Groovy Days with the Davenports Ep7

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Music.

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Dub Life Diaries, the podcast where passion meets the open road.

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I'm Joe Person, your host and also a lifelong dubber.

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Buckle up because this ride is just beginning.

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This podcast is sponsored by Volksmania Magazine. Good times,

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great cars, awesome Volksmaniacs.

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Visit volksmania.com to learn more about this class-leading VW magazine.

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Welcome back to Dub Live Diaries, the podcast where we dive headfirst into the

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stories, the passion, and obsession that fuel the Volkswagen community.

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Today, I've got one that is absolutely awesome for you.

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I'm sitting down with Greg and Andrea Davenport, the powerhouse couple behind

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Groovy Day's VW photo bus.

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Their story isn't just an old school bus with a camera in the back.

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This is more about legacy, about adventure, and about an unshakable love for

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vintage VWs that runs very deep.

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From military service to road tripping across the country, they've lived a life

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full of twists and turns, maybe even a few breakdowns along the way,

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some mechanical, some might even be personal.

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But we're talking dream builds, road trip highs, and those moments that leave

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you stranded on the side of the road at 2 a.m.

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Have you thinking, what am I even doing out this late anyway? But guess what?

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That's the magic of the dub life. Lifestyle. That's what we do.

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It's unpredictable. It's wild.

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And it's damn sure never boring.

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So lock in because this conversation is going to be one for the books.

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Greg and Andrea, welcome to the show.

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Thank you thank you for having us we're excited yeah thank you guys i do appreciate

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you guys spending time i've contacted a lot of companies and i've been really

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working on trying to get guests so i just really appreciate your time thank you guys.

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All right. Before we dive in, I do have a couple of shout outs to explore.

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Number one on my list is my wife. I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world,

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but Stephanie is her name. And I do just want to thank her for her endless support.

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I think my success is because of her support.

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So a shout out also to my buddy, good VW dude. His name is Dave Holmes.

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Dave did the logo and artwork and also does artwork for the events that we do locally here.

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If you're looking for a fresh perspective on VW art for your show or any stickers,

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give my buddy Dave a jingle on Instagram.

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He's DJ Dave Wave 138. So let me spell it for you.

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On Instagram, you type in the at sign, you say DJ D-A-V-E, like Dave is first

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name, and then wave W-A-V-E 138.

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Hit him up for any type of artwork. My buddy, Paul Kay, Volksmania Magazine.

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Man, this one I'm just excited about because I've just got stuff coming.

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I've got a feature. Dub Life Diaries has a feature in the magazine coming where

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we're going to explore previous episodes and just kind of hit the print vibe

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that really is kind of, I feel coming back. I'm just super grateful.

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And we're covering some shows in Florida this year that are going to get magazine exposure.

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Volksmania's International, they got magazine Issues coming out all over the

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world So how awesome it is to Have that opportunity and then lastly This blew my mind this week y'all,

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My podcast hit number one in Poland and in Ireland this week.

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I woke up in the morning to being number one out of hundreds and hundreds of

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automotive and leisure style podcasts. I hit number one.

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So I want to thank Ireland and Poland for making my podcast number one.

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I greatly appreciate the support.

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I'm happy you guys are vibing with the podcast.

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All right, guys. Sorry to take your time. That's awesome. Excited news.

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Sorry to take your time away. Back to you guys. No, congrats.

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That's a big deal. You have every right. You've earned the right. Oh, thank you.

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Congratulations. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. That's so cool.

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All right. So back to you guys. So how did today start for you two?

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Any VW related adventures before sitting down with me today?

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No. Zero. Not today. Yeah. They're covered right here to my left in the backyard.

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And we went to work. We have three kids. Went to school, worked full-time,

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picked up kids, had tutoring, ones at baseball practice right now.

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Cooked dinner. Yeah, I got off work. I hate, you know, I drive an Atlas.

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So I did. I wasn't a VW today.

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Okay. But it wasn't air cool. That's all right. I guess it did then.

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You did have a VW adventure.

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And no mishaps that we were at. You did your day. Okay.

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So Groovy Days VW Photo Bus, what's the elevator pitch? If somebody asks you

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guys, hey, what do you guys do as far as the photo bus goes? How do you answer?

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So we do events and photo shoots. And I think our big thing is we provide all the props for that.

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So we show up, we set it up.

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So then the event can happen or the photographers can come with their clients,

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snap away, and then when they're done, they hit the road.

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So we set up, supply everything quick and easy, and everyone gets to enjoy Groovy Days.

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Okay. I think you cheated up. I think the biggest thing you kind of hit it on

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the head when we, when you intro to us around like, Hey, we're not your typical,

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you know, carved out photo booth style VW bus, which you see all over the country.

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And, and so, you know, I think the biggest piece is like keeping it original,

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but what the niche or really what our business plan and idea around it is that

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we provide everything for you.

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We make a great backdrop prop, you know, it could be turned into a photo booth

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setting, but we're never going to take the inside out and never customize it.

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You know, I love the concept. I really do.

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And I admire it, but it's not what we do here, you know, keeping it all original.

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So other than the wheels, everything's all original. And what's super cool about

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it is we've had it for 15 years and we got it, you know, from.

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Essentially the original owner, you know, somebody that bought the estate and

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the house came with the with the car came with the house, but kind of getting

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off track of what groovy days is and how this organically happened.

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I can tell you from just being at different events and parties and everybody knowing we have it.

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And for years driving down the street and everybody honks and everybody waves.

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And I can tell you how many times I've had a parking lot or at my store or anywhere we are.

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And I look outside and people are just taking pictures with it.

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You know, they're out there doing selfies in the parking lot with the bus.

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And I always think, wow, that would be so cool. And I would be so inspired by

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what I would see with the photo booth concepts. I've loved it for years.

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And I thought, wow. And then, like I was telling you before we got started,

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it just kind of organically happened one year ago.

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We just anniversaried one year of being what we are.

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And our business model is we will provide whatever you need to make a unique,

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conversation piece for your party, for your event, for a photo,

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for a backdrop. And it's been so fun because people love it and they've been hiring us.

