Revving Up with Todd Prater: A Journey Through VW Obsessions Ep23

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Music.

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To learn more about this class-leading VW magazine.

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All right, folks, welcome back to Dub Life Diaries. Get ready for today's episode

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because it's going to be a banger.

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Today, we're taking a wild ride through the world of air-cooled engines,

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road trip rescues, mechanical mysteries, and one man's lifelong obsession with Volkswagens.

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He's not just a DJ who can drop a beat. He's a guy who's lived in his VW bus.

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He's in it right now, and it's behind me, as you can see.

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He even turned it into a mobile DJ booth. He built an entire YouTube channel

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documenting the beautiful chaos of vintage car restoration. Used to be a news reporter.

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So, from a news reporter to a barn full of VWs, from a father-son wrenching

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sessions to crazy DJ gigs, this man has done it all.

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Ladies and gentlemen, help me welcome to the podcast, Mr. Todd Prater.

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Hey, how you doing, guys? What's up, sir? How's it going?

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It's going fantastic. I'm sitting in the bus. It could get much better.

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That's right, man. I see the logo behind you. I see it passed out,

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and it's behind me as well.

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Todd, I know today's going to be awesome, man. You got some great energy.

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I just want to give real quick a couple shout-outs to my sponsors,

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and then we're going to dive right into your episode.

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Before we get going, obviously, shout-out to Volksmania Magazine.

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I feel it's the flyest VW magazine on the face of the planet. If you're a U.S.

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Subscriber and you subscribe, use Dublife10 at checkout, D-U-B-L-I-F-E,

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the number one zero at checkout, and you'll get 10% off your subscription.

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Also, this episode sponsored by Salty Dub. From the beach to the bay,

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Salty Dub is all things VW events and swag. Make sure you check them out.

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They got the same discount code, so use Dublife10 at checkout.

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This only is going to work on merch.

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So any of the events or any of that kind of stuff, Dub Life 10 will not work.

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It's just on merch. They got some awesome sunglasses, some cool trucker hats, all VW-inspired.

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Check those guys out, saltydub.com. And then my last shout-out is to my buddy Jeffrey Cantu.

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He has a fairly large Facebook group called VW Club of Florida.

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And he reached out to me this week and said, hey, man, you can have it.

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So pretty cool. I inherited a page with several thousand followers.

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So shout out to my buddy, Jeff. Thank you, man, for the trust.

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I'll keep you in the loop and I won't let you down.

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All right, man, I'm excited for this one. You seem like a pretty interesting guy.

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I feel like after talking to Adam Simpson, anybody that's connected to Adam

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is probably going to be pretty damn cool. So back to you. Back to you.

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Yeah, Adam's my little brother, man. I met him when he was 15. Yeah.

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And in a Volkswagen show, believe it or not, he was driving on Westy back then.

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And of course, I was driving the one I'm in now.

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He was a special guy. Sometimes when you meet with people, you can just tell.

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Just spending a few, you know, almost a couple hours with him,

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I could just tell. So let me ask you, man, how do you describe yourself these days? Are you a DJ?

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Are you a news reporter? Are you a VW nut? Are you a YouTuber?

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All the above. I mean, sometimes I actually write my news stories in the bus,

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depending on where we are.

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Got a little 13-foot trailer that I'll take some time to use it to write,

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but usually at home or at the office. But yeah, I write news.

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We do an online newscast also, so I get to do print, video, audio.

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I have 40 years in radio, and so I was a radio DJ.

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Actually, I'm filling in for a local DJ right now in the mornings.

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And I also DJ our Volkswagen show every year.

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So I've been doing it all, you know, and I do do a, I have a Praetor's Mechanical Mystery Tour.

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It's a YouTube channel that we are, my sons and I, sometimes my wife helps out.

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We're working on not only our old Volkswagen, but we have old Falcons and old Ford trucks.

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And just, we like to work on old cars, but I think of all of it,

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my passion started probably with Volkswagens when I was really little. And my dad had a 66 bug.

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Yes. That's how we're going to start this whole thing, because when I got your

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history, that's kind of where it started.

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So take me back, man. How does a one-year-old even become a VW fanatic?

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Well, and I think I sent you that picture that shows me touching my dad's car.

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To me, back then, all Volkswagen Beetles were daddy's cars.

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So if I saw one, it's like daddy's car. My dad had a, it was a Java Green one. Yeah, Java Green.

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One of my sons just said, here, you got to correct me, Donnie.

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Java Green with tan interior Beetle. And that was the first car I remember him having.

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And we were living in Huntsville, Alabama at the time.

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My dad was managing a store in Huntsville for my grandfather.

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And we would travel to Birmingham.

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Which is where mom's from and where my grandparents live. And I would sleep

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in the luggage compartment back above the engine.

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And, uh, and that's how I would travel between. I'm sure that the safety people

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today would love that, but. You're trying to arrest your dad.

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Yeah, really? Probably so. But I have vivid memories about that.

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And I don't know why I remember. I remember the smell.

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I remember the sound and sleep at the engine. And I can remember specifically

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one time we were traveling, it was raining and we had a flat tire and mom and

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I sat in the car and dad, God bless him in the rain, went out and changed it.

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I can still remember sitting on mom's lap and feeling the front of the car go up, you know?

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Wow. It was fun. That bug has so many. And then dad traded that in for a 67 bus.

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So that was my next memory was a 67 bus, which we still had both of those.

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My dad's a musician and he was driving that bus.

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I mean, there's a surprise. A musician with a hippie bus. Golly.

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He was a jazz musician. He played saxophone. And he had a case,

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had his saxophone in a case in the back.

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And the hatch hadn't closed all the way. And he went around a curb,

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the hatch opened, and the case skidded across.

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The pavement so he went and retrieved it yeah yeah he still got that case and

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every time he pulls it out he says you know how these scratches got here don't

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you i went yeah that old fuss,

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was there in your in your childhood was there a specific moment or maybe even

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a specific age where where it came to you dawned on you where you said okay

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this vw stuff man this is gonna be a lifelong passion of mine i can't think

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of a specific moment i think when dad traded off the bus,

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and I think that's when he got the Buick. He had a 67 Buick after that.

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How old were you when that happened? About three.

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About three. It was right before we moved back to Birmingham.

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And I think at that point I was thinking, wait a minute, we don't have a bug. We don't have a bus.

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This isn't right, you know? So for years we didn't.

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And it was probably, I guess it was in 1980 when I finally said,

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that's enough. I got to have another bug.

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I was in high school and we were living in Hoover Alabama at the time.

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Well, my parents still live there.

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And just around the corner from where we live, the guy had a little 66 bug and

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one day it had a for sale sign on it.

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So we bought it and I was driving it for a long time too.

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We actually still have that car too. That's the 66 sunroof bug.

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Well, no, that was the next one I got the year later. Okay. Okay.

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Which we also still have. Awesome. Awesome. Yeah.

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Do your sons also, are they involved with the VW scene as well?

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They are as fanatically fanatical as I am. My son Donnie, sitting right here,

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is probably more so than my son Drew.

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Donnie, come over here and say hey. What's up? My son Donnie,

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probably more so than Drew.

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Here you go. Here you go. There's Donnie. Hey, Donnie, Donnie,

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Donnie. What's up? I'm just sitting listening. What's up, brother? Nothing much, man.

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He is actually a master mechanic. Oh, excuse me, excuse me.

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He does all the mechanic work. matter of fact he

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just got this bus running again i was doing

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all the work and when he was little i don't know

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what maybe it was the onesie i got it when he was like six hours old that said

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future driver and it was ta-da or maybe it was just nature i don't know or it

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might be genetics my dad's a volkswagen fanatic you know but he's he's always

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been into it i got pictures of him with Volkswagen and Herbie toys,

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pictures of my other son, True, the same way.

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Yeah, cool, man. I think it runs in the genes.

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Yeah, sounds like it. Yeah. So let's fast forward to Heinz, which is what you're in, right?

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Right, Heinz. Yeah, 69 Westy.

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69 Westy. I got him in 1998 when I was living, working, running a radio station

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in Demopolis, moved back to Birmingham, living with mom and dad,

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looking for a place to live.

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So I was able to save up some money and they went off on a vacation in their motor home.

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And I thought, now this is the time. Cause my mom is not, let's just say she's

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not as much a car fanatic as dad and the rest of us.

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And she would threaten my life. Don't you put any of that junk in my,

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so they went off to wherever it was and I decided it was time to find a bus.

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I needed one. I wanted one, had some money saved up. And at the time,

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on Southside in Birmingham, it was actually safe to go down there at that time.

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You could go find buses all over the place.

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I was really looking for a split window, which were fairly plentiful.

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Well, maybe not plentiful, but you could still find them. But I didn't.

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I drove past the spot, and I saw Heinz sitting there, and he spoke to me.

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And it dawned on me, wait a minute. You know what? I love to go camping. I love Volkswagens.

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I love buses. And I love the 60s.

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When he said, I'm yours, it's kind of like a cat adopts you.

