got to fix.

00:49:21.051 --> 00:49:24.211
And then we've got to do pour 15 on the floors. And then, well,

00:49:24.231 --> 00:49:25.551
hold on. There's another rust spot.

00:49:26.791 --> 00:49:29.751
So here's what I did. I said, you know what, man, I'm going to get some wheels.

00:49:29.751 --> 00:49:32.571
Some some empty slots i got

00:49:32.571 --> 00:49:35.891
them you off of my buddy down here they're beautiful

00:49:35.891 --> 00:49:38.991
they look great and i'm just gonna drive it and enjoy

00:49:38.991 --> 00:49:41.631
it and that's what i

00:49:41.631 --> 00:49:47.551
do it's got a 1600 it runs like a top my wife's got a 71 guia she loves that

00:49:47.551 --> 00:49:52.051
we're gonna customize that a bit but look man i totally get it you know i feel

00:49:52.051 --> 00:49:56.851
like that's the love that's the culture i'm always working on those cars i'm

00:49:56.851 --> 00:50:01.051
always going to put stuff into them, put money, but it's going to be bits and pieces.

00:50:01.271 --> 00:50:04.871
And it's going to be when I can afford to, I got five kids.

00:50:06.671 --> 00:50:10.551
I got a case from a guy, Eric Monroe, who's in the club, who I've become really

00:50:10.551 --> 00:50:12.411
good friends for and all the parts for an engine.

00:50:12.831 --> 00:50:15.351
Another guy, Jeff Price is going to help me build the engine.

00:50:15.651 --> 00:50:19.551
I want a Baja, honestly, dudes in town.

00:50:19.751 --> 00:50:22.511
And one of the guys, Brian butts, I mentioned that helped me do a lot of

00:50:22.511 --> 00:50:25.671
work on my car carbs and brakes and pretty

00:50:25.671 --> 00:50:29.811
much anything that needs to be done he can do he's a mobile mechanic brian

00:50:29.811 --> 00:50:33.571
has a 69 lifted

00:50:33.571 --> 00:50:36.651
bug like class 11 style and it's green it's so beautiful

00:50:36.651 --> 00:50:40.051
joe he can go up trails and run over anything yeah

00:50:40.051 --> 00:50:42.811
man it's really cool i can't do that i want to

00:50:42.811 --> 00:50:45.591
be able to do that yeah so i got this i

00:50:45.591 --> 00:50:48.631
got this motor for free shout out to eric monroe you're awesome

00:50:48.631 --> 00:50:51.771
dude i love you bro he's a big part of the vw community

00:50:51.771 --> 00:50:54.791
here in colorado he always shows up at events eric

00:50:54.791 --> 00:50:58.271
he's got an awesome fastback a bus a sweet

00:50:58.271 --> 00:51:03.011
notch and a sweet garage with a lift he lets me use the oh yeah dude look i

00:51:03.011 --> 00:51:07.831
love that gotta love i got a bad back so i love it when they have the lift bro

00:51:07.831 --> 00:51:12.391
and it's so close it's a couple miles away we put underglow on my car recently

00:51:12.391 --> 00:51:15.691
all these guys just help each other out yeah um.

00:51:16.717 --> 00:51:20.617
Love it, love it. Well, he told me one day at the pool party,

00:51:20.697 --> 00:51:23.877
oh, I got a case of motor you can have. It's a bug motor. I don't need it.

00:51:24.117 --> 00:51:29.137
So I go over there one day to return a bouncy house he let me use for my grandson's birthday.

00:51:29.657 --> 00:51:32.897
And I was like, well, what about that motor? And I kind of put him on the spot.

00:51:33.057 --> 00:51:35.577
Well, guess what? He came out, he coughed it up and gave me,

00:51:35.637 --> 00:51:37.817
oh, here you go. Dude gave me a free motor.

00:51:38.417 --> 00:51:43.697
Yeah, I met another guy named Jeff Price that has the sweetest oval built out,

00:51:43.937 --> 00:51:47.057
oh, Casa or whatever, you know, sweet speed bug oval.

00:51:47.377 --> 00:51:51.877
Um, that's going to help me build the motor. So all these gentlemen stepping

00:51:51.877 --> 00:51:56.037
up to help a broke guy like, bro, that's the culture, man.

00:51:56.557 --> 00:52:01.017
That's what I love so much about it. I want to go back to your kids because

00:52:01.017 --> 00:52:04.977
I've, you know, you were talking about your, your daughter helping you give the awards out.