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I have to say this because I felt this when, when I contacted you and I feel

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like this happens all the time with VW people,

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even though I was, I was reaching out to a business owner that owns a VW photo

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bus, but I found a whole lot more, right?

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I found you guys. And then I found this amazing story that we're going to get

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into today that's deeply rooted in the Volkswagen community.

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That's why I'm doing this podcast because this is what I'm trying to do.

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I'm trying to celebrate these types of stories and this type of lifestyle because

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this isn't what you do full-time.

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And I value that because guess what?

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Podcasting isn't what I do full-time. So I understand I'm just passionate about

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Volkswagens and the air-cooled lifestyle because I get to meet,

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interview people like you.

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And I just, yeah, man, I'm just grateful. So every great VW story,

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I feel like it starts somewhere.

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So for both of you, you guys have almost like DNA in the Volkswagen community.

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Now, normally I'm a Southern gentleman. So my dad taught me,

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you know, ladies first. But in this case, I'm gonna go with Greg first.

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So Greg, you grew up in Tennessee, moved to Florida in 92. What was that transition like?

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Well, that was a tough transition. That was a culture shock for sure.

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I was 12 years old with a thick Southern accent and got thrown into middle school. In South Florida.

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In South Florida. In Fort Lauderdale. So it was a tough transition.

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Well, it wasn't that tough. I made friends quick and I was like,

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whoa, there's canals everywhere and I love to fish.

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So I could fish everywhere and ride

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my bike everywhere and parks everywhere so

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looking back I think it was tough but as a 12 year old you just roll with it

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you know you're resilient and just go with it yeah yeah and that's how we we

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met in in middle school and high school oh cool yeah I love I love these types

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of stories these are great,

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i remember when he had that that accent his southern accent you don't hear that

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drama yeah i don't have it my parents still have it it may come out sometimes but not really,

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but i have uncles and cousins in chattanooga that are in the wagon scene oh

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yeah and that's where the is now in chattanooga and they have a big car show

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up there of an uncle that works At the Volkswagen dealership.

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Oh, cool. Everyone loves the Volkswagen. Everyone's got a story.

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You're right. That's why I'm doing this, man. So you spent 19 years in the Coast Guard.

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By the way, thank you so much for your service. I do appreciate that.

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But how did the Coast Guard shape your love for adventure?

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Wow. I think I always had the adventure in me. I think that was partly why I joined.

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But, yeah, I mean, I've traveled the country and the world with the Coast Guard.

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I've been very lucky that we've been in South Florida serving for the last 15 years.

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So since 2010, we've been here. I did have to go to the Middle East for a year.

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I got deployed there, but then I came right back.

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But, yeah, it's all about adventure. Being on a boat in the middle of the ocean

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and seeing the sunsets and catching the fish and catching the bad guys.

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Yeah, more of the bad guys.

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I love the adventure.

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You know, I could get in an RV or a Westie and travel the country for two years and be very content.

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Nice. I could too. I could too. So I'm wondering, when did VWs first catch your eye?

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Now, was this, was it from your dad when you were young? Or what was the moment

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when you said to yourself, you

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know what, I'm doing it. I'm going to go ahead and get me one of these.

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Yeah. So it started when I was young. My dad had a Beetle. he's not a car guy

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or a Volkswagen guy, but in the eighties, I think a lot of people have those

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memories and, you know, thoughts.

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There's a lot more Volkswagens around. So we had a four screen Beetle have no idea what year it is.

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Had a big rust spot in the back quarter panel and my brother and sister,

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you know, called it the birthmark of the car.

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So I have that on memory of, you know, riding around in a beetle and then Herbie.

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I mean, we all grew up, I would, you know, grew up in the eighties.

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So watching Herbie, we all watched it. We were fond of it. It's part of our life.

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And then, so I always liked them. And then in Seattle in 2009,

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they were everywhere in Seattle.

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So I was stationed in Seattle for four years, pretty kids, and they were everywhere.

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So I'm like, I got, I got to get one. Your dad bikes Volkswagen's right.

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Because I always heard the stories about Jerry. Cause I knew Jerry since I was

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in middle school, but he was, he, her dad, Jerry y'all.

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Wasn't in the scene didn't own him i never saw him

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work on him but there was always these stories about in

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the yeah 60s and 70s yeah it

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was his first car lots of volswagons i i was brought home from the hospital

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in a square back a red square back i think that there was he always was into

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porsches and v-dubs and since he was a kid because they were easy to work on

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and they were the everyday car you know every they were everywhere and so i when i was young.

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My parents split and i was raised by

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my dad and my my dad raised all four of

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us and so there was a time where you know he worked for

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the phone company he worked for bell south for 35 years but he

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always did was always a car person my dad was always under

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a car we had lots of cars there's always cars and and

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he he took some time off i think from like the business

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side of it and do it in flipping cars and fixing engines and doing

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the repairs because you know he worked full time at the phone

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company and he was raising us kids so it wasn't until

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after he retired everybody was kind of grown and moved

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out that he kind of got back into it and that was around the

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time so greg and i got married in 2006 and that

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was around the time that we were talking and i think he did

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dad get a there was something like a 914 or something that he was he i don't

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know anyway i don't remember that but we were in seattle so i really wanted

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one and she was pregnant eight months pregnant and Jerry was coming out to Seattle

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to help us out, you know, with our first child, we didn't know what we were doing.

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My dad got very close. Yeah. He raised me since I was 10.

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We had an aunt and uncle that lived in Seattle. So we had a little support,

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but he was coming out, brothers, sisters were coming out and,

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and I started talking to him.

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Hey, when you come out here, will you help me find a bus? And he's like, absolutely.

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So right when he got there, we started looking at all of them and...

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It blew my mind, his knowledge, because I just didn't know. I'd always heard

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the stories. But we rolled up to one.

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We rolled up to the one we own now. And it was a German guy had passed. It was an estate sale.

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It was the original owner. And there was a tree growing out of it. It hadn't run for years.

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And I negotiated a price with him. And then Jerry's like, don't worry, I'll get it running.

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So I negotiated the price, bought it. Believe it or not. And then we drove it home.