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Well, he adopted me. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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I literally paid the girl, and there's another story, too.

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But I paid the girl, drove the bus home, left my truck, because I didn't want her to change her mind.

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Had a friend come pick the truck up and bring it. The funny thing,

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though, is it was in the driveway. It needed a little bit of work,

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you know, because it needed a little bit of engine work.

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So I was pulling the engine, working on it, doing stuff. and my parents came home from vacation.

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My mom looked at it. Her face dropped. She didn't speak to me for three days.

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I mean, it was dead silent. My little nephew, who at the time was probably about

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three or four years old, was climbing around playing in it.

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And my mom looked inside and goes, well, I didn't know there was a little house in here.

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I said, that's why I got it, Mom. It's a camp. It was okay after that.

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She still don't want me to park in the front yard. So at one point,

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I actually set my awning, all my camp, everything.

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Thing this is hoover alabama okay high and

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housing i set up everything the whole campsite in

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the front yard where everybody can see it and then she came home to that

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that was a fun day yeah so i've got a similar story when i when i i bought my

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72 standard beetle in 96 i was fresh out of high school i remember the first

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day i brought it home my dad was surprised that i would buy a car like that,

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number one, and number two, that I would park it in his driveway, right?

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Like why? When you could have all these other cars, I'm like,

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yeah, man, those cars don't move me like these ones do.

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So I understand that through and through. Now you mentioned having a barn full

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of parts and full of cars.

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When I hear that type of stuff, my interest perk. So I'm interested.

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How many cars do you actually have?

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Well, we counted it up.

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Just Volkswagens are all together. Let's go all together.

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Okay. I think something Donnie's thinking is somewhere in the neighborhood of 40. Wow.

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It's about 40. It's about 40. I mean, they don't all run by any means.

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Sure, sure. How about just Volkswagens then? Just Volkswagens?

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Probably 25. About 20, 25, yeah.

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Wow. You know, and we got lots apart, yeah. There's only one or two of them that are running.

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Now, we also have, Donnie just bought a water-cooled. He bought an 84 Jetta,

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and I've got an 88 Fox also.

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They're not running right now, but I used to drive the Fox.

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And it'll be running again real soon. But like I said, we have a disease.

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It's, I don't know, Volksiders or something. I don't know what you call it. Yeah.

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I want to chat about Donnie real quick, though, because I know you mentioned

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his past, his passion, his mechanical wizardry.

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Where does he get it from? Is he professionally trained, or is this just something

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that's come with his knack over time?

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It's just I taught him the basics that I learned from my dad,

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and then he started taking it and watching YouTube videos, reading.

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When he was little, and I mean like, what were you, about five or six years old?

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When most of us go to the bathroom, we take a Volkswagen magazine.

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He was taking repair manuals, except he'd say, Dad, can I look at your prepare manual?

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And I said sure so he read the prepare manuals and so he learned I've never

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seen anybody who could look at a wiring diagram or not even a wiring diagram

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look under the dashboard and go oh I see,

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Wow. So anything electrical, he does it. Yeah, no.

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Donnie, that's a gift, brother. Yeah, it is. He's an amazing young man,

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and I am thoroughly proud of my boy right there.

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There he is. Yeah, man. That's a gift. That's awesome.

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I'm not that mechanically inclined. I wish I was at times because,

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boy, it would save me a bunch of money.

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But it's okay. I'm not, and it's quite all right.

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Well, we're learning a lot together. Of course, he, you know,

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there was a time when I was the teacher. Now I'm the student.

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Yeah, no, that's cool. So that, that happens with our, our kids. And I welcome that.

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I'm like excited for that. I've got kids that are late teens,

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19, all the way down to, to 14. And then I've also got a five-year-old.

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Oh, I've got five. I've got five kids, four boys. Oh, excellent. We got three.

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The first one came with a package deal with my wife. And I, I made two of them, Donnie and Drew.

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So he's 20 and Drew is 18, 17, yeah Now you recently Mentioned that Donnie scored

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You an Okrassikit For your 63.

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Yeah Not everybody's gonna know what an Okrassikit is So if you don't mind Would

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you guys explain why it's so special Donnie, I'm gonna let you take that Well,

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you You can look back And you've probably heard of the a Wolfsburg West Okrasa

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kit for the 36 horse engines.

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I can't remember the actual names, but it was a couple of mechanical engineers

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and machinists in Germany who had beetles.

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This is in the fifties when there was only 36 horse beetles and even 25 horse.

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They were advertised for both 25 and 36 horse beetles. And so they came up with

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a kit, an engine performance kit to put, to add,

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I think it was advertised like 50 horsepower with just the top end kit.

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And you could get upwards of 80 if you did the cam and a crank and some other stuff, I think.

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You're talking about a 25-horse engine. Yeah. So, I mean, you're talking about

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over double the horsepower.

00:16:05.259 --> 00:16:06.959
Wow. And whatnot.

00:16:07.819 --> 00:16:11.179
And Wolfsburg West now remanufactures them and remakes them.

00:16:11.259 --> 00:16:16.199
You can get them. But what people don't know is that when Volkswagen came out

00:16:16.199 --> 00:16:17.639
with the 40-horse engine,

00:16:17.959 --> 00:16:22.479
I think the ones they based it off of were actually the bastard 40-horse engine

00:16:22.479 --> 00:16:27.399
from the 59 buses that were known for the crankshaft failures.

00:16:27.719 --> 00:16:34.279
And they had, they're technically 36-horse engines that look like the 40-horse engines.

00:16:35.139 --> 00:16:40.319
Well, they got a hold of those engines and used it to make the Okrasa kit,

00:16:40.499 --> 00:16:46.559
the upgraded performance kit, for the new generation of Volkswagen engines. And...

00:16:47.617 --> 00:16:56.857
I don't know how long they sold those for, but they did have a kit for the 40-horse engines.

00:16:57.197 --> 00:17:02.297
And actually, I think in Switzerland, you could actually order from the dealership.

00:17:02.857 --> 00:17:06.277
Volkswagen with a dealership-installed Okrasa kit.

00:17:06.437 --> 00:17:10.417
And there's like one or two of those left. I think there was a guy who has one.

00:17:10.537 --> 00:17:19.077
It's a 64 or 5 Beetle that has a dealership-installed Okrasa kit for a 40-horse engine. Wow.

00:17:19.417 --> 00:17:23.417
And it even has, like, a little plaque on the dash. It says,

00:17:23.537 --> 00:17:27.617
like, warning, Okrasa kit, high horsepower. You know, it's like.

00:17:29.337 --> 00:17:34.677
You've got to hold on. We had a local Volkswagen buddy of ours who goes to all

00:17:34.677 --> 00:17:35.837
these swap meets and whatnot.

00:17:35.837 --> 00:17:39.657
He had found one in tennessee

00:17:39.657 --> 00:17:42.417
i think it was at the bugapalooza i'd have to ask him i'm not

00:17:42.417 --> 00:17:45.437
100 sure and he bought it never did anything with

00:17:45.437 --> 00:17:48.757
it and i saw it and

00:17:48.757 --> 00:17:51.757
i thought wow this is awesome a really unique

00:17:51.757 --> 00:17:54.797
piece of history especially since they don't remake those you get

00:17:54.797 --> 00:17:57.657
the ones for the 36 horse engines they do not

00:17:57.657 --> 00:18:00.477
make them anymore for the 40 horse engines and so

00:18:00.477 --> 00:18:03.377
having not just the top end kit but i also

00:18:03.377 --> 00:18:06.617
have the counter weighted or counterbalanced crank

00:18:06.617 --> 00:18:09.737
shaft 69 millimeter crank shaft and the performance

00:18:09.737 --> 00:18:12.437
camshaft for the bottom end as well so i

00:18:12.437 --> 00:18:15.697
have the full kit and the lightened the

00:18:15.697 --> 00:18:19.197
lightweight eight dowel flywheel the all original

00:18:19.197 --> 00:18:22.277
sezzo crassa on it from the early

00:18:22.277 --> 00:18:25.137
60s you know we're talking about 60 year old

00:18:25.137 --> 00:18:28.197
parts here that you know they don't make anymore and

00:18:28.197 --> 00:18:31.017
i got it for a really really good deal and so

00:18:31.017 --> 00:18:34.577
what i want to do is build it for our

00:18:34.577 --> 00:18:40.317
63 rag top beetle that we want to do a herbie replica auto which is it that

00:18:40.317 --> 00:18:44.157
in itself is a unique car and a pretty funny story about how dad got that car

00:18:44.157 --> 00:18:51.537
but from the factory it was a 63 rag top deluxe beetle in l87 pearl white it

00:18:51.537 --> 00:18:54.497
was exactly what herbie was from the factory yeah.

00:18:55.877 --> 00:18:59.017
So We're just going to hop the engine up a little bit He wanted to keep the

00:18:59.017 --> 00:19:04.337
original engine in it Maybe it really will take off On a wheelie Yeah,

00:19:04.677 --> 00:19:09.057
I'm not going to hold my breath on that Maybe we'll try So I can imagine.