00:52:05.197 --> 00:52:08.737
I know there's two daughters two grandsons what do

00:52:08.737 --> 00:52:12.277
the kids collectively think of vw life

00:52:12.277 --> 00:52:16.357
i think i

00:52:16.357 --> 00:52:19.837
can only really speak for myself okay

00:52:19.837 --> 00:52:25.457
while seeing the smiles on the kids faces i just feel like who wouldn't want

00:52:25.457 --> 00:52:30.857
a pop who's part of a cool community who who's all the people are like we all

00:52:30.857 --> 00:52:35.497
have kids and all the kids are friends i've got a picture from last father's

00:52:35.497 --> 00:52:39.697
day A little meet where all of our kids are around one of my homegirls,

00:52:39.817 --> 00:52:43.257
Sarah's bug And dude that picture joe

00:52:43.257 --> 00:52:47.477
like that's what it's all about for me is like not the friends i've made But

00:52:47.477 --> 00:52:53.057
it's a generational thing bro Like our kids are friends and like i'll see sarah

00:52:53.057 --> 00:52:57.037
and she's like is ryle in there like she doesn't even care about me It's because

00:52:57.037 --> 00:53:00.997
her daughter's there and her daughter wants to see my daughter, you know love it.

00:53:01.935 --> 00:53:06.475
I, I'm a graffiti artist. I do graffiti every day. I've been doing graffiti

00:53:06.475 --> 00:53:11.235
every day forever. I draw lunch bags for my daughter, Ryland every day.

00:53:11.375 --> 00:53:14.615
I'll send her to school with a cool lunch bag that says it has graffiti on it.

00:53:14.735 --> 00:53:19.155
Well, I did one after Volkswagen's on the green that said Volkswagen's on the green queen.

00:53:19.535 --> 00:53:24.115
She kept that one, bro. She, I mean, she tosses that one is sitting on her dresser.

00:53:24.355 --> 00:53:28.635
So I feel like there's something special there, you know?

00:53:29.495 --> 00:53:35.775
Yeah. Hey, here in St. Pete, there's a local artist here, a family, they're brothers.

00:53:36.075 --> 00:53:39.615
They're also pretty well known for graffiti artists, but they're called the

00:53:39.615 --> 00:53:43.135
Vitaly Bros, V-I-T-A-L-E.

00:53:43.455 --> 00:53:46.935
They actually, in my, you know, I went to high school with Joey,

00:53:47.275 --> 00:53:49.135
which was one of the younger brothers.

00:53:49.655 --> 00:53:54.135
And as we grew up, I noticed they started doing murals all over town.

00:53:54.315 --> 00:53:58.655
And they're like one of the biggest and most popular mural artists here in town.

00:53:58.715 --> 00:54:03.955
And we have a yet load of murals in this town in St. Petersburg.

00:54:04.215 --> 00:54:07.655
You can look that up. But yeah, check those guys out.

00:54:07.895 --> 00:54:12.035
You know, Real Recognize Real. They're great, talented artists, man.

00:54:12.235 --> 00:54:16.395
So I think you'd see some cool stuff there for sure.

00:54:16.655 --> 00:54:20.835
Yeah. All right. I got some rapid-fire style question.

00:54:21.295 --> 00:54:25.755
Favorite VW model of all time? I think I know what it is, but go ahead.

00:54:26.775 --> 00:54:31.375
Yeah, I'm going to have to go Caddy Truck. Yeah, that's what I figured.

00:54:31.735 --> 00:54:36.715
Caddy Truck. If I had to pick a water-cooled, Corrado.

00:54:37.355 --> 00:54:40.515
Okay. Yeah. All right. Let's go.

00:54:40.655 --> 00:54:45.815
Let's go. Most overrated VW of all time. Most overrated.

00:54:46.622 --> 00:54:48.962
Joe, I could sit here and think about this question forever,

00:54:49.042 --> 00:54:52.542
and I just don't. It's a trick question. There's no overrated VWs.

00:54:52.602 --> 00:54:53.342
They're all underrated.

00:54:53.462 --> 00:54:55.462
That's the appeal of these cars is they're underrated.

00:54:55.582 --> 00:54:58.042
You can buy one cheap, and they drive forever. All right.