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We really did. We showed up with a gallon of gas. we had gas and we had a battery

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he knew exactly what we needed and then during that two months of that visit

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we bought three buses and a bug yeah so we stayed out there none of them ran

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we'd show up and he drove them home so i was looking at him like he was a wizard.

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And he was having so much fun he just like flew his love came back his love

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came back And it never stops.

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Yes. And so this was like 15 years ago. So he would have been about like 62,

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65, you know, about, and yeah.

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And he just really just jumped right into it.

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And then he reconnected with his old buddies from down here and built such a community.

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And actually for the last about eight years, he's been running,

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he ran a shop out of the back of his house over here in Oakland park.

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And he left that house to my brother. and that's how that that's now my brother

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take is doing it and i i don't know if you you say you sent him a video or send

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him a little bit i was like what's up with that split,

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well that's cleaned up i mean when when

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jerry was running you'd show up and there'd be a porsche the cleanest nicest

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cars and then two weeks later there are like five new ones and you're like whoa

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look at that one so every time you showed up it was like an adventure of what

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was going to be so cool because it it just like one it was like this different side of my dad but it also.

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Brought us like so much you

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know friends and community and when he so what we ended up doing is flipping

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all of those and we made no not this one obviously not this one but that was

00:17:03.961 --> 00:17:08.921
the best one but it was you know we decided because we were like wow this is

00:17:08.921 --> 00:17:12.661
so lucrative and my dad's My dad has flipped cars his whole life,

00:17:12.701 --> 00:17:14.021
so that's all he was thinking about last.

00:17:14.301 --> 00:17:16.341
It wasn't like, wow, I need to kind of,

00:17:16.839 --> 00:17:20.199
a reserve and plus we were all the way he was always Seattle Washington he

00:17:20.199 --> 00:17:23.159
was always he would have sold this one we're like no we're not selling it

00:17:23.159 --> 00:17:25.939
he would no he would have wanted us no he would

00:17:25.939 --> 00:17:28.699
have wanted us to get a better one we can get you a

00:17:28.699 --> 00:17:32.019
better one we can get you yeah that's what he would say yeah well we have a

00:17:32.019 --> 00:17:36.919
great story about that it hadn't been registered since 1986 and when we rolled

00:17:36.919 --> 00:17:40.559
up there because it was on Craigslist and we we rolled up there and it was up

00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:44.199
in a big brownstone in the University of Washington district of downtown Seattle

00:17:44.199 --> 00:17:45.979
and it was like up on a hill And it was like,

00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:48.999
kind of like locked in with some Brit, like bricks were holding it in there.

00:17:49.219 --> 00:17:52.739
And the wheels were so square. They had been sitting there probably 10 years.

00:17:52.899 --> 00:17:55.459
And like I said, it hadn't been registered since 86. So who knows?

00:17:56.059 --> 00:17:59.659
And the fact that he got it running, I think what it really needed was a master

00:17:59.659 --> 00:18:02.179
cylinder and brakes and just the normal stuff.

00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:06.439
Cause it was rotted out, but it was all like there, everything was there.

00:18:06.739 --> 00:18:10.319
So the fact that it was like, wow, you know, everything was original.

00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:14.899
Everything we were finding was just so pulled apart and just so custom down.

00:18:14.899 --> 00:18:17.539
Oh, and lots of, yeah, lots of rags and just real rusty out,

00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:20.339
but not as rusty as they are over here on this side of town,

00:18:20.539 --> 00:18:24.099
on this side of the country with the salt in the air we have here. Not as much rust.

00:18:24.419 --> 00:18:28.019
That's why there were so many more there. You know, you go on the Craigslist

00:18:28.019 --> 00:18:32.659
or Samba or like whatever marketplace, there's a lot more inventory out there.

00:18:33.379 --> 00:18:35.359
Cheap. I mean, probably better shape.

00:18:36.139 --> 00:18:40.659
Yeah. Right. When we got back to South Florida, I mean, the price is doubled

00:18:40.659 --> 00:18:42.379
out there. It was so cheap.

00:18:42.739 --> 00:18:45.979
So it was interesting. I spent nine, 10, 11,

00:18:46.219 --> 00:18:52.259
I spent 11 years in Colorado and, you know, I've always been a Volkswagen guy and you were just,

00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:56.979
I was just shocked at the amount of cars you could find out there for 5,500

00:18:56.979 --> 00:19:00.759
bucks on the side of the road that you look at them, you're looking for rust

00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:01.799
and you just don't see it.

00:19:02.417 --> 00:19:07.917
It just doesn't make you so dry out. But Andrew, we're on your side.

00:19:08.017 --> 00:19:10.157
Now, we talked about Greg's path a little bit.

00:19:10.337 --> 00:19:15.537
I want to switch over to your side. Now, we got a pretty good presentation of

00:19:15.537 --> 00:19:17.557
your father, which was Jerry Yaw.

00:19:17.677 --> 00:19:21.817
You talked a little bit about his Volkswagen and Porsche roots.

00:19:22.617 --> 00:19:27.857
You were just talking about the 80s, though, and that's what I wanted to hit on just a little bit.

00:19:27.857 --> 00:19:33.957
You said that he started jy's german was it german garage in the 80s tell me a little bit about,

00:19:34.677 --> 00:19:37.797
yeah yeah yeah well i remember

00:19:37.797 --> 00:19:42.997
so like i said i've always remembered my dad under a car and and cars one of

00:19:42.997 --> 00:19:46.617
the last volkswagens that i can remember i was probably like nine or ten years

00:19:46.617 --> 00:19:52.757
old and it was it was a split probably a 68 or something bus and it was brown

00:19:52.757 --> 00:19:55.077
tan brown and it was empty.

00:19:55.237 --> 00:19:58.417
It had nothing on the inside. And I remember running, like dad was driving it

00:19:58.417 --> 00:19:59.757
and I was like going everywhere.

00:20:00.497 --> 00:20:04.917
And, and that was really what I remember as far as like growing up,

00:20:05.077 --> 00:20:07.517
he always was in, had buddies that had shops.

00:20:07.757 --> 00:20:12.537
So we would go to like, I can remember like, you know, the smell I,

00:20:12.697 --> 00:20:15.277
I, I always, you know, Volkswagens have a smell.