00:19:10.197 --> 00:19:14.337
Just listening to his knowledge And his passion for Volkswagens I can imagine

00:19:14.337 --> 00:19:20.797
it's been a pleasure To see that And let that mask evolve So let me ask you

00:19:20.797 --> 00:19:25.977
both I got a question I want both of you to take your own stance and your own answer, all right?

00:19:26.457 --> 00:19:29.437
All right, let's go with Donnie first.

00:19:29.677 --> 00:19:33.417
Donnie, what's so unique about the VW community?

00:19:33.577 --> 00:19:38.337
I think it's one of the only communities out of the entirety of the car culture

00:19:38.337 --> 00:19:41.077
where you can get along with everybody.

00:19:41.737 --> 00:19:45.837
Everyone is immediately your friend. Everyone's willing to help.

00:19:46.456 --> 00:19:49.196
Everyone's willing to just lend

00:19:49.196 --> 00:19:52.196
a helping hand you know like i said you know we got friends

00:19:52.196 --> 00:19:55.056
around here that they'll literally just give us

00:19:55.056 --> 00:19:57.976
stuff this bus for instance dad said this

00:19:57.976 --> 00:20:00.776
past monday i finally got it running

00:20:00.776 --> 00:20:04.256
because i needed a new mustache bar for it since

00:20:04.256 --> 00:20:06.956
the one i had when it fit and i had to

00:20:06.956 --> 00:20:09.836
get one so i could modify it to fit this

00:20:09.836 --> 00:20:12.956
engine because it's a type one engine and the type 2

00:20:12.956 --> 00:20:16.436
that the type 1 engine doesn't have the mustache

00:20:16.436 --> 00:20:19.216
bar holes for it so i had to get one of those uh

00:20:19.216 --> 00:20:22.316
temporary engine yeah when i was aftermarket adapter

00:20:22.316 --> 00:20:28.396
plates and anyway it wasn't lining up and a buddy of mine found one and said

00:20:28.396 --> 00:20:31.736
you can have it i don't need it you know he could have charged me a hundred

00:20:31.736 --> 00:20:34.516
dollars for it and i would have paid a hundred dollars for it but he said i

00:20:34.516 --> 00:20:39.956
could have it just because i needed it you know yeah you can literally go anywhere there.

00:20:40.656 --> 00:20:42.876
Find the Volkswagen guy and become friends.

00:20:43.716 --> 00:20:47.436
Yeah, exactly. I would have to agree with him on that. We actually,

00:20:47.496 --> 00:20:50.856
we need to tell him about Fabian. I was just thinking about Fabian. Yeah.

00:20:51.096 --> 00:20:53.476
I got to tell you about my friend who broke down here.

00:20:53.756 --> 00:20:58.516
But I agree. What Donnie said is exactly the same thing I would say is that,

00:20:58.656 --> 00:21:03.136
you know, I do, like I say, I've got Falcons and old Ford trucks and we love

00:21:03.136 --> 00:21:04.996
hot rods. We just like cars.

00:21:05.416 --> 00:21:08.556
This is our biggest passion. but of all

00:21:08.556 --> 00:21:11.876
the groups of people that you get to hang

00:21:11.876 --> 00:21:14.596
out with it in the car culture the most down to

00:21:14.596 --> 00:21:18.876
earth laid back and the most fun and again the friendliest most willing to help

00:21:18.876 --> 00:21:23.976
are the people in the volkswagen community you know i mean we now obviously

00:21:23.976 --> 00:21:28.956
there's there's it's humans so there's different personalities but i would dare

00:21:28.956 --> 00:21:32.236
say that that of all the years i've been doing this,

00:21:33.036 --> 00:21:37.796
99% of them are fun to be around And even if I hadn't seen them in a long time

00:21:37.796 --> 00:21:41.776
Pick up the phone, talk to them Hey, great, come on up Just a great group of

00:21:41.776 --> 00:21:43.316
people I'm going to have to agree with you.

00:21:44.676 --> 00:21:49.436
That's why I decided to do this podcast I feel like what your son said Donnie,

00:21:49.496 --> 00:21:54.676
what you said Is everywhere you go It seems like you can't meet a stranger,

00:21:55.196 --> 00:22:00.556
Everybody's friendly Well, for me, I kept noticing that Everybody was so unique

00:22:00.556 --> 00:22:03.736
And had their own stories And a lot of these Volkswagen people,

00:22:03.736 --> 00:22:07.216
they've been a part of Volkswagen since they were little,

00:22:07.616 --> 00:22:11.156
you know, and they had a high school and they have all these memories with them.

00:22:11.316 --> 00:22:16.176
And you really, everywhere you go, and you guys know this, if you're in an old

00:22:16.176 --> 00:22:17.696
Beetle or if you're in a bus,

00:22:18.156 --> 00:22:21.656
you're going to get stopped somewhere and somebody is going to tell you about

00:22:21.656 --> 00:22:26.556
that time they were in high school and girlfriend had that car and the boyfriend

00:22:26.556 --> 00:22:27.996
did this and this happened.

00:22:27.996 --> 00:22:33.156
And it's like, man, so it really is kind of almost like connection piece in our history.

00:22:33.556 --> 00:22:38.956
You know, it's funny because back about 20 years ago, maybe 25, but anyway.

00:22:39.912 --> 00:22:42.952
About 25 years ago, because it was right after I got this bus,

00:22:43.112 --> 00:22:45.152
I started to do what you're doing.

00:22:45.512 --> 00:22:50.752
But YouTube wasn't a big deal. And I was just trying to get people to email stories.

00:22:51.092 --> 00:22:54.852
And you couldn't spread it enough. Right.

00:22:55.072 --> 00:22:59.692
And I may still have some of those stories. But yeah, and the same exact reason,

00:22:59.692 --> 00:23:03.732
because everybody has a story. And if they don't have a story,

00:23:03.872 --> 00:23:06.952
it's somebody that they hung out with in high school. Yeah.

00:23:07.172 --> 00:23:10.032
Somebody else. always somebody had a connection with me

00:23:10.032 --> 00:23:12.752
that's right that's right and i feel that too and i

00:23:12.752 --> 00:23:16.492
also feel like there are some other vw

00:23:16.492 --> 00:23:19.952
podcasts out there but they're they're

00:23:19.952 --> 00:23:25.572
a little bit more about maybe the performance and the race yeah which is fine

00:23:25.572 --> 00:23:30.852
for a lot of people but i don't i want to celebrate the people see that's one

00:23:30.852 --> 00:23:34.832
of the things like when in the news stories that i do i really prefer doing

00:23:34.832 --> 00:23:39.652
human interest stories and talking about you know history and people and things that,

00:23:40.152 --> 00:23:45.132
make life i like to talk about the spice of life i don't care about politics

00:23:45.132 --> 00:23:50.752
and the crud i like what makes life actually interesting and what you're doing

00:23:50.752 --> 00:23:55.052
is that very thing what makes the volkswagen community interesting the story

00:23:55.052 --> 00:23:59.552
right here no no no doubt no doubt so speaking of these stories.

00:24:00.172 --> 00:24:05.632
Give me one of your, one of your best road trips, you know, in a positive light.

00:24:05.812 --> 00:24:09.952
Give me one of your best, you know, best experiences that, that's a highlight

00:24:09.952 --> 00:24:12.032
for your life. Oh my gosh.

00:24:12.972 --> 00:24:16.472
That's a hard one because there've been so many, I guess one of the first one

00:24:16.472 --> 00:24:19.232
that pops into mind was right before he was born.

00:24:19.432 --> 00:24:23.032
My wife and I took hides and went to Florida, went and, and,

00:24:23.332 --> 00:24:26.292
you know, just camped down in Florida for a weekend.

00:24:26.632 --> 00:24:29.832
I did that actually Another time I was DJing a show down there,

00:24:30.032 --> 00:24:32.292
so I took Hines and DJed him down there.

00:24:32.752 --> 00:24:36.832
But, you know, another one would be, again, before Donnie was born,

00:24:36.992 --> 00:24:39.072
we had what we called the Alabama Getaway.

00:24:39.552 --> 00:24:44.432
It turned into the Freeze Out for a while. And a bunch of bus folks would get

00:24:44.432 --> 00:24:48.212
together at Tuskegee National Forest, which is, you can camp anywhere.

00:24:49.092 --> 00:24:52.512
And I met people then, and this would have been in Nike.

00:24:54.556 --> 00:24:58.396
2004, because it was right before he was born. I met people then that are still

00:24:58.396 --> 00:25:02.136
good buddies that I talked to. Matter of fact, the phone that just rang is one of them.

00:25:03.316 --> 00:25:07.056
You know, one of the things about this, like you say, not only do people stop

00:25:07.056 --> 00:25:12.276
you, but the people you meet and the trips that you go on, there's not really a negative trip.

00:25:12.856 --> 00:25:15.916
Yeah. Even if you break down, there's a positive that makes it.

00:25:16.436 --> 00:25:19.136
That's what I was going to actually, I was going to touch on that, right?