00:54:58.682 --> 00:55:02.122
Yeah. Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. Well, I have to come up with, like,

00:55:02.222 --> 00:55:05.862
maybe Jesse's Jetta if he lost in Fast and Furious.

00:55:07.462 --> 00:55:10.302
Jesse's Jetta is, like, one of the dopest Volkswagens of all time.

00:55:10.462 --> 00:55:13.062
Right. So it can't be Jesse's. It's a trick question.

00:55:13.462 --> 00:55:16.542
Okay. I'll take that. for you in

00:55:16.542 --> 00:55:20.102
your past the worst clutch smell moment

00:55:20.102 --> 00:55:23.022
oh man it's probably the first time i ever

00:55:23.022 --> 00:55:25.742
drove joe i was burning that clutch and that

00:55:25.742 --> 00:55:28.582
rabbit trying to figure her out it might be one

00:55:28.582 --> 00:55:31.802
of the few times i've i've burned a club probably not

00:55:31.802 --> 00:55:34.542
but i haven't replaced a lot of clutches in my life

00:55:34.542 --> 00:55:37.582
i know how to drive joe yeah yeah you

00:55:37.582 --> 00:55:40.682
learned at a young age taught myself and honestly i taught myself

00:55:40.682 --> 00:55:43.362
yeah yeah i did

00:55:43.362 --> 00:55:46.402
what one mod that you'll never do

00:55:46.402 --> 00:55:51.162
i will never put one of those little air scoops on a hood or the little buick

00:55:51.162 --> 00:56:00.142
fake vents on the side okay colors two colors that come up with you you gotta

00:56:00.142 --> 00:56:06.162
pick one java green or orange java green for sure java green for sure All right,

00:56:06.242 --> 00:56:10.442
how about most underrated car culture city?

00:56:11.022 --> 00:56:15.822
It's got to be Denver, bro. If you see the last Volkswagens on the green,

00:56:16.002 --> 00:56:18.482
you saw it. I did. I'm coming.

00:56:19.322 --> 00:56:23.382
Buddy Matt Can Shoot Shot, shout out to Matt Neal on Facebook and Matt underscore

00:56:23.382 --> 00:56:26.522
can underscore shoot on Instagram.

00:56:27.102 --> 00:56:32.062
I saw a video he shot of a meet out in Aurora, Aurora cars and shakes,

00:56:32.662 --> 00:56:38.582
and it was so dope seeing my car from the sky that i just reached out to the

00:56:38.582 --> 00:56:43.002
guy and i was like hey bro i put on a vw event would you mind coming out and

00:56:43.002 --> 00:56:46.242
he's like yeah and last year he came out to volkswagons on the green and the

00:56:46.242 --> 00:56:50.262
next day when he dropped his bids it just made my heart gush.

00:56:51.422 --> 00:56:55.822
He came out this year and shot a couple videos and the event was just massive

00:56:55.822 --> 00:56:59.242
massive it was so I'm coming.

00:56:59.862 --> 00:57:04.642
Thousands of people, bro. I'm going to have my podcast set up out there next year.

00:57:04.922 --> 00:57:09.802
I'm coming. You're talking about sponsors and how hard it is and trying to get sponsors.

00:57:10.102 --> 00:57:14.782
We've got sponsors that have been on board for years, but it's hard getting

00:57:14.782 --> 00:57:18.002
new sponsors. I got a couple new ones this year, which are awesome.

00:57:18.482 --> 00:57:22.042
Randy's Custom Builders out of Longmont.

00:57:23.662 --> 00:57:28.482
Shout Shout out to Ryan down at Castle Rock Tattoo and Laser Removal in Castle

00:57:28.482 --> 00:57:30.922
Rock. Those are my boys that I run with.

00:57:31.302 --> 00:57:35.402
And they sponsored the event this year, which is awesome. A lot of returning

00:57:35.402 --> 00:57:38.842
sponsors. Joe, we spent like two grand on toilets this year.

00:57:39.822 --> 00:57:44.282
I know that feeling. Money, bro. And we got thousands of people coming out poopy.

00:57:45.218 --> 00:57:49.358
It cost two grand. Was that about eight? You get about eight toilets for that?

00:57:49.358 --> 00:57:49.918
We didn't have enough toilets.

00:57:50.058 --> 00:57:53.158
In all actuality, they were like full at the end of the day because there was

00:57:53.158 --> 00:57:56.238
a line at the toilets. You had to wait 10 minutes to pee.