00:20:15.497 --> 00:20:21.837
They just know what it is. And, and I can remember that smell from a really, really young age.

00:20:21.957 --> 00:20:24.737
So I, I would say, you know that and then

00:20:24.737 --> 00:20:27.917
just my dad was always so good at fixing cars and

00:20:27.917 --> 00:20:30.557
fixing houses and just you know he knew how to do

00:20:30.557 --> 00:20:33.437
those things and and so it wouldn't it

00:20:33.437 --> 00:20:36.657
wasn't out of kind of character when he started what

00:20:36.657 --> 00:20:39.717
he started to end up doing was he connected with one of his 40 year

00:20:39.717 --> 00:20:42.837
old buddies 40 year longtime friend buddy that

00:20:42.837 --> 00:20:45.797
was actually really close to here where we are where

00:20:45.797 --> 00:20:48.857
we live here in hollywood he was just you know a mile away

00:20:48.857 --> 00:20:51.677
and and no idea we had no idea and so

00:20:51.677 --> 00:20:54.437
that was really cool because when we kind of sparked

00:20:54.437 --> 00:20:57.357
that fire behind dad to get back in it and he's

00:20:57.357 --> 00:21:00.717
now he's wow i can do it he said i want to look up marshall

00:21:00.717 --> 00:21:04.237
painter and find out where marshall painter is and when he found out he was

00:21:04.237 --> 00:21:08.437
there they just reconnected he had a vw shop oh my goodness i couldn't believe

00:21:08.437 --> 00:21:15.597
it and that's so cool dad started doing the bug he got the bug and never left

00:21:15.597 --> 00:21:20.317
him again it didn't until his until his deathbed and i and it's just so interesting You know,

00:21:20.457 --> 00:21:24.997
I have a picture of him that was like one week before he passed and he's sitting on the.

00:21:25.706 --> 00:21:28.786
On the front bumper of my brother's beetle.

00:21:29.066 --> 00:21:35.066
My brother's, I think has a 72 or 72 and Matthew's beetle. It's in sixties.

00:21:35.286 --> 00:21:40.086
His blue one. Oh, anyway, it's anyway, my, my dad's sitting on there and you

00:21:40.086 --> 00:21:44.006
know, he's real sickly looking and he's got doing a peace sign and it's just

00:21:44.006 --> 00:21:46.386
like, you know, it's, it just.

00:21:47.026 --> 00:21:52.426
He, I'm glad he got to do that in the last, his last 10 years. I really am.

00:21:52.886 --> 00:21:56.026
And toy. Yeah. And we got our, we

00:21:56.026 --> 00:21:59.526
luckily got our engine rebuilt by

00:21:59.526 --> 00:22:03.066
him like the year before he passed suddenly so

00:22:03.066 --> 00:22:06.646
looking back we're so happy that we we

00:22:06.646 --> 00:22:10.146
made that decision but joe i'll tell you for with that because

00:22:10.146 --> 00:22:14.146
we have the so you know you life goes like this right and the thing about classic

00:22:14.146 --> 00:22:17.886
cars and just that's your hobby and you don't always have the time maybe life

00:22:17.886 --> 00:22:21.766
gets in the way so there's been times i know our kids when they were small like

00:22:21.766 --> 00:22:25.566
we weren't maybe cruising the bus as much right and we weren't putting maybe

00:22:25.566 --> 00:22:28.086
as much money into it or putting much love into it.

00:22:28.246 --> 00:22:31.726
And I look back into that time, you know, it's just kind of the way it goes.

00:22:31.846 --> 00:22:36.366
So then now it was a point where I was like, you know, Hey, I've always had

00:22:36.366 --> 00:22:39.846
this sweet spot for the bus and just driving.

00:22:39.986 --> 00:22:42.986
It brings me to a happy place. Like when that was just my, like I,

00:22:43.126 --> 00:22:47.186
if I just needed, like, I got to get like in my good space. Like I would just

00:22:47.186 --> 00:22:51.626
cruise the bus and I kind of forget where I'm going with, Oh, with the engine.

00:22:51.846 --> 00:22:56.086
So for the longest time, you know, we're making money with our jobs and everybody

00:22:56.086 --> 00:22:58.426
got a successful life and years ago by the kids are getting older.

00:22:58.666 --> 00:23:02.206
Dad's really involved in the, in the V-dub, you know, repair and,

00:23:02.306 --> 00:23:05.566
and has built such a community and knows so many people.

00:23:05.786 --> 00:23:10.606
I have a video of the ride that we did for him on hit on the memorial that we

00:23:10.606 --> 00:23:14.326
had for him out of Reynolds park over here in North Miami beach. And.

00:23:14.877 --> 00:23:20.897
It was really cool we had like we had 30 30 cars deep volkswagons we did a ride

00:23:20.897 --> 00:23:23.637
from the beach all the way out west to 27.

00:23:24.117 --> 00:23:30.177
Awesome and and but so the community that he he created i guess clients friends

00:23:30.177 --> 00:23:32.997
so he's rolling it and you know the years are going by and he's like listen

00:23:32.997 --> 00:23:35.317
we gotta rebuild the engine we gotta rebuild the engine because it's all it

00:23:35.317 --> 00:23:38.677
was all original like everything in there it was going right we had we just

00:23:38.677 --> 00:23:43.757
we rebuilt some things but like really didn't get in there, take the heads off and do rego,

00:23:43.857 --> 00:23:46.637
just start, you know, get it all new in there.

00:23:47.117 --> 00:23:50.617
Yeah. And he was pushing to do it and he, and I, and we kept putting it off and up.

00:23:50.757 --> 00:23:54.077
And then when Greg deployed, he was gone for a year, you know,

00:23:54.277 --> 00:23:57.337
and, and we had a little extra money and I said, I want to put it in the bus.

00:23:57.797 --> 00:24:02.137
And that's when, you know, I got it repainted and we did some of the rust and

00:24:02.137 --> 00:24:06.997
the headliner and we rebuilt the engine and got her back to,

00:24:07.137 --> 00:24:11.797
you know, where she needed to be because everything was 1972 and needed a little love.