00:25:19.236 --> 00:25:25.376
Because I always try to evolve that. So how about give me a good rescue story,

00:25:25.556 --> 00:25:31.636
a good breakdown story, because I know we all have them because these cars break down.

00:25:33.236 --> 00:25:36.576
Which one are you thinking of? I'm thinking of the Mopcage.

00:25:37.316 --> 00:25:41.096
Oh, okay. Well, there's like three of them. Both think of.

00:25:41.316 --> 00:25:46.516
Well, the one I'm thinking of is I was not, you know, I drove this bus as a daily driver.

00:25:46.696 --> 00:25:50.576
We still do use it all the time. This is one of the things we just,

00:25:50.676 --> 00:25:52.716
when we take the whole family, so what do we go in?

00:25:53.176 --> 00:25:55.476
Well, my other Falcon, but it's a little pram compared to this.

00:25:55.976 --> 00:26:02.356
But I was working on, I was going to work, going to a job, and was on Interstate

00:26:02.356 --> 00:26:06.416
459, which circled the bottom of Jefferson County, Alabama, and was heading

00:26:06.416 --> 00:26:07.916
towards the Bessemer area.

00:26:08.336 --> 00:26:12.656
And the engine lost power, and there was a big smoke, blue smoke out of the back.

00:26:12.836 --> 00:26:16.456
And this engine I had bought with a bunch of parts for $100.

00:26:17.016 --> 00:26:21.176
And so basically I paid $50 for an engine, $13.41, excuse me,

00:26:21.336 --> 00:26:24.696
$16.41, so it was not bad, but it lost power.

00:26:24.816 --> 00:26:27.136
And I'd really been in the bus for about two and a half years at this point.

00:26:27.576 --> 00:26:32.136
And I went back to the deck, opened up the deck lid, and everything looked kind of normal.

00:26:32.376 --> 00:26:35.816
The way it acted and the noise, it didn't make any sound whatsoever.

00:26:36.436 --> 00:26:40.856
I assumed that the heads were coming loose. So I thought, you know what?

00:26:40.976 --> 00:26:43.436
It may have leaked some oil, and you can see oil.

00:26:43.976 --> 00:26:49.376
So I popped off the oil. and then drove about two and a half miles to the exit,

00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:55.020
And another mile or so to a gas station, which happened to be in Adam Simpson's

00:26:55.020 --> 00:26:57.900
backyard, called him, and he pulled me to his house.

00:26:59.380 --> 00:27:02.400
About a week or so later, we were in our barn that I was telling you about.

00:27:02.760 --> 00:27:08.180
We pulled the engine out, and Adam says, Todd, I think I found your problem.

00:27:08.380 --> 00:27:12.800
When I walked around, there was a rod sticking through the top of the case.

00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:17.600
So when we pulled the engine out, Adam said, I think I found your problem.

00:27:17.600 --> 00:27:20.500
And there was a rod sticking through the top of the case.

00:27:20.680 --> 00:27:27.980
But when we finally split it and tore it all the way down, the other rod, this was one and four.

00:27:28.220 --> 00:27:30.440
Yeah, one and four. Yeah, one and four.

00:27:31.360 --> 00:27:37.460
The two closest to you. The other rod was jammed in the support structure in the case.

00:27:37.700 --> 00:27:41.620
The one rod came through the top of the case, but the other two cylinders worked

00:27:41.620 --> 00:27:47.860
fine. I cranked it up and drove on two cylinders about three miles,

00:27:48.060 --> 00:27:50.540
and it didn't skip or anything.

00:27:50.820 --> 00:27:53.400
It just didn't have enough power. Right. Crazy.

00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:59.820
And, of course, Adam saved me. Should I tell him about the – I'm thinking of Old Yeller.

00:28:00.380 --> 00:28:05.900
Oh, my gosh. I got to tell you about that one, yeah. Let me hear about it. I love the name already.

00:28:06.840 --> 00:28:13.120
And, by the way, young man, when I was young, that movie came out. All right, Old Yeller.

00:28:13.460 --> 00:28:16.500
Did you ever see the movie? Yeah. Okay, me too.

00:28:17.520 --> 00:28:22.040
Great movie. Well, Old Yeller is actually a 70 Ford F-100.

00:28:24.560 --> 00:28:29.020
And Adam's dad had given it while his dad still had it then.

00:28:29.420 --> 00:28:32.900
We were pulling some Volkswagens with it, believe it or not,

00:28:33.040 --> 00:28:34.820
down to that barn I was telling you about in Bradfield.

00:28:35.300 --> 00:28:41.220
It had rained, and Adam got his truck stuck in the mud. And if you didn't stay

00:28:41.220 --> 00:28:44.540
on the gravel, you would, it was slippery mud and he got stuck.

00:28:45.180 --> 00:28:49.260
Well, I was in my little 65 bug. We call him the chigger bug because he's a little red bug.

00:28:50.120 --> 00:28:54.500
And if you live in the South, you know what a chigger bug is. So he's the chigger.

00:28:55.060 --> 00:28:58.740
And, uh, no, I was driving chigger that night, that day. And I,

00:28:59.040 --> 00:29:02.140
Adam, so he couldn't get the truck. I got on the back and jumped up, did everything.

00:29:02.420 --> 00:29:06.080
I said, well, I got one other suggestion. He goes, it ain't gonna work.

00:29:06.080 --> 00:29:10.840
We tied a daggum chain to the back axle of the Chiggerbug and to the front bumper.

00:29:11.500 --> 00:29:16.960
And Chiggerbug pulled that F-100 out of the mud. If we had had digital recording

00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:18.360
at the time, there'd be video.

00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:20.660
Hey, that's pretty cool.

00:29:21.280 --> 00:29:23.940
I got one other. I think one of those videos nobody believed.

00:29:24.180 --> 00:29:27.440
They'd say on AI. Yeah, I know. I wish I had video of that. Yeah.

00:29:28.060 --> 00:29:33.020
One more Adam Simpson story. One, we were getting ready for the Tannehill Folks

00:29:33.020 --> 00:29:35.160
Jam and had gone out the week before

00:29:35.160 --> 00:29:38.520
and camping out and kind of walking through it. And he was in his bus.

00:29:39.814 --> 00:29:43.814
On the way out, his bus just quit. And so I drive over. I'm in Hines.

00:29:43.934 --> 00:29:47.034
I drive over. And I said, well, have you checked the coil?

00:29:47.214 --> 00:29:49.594
We had gone through everything. I said, did you check the coil?

00:29:49.934 --> 00:29:51.434
Sure enough, the coil is bad.

00:29:51.774 --> 00:29:56.114
And he happened to have one. And he had all these parts and tools and all that stuff.

00:29:56.274 --> 00:30:00.074
And he asked me, well, don't you carry parts and tools like that?

00:30:00.154 --> 00:30:02.854
I said, no, man, mine, you know what doesn't break.

00:30:04.514 --> 00:30:07.894
A week later i'm driving on 150

00:30:07.894 --> 00:30:11.294
not two miles from his house and

00:30:11.294 --> 00:30:18.374
hines just stops so i i suck it up i call adam and after about five minutes

00:30:18.374 --> 00:30:24.034
of ridicule and laughing he comes and saves me my points had gone bad ah but

00:30:24.034 --> 00:30:29.214
guess what don't ever say that your excrement doesn't break because It will. Oh, yeah.

00:30:29.814 --> 00:30:32.834
That's how we started this because that's what I was saying.

00:30:32.974 --> 00:30:37.114
We know if we drive these old cars that they're going to break down eventually.

00:30:37.374 --> 00:30:42.534
It's not about that, though, really. There's always a story in the rescue or

00:30:42.534 --> 00:30:46.134
in the victory of getting it running again or whatever.

00:30:46.534 --> 00:30:50.974
And to me, it's turf with the territory. I'm used to it. I'm okay with it.

00:30:51.034 --> 00:30:52.434
I got AAA, baby. I'm good.

00:30:52.894 --> 00:30:55.374
I got friends, too. Did you have another one?

00:30:56.990 --> 00:30:59.870
But, you know, and that's another thing. I'll call Adam, and now I can call

00:30:59.870 --> 00:31:01.590
Donnie, or Donnie can call me.

00:31:01.770 --> 00:31:05.150
And there's always somebody that, again, it goes back to the other question

00:31:05.150 --> 00:31:07.710
about what do you like about the Volkswagen community? Yeah.

00:31:07.930 --> 00:31:11.550
If I got a problem, we don't have breakdowns. We have adventures.

00:31:12.250 --> 00:31:16.350
That's right. And that's a good way to see it. Yeah. Yeah, so let's shift gears

00:31:16.350 --> 00:31:20.750
just a little bit because I want to talk about the DJ career just for a moment.

00:31:21.330 --> 00:31:26.850
So in the lifetime line of your life, when did the DJ career start?

00:31:27.690 --> 00:31:34.350
When I was in college, it would have been in 1986, no, 85. I was at the University of Alabama.

