I Love VW Buses!

Bullrun Week 9 Update: Team VW Bus is Gone!

Boo! But, they went out in style. Operation Butterfly proved to be a big help to breaking more bulbs and I'm pretty sure they drove that "40 year old vehicle that we built from scratch" as best as it could have been driven. They did awesome and really represented. Wait... no they didn't. Most buses can't do what theirs did, so they were hardly a representation... oh wait. I get it; like "represent-un", all street and stuff. Cool.

So it was sad to see Team VW out of the race and I suppose I will tune in next week to see what happens. As a fan, I really don't want Team Avalanche to win, though I'm not sure who between Corvette and Shelby I like better. I must give Avalanche credit though... those rednecks can drive!

From a programming stand-point, I think it is wise of Bullrun to recruit teams with cars that have a strong cult following. A VW Bus in a cross-country rally? Well, it got a lot of attention on this blog and others, so it works from a marketing standpoint. I'm interested to see what they pull out next season... will I have to register IloveAMCPacers.com?

On another programming related note, the Special Lady Friend was watching Episode 9 with me and took note of the fact that this was "Season 2" and said "wait, they brought this show back for a second season!" Ouch. But yes, they did, and lets hope Season 3 makes it to air.

And did anyone notice how sad Mr. Goldberg was to see the VW guys go home? I'm not sure, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I saw a tear in his eye. C'mon Billy, I'm sure the VW boys will let you hang with them sometime.

Even though the show is coming to an end, don't forget next week is supposed to be the big Season Finale (even though *our* season is already over, sniffle) so follow @BullrunOnSPEED on Twitter for updates.

Oh yeah, and follow us too! @ilovevwbuses.

Bullrun Week 8 Update: Team VW Bus is still there!

I was busy last weekend and forgot to post last week's Bullrun update. Team VW Bus is still in the game, but its starting to get interesting. We'll see how they'll do when guaranteed a challenge spot. Week 9 comes on tonight at 10PM Eastern on Speed.

Follow @BullrunOnSPEED and @ilovevwbuses on Twitter!

Pictures from 2009 Texas VW Classic

We had a fantastic time at the Texas VW Classic event in Fredicksberg, Texas over the weekend. What a great site, scenic drive, and fun people. We got a lot of ideas on how to improve this website from this event. We are going to be doing some really cool stuff over the next few months. More on that later.

We took over 350 pictures at the 2009 Texas VW Classic.. they are now off the camera and are working their way to Flickr. They are now online! Below is a slideshow placeholder for the pics. As we add them, they will show up below. You can also go directly to the set on Flickr. Enjoy!

Follow @ilovevwbuses on Twitter!

Texas VW Classic This Weekend 4/18/2009 - 4/19/2009

The 2009 Texas VW Classic in Fredericksburg, TX is this weekend, April 18 - 19. The Special Lady Friend and I are gearing up for a crazy road trip to see some buses. From the looks of the row of buses in the picture above, we need to stock up on film batteries.

If you are heading out to the VW Classic, be sure to tweet about it on Twitter @ilovevwbuses.

We Broke 100 Followers on Twitter!

Thanks for following @ilovevwbuses on Twitter. Over 100 of you suckers have decided that it is not a complete waste of Twitter's precious resources to follow @ilovevwbuses. And for that, we think you are crazy are very thankful.

For those of you who have not followed @ilovevwbuses on Twitter you should. No reason, you just should. If, however, you unfollowed us, please reconsider good riddance! You were clogging up the Twitter pipes anyway.

Issue #10 of SoupUp Magazine is out!

My buddy Don produces SoupUp Magazine and he just announced Issue #10. If you haven't checked it out, and have even the slightest interest in old-school hot rods, you must take a look. He has the craziest collection of vintage Dirt Track racing, drag racing, hot rod, rat rod, whatever pics from around Texas. He puts out an issue of SoupUp Magazine every quarter so he really takes his time to produce a quality product.

You can even follow SoupUp Magazine on Twitter @soupup!

Photos from Southwest Championship Bug In on 3/29 in Ennis, Texas

There were some incredible VW Buses at the Southwest Championship Bug In last weekend, 3/29/2009, in Ennis, Texas. Below is a slideshow from our Flickr account showing all of the killer rides that showed up.

Dont' forget to follow @ilovevwbuses on Twitter... you're mama said to!

Craigslist Finds: Looking to Rent, and Looking for Lost Love

Searching Craigslist for VW Bus stuff, you never know what you will find. Sometimes you'll land a bargain, sometimes you'll see the same bus someone has been trying to off-load for $30k for the last year... good luck with all of that.

But occasionally, you find interesting posts that are outside the norm. The Special Lady Friend found a couple and sent them this way... as you should too when you find cool stuff.

The first cool Craigslist entry is for someone looking to rent a VW Bus to drive with their 12 year-old son from the DFW area in Texas to California to see a Paul McCartney concert. Sounds both really cool and frightening at the same time. I don't know of anyone who rents VW Buses, but if you do, please contact them or me... I'd love to know about them. I hope this adventure they want to take is inspired by the parent's love of the Beetles, a since of crazy adventure, or something else happy and not, well.. you know, something tragic that is about to happen and they want to have a really awesome memory.

Okay, I've wiped that odd substance that leaked from my eye and am ready to move to the next Craigslist find... some looking for their long-lost love... a 1977 VW Bus that they sold because they needed the dough and now, as we all do, really freakin' regret it! If you can help the guy out, please do. According to his post it "was black, with white and gray speckles, trim painted white, had sticker of zig zag man on back and slogan "farfromnewdude" mocking the Fahrvergnugen slogan of the time." He sold it to a guy in Garland 10 years ago.

I think this guy in Houston should read the previous link before he sells his 1977 VW Bus because he needs the dough. Sure, sometimes you really, really need the money, but you will regret it, son. How do I know? Because we all regret it once we've done it. You can always earn more money, but you can't always go get another bus.

But then there are some people who just throw caution to the wind and buy a VW Bus when they really shouldn't. Like this guy in Orange County, California who bought a VW Bus, but needs a place to park it and someone to help him tow it there. Poor guy thinks that it won't sit long since he can fix it up in a weekend. I love it... how many people have said that, and 10 years later your friend is asking when you are going to move that stupid van from their driveway... you said a weekend, two tops. You're $12,000 into the "restore," his kids are grown and in college now, and the transmission still doesn't work.

I love VW Buses, and so do you or you wouldn't be here. So follow @ilovevwbuses on Twitter, its the *right* thing to do.

Bullrun Week 7 Update: Team VW Bus is Still in the Game

Team VW made it through Week 7 of Bullrun. They came in next to last, but managed to beat out the other two teams in the challenge. Luckily they didn't have to use the VW Bus in the challenge or they might not have done so well.

The way they edit the show really makes the outcome of both the main rally and the challenges unknown. So Team VW Bus pulling out the challenge win was suprising.

The show is certainly more entertaining than it was in weeks 1 and 2, as I eluded to in the last Bullrun post. They are showing more of the interactions between the teams and within the teams. Of course, that also means we get to see Team VW Bus peeing into the wind and having it spray back on them. Fun, wholesome, family entertainment right there. But like one of the VW guys said, "at least it was my own pee."

Quality.

Follow @ilovevwbuses on Twitter... all the cool kids are doing it.