00:24:12.697 --> 00:24:18.357
But I think I look back on that, Joe, and I think that my dad maybe knew he was sick.

00:24:18.597 --> 00:24:23.497
And there was like this strong emphasis of like putting that time into the bus

00:24:23.497 --> 00:24:26.217
for us, which, you know, for a while he was too busy.

00:24:26.317 --> 00:24:30.077
He was working on other people's cars and he was, you know, he was making money

00:24:30.077 --> 00:24:32.117
and working on other people's cars and just really have time.

00:24:32.197 --> 00:24:32.977
And we didn't have the time.

00:24:33.117 --> 00:24:38.577
So the way that it, But looking back, of course, I think it was all meant to be.

00:24:38.737 --> 00:24:42.877
It was all meant to be. And to Greg's point, we're really thankful that we rebuilt

00:24:42.877 --> 00:24:44.277
the engine before he passed away.

00:24:44.497 --> 00:24:49.137
You had mentioned even earlier, your brothers are all VW guys too.

00:24:49.177 --> 00:24:52.497
How does it feel to know that the legacy is still rolling on?

00:24:53.557 --> 00:24:58.637
Special. And it's very warming. And it's comforting.

00:24:58.637 --> 00:25:04.117
And I think that it's like a life cycle of what keeps us. it even keeps us close

00:25:04.117 --> 00:25:08.217
you know my my little brother Matthew there's eight years between us and we're

00:25:08.217 --> 00:25:12.337
the closest now you know we weren't practically neighbors because my other brothers

00:25:12.337 --> 00:25:13.577
live two hours away in Port St.

00:25:13.657 --> 00:25:18.077
Lucie but Matthew taking over the shop and all the knowledge we didn't even

00:25:18.077 --> 00:25:22.617
know that he had the knowledge that he has and he was able to just pick that

00:25:22.617 --> 00:25:26.077
right but of course you know he's been driving he's been pushing a beetle for

00:25:26.077 --> 00:25:30.957
almost 10 years as a daily driver you know and all my brothers are pretty mechanically

00:25:30.957 --> 00:25:32.397
inclined to know you know, the basics.

00:25:32.597 --> 00:25:35.917
And so, you know, the more I know about Volkswagens, you know,

00:25:36.117 --> 00:25:39.017
the people tell me is Volkswagens are pretty easy to work on.

00:25:39.357 --> 00:25:42.357
And, and one of the more easier cars, you know, once you know,

00:25:42.497 --> 00:25:46.817
and you get what you're doing, but we still, my brother saves the day for us,

00:25:46.977 --> 00:25:48.717
you know, quite often. Yeah.

00:25:51.517 --> 00:25:54.917
I want to, I want to touch on him for a second. Cause I think that was,

00:25:55.057 --> 00:25:59.217
that was Jerry's last shop, right? The home shop that was Oakland park.

00:26:00.140 --> 00:26:05.820
It was. Yes. Okay. He passed away there. And Matthew is the one that took that over, right?

00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:11.120
Yes. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So this was dad's house?

00:26:11.800 --> 00:26:17.580
It was. Yeah. So we had a small house on a double lot and had a shop in the back.

00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:22.280
Big yard, fenced out, and a big garage with a couple concrete slabs.

00:26:22.800 --> 00:26:28.080
You know, I actually fantasize about that right now. At my house,

00:26:28.360 --> 00:26:33.820
I have a decent size space over on the left side near where the master bedroom is.

00:26:34.020 --> 00:26:39.620
And I've always pictured in my mind, I've got a little garage over there and it's got a lift.

00:26:39.800 --> 00:26:45.660
And I don't have to mess my back up because I'm 47. I got a bad back now. I can just lift the car.

00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:50.640
So honestly, dream come true, right?

00:26:50.740 --> 00:26:53.680
You're at home and you can work on your cars. yeah and

00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:56.560
i don't even know if he knew it was gonna end up

00:26:56.560 --> 00:26:59.480
that way i think you just started working on one and then

00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:03.280
another one came and then all of a sudden there's engines

00:27:03.280 --> 00:27:07.040
everywhere beaters nice ones good ones there's

00:27:07.040 --> 00:27:10.100
so much stuff it grew so when hurricanes

00:27:10.100 --> 00:27:13.400
came we had to rush there and worry

00:27:13.400 --> 00:27:16.300
you know we had to start a

00:27:16.300 --> 00:27:19.760
lot of stuff down i bet especially nowadays

00:27:19.760 --> 00:27:22.760
they're all such good investments oh yeah

00:27:22.760 --> 00:27:25.640
well and one of the things i remember my dad used to say is that what was

00:27:25.640 --> 00:27:29.020
great for him is that everybody loved vws and

00:27:29.020 --> 00:27:33.080
everybody was you know into the culture and the community but not everybody

00:27:33.080 --> 00:27:37.320
knew how to work on them and that was what was great for him because you know

00:27:37.320 --> 00:27:42.760
i he would get calls all day long and it's all types of people which was so

00:27:42.760 --> 00:27:46.300
cool that it's just not like one type of person.

00:27:46.620 --> 00:27:50.000
And so it is just, yeah.

00:27:50.180 --> 00:27:53.000
So when I think about kind of back to your question, it's a very,

00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:59.160
it's very special that my brothers are in it and involved and all have Volkswagens.

00:27:59.580 --> 00:28:05.160
And my brother, Ian, actually, my dad gave him his 914. Yeah. Awesome. All right.

00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:10.660
Let's talk about the bus. Heart of Groovy Days. So the bus was purchased in Seattle.

00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:16.380
Greg, you were stationed there. And I think I have this question How'd you find it?

00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:20.080
But I think you answered that already When you said that you and Jerry went

00:28:20.080 --> 00:28:25.600
looking That's right We started looking Found it and then we kept finding more

00:28:25.600 --> 00:28:26.960
But like she said earlier.