00:31:37.410 --> 00:31:41.290
And I did play DJ when I was little a little bit because I've always been in

00:31:41.290 --> 00:31:42.530
theater and that kind of stuff.

00:31:43.110 --> 00:31:47.210
But I got a phone call. It was the wrong number. It was a girl who was a program

00:31:47.210 --> 00:31:50.090
director of one of the local radio stations in Tuscaloosa.

00:31:50.290 --> 00:31:53.830
And she said, oh, I'm sorry. I was trying to call my friend so-and-so.

00:31:53.870 --> 00:31:56.410
I need a winner. Nobody's called in.

00:31:57.070 --> 00:31:59.850
Would you be my winner? I went, yeah, what am I going to win?

00:31:59.970 --> 00:32:03.090
She goes, a DeBarge album. I went, well, okay.

00:32:03.890 --> 00:32:08.610
What the heck, you know? DeBarge, woo-woo. But, of course, nobody even knows

00:32:08.610 --> 00:32:11.230
who that is anymore. But in the 80s, they were big.

00:32:12.070 --> 00:32:17.710
So we started talking, and she said, well, you know, I've got a weekend part-time

00:32:17.710 --> 00:32:20.610
position if you're interested in a job.

00:32:20.810 --> 00:32:23.370
And I was thinking, you know what? I need beer and gas.

00:32:23.850 --> 00:32:28.970
So, yeah, I'm interested in a job. I was 40-some years ago, and I'm still doing it.

00:32:29.330 --> 00:32:36.610
Wow. Wow. Yeah. So at what point then did Heinz come into the picture to essentially

00:32:36.610 --> 00:32:38.410
become a mobile DJ booth?

00:32:38.550 --> 00:32:43.470
You know, I don't remember exactly what situation, but it was one of those things

00:32:43.470 --> 00:32:47.990
where I was going to DJ an event. A lot of times I'll DJ...

00:32:49.221 --> 00:32:52.661
Fall festivals and things like that. And it was one of those kind of events.

00:32:53.021 --> 00:32:58.561
And I don't think there was actually an official DJ area. There wasn't a place for me to sit.

00:32:58.761 --> 00:33:03.521
I said, well, heck, I'll just pop my top. And the good thing about that is this is like my little den.

00:33:04.181 --> 00:33:07.761
This is like my own little. So I got my little cooler, my icebox and everything,

00:33:08.021 --> 00:33:13.701
so I can keep my beer and food cold, set my awning up, and sit outside, put the speakers up.

00:33:14.141 --> 00:33:19.021
And it just kind of was a natural. Well, it was, I guess the best way to put

00:33:19.021 --> 00:33:22.241
it is it was the most logical answer to a problem.

00:33:22.601 --> 00:33:27.101
And it kind of was like, well, this is a great idea. So I've DJed a lot.

00:33:27.201 --> 00:33:29.601
I even DJed, but we're into horses.

00:33:29.881 --> 00:33:34.081
We had a horse show not far from the house. I DJed the horse show out of the

00:33:34.081 --> 00:33:36.541
side of the bus. It was the interesting culture shot.

00:33:36.781 --> 00:33:42.581
This bus was at a horse show with all these cowboys and pickup trucks and me

00:33:42.581 --> 00:33:47.261
and my cowboy hat, but wearing a tie-dye shirt. It was like, whoa, clash.

00:33:47.941 --> 00:33:54.181
Do you have a, over the course of time, looking back at the bus essentially

00:33:54.181 --> 00:34:00.541
being used as a DJ booth, do you have a most memorable gig or anything like that that stands out?

00:34:00.701 --> 00:34:04.681
Well, it's hard to say because there's so many of them and so many of them that were fun.

00:34:05.121 --> 00:34:09.781
I would think that, oh yeah, there is one that stands out and I'll tell you why.

00:34:10.561 --> 00:34:14.221
In Birmingham, they have what they call the Birmingham Motoring Club.

00:34:14.221 --> 00:34:18.561
And it's really, they say they're about European cars, but they're really more

00:34:18.561 --> 00:34:20.881
high-end British sports cars.

00:34:21.441 --> 00:34:24.801
Now, one of my other loves is Fiat, you know, and I've got one.

00:34:24.881 --> 00:34:26.081
I thought, well, that's great.

00:34:26.181 --> 00:34:28.981
It's European, you know, and they wanted me to DJ it. I thought,

00:34:29.041 --> 00:34:31.661
well, I'll just bring the bus because, you know.

00:34:32.450 --> 00:34:37.870
Well, needless to say, with all these fancy, shiny, highly polished,

00:34:38.030 --> 00:34:43.430
not a single patinaed car in the group, I stood out like a sore thumb. I DJed that one year.

00:34:44.170 --> 00:34:47.410
You were talking about the nice people in the Volkswagen group.

00:34:47.890 --> 00:34:50.650
Let's just say nice things about the Volkswagen people.

00:34:51.330 --> 00:34:54.830
There's a reason I never DJed that show again. Okay.

00:34:55.450 --> 00:35:00.170
Yeah. But it was memorable because I was laughing the whole time about, wow,

00:35:00.770 --> 00:35:05.690
do I ever stick out like a sore thumb here but you know what I was having a

00:35:05.690 --> 00:35:08.230
good time anyway so I didn't care yeah so.

00:35:08.990 --> 00:35:12.090
YouTube you've got some experience with YouTube how does

00:35:12.090 --> 00:35:15.250
the YouTube community you know compare to

00:35:15.250 --> 00:35:21.110
the VW community is there any type of a relation there for you well it's hard

00:35:21.110 --> 00:35:24.230
to say because we're still in our infancy we haven't been doing it for what

00:35:24.230 --> 00:35:28.890
maybe six months yeah very very we don't have very many videos or very many

00:35:28.890 --> 00:35:34.350
views we put up a couple of videos about two years ago but i didn't have good editing software,

00:35:34.810 --> 00:35:39.290
and we just it kind of fell by the wayside but about six or seven months ago

00:35:39.290 --> 00:35:43.290
or so when we started working on this we did a we've got one video of this guy

00:35:43.290 --> 00:35:46.810
we redid some stickers but every now and then we'll have a sticker ceremony

00:35:46.810 --> 00:35:50.470
is what i call it and i started that when the kids were little and they were

00:35:50.470 --> 00:35:52.810
because that was a big deal to put stickers on the bus you know

00:35:53.230 --> 00:35:56.750
so if they did something well got good grade whatever i'd say we'll have a sticker

00:35:56.750 --> 00:35:59.530
ceremony and that just meant you find the spot, stick a sticker.

00:35:59.730 --> 00:36:02.990
Well, we had a big sticker ceremony out in the front yard because some of them

00:36:02.990 --> 00:36:06.290
had gotten old and I got that on a video.

00:36:06.510 --> 00:36:10.610
But most of the videos right now are us working on either our 62 or 63 Falcon.

00:36:11.090 --> 00:36:15.590
Those are the projects we've got going the hardest and heaviest right now.

00:36:15.770 --> 00:36:21.650
Once we get those further along and more to completion, the next one I really

00:36:21.650 --> 00:36:24.810
want to do is that 63 beetle. That one's coming up.

00:36:25.550 --> 00:36:29.470
That'll be up next pretty soon. That'll be a really fun project.

00:36:29.650 --> 00:36:33.610
That's going to be a fun project because we'll go through building the old crash engine and everything.

00:36:33.990 --> 00:36:37.370
Nice. Yeah, that's going to be exciting. I'll follow along.

00:36:37.590 --> 00:36:41.770
Praetor's Mechanical Mystery Tour. I'm a big Beatles fan, so it's Praetor's

00:36:41.770 --> 00:36:45.050
Mechanical Mystery Tour, which is a play on Magical Mystery Tour.

00:36:45.390 --> 00:36:51.850
What has Wrenching on old VWs taught you about life? probably it had introduced

00:36:51.850 --> 00:36:53.690
me to this little thing called patience.

00:36:55.910 --> 00:37:00.490
Yeah. Amen. So, so patience is your, is your answer. No problem.

00:37:00.650 --> 00:37:03.610
Oh, that's probably the biggest part of it, but I'll tell you another part of it too.

00:37:04.472 --> 00:37:08.572
Because I've wrenched on these things with so many people, it's also caught

00:37:08.572 --> 00:37:10.452
me a lot about friendship, camaraderie.

00:37:11.012 --> 00:37:13.372
Yeah, that's great. Donnie, how about you? Any difference?

00:37:14.132 --> 00:37:18.972
Well, very similar, but it also teaches you how to get creative.

00:37:19.872 --> 00:37:23.792
That's great. One thing is, and you can ask Adam too, another thing,

00:37:23.912 --> 00:37:28.692
Adam always says, there's going to be three things left on this world when the

00:37:28.692 --> 00:37:32.912
apocalypse happens. That's Cockroaches, Keith Richards, and Heinz the bus.

00:37:34.552 --> 00:37:39.392
Because this bus is, I mean, we got duct tape, bungee cords,

00:37:39.572 --> 00:37:43.952
ratchet straps, you know, feet metal screws, license plate floors.

