A great photo from the Anchorage Daily News: A moose in a backyard off of Wisconsin Street in Anchorage, comes face to face with a sculpture hanging from a birch tree.
Speaking of moose: When I went outside this morning to start the truck, I found a moose curled up in the snow alongside the parked Beetle. I’m not sure which one of us was more surprised at our meeting in the faint pre-dawn light.
An original Beetle with the 2014 Model
The Volkswagen Beetle hit U.S. shores 65 years ago this month. It was January of 1949 when the original Type 1 took to American roads. By the end of the 1960’s, over 400,000 Bugs were being sold per year, which is ten times what the model sells today.
The last of the iconic Type 1 was produced in Mexico in 2003.
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen
The iconic Volkswagen Type 2, or the Camper Van which it is more commonly known as, is about to follow the Beetle into the sunset. The final van will be produced in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil on 20 December of this year, ending a 63 year production run.
Using the same rear engine and axles of the VW Type 1 Beetle, the low cost, robust and easy to repair VW “Bus” gained a loyal fan base of its own.
Volkswagen stopped production of the Type 2 in Germany in 1979, then production stopped in South Africa and Mexico, leaving only the production plant in Brazil which exported to the rest of Latin America.
A special edition model, costing $37,500 will be available to the Brazil market. The demand for that model has been high enough for VW to double the numbers produced. Obviously, that makes it slightly less affordable than during it’s peak.
A fleet of VW Camper Vans available for rent in Scotland.
“Now, I don’t know if you’ve got it in your heads yet, but the Pott family wasn’t a very conventional family — that is, they were all rather out of the ordinary. …
So when it came to buying a car, they were all determined that it shouldn’t be just any car, but something a bit different from everyone else’s — not one of those black beetle sedans that looks much the same back and front so that, in the distance, you don’t know if it’s coming or going, but something rather special — something rather adventurous.”
——— Ian Fleming
Illustration courtsey of ianfleming.com
A busy weekend. The weather continues to be phenomenal here in Interior Alaska. Other than mosquitos, this has been one hell of a good summer.
After replacing the master cylinder in the Veedub a few weeks ago, I had the main brake line running to the rear brakes crack. I knew full well that I should have replaced all the lines, but I just wanted to drive the car and replaced what I obviously had to. No doubt, I weakened this line by removal/refit and it popped about a week later. The damn thing runs through the car, and I had to remove the driver’s seat to replace the line. Judging by the corrosion, I’m sure it’s original to the car. The line was a pain, especially disconnecting it at the rear ‘T’. Luckily, that Kroil spray works magic and the Bug was quickly back on the road. I must say one thing: It was the easiest vehicle I have ever bled the brakes on. And I did it solo! Damn. I couldn’t help but glare over at the Land Rover when I was finished.
I took a couple of the dogs out to The Pond in the afternoon, and was surprised at how close to the shore I could get. Normally, one can not get close without waders, but I was out there on it’s edge in tennis shoes. No rain to speak of for an entire summer will dry up the sponge. It will also, with the help of a healthy dragon fly population, take down the mosquito numbers. They are finally getting to a manageable level.
It was a vehicle weekend here in The ‘Banks. On Saturday, after recuperating from the Solstice fun, I installed a new master cylinder in the Beetle, as well as a couple of new lines. Luckily, I also installed a set of speed bleeders, because the “friend” who I had to bribe with beer to help bleed the brakes, showed up once I had already bled the vehicle solo. “Anything I can do to help?” Nope. “Where’s the beer?” You don’t get any. “Why the hell not?” You didn’t help, ya slimey bastard.
For those of you who thought The Rover’s mud flaps left a little to be desired, you’ll be happy to know that I installed a new set of those on Sunday, as well as a spiffy new interior mirror. In the 10 years or so that I have driven The Rover, it has never had a rear view mirror… until Sunday. Not that I’ve thought about using it yet, but it is there, hanging from the windscreen, looking completely out of place.
Looking at the tint the lighting makes up here in the north, it makes me feel like I’m living under a glacier.
Sunrise: 10:55am
Sunset: 2:39pm
Daylight Hours: 3hrs 44mins
High Temp: -37F
Low Temp: -46F
After near record rainfall for an October storm on Sunday and Monday, the skies cleared, the northern lights filled the sky and the temps dropped down to a very hard freeze last night. It was sunny and slightly above freezing today, so I took the Bug to the jobsite for one last seasonal run. I topped off the tank on the way home, adding some SeaFoam, then took off the roof rack and pulled over the car cover. I’m guessing that Bug Season is over for the year with snow on the agenda for this weekend.
The aurora gave a phenomenal show last night, absolutely covering the sky above Fairbanks. We’re down to a Level 3 tonight on the Aurora Forecast Scale.