00:28:27.688 --> 00:28:30.868
Every the story was the same most of the time i'm

00:28:30.868 --> 00:28:33.788
gonna work on i thought i was gonna work on i took it apart but

00:28:33.788 --> 00:28:38.728
now i don't know i don't know how to put it back together right we've found

00:28:38.728 --> 00:28:41.928
a lot like that but yeah we bought this one

00:28:41.928 --> 00:28:45.168
for four hundred dollars believe it or not there's

00:28:45.168 --> 00:28:48.228
a little more of that story but but four hundred

00:28:48.228 --> 00:28:51.128
dollars we negotiated eight hundred but didn't

00:28:51.128 --> 00:28:54.468
have the title so it was listed for a thousand so we

00:28:54.468 --> 00:28:57.508
got it for a and then we

00:28:57.508 --> 00:29:00.348
negotiate 100 then it said when i

00:29:00.348 --> 00:29:03.408
get the title paid the other 400 the guy could never find it

00:29:03.408 --> 00:29:06.328
so you know we got to apply for an antique

00:29:06.328 --> 00:29:08.968
title it was clean and free and it you know it was

00:29:08.968 --> 00:29:12.028
all well from there i believe things have changed in the laws but

00:29:12.028 --> 00:29:14.928
the registering it was florida fast title if it was over

00:29:14.928 --> 00:29:17.908
a certain age and the vin was clean you could.

00:29:17.908 --> 00:29:20.808
Apply for an you know lost title new title and so

00:29:20.808 --> 00:29:23.968
that's how we we were able to do that but that was years ago so we

00:29:23.968 --> 00:29:26.708
so we bought it we loved it and then

00:29:26.708 --> 00:29:29.448
we moved to florida so me and my

00:29:29.448 --> 00:29:32.048
sister got a trailer and hauled it

00:29:32.048 --> 00:29:35.468
all the way from seattle washington to florida across the

00:29:35.468 --> 00:29:38.388
country stopping all sorts of places had

00:29:38.388 --> 00:29:41.328
a great road trip it took them like nine days to do

00:29:41.328 --> 00:29:44.628
it and actually the we had to leave in ocala

00:29:44.628 --> 00:29:47.728
oh yeah because the oh the tire that he got

00:29:47.728 --> 00:29:50.648
a flat tire on the on the troll the dolly broke

00:29:50.648 --> 00:29:53.848
oh and we had to leave the fella yeah you

00:29:53.848 --> 00:29:57.468
were almost there i forgot about that and then the next day we drove back and

00:29:57.468 --> 00:30:01.928
got it wow yeah and you know we had a new five hours we had a yeah we had a

00:30:01.928 --> 00:30:06.768
newborn so she would have come cross-country but we had a newborn and she flew

00:30:06.768 --> 00:30:10.408
and then we drove and we shipped one of we shipped my car and then his truck

00:30:10.408 --> 00:30:12.788
pulled the bus hold the Yeah.

00:30:13.608 --> 00:30:18.388
But the story about it with being, you know, on Craigslist and what you see,

00:30:18.448 --> 00:30:20.348
they would just be like on the side of the house,

00:30:20.648 --> 00:30:24.568
you know, like rotting almost under the tree or, you know, full of moss and,

00:30:24.768 --> 00:30:29.648
you know, just been there for 20 years in that same spot. And this is one that had been like that.

00:30:29.768 --> 00:30:32.448
And it was like a beautiful home that this.

00:30:32.981 --> 00:30:35.701
Real estate guy was real excited about buying and

00:30:35.701 --> 00:30:38.361
he got the whole estate and of course that's what came in the

00:30:38.361 --> 00:30:41.141
driveway he wanted he had no idea what

00:30:41.141 --> 00:30:44.021
he had and he wanted it gone he was like this thing's

00:30:44.021 --> 00:30:46.901
gotta go you know and it had a you know all original paint

00:30:46.901 --> 00:30:49.501
so at that point it was pretty faded but it was

00:30:49.501 --> 00:30:52.301
an old german guy and i think it was his daily driver for

00:30:52.301 --> 00:30:55.221
a long time 86 and yeah it was cool cool

00:30:55.221 --> 00:30:58.201
story super cool because it came from germany we've got

00:30:58.201 --> 00:31:01.201
you know that information on it and and it's

00:31:01.201 --> 00:31:04.241
just unique because nobody ever believes us when we tell them you know we paid

00:31:04.241 --> 00:31:07.161
less than 500 bucks really well we may have

00:31:07.161 --> 00:31:10.561
a karmagia soon but fingers crossed there's there's

00:31:10.561 --> 00:31:13.421
a karmagia that's two streets away that has

00:31:13.421 --> 00:31:16.521
been under a cover for 15 years out

00:31:16.521 --> 00:31:19.961
front of the house yeah and we've left we've we've

00:31:19.961 --> 00:31:22.961
left notes we've talked to him we i've

00:31:22.961 --> 00:31:26.641
sent him pictures of my family we've tried

00:31:26.641 --> 00:31:29.541
everything this guy will not sell it but it's

00:31:29.541 --> 00:31:32.981
hasn't moved it hasn't moved it hasn't one day cover

00:31:32.981 --> 00:31:35.721
after cover after cover he changes i blocked him

00:31:35.721 --> 00:31:38.621
in he was pulling out and i kind of wouldn't i just stopped and.

00:31:38.621 --> 00:31:41.941
I and i wouldn't let him go any further i rolled down the window said hey man what

00:31:41.941 --> 00:31:45.521
are you gonna do with your karma gear i said you want to sell me your karma gear and

00:31:45.521 --> 00:31:49.421
he told me the whole story about his ex-girlfriend and he got it in the split

00:31:49.421 --> 00:31:54.321
and he doesn't know where the title is and all this book yeah here's there's

00:31:54.321 --> 00:32:00.721
another story yeah yeah yeah oh that's funny but yeah we've we've we've dreamed

00:32:00.721 --> 00:32:03.981
about we're not giving up either you know it's all these years and we've not

00:32:03.981 --> 00:32:05.481
i've knocked on a store we've left.

00:32:07.901 --> 00:32:11.881
Please tell us about your car and it's in good shape it's red it's all original

00:32:11.881 --> 00:32:15.661
it's it's probably Probably a 69 or 68. Yeah, it's cool.

