John Kinkead’s

Volkswagen Beetle Story


It all started at a New Years Eve party in December of 1979 when I saw “The Love Bug". Ever since I saw it I wanted a Volkswagen Beetle.  I was five years old and that movie made a big impression on that young kid, and I always knew I would own one some day

I got my first bug when I was 15, and I paid $800 for it. This Beetle was a yellow `73. For a year, I took it apart and learned how the Beetle went together. Its floors were rusted out and a post welded to the bottom to hold the center piece of the front sets. It also had pop riveted sheet metal for the rest of the floor.

I had always planed on getting new floors on that Bug and restoring it, but that never happened. I would drive this car for about 2 months after turning 16 and I bought my second `73 Beetle for only $500.

Well that second bug was my undoing! I didn't know enough about Beetles at that time and didn't have it checked out. The front end was rusted out and it would snap about two weeks after buying it. The worst part about buying this car was that I used parts off my first Beetle to make this one nice, and the engine on my first bug locked up.

My two `73’s would be taken off to the junkyard in the summer of `91. Later that year, I would be talking with a teacher about Beetles, and how I was looking for a 1967 Beetle. He would tell me about another kid whose parents were thinking about selling a `67 Beetle.

I found out the person's name and went to their house. I asked if they were selling their Beetle and it turned out that it belonged to a sister that just moved to Minnesota. They needed to sell this Texas Beetle and it had been in Ohio for only 2 years. They hadn't advertised it yet and I was able to look at it and get it checked over by the local classic VW repair shop.

The greatest part about this story is how much I paid. I paid only $900 for it. (I was willing to pay up to $2000 for this car.) The only rust it had was behind the back seat, one quarter size hole in the floor and a quarter size holes behind each front tire.

I've now had this car since late October 1991 and it seems like part of the family. Over the years I redid all the seats in new back vinyl and replaced the padding. I also got new carpet and updated some small pieces around the car. I'm in the process of finishing the painting of the car, and still need to finish putting the car back together. 

The Beetle was originally Zenith Blue but was repainted in the 70’s a light blue. After painting the car once in 2002 Zenith Blue, I now understood why it was repainted a light blue in the 70’s. So, since the car was still in pieces, I decided, let me do this again. So about two years later, it’s now Lotus White. I had to keep it true to the `67 model year, but I think White fits this car better.

The next Beetle I owned was my 1999 New Beetle, from July of 1999 to January of 2005.

When the New Beetle was first introduced, I went to Detroit Auto Show in January of 1998 just to see it. I knew one day I would buy one, but how would I afford it? Well it took me until the second model year.

I originally wanted yellow, like my first Bug, but they still had a waiting list and I didn't want to wait any longer. I chose my second favorite New Beetle color, black. It was a 5 speed GLS with the factory rims/hubcaps. I would add aftermarket American Racing wheels about two months after buying it.

 I had no intention in buying an automatic New Beetle since every Beetle I ever owned had been standard Transmission. But since my wife doesn’t know how to a drive standard transmission vehicle, when I get another New Beetle, it’ll have to be an automatic.

I think black is one of the best colors on the Beetle, but I still want a yellow Beetle. Now Volkswagen has an orange/red Beetle which is now a close second to yellow. But from the looks of it, they are changing the Beetle for the 2006. The colors are now a little different and it now has a 5 cylinder engine. The great thing about the change is that they’ve fixed some of the original design flaws in the interior and it’s has a standard 150hp engine with good gas mileage. 

Unfortunately in January of 2005 I had to trade in my 1999 Beetle for a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe. With a little one on the way, my wife and I need a bigger vehicle. My `99 Beetle had glitches and it was getting high on miles. I hope when I get another Beetle someday, I won’t have as many problems. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked my Beetle but O2 sensors and etc. get expensive after a while.

I’ve always loved the original Beetle and I really like the New Beetles. If Volkswagen has fixed some of the problems with the New Beetle, it will make me feel a lot better about getting another.

Besides my old Beetles, I’ve owned a number of Hyundai’s. These cars remind me of what people have said the Bugs were all about back in the 60’s. They sell well built vehicles, they don’t cost you very much, and they’re easy to maintain if you take care of them. Also, Hyundai stands behind their vehicles with excellent warranty. I currently own 3 vehicles and two are Hyundai’s. I also owned two Hyundai’s prior to the 1999 Elantra, which I still have today.