00:57:56.858 --> 00:58:00.278
That's how popular the show was, bro. That's a good problem to have.

00:58:00.438 --> 00:58:02.858
At the toilet. Yeah, that's a great problem to have.

00:58:04.718 --> 00:58:07.478
Nobody complained. Of course there's going to be complainers.

00:58:07.598 --> 00:58:10.398
And honestly, that's one of the things about throwing events that I learned this year.

00:58:10.818 --> 00:58:15.618
So dope, bro. Went off without a hitch. one guy complaining about people drinking

00:58:15.618 --> 00:58:17.898
beer in the park, which in that park is allowed.

00:58:19.398 --> 00:58:23.178
Bro, if you're an AA guy, bro, I'm not an alcoholic.

00:58:23.318 --> 00:58:27.338
I like to do drugs back in the day, and I quit doing them, but I sat in AA meetings

00:58:27.338 --> 00:58:29.138
because I wanted to get clean.

00:58:31.038 --> 00:58:33.118
There's always going to be somebody who's going to complain.

00:58:33.718 --> 00:58:35.238
You can't satisfy everybody.

00:58:35.498 --> 00:58:38.578
2,000 people you're complaining about the one guy sitting in the field.

00:58:38.638 --> 00:58:40.598
I mean, come on. Let's have a fun time.

00:58:40.758 --> 00:58:46.598
I think society as a whole has a general rule that you can't satisfy everybody. Yeah.

00:58:47.478 --> 00:58:51.418
Sometimes they run across, you know, they come across our paths and,

00:58:51.418 --> 00:58:55.758
you know, I like to yes them, which is yes. Thank you.

00:58:56.158 --> 00:59:02.878
Yes. I appreciate the feedback. Yes. Yes. You got it. Yep. Well heard. Gotcha. Thank you. Yes.

00:59:04.338 --> 00:59:10.538
That's it. Bro. Yes. Thank you. All right. Cruise night or wrench night?

00:59:11.338 --> 00:59:15.158
Wrench bro for sure you can only cruise so long before you got a wrench right

00:59:15.158 --> 00:59:18.898
wrenching's very important and especially for a guy like me who's a,

00:59:19.598 --> 00:59:22.598
shade tree mechanic i'm not super mechanically inclined i'm

00:59:22.598 --> 00:59:25.658
not even this is where my brother my little brother is

00:59:25.658 --> 00:59:28.458
more than me my dad was so when my dad

00:59:28.458 --> 00:59:31.418
was doing break jobs and stuff i sat around and watched yeah

00:59:31.418 --> 00:59:34.858
but i'm a dummy bro i don't like doing it it's important

00:59:34.858 --> 00:59:38.098
when we've done clinics i love

00:59:38.098 --> 00:59:41.338
it dude you learn something you're right though it's important i

00:59:41.338 --> 00:59:44.338
watched my dad do brake jobs and now i can do them and before

00:59:44.338 --> 00:59:47.338
my dad died when my mom's truck needed brake job i was

00:59:47.338 --> 00:59:50.358
flattered when he brought her buick over here and i

00:59:50.358 --> 00:59:53.638
could do brakes for my pop you know dude oh

00:59:53.638 --> 00:59:56.618
first full circle it's like dad taught you to do brakes and

00:59:56.618 --> 00:59:59.498
i was like no i actually asked dad how to do brakes because dad

00:59:59.498 --> 01:00:06.238
was doing brakes one day and i was like hey pop what you doing oh yeah

01:00:06.238 --> 01:00:08.918
yeah so i agree with you though i'm not the

01:00:08.918 --> 01:00:12.538
most mechanically inclined but it is a a true especially

01:00:12.538 --> 01:00:15.458
on these cars you have to to really

01:00:15.458 --> 01:00:18.298
understand them even if you're going to pay somebody else

01:00:18.298 --> 01:00:22.218
to do the work you still need to know them because there's always going to be

01:00:22.218 --> 01:00:25.818
a little something something going on you're going to get stuck somewhere so

01:00:25.818 --> 01:00:30.718
yeah dude i have to agree with you wholeheartedly what's what's one thing that

01:00:30.718 --> 01:00:36.318
every vw car enthusiast needs to hear jesus loves you bro jesus loves you yeah.

01:00:37.126 --> 01:00:43.186
I love that. Thank you. One tool. Every VW person needs in their glove box.

01:00:43.526 --> 01:00:45.966
One tool. Those little jump boxes.