00:37:44.172 --> 00:37:48.712
It's not a pristine bus. The whole fiberglass top is held on with nothing but

00:37:48.712 --> 00:37:50.792
bungee cords, ratchet straps.

00:37:51.172 --> 00:37:54.332
The rear seal for the hatch is gone.

00:37:54.332 --> 00:37:57.372
And it's been this bus has been wrecked in the rear and it's

00:37:57.372 --> 00:38:00.512
full of bondo and it's cracked and missing so our

00:38:00.512 --> 00:38:04.912
rear seal consists of a roll of gorilla tape all

00:38:04.912 --> 00:38:08.412
the handles for the camper interior are missing

00:38:08.412 --> 00:38:11.352
and so we use tent stakes to push in

00:38:11.352 --> 00:38:15.952
and open them up you know you get creative with fixing your cars and figuring

00:38:15.952 --> 00:38:19.672
out how to keep it going when especially when you're driving all the time yeah

00:38:19.672 --> 00:38:24.392
and you either don't have time to do it right or parts aren't really as available

00:38:24.392 --> 00:38:27.932
no i know for a volkswagen you can literally buy almost anything to buy a new

00:38:27.932 --> 00:38:31.172
volkswagen or build a new volkswagen but uh,

00:38:32.037 --> 00:38:35.877
You know, sometimes it's hard to find, like, these little camper interior handles

00:38:35.877 --> 00:38:42.577
because 69, 68 and 69 are unique. And so the ones you get now are for the later models.

00:38:43.537 --> 00:38:49.597
And so I can't really, you have to customize them. And I got one that works.

00:38:49.857 --> 00:38:52.317
And I have to find some others for the other handles.

00:38:52.597 --> 00:38:57.037
And, you know, anyway, you get creative. You figure out how do I make,

00:38:57.157 --> 00:38:59.717
how do I get to work on Monday kind of thing, you know?

00:38:59.997 --> 00:39:03.637
Yeah, I like it. me, you know, like that mustache bar I was telling you about.

00:39:03.757 --> 00:39:05.117
I had to cut it. I had to beat it.

00:39:05.337 --> 00:39:09.357
I had to re-tap some threads for the motor mount. You know, you just.

00:39:09.677 --> 00:39:12.717
That was all because we don't want to mess up the other mustache bar when we

00:39:12.717 --> 00:39:14.257
put the real engine in. Yeah.

00:39:15.037 --> 00:39:18.437
Oh man, that sounds awesome. So great. That was awesome.

00:39:18.617 --> 00:39:25.937
Good, good life lessons, patience, camaraderie, friendship, and Donnie, what you said, love it.

00:39:26.317 --> 00:39:33.217
So let me ask you both too. If somebody listening maybe to this episode is inspired

00:39:33.217 --> 00:39:37.497
by hearing your story, hearing your background, and they maybe want to get into

00:39:37.497 --> 00:39:40.337
the VW scene, what advice would you give them?

00:39:40.557 --> 00:39:46.677
Probably find somebody who knows about Volkswagens and learn before you go and

00:39:46.677 --> 00:39:51.057
let them help you find one because there's a lot of people.

00:39:51.237 --> 00:39:55.777
I have a couple of friends who bought Volkswagens from people who slapped a

00:39:55.777 --> 00:39:59.557
coat of paint on one that really shouldn't have been on the road and you know

00:39:59.557 --> 00:40:02.997
things like that but the other thing is to.

00:40:03.577 --> 00:40:06.677
Just be open to everybody wanting to help to be

00:40:06.677 --> 00:40:09.537
open and enjoy and don't you know

00:40:09.537 --> 00:40:13.417
i mean i'm the worst i'm i'll be the first one to tell you just kind of enjoy

00:40:13.417 --> 00:40:16.537
it and don't get all stressed but i'll be the first one to get stressed about

00:40:16.537 --> 00:40:21.597
stuff but you know just enjoy it and chill don't don't be stressed enjoy the

00:40:21.597 --> 00:40:27.697
enjoy the the search enjoy the the obtaining and then enjoy the driving and the community.

00:40:28.257 --> 00:40:32.437
How about you, Donnie? What advice would you give somebody that is not in the

00:40:32.437 --> 00:40:34.957
VWC now that's looking to maybe get into it?

00:40:35.277 --> 00:40:39.737
I would say on more of the mechanical side, don't be afraid.

00:40:40.257 --> 00:40:46.457
First of all, they're super simple. You can't, it's not easy to mess it up.

00:40:46.717 --> 00:40:50.957
You know, it's very, at least in my mind, you know, maybe it's different for

00:40:50.957 --> 00:40:53.737
other people, but to me, they're very simple.

00:40:53.877 --> 00:40:57.857
Everything just makes sense. It goes together one way. You can only put it together one way.

00:40:59.170 --> 00:41:02.070
Everything is super easy to take apart, unless if it's rusted,

00:41:02.130 --> 00:41:05.090
of course. But even then, you know, you figure out ways around that.

00:41:05.550 --> 00:41:07.990
There's that creativity coming up. That creativity.

00:41:09.010 --> 00:41:12.710
Parts are plentiful. So if you mess something up, you know you could probably

00:41:12.710 --> 00:41:16.830
get another one. Unless if you have one of those super ultra rare beetles.

00:41:17.030 --> 00:41:20.830
But, you know, someone who's just getting in, you're probably going to buy a mid-70s beetle. Yeah.

00:41:21.290 --> 00:41:23.250
You know, everything is remade.

00:41:23.890 --> 00:41:28.890
What else? I would say it would probably be best for you to learn how to do

00:41:28.890 --> 00:41:32.890
it yourself because you got a lot of people out there now that say they know

00:41:32.890 --> 00:41:35.790
how to work on air-cooled Volkswagens that really don't.

00:41:36.010 --> 00:41:40.250
All these shade tree mechanics that tell you and that promise you that,

00:41:40.330 --> 00:41:42.470
hey, you know, I know how to work on one of these Volkswagens.

00:41:42.570 --> 00:41:45.870
And it's really, they grew up working on Chevys their whole life kind of thing.

00:41:46.710 --> 00:41:51.110
Like that's a bad thing. Well, you know, you got to remember,

00:41:51.310 --> 00:41:53.950
these are nothing like any American car.

00:41:54.230 --> 00:41:58.030
The closest would be a Chevy Corvair, which I actually own one, funny enough.

00:41:58.630 --> 00:42:03.010
But even those, you know, those are another one where you don't know,

00:42:03.190 --> 00:42:05.890
not a lot of people know how to work on a Chevy Corvair.

00:42:07.090 --> 00:42:11.730
And actually, funny enough, a lot of the people that own Corvairs that I've

00:42:11.730 --> 00:42:16.290
learned since owning my Corvair has been that a lot of them have started in Volkswagens.

00:42:17.230 --> 00:42:20.250
Or a lot of them have you know it's all

00:42:20.250 --> 00:42:23.690
the air-cooled community kind of thing you know the air-cooled

00:42:23.690 --> 00:42:26.650
community and so that's another thing is make sure

00:42:26.650 --> 00:42:32.130
you find good friends that know how to help you or know what they're doing you

00:42:32.130 --> 00:42:38.050
know that way when you do get one you have someone that can help you and get

00:42:38.050 --> 00:42:44.170
it done correctly to where you'll have the best outcome possible when driving your Beetle. Yeah.

00:42:44.610 --> 00:42:48.650
Todd, this one is just for you. All right. Just for you. Biggest life lesson

00:42:48.650 --> 00:42:53.010
that you've learned by living inside of a bus in your past.

00:42:53.290 --> 00:42:55.390
Oh, wow. And I did that twice.

00:42:55.790 --> 00:43:01.630
The first time I lived in a park and it was the biggest life lesson. Probably...

00:43:02.807 --> 00:43:05.607
The first time wasn't as bad because I didn't have kids at the time.

00:43:05.987 --> 00:43:12.187
The second time I lived in this bus, I lived in a van down by the river, literally.

00:43:13.447 --> 00:43:17.947
For about five months while we were looking for a house. Kids were still in school.

00:43:18.507 --> 00:43:24.107
My biggest life lesson is the most important thing is your family because I

00:43:24.107 --> 00:43:26.527
was away from them except on weekends.

00:43:26.827 --> 00:43:31.387
I was living down where we moved from Chelsea, Alabama to Selma.

00:43:31.387 --> 00:43:33.367
I was in Selma living at Gris Park.

00:43:33.827 --> 00:43:37.307
They were still in Chelsea going to school. And, you know, I lived in the bus

00:43:37.307 --> 00:43:40.707
through the summer up until they came down in August for school.

00:43:40.887 --> 00:43:45.107
And it killed me to be away from them. Now, it was cool the first couple of

00:43:45.107 --> 00:43:48.587
weeks because everybody loves to have a little time to themselves.

00:43:49.487 --> 00:43:53.787
And Lord knows, it's funny you ask that because I found a memory on Facebook

00:43:53.787 --> 00:43:57.267
today where I was talking about this very thing. And one of my friends said,

00:43:57.347 --> 00:43:58.327
yeah, but look at it this way.