00:32:16.061 --> 00:32:20.941
But anyway, so the Volkswagen, you know, when we tell people how much we paid

00:32:20.941 --> 00:32:24.061
for it and all that jazz, you know, and but the journey of it,

00:32:24.600 --> 00:32:27.700
being in our lives because for so

00:32:27.700 --> 00:32:32.240
many years we would just cruise it we would just go to the beach go to key west

00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:39.800
go to yeah yeah go to the key the keys yeah like go to bug jam yeah go to the

00:32:39.800 --> 00:32:46.640
other one that was in melbourne i don't know if it's still there uh no no dough no dough yeah i know,

00:32:47.640 --> 00:32:51.480
there's a couple of them coming out i saw the list come there's quite a few things coming out,

00:32:53.120 --> 00:32:55.100
That Skyway ride's coming, April.

00:32:55.340 --> 00:32:57.940
You guys should show up to that if you can come up. That'd be awesome.

00:32:58.360 --> 00:33:00.240
It sounds super cool. Yeah, for sure.

00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:04.760
So obviously, knowing its history, knowing everything that you put into it,

00:33:04.860 --> 00:33:05.820
it's got to feel awesome.

00:33:06.440 --> 00:33:10.240
Just knowing that that bus is kind of a part of the family. And now it gets

00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:12.500
to provide monetary value for you, too.

00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:18.820
Yeah, that's the craziest part. We still just kind of scratch our heads and say, like, is this real?

00:33:18.820 --> 00:33:21.520
We had we had probably our you know one of

00:33:21.520 --> 00:33:24.420
our biggest events just this past weekend in

00:33:24.420 --> 00:33:29.840
key largo and we both kind of just looked ourselves like oh like where are we

00:33:29.840 --> 00:33:35.180
like this is and it's what is so funny is an exciting and then i guess just

00:33:35.180 --> 00:33:39.720
mind-blowing is that people are so excited about it and people really are wanting

00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:44.060
this they want it like this is what i want and and just the enthusiasm.

00:33:44.380 --> 00:33:47.700
It's like, wow. So, you know, it's, it's, it's kind of niche,

00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:52.320
a little, you know, different, but where I think we're just getting started.

00:33:52.540 --> 00:33:55.680
I think we're just getting started. Yeah. I like that you are.

00:33:56.040 --> 00:33:59.140
It's a second life. It's a second life with the bus. Just like,

00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:01.400
just like your dad had a second life in the, in the community.

00:34:01.760 --> 00:34:05.900
It is. Yeah. It's true. I like how you, yeah. It's a full circle.

00:34:06.100 --> 00:34:07.260
The kids will get it one day.

00:34:07.480 --> 00:34:12.500
Yeah. So, so you mentioned bug jam. And you mentioned No Doe. So I'm interested.

00:34:12.700 --> 00:34:16.940
What's the best BW show or event that you guys have been to, in your opinion?

00:34:17.640 --> 00:34:20.100
Bug Jam. Probably Bug Jam. Have you ever heard a show in Shine?

00:34:20.120 --> 00:34:23.380
You ever heard a show in Shine that used to be in Fort Lauderdale? It was in West Palm? No.

00:34:24.180 --> 00:34:27.960
That one. The local one. Some of Miami, too, that we've gone to.

00:34:28.060 --> 00:34:30.880
I would say Bug Jam. Bug Jam. It's big and grand.

00:34:31.200 --> 00:34:34.240
And we make it a weekend. We make it a really cool thing.

00:34:34.420 --> 00:34:38.840
We were going to go last year, but on the way up,

00:34:38.840 --> 00:34:43.460
our little brother and our good friend Jeremy he was driving his Vanagon up

00:34:43.460 --> 00:34:48.640
we were going to leave later in the day and he got hit by a drunk driver and

00:34:48.640 --> 00:34:54.100
got hospitalized he's fine Vanagon was totaled so we didn't make it this year,

00:34:54.767 --> 00:35:00.207
because of the accident and he's fine but we were already gonna caravan out

00:35:00.207 --> 00:35:03.027
they were gonna go and then we were gonna go and it kind of messed us up but

00:35:03.027 --> 00:35:06.307
we'll we'll be next year and listen it will probably break your heart but it

00:35:06.307 --> 00:35:12.847
his it's a 81 i mean like mid-conditioned beautiful vanigan.

00:35:14.167 --> 00:35:16.947
And and completely you know west

00:35:16.947 --> 00:35:20.107
valley it out or you know it's all camper and a

00:35:20.107 --> 00:35:23.167
beautiful full camper and yeah and

00:35:23.167 --> 00:35:25.987
the guy just totally we had a go there was a go fund

00:35:25.987 --> 00:35:29.347
me and you know he he thank god you know jeremy's okay

00:35:29.347 --> 00:35:32.487
jeremy's a really cool guy and his guys had been

00:35:32.487 --> 00:35:35.827
into volswagens since he was in his 20s he's your age even

00:35:35.827 --> 00:35:38.647
probably before probably 18 he's got a

00:35:38.647 --> 00:35:42.247
really sweet single cab single cab convertible

00:35:42.247 --> 00:35:45.307
beetle he's got a lot he's got one from every era

00:35:45.307 --> 00:35:48.627
he's got a camper bay window now that's what

00:35:48.627 --> 00:35:51.407
he said he said all i need is a bay window for my collection and now he's got one

00:35:51.407 --> 00:35:54.467
yeah and one of his a couple

00:35:54.467 --> 00:35:57.607
of his are in the backyard of my brother's house and you know and he

00:35:57.607 --> 00:36:00.567
jeremy keeps an eye on my brother for me too and

00:36:00.567 --> 00:36:03.427
then you know just kind of keeps that alive but yeah

00:36:03.427 --> 00:36:07.167
i would say bug jam he was i mean my best he's he's

00:36:07.167 --> 00:36:10.067
our age but he was like jerry's best friend he

00:36:10.067 --> 00:36:13.147
was there well he was my dad was a father figure for jeremy

00:36:13.147 --> 00:36:16.167
f and for 20 years yeah and they

00:36:16.167 --> 00:36:19.127
were good friends and you know best friends so

00:36:19.127 --> 00:36:23.107
everyone took it hard but now we're reliving all

00:36:23.107 --> 00:36:27.947
of that you know still at his place still to shop with matthew running it so

00:36:27.947 --> 00:36:33.027
you guys talk about the happiness that these cars just bring you know just because

00:36:33.027 --> 00:36:38.127
right have you ever had a complete stranger help you or do something for you

00:36:38.127 --> 00:36:40.367
solely because you were in the bus?