01:00:46.546 --> 01:00:52.286
A jump box. Get one for 20, 30 bucks on Amazon, bro. Save your ass.

01:00:52.726 --> 01:01:00.586
What's a question that nobody really thinks of asking you, but everyone should know about Grant?

01:01:01.466 --> 01:01:04.946
Just ask me how my day's going. Ask me if I need a hug.

01:01:05.546 --> 01:01:11.846
I love hugs, man. that's awesome man hugs not drugs my friends and honestly

01:01:11.846 --> 01:01:15.546
dude a good thing joe is like i've had people in the past ask me like are you

01:01:15.546 --> 01:01:20.546
upset like in the past that happened to me quite a bit and i wasn't upset and

01:01:20.546 --> 01:01:22.726
i think i just had like resting dick face you know.

01:01:24.906 --> 01:01:31.186
And lately i've got the opposite where people are like why are you smiling and

01:01:31.186 --> 01:01:36.446
dude i love that difference because I like to make people wonder like why I'm smiling, dude.

01:01:36.586 --> 01:01:39.286
It's just, I've got a lot to be happy about nowadays, man.

01:01:39.546 --> 01:01:43.466
Oh man. What a great statement. And smiles are also contagious.

01:01:44.106 --> 01:01:46.686
You know, laughter, laughter and smiles are contagious.

01:01:46.886 --> 01:01:50.186
And you know, on the science side, it's actually,

01:01:50.186 --> 01:01:53.186
it requires less energy in

01:01:53.186 --> 01:01:56.266
your life or your face to be happy than it

01:01:56.266 --> 01:01:59.046
does to be angry to be angry it

01:01:59.046 --> 01:02:02.386
requires more energy it fires more muscles in

01:02:02.386 --> 01:02:05.526
the face and it requires more energy so it's when i

01:02:05.526 --> 01:02:09.266
say it's exhausting to be a dick i mean

01:02:09.266 --> 01:02:12.506
it it's really true bro it

01:02:12.506 --> 01:02:15.586
sucks the life right out of you try being an asshole all day man at

01:02:15.586 --> 01:02:18.726
the end of the day how do you feel right exactly that's that's

01:02:18.726 --> 01:02:21.926
my point okay so what's what's

01:02:21.926 --> 01:02:25.066
the biggest lesson you would say over your lifetime

01:02:25.066 --> 01:02:28.266
that volkswagons and or the community has taught

01:02:28.266 --> 01:02:31.406
you the biggest lesson dude is no matter

01:02:31.406 --> 01:02:37.446
how down i am if i go hop in my bug i don't have to go one mile before somebody

01:02:37.446 --> 01:02:42.046
is smiling and waving at me and doesn't feel what i'm feeling just loves my

01:02:42.046 --> 01:02:48.566
car i don't know bro let it go you know let it go god has a plan for your life

01:02:48.566 --> 01:02:50.806
like let it go and if you have a beetle

01:02:51.186 --> 01:02:54.906
and you're down, just go hop in it, dude, and take a spin around the block,

01:02:55.006 --> 01:02:56.846
man. It won't be too long before you got a smile on your face.

01:02:57.633 --> 01:03:04.913
Amazing. Any advice that you'd like to give somebody, anybody in the VW community

01:03:04.913 --> 01:03:09.493
or outside of it that might be thinking about getting into the VW community?

01:03:09.673 --> 01:03:13.113
Maybe they hear this episode and they're inspired by you out in Colorado,

01:03:13.113 --> 01:03:18.273
you know, or maybe somebody's inspired to start shows because of what they just

01:03:18.273 --> 01:03:19.373
heard, you know, from you.

01:03:19.533 --> 01:03:22.813
Any advice that you'd give somebody looking to get into this scene?

01:03:22.813 --> 01:03:27.373
Yeah, if you're looking to get into the scene, we're always looking for volunteers and help.

01:03:27.513 --> 01:03:30.333
We throw club parties and we're going to have one soon where we're going to

01:03:30.333 --> 01:03:33.473
start planning Volkswagens on the green 31.

01:03:34.033 --> 01:03:38.473
This year was huge. Next year, even more people are going to want to be a part of it.

01:03:38.593 --> 01:03:41.373
So if you have a desire to be a part of the Volkswagen community,

01:03:41.613 --> 01:03:45.353
definitely hit up the Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Colorado member page.