00:43:58.807 --> 00:44:03.567
You do get to see them. You can Skype with them and you're camping. And that's true.

00:44:04.787 --> 00:44:09.467
But being with my family, being with my kids and my wife was more important

00:44:09.467 --> 00:44:11.147
to me than Skyping and camping.

00:44:11.447 --> 00:44:15.367
And so I think the biggest life lesson, again, the long roundabout way to get

00:44:15.367 --> 00:44:19.947
to it is there's nothing more important than being with your family and,

00:44:19.967 --> 00:44:22.647
uh, and being there with them live and in person.

00:44:22.867 --> 00:44:27.087
Yeah, man, there I've been away and I know what it's like to,

00:44:27.187 --> 00:44:33.487
to come home and miss things like first steps, first haircuts, first teeth being lost.

00:44:33.907 --> 00:44:38.447
You know, I missed all that because I was chasing the buck.

00:44:39.167 --> 00:44:43.707
And yeah, I'm at a point in my life now where I do what I want.

00:44:43.887 --> 00:44:45.607
I don't do what I have to do.

00:44:46.047 --> 00:44:50.867
And for many years, I had to do what I had to do, you know, to get kids fed

00:44:50.867 --> 00:44:52.707
and to put a roof over their head.

00:44:52.867 --> 00:44:59.407
So yeah, man, nothing more important in life than family. So I vibe with that. I feel that.

00:44:59.607 --> 00:45:04.587
Of course I vibe with it. We're all, we all get along here in this community. Yeah.

00:45:05.167 --> 00:45:09.487
So I, I got some rapid fire style questions. These are questions that,

00:45:09.487 --> 00:45:12.407
that, that are going to try to get you to give me a fast answer.

00:45:13.267 --> 00:45:17.467
I'm all right. If you both answer. All right. So whoever wants to go first,

00:45:17.467 --> 00:45:20.127
don't matter to me. All right. Money, no object.

00:45:21.167 --> 00:45:25.807
Favorite VW model of all time. You're going to work on it. Go ahead. Favorite one.

00:45:26.167 --> 00:45:30.447
Volkswagen thing. I dream of it. I think if I had, you know,

00:45:30.547 --> 00:45:34.627
money no object, and I was to go and buy a Beetle, or buy a Volkswagen,

00:45:34.927 --> 00:45:40.727
it would have to be a 58 or 59 Ragtop Semaphore Beetle. European market Beetle.

00:45:41.847 --> 00:45:45.987
Right-hand drive? No left-hand drive, probably, because that's just what I'm using.

00:45:47.287 --> 00:45:48.847
And it sounds...

00:45:49.862 --> 00:45:54.022
What am I trying to say? Our buddy Adam Simpson, he has one.

00:45:54.202 --> 00:45:58.482
And I remember, hell, when I was just a baby riding in it.

00:45:58.942 --> 00:46:02.582
And I thought it was just the coolest. I love the batwing wheels.

00:46:02.602 --> 00:46:04.202
I love the big fat needle.

00:46:04.442 --> 00:46:07.962
I love the fuel tap on the floor. I love ragtop beetles.

00:46:08.282 --> 00:46:10.962
Yeah, we call them a laptop sunroof. At that point, yeah.

00:46:12.342 --> 00:46:18.122
Snowflake taillights, the interesting oddball 36 horse. I just always thought

00:46:18.122 --> 00:46:19.402
those were the neatest little things.

00:46:19.862 --> 00:46:26.842
And so if I could buy any, it'd be a 58 or 9 ragtop semaphore beetle. Got it. Good. Great.

00:46:27.322 --> 00:46:30.022
And Todd, I have a 74 thing.

00:46:30.522 --> 00:46:34.182
Oh, man. Yep. That's my girl.

00:46:34.722 --> 00:46:39.202
And my wife has a 71 Carmen Ghia. Oh, man.

00:46:39.642 --> 00:46:44.942
Yeah. Another beautiful car. Irish green from the factory.

00:46:45.482 --> 00:46:48.262
Favorite color. One owner, female.

00:46:49.002 --> 00:46:54.362
Wow. We found it in a barn in Pennsylvania with 46,000 original miles on it.

00:46:54.402 --> 00:46:56.722
You got to be kidding. That is incredible. That is incredible.

00:46:57.222 --> 00:47:02.842
Yep, yep. So my wife has that, and she loves it, absolutely loves it. All right, back to this.

00:47:03.002 --> 00:47:09.142
How about least favorite VW model? If you had to pick one, least favorite.

00:47:09.882 --> 00:47:13.542
411. 411? I like the 411s. And the 412.

00:47:13.782 --> 00:47:19.702
I thought they were cool. Anything air-cooled I love, I'd probably have to go with the new ID Buzz.

00:47:20.022 --> 00:47:22.882
I just don't really care for it. Oh, well, if you're going to go that, yeah, that.

00:47:23.242 --> 00:47:26.682
Well, it's a Danny, so that's it. Hey, I'll take it.

00:47:26.802 --> 00:47:30.382
Everybody's entitled to their opinion. It's all good. That's why I ask.

00:47:30.482 --> 00:47:37.722
How about most expensive part, VW part, 50-, 60-year-old part that you've ever purchased?

00:47:38.382 --> 00:47:40.882
Transmission, probably. Probably, yeah, the transmission for this bus.

00:47:41.182 --> 00:47:45.622
Okay. I've got a six-rib in it. All right. But I paid $500 for it when I bought it.

00:47:46.622 --> 00:47:49.182
Best roadside fix that you've ever pulled off?

00:47:50.222 --> 00:47:54.602
Best roadside fix I've ever pulled off would probably be the what?

00:47:54.862 --> 00:47:59.702
Oh, yeah, that's a good one. I was getting on I-65 heading south,

00:47:59.762 --> 00:48:06.062
and it was a situation where the merge lane was running out, and there was a cliff,

00:48:06.262 --> 00:48:12.062
and I was going to try to be a bad mamma mia and get in front of a big truck that wouldn't let me in.

00:48:12.062 --> 00:48:15.842
I hit the accelerator it broke and

00:48:15.842 --> 00:48:21.662
chicken bug was fast back then but i found a twist tie off of a bread and it

00:48:21.662 --> 00:48:26.442
luckily broke right behind the pedal so i did the twist tie and it got me home

00:48:26.442 --> 00:48:31.402
until i could put a new uh a new uh cable on all right that's hey man that's

00:48:31.402 --> 00:48:33.742
a roadside fix yeah twist ties baby.

00:48:35.018 --> 00:48:39.078
How about Dream DJ gig? Any venue anywhere in the country?

00:48:39.678 --> 00:48:43.058
Probably somewhere on the coast. I love the ocean. I love the water.

00:48:43.198 --> 00:48:46.678
I love something like that. Somewhere on the coast, which I've kind of done,

00:48:46.818 --> 00:48:48.278
but not actually on the water.

00:48:48.838 --> 00:48:51.878
My actual Dream DJ gig would be the space station.

00:48:52.638 --> 00:48:59.098
Ooh. All right. That's very cool. I live in St. Petersburg, Florida. It's a peninsula.

00:48:59.618 --> 00:49:04.378
I'm surrounded by water on all sides. And our big events and stuff that we have,

00:49:04.598 --> 00:49:10.918
our VW events, there's usually water on all sides and all aspects of the picture.

00:49:11.178 --> 00:49:13.598
Awesome. Yeah, yeah, good stuff.

00:49:14.338 --> 00:49:17.638
I love the thing, probably, Todd, probably similar to you.

00:49:17.678 --> 00:49:23.158
I like being able to pull the top off to put the windshield down and to ride

00:49:23.158 --> 00:49:25.698
around town almost like I'm in a stinking motorcycle.

00:49:25.978 --> 00:49:29.118
Yeah, exactly. You know, it's a pretty cool feeling.

00:49:29.638 --> 00:49:33.258
I love it. I want that feeling one day. Yeah. Awesome, man.

00:49:33.718 --> 00:49:38.058
Strangest item that you've ever found inside of a project car.

00:49:38.238 --> 00:49:40.038
I had a 59 bus for a little while.

00:49:40.258 --> 00:49:45.358
I wish I'd have never sold the day gum. There was a 59 15 window. Oh my goodness.

00:49:46.278 --> 00:49:51.998
And I saw it on the Samba for sale again. It wasn't too long ago. It was like $25,000.

00:49:52.338 --> 00:49:57.178
Yeah. I wish I'd have kept that day gum bus, but it was, apparently it had been

00:49:57.178 --> 00:50:03.098
a hippie bus. There were gourds and other interesting homemade musical instruments.

00:50:03.438 --> 00:50:07.018
And they had put a door behind the front seats.

00:50:07.158 --> 00:50:11.798
They had like a little half moon, like an outhouse. But it was wood behind the seats with a door.

00:50:12.018 --> 00:50:16.498
And that's another interesting thing. It was a 59 walkthrough.