01:03:45.353 --> 01:03:47.453
You can get on our website.

01:03:49.593 --> 01:03:53.013
GoBWEC.org You can connect with us You can volunteer,

01:03:54.073 --> 01:03:57.473
And join up with a Really huge

01:03:57.473 --> 01:04:00.773
group There's 2,000 members We have 400 cars

01:04:00.773 --> 01:04:06.973
at our show We typically have at least 25 to 30 cars show up At all the events

01:04:06.973 --> 01:04:12.273
that I throw That are like feeder events If not more It's super fun And there's

01:04:12.273 --> 01:04:18.193
a lot of fun I want to come I'm going to have the podcast set up next year for 31.

01:04:18.853 --> 01:04:21.713
I'm going to have the podcast out there. I can't miss that, man.

01:04:21.833 --> 01:04:27.213
Those drone shots, I got to be there. I got to see that. And I love Colorado, dude. It's my heart.

01:04:28.033 --> 01:04:31.893
I'm here. I'm born and raised here. But like I said in the beginning,

01:04:31.913 --> 01:04:35.473
I spent 12 years of my life there, two of my kids born there.

01:04:35.753 --> 01:04:39.113
My mom's down in Canyon City. My sister's in Denver. you know,

01:04:39.213 --> 01:04:45.853
I've just got, you know, many pieces of my life that are right there in Colorado, Colorado Springs.

01:04:46.153 --> 01:04:48.313
So, you know, flown out of that Denver airport,

01:04:49.207 --> 01:04:54.027
geography is a state of mind joe if you can be happy anywhere you can be happy

01:04:54.027 --> 01:05:01.287
anywhere that's right brother if you visit colorado you will find out how amazingly spoiled we are here.

01:05:02.747 --> 01:05:05.747
I'm coming bro that's the point i'm glad there's beautiful

01:05:05.747 --> 01:05:08.947
we got 300 days of sunshine we shut sunshine

01:05:08.947 --> 01:05:12.267
we do not have big bugs any last

01:05:12.267 --> 01:05:15.687
shout outs or anything that you want to give for the

01:05:15.687 --> 01:05:19.567
podcast my little brother reed aslan

01:05:19.567 --> 01:05:22.827
if you're looking for a custom hot wheel made of

01:05:22.827 --> 01:05:26.547
your car you can hit him up he does custom

01:05:26.547 --> 01:05:31.427
hot wheels and they're sick he sends them all over the country cramped campers

01:05:31.427 --> 01:05:38.187
on instagram with case cramped campers okay also if you're looking for art of

01:05:38.187 --> 01:05:43.767
your car my buddy micah clay camp micah doodles he's super awesome.

01:05:44.007 --> 01:05:46.127
This is my car and my poop that Micah did.

01:05:47.107 --> 01:05:50.547
If you've heard of Cartoons Magazine, he's their lead drawer.

01:05:50.867 --> 01:05:55.647
He draws live for them every Monday. He's part of my car club, Micah Clay Camp.

01:05:56.027 --> 01:06:01.067
He's awesome, guys. His art is fantastic. If you want to get a drawing done

01:06:01.067 --> 01:06:03.007
of your stuff, hit up Micah Doodles.

01:06:03.267 --> 01:06:06.467
That's a wrap for this episode of Dub Life Diaries.

01:06:06.787 --> 01:06:10.527
Thanks for riding along with us and diving into these incredible stories of

01:06:10.527 --> 01:06:12.607
the people in the doves that drive their dreams.

01:06:12.847 --> 01:06:17.407
If you love today's episode, don't forget to subscribe or hit that follow button

01:06:17.407 --> 01:06:18.727
so you never miss an adventure.

01:06:18.987 --> 01:06:23.667
Do you have a story to tell or know somebody else who's living the dove life? Awesome.

01:06:23.967 --> 01:06:29.007
Reach out to us. You can find us on all socials at Dove Life Diaries or shoot

01:06:29.007 --> 01:06:30.787
me an email. I'm not hard to find.

01:06:31.667 --> 01:06:36.567
DoveLifeDiaries at gmail.com. Until next time, keep the engines humming and

01:06:36.567 --> 01:06:41.307
the wheels turning and always follow the road that inspires you. This is Joe Person.

01:06:41.487 --> 01:06:44.427
I'm signing off. I'll catch you on the next ride.

01:06:45.840 --> 01:07:41.413
Music.