00:50:16.938 --> 00:50:17.378
Whoa.

00:50:17.858 --> 00:50:19.938
Yeah. Yeah, very rare. Yeah, I'm a dummy.

00:50:20.538 --> 00:50:28.318
Yeah. And I recently bought an 83 Jetta. Very, very solid, all-original car.

00:50:28.698 --> 00:50:32.618
Five-speed manual, gasoline engine. Super. I love the thing.

00:50:32.878 --> 00:50:35.818
And I was going through the glove box.

00:50:36.438 --> 00:50:41.338
I found some really cool paperwork from the... Technically not the original

00:50:41.338 --> 00:50:44.338
owner. He was the second owner, but he owned it since 1985.

00:50:45.158 --> 00:50:49.678
Whoa. But in it was a corncob pipe from...

00:50:51.638 --> 00:50:53.978
I think it was the Indian Reservations.

00:50:55.370 --> 00:50:59.410
Out west somewhere. Did it have sage or did it have weed in it?

00:51:00.030 --> 00:51:03.590
It was empty. It's unused. He just bought it and left it in there.

00:51:03.990 --> 00:51:07.250
That's one thing I hadn't been lucky enough to find in any of my buses.

00:51:08.510 --> 00:51:12.110
That's interesting. Yeah, it's pretty interesting, yeah. Some found its way

00:51:12.110 --> 00:51:13.790
into the bus, but I didn't find it in the bus.

00:51:14.890 --> 00:51:19.230
How about most underrated tool for working on these cars?

00:51:19.570 --> 00:51:24.090
I would say the one that I've used the most, that have come in the most handy

00:51:24.090 --> 00:51:28.250
is the flywheel gland nut tool that you can also put on the axle nuts.

00:51:28.550 --> 00:51:32.890
Yeah, that's a good one. Those things are a lifesaver. Yes, they are.

00:51:33.150 --> 00:51:37.970
Because being able to just use a regular little ratchet to crack those things

00:51:37.970 --> 00:51:40.830
loose, it's so nice. That's true.

00:51:41.610 --> 00:51:44.410
All right, just another good question for both of you, guys.

00:51:45.090 --> 00:51:51.150
What's one myth, a myth that people have heard about air-cooled Volkswagens

00:51:51.150 --> 00:51:55.430
that drive you both crazy, that they're not dependable.

00:51:55.990 --> 00:52:00.210
They're not undependable. It depends on how you maintain them.

00:52:00.490 --> 00:52:04.510
Now, I will have to throw in a little caveat that a lot of the parts you get

00:52:04.510 --> 00:52:09.670
today are not of the same quality as the original Volkswagen part, mind you.

00:52:10.170 --> 00:52:13.150
But I've driven this bus all over the southeast.

00:52:13.850 --> 00:52:17.950
There have been a lot of times where this bus was all I had to drive or all I was driving,

00:52:17.950 --> 00:52:23.490
and it's it only left me stranded maybe one or two times and one time it was

00:52:23.490 --> 00:52:27.890
that engine blow the other time it was an engine that that that crapped out

00:52:27.890 --> 00:52:32.930
because of my own stupidity so that was my fault it wasn't the bus's fault i

00:52:32.930 --> 00:52:35.970
would say i think one of the most annoying things.

00:52:37.575 --> 00:52:42.715
You always hear people, when it comes to the late bay buses with the Type 4

00:52:42.715 --> 00:52:45.815
engines, they go, that thing got a Porsche engine in it.

00:52:45.875 --> 00:52:50.455
Yeah, it's got a Porsche engine. No, it's a Volkswagen engine that was modified

00:52:50.455 --> 00:52:53.115
to work in the Porsche 914. That's right.

00:52:53.475 --> 00:52:57.055
It's actually a Volkswagen engine, not a Porsche engine.

00:52:57.735 --> 00:53:05.695
Don, you're a very knowledgeable young man. It's a pleasure to hear that coming from you, for sure, man.

00:53:06.015 --> 00:53:09.855
Thank you. Todd, where can people find you if they want to look you guys up

00:53:09.855 --> 00:53:13.335
and tell me how to find Prater's Mechanical Mystery Tour?

00:53:13.655 --> 00:53:20.135
It's easy. You just go to YouTube and put in P-R-A-T-E-R, Prater's Mechanical Mystery Tour.

00:53:21.295 --> 00:53:26.615
Prater's. Sorry, Prater's. That's all right. No big deal. I'm on Facebook, Todd Prater.

00:53:27.075 --> 00:53:33.215
And there's either going to be a Volkswagen Beetle, Bus, or Falcons on my,

00:53:33.215 --> 00:53:35.535
you know, sometimes nature scenes.

00:53:35.535 --> 00:53:40.075
But usually I have one of my vehicles I think right now I have that picture with the,

00:53:40.595 --> 00:53:44.515
This one, you talk about genetic Me at like a year and a half or two years old

00:53:44.515 --> 00:53:49.735
With a beetle and an early falcon all together It was like I was doomed,

00:53:49.755 --> 00:53:52.295
you know Yeah, crazy Yeah,

00:53:52.975 --> 00:53:57.615
Donnie, you guys have Instagram or anything like that? Any other socials?

00:53:57.775 --> 00:54:02.915
I do have Instagram, hippydoublewide Hippydoublewide Yeah Cool That's my email

00:54:02.915 --> 00:54:04.415
address Donnie, how about you?

00:54:04.415 --> 00:54:08.695
I do Instagram and Facebook, but I don't really post much about,

00:54:08.975 --> 00:54:12.775
well, I do have the Instagram. I do post some about the bus and stuff.

00:54:13.015 --> 00:54:17.955
What do I have it as? I think it's just Donald Prater at the moment is what mine is.

00:54:18.455 --> 00:54:26.175
It's just Donald, and it's a picture of this bus and a blue Ford F100 at a car show.

00:54:27.060 --> 00:54:34.480
Okay, and then tell me just real quick, behind you, there are signatures all over that VW logo.

00:54:34.940 --> 00:54:38.640
Tell me what those signatures are. That was from the Mystery Bus Campout in

00:54:38.640 --> 00:54:44.540
2006, and one of the friends that camped with us was a Volkswagen salesperson.

00:54:44.660 --> 00:54:48.000
He worked for the Volkswagen dealership in Montgomery, and he got this and gave

00:54:48.000 --> 00:54:52.580
it to me, and everybody that was on the campout signed it, and it's been up there ever since.

00:54:52.780 --> 00:54:56.700
It's getting a little—I'm going to have to get a little glue or something to stick it back on there.

00:54:57.060 --> 00:55:03.400
But you guys have come pretty close to my neck of the woods a couple times in

00:55:03.400 --> 00:55:06.020
conversation, but you just said the M word.

00:55:06.160 --> 00:55:08.220
So now I'm going to have to relate to you.

00:55:08.480 --> 00:55:12.840
So Montgomery, I had a house in Millbrook for five years.

00:55:13.400 --> 00:55:18.280
Oh, I love Millbrook. Yeah. I was a sales manager of an air conditioning company

00:55:18.280 --> 00:55:25.020
in that area called Air Now, and they serviced the Prattville area.

00:55:25.020 --> 00:55:30.400
I had a house in Millbrook and lived there So when you said Montgomery I'm like,

00:55:30.460 --> 00:55:35.500
ah, you guys are coming a little close now Yeah His girlfriend lives in Prattville.

00:55:36.340 --> 00:55:40.720
Yeah, we get over there all the time I got a couple buddies from the Tampa Bay

00:55:40.720 --> 00:55:47.000
area that live there Now, and they say That it's growing so rapidly It is,

00:55:47.060 --> 00:55:49.100
yeah They call it Pratt-Vegas,

00:55:49.880 --> 00:55:54.300
Right, about right, yep Yeah, they call it Pratt-Vegas And that's a wrap for

00:55:54.300 --> 00:55:56.460
this episode of Dub Life Diaries.

00:55:56.800 --> 00:56:00.520
Thanks for riding along with us and diving into these incredible stories of

00:56:00.520 --> 00:56:02.560
the people in the dubs that drive their dreams.

00:56:02.840 --> 00:56:07.380
If you loved today's episode, don't forget to subscribe or hit that follow button

00:56:07.380 --> 00:56:08.700
so you never miss an adventure.

00:56:09.060 --> 00:56:13.660
Do you have a story to tell or know somebody else who's living the dub life? Awesome.

00:56:13.940 --> 00:56:17.840
Reach out to us. You can find us on all socials at Dub Life Diaries.

00:56:17.960 --> 00:56:20.740
Or shoot me an email. I'm not hard to find.

00:56:21.540 --> 00:56:26.700
DoveLifeDiaries at gmail.com Until next time, keep the engines humming and the

00:56:26.700 --> 00:56:31.280
wheels turning and always follow the road that inspires you. This is Joe Person.

00:56:31.480 --> 00:56:34.300
I'm signing off. I'll catch you on the next ride.

00:56:35.280 --> 00:57:31.187
Music.