00:36:42.527 --> 00:36:45.427
You know, I thought about that. I,

00:36:46.080 --> 00:36:49.380
there so yes we've been pulled we've been broke down

00:36:49.380 --> 00:36:52.900
a few you tie you know we're gonna get

00:36:52.900 --> 00:36:55.940
in for a while you know i needed a new starter yeah yeah

00:36:55.940 --> 00:36:59.000
and and it would we needed a new starter and we got

00:36:59.000 --> 00:37:03.200
a new switch on there but a starter and it was giving me a hard time that the

00:37:03.200 --> 00:37:08.680
ignition we were in uh we were in dade city and we were at the hotel and we

00:37:08.680 --> 00:37:11.720
went we decided we were going to go cruise to that like thrift store in dade

00:37:11.720 --> 00:37:16.580
city and then the bus wouldn't start and we were And Jeremy came and I climbed under,

00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:22.440
I climbed under and connected the screwdriver underneath it and got the spark. Yeah.

00:37:23.460 --> 00:37:28.480
And that was kind of, we left the kids at the hotel. We just decided we were going to go.

00:37:30.660 --> 00:37:33.920
And then we break it, broke down. But yeah, Jeremy was out there that time.

00:37:34.200 --> 00:37:37.920
What's fun about bug jam is when you make it an event, you make it the weekend

00:37:37.920 --> 00:37:41.500
and all of our, you know, our family goes and we camp or we get a hotel.

00:37:41.980 --> 00:37:46.580
Yeah. I had Randy, Randy Yoho. I just had him on the podcast a few episodes

00:37:46.580 --> 00:37:51.720
ago, and that's his big takeaway from the end of it was make it a weekend.

00:37:52.180 --> 00:37:57.540
Don't come one day. Come, camp, eat, chill, enter the car.

00:37:58.440 --> 00:38:03.680
Yeah, yeah. Enjoy the music, all that good stuff. So, yeah, let's touch on the

00:38:03.680 --> 00:38:05.120
Miami Brewery breakdown.

00:38:05.560 --> 00:38:09.820
I know this was a tough one. As you guys explained, it was a terrifying night

00:38:09.820 --> 00:38:13.320
for you. Walk me through the Miami Brewery breakdown.

00:38:14.300 --> 00:38:17.760
Well, we had a great day. I will say it was a beautiful day.

00:38:17.960 --> 00:38:22.560
We spent the day in Key Largo. We had lunch at Alabama Jacks.

00:38:22.760 --> 00:38:27.120
We spent the day walking nature trails with the kids. It was such a fun,

00:38:27.220 --> 00:38:29.420
magical day. We cruised the bus the whole way down.

00:38:30.200 --> 00:38:33.220
Went to the brewery yeah if you've

00:38:33.220 --> 00:38:35.980
never been super cool on the redlands but of

00:38:35.980 --> 00:38:38.880
course we pushed it into the dark you know until night

00:38:38.880 --> 00:38:42.100
so now we're like all right let's head home in the dark and we

00:38:42.100 --> 00:38:44.920
were cruising everything was good and then at the

00:38:44.920 --> 00:38:47.820
top of a slight hill there's not many hills in

00:38:47.820 --> 00:38:51.740
miami but i guess a bridge it was a bridge we call

00:38:51.740 --> 00:38:54.980
them hills yeah we broke

00:38:54.980 --> 00:38:57.940
down like right on the other side of the

00:38:57.940 --> 00:39:01.020
of the highway bridge in

00:39:01.020 --> 00:39:04.180
the dark worst spot ever and we

00:39:04.180 --> 00:39:08.100
had all the kids of course it was dark horrible spot

00:39:08.100 --> 00:39:11.020
so now we're sitting on the side of the road like oh no

00:39:11.020 --> 00:39:15.080
and that the cars you know miami passing us

00:39:15.080 --> 00:39:17.800
i think she started crying oh i'm sure i did

00:39:17.800 --> 00:39:20.620
it was i was having a little panic attack i have

00:39:20.620 --> 00:39:23.460
babies you know not babies but they were little kids were

00:39:23.460 --> 00:39:26.300
starting to cry i mean it was scary i mean

00:39:26.300 --> 00:39:30.140
it broke down on the side of a highway on a busy crazy

00:39:30.140 --> 00:39:33.540
highway intersection and

00:39:33.540 --> 00:39:37.060
and even the highway patrol like it was it was scary though even the way they

00:39:37.060 --> 00:39:40.860
had to like walk us off and the and the roadside assistance but what was what

00:39:40.860 --> 00:39:44.960
happened is about leaving the brewery you drive through the redlands like a

00:39:44.960 --> 00:39:50.100
farm before you get like back onto the highway and at that point i remember

00:39:50.100 --> 00:39:53.120
you saying that you We felt like the bus was losing power.

00:39:53.240 --> 00:39:55.220
What was it? I don't even remember.

00:39:55.520 --> 00:39:58.580
I think the generator went bad, and then we just drained the battery.

00:39:58.760 --> 00:40:02.680
So for the next 45 hour, we're just riding on nothing but battery.

00:40:03.560 --> 00:40:08.760
And then it took my Beatles in the past. I did that. I'm just cruising.

00:40:09.340 --> 00:40:13.300
All of a sudden, I noticed that the radio, the lights were really dim on the

00:40:13.300 --> 00:40:16.000
radio. It was nighttime. I'm like, what gives?

00:40:16.280 --> 00:40:19.840
And then next traffic light I pulled up to, pop, it just died.

00:40:19.840 --> 00:40:22.580
I'm like what the because it i didn't

00:40:22.580 --> 00:40:25.820
have any signs at all i didn't know just generator

00:40:25.820 --> 00:40:28.580
light i guess but i'm just thought ours didn't burn

00:40:28.580 --> 00:40:31.340
up because the fan stopped spinning you know and who knows

00:40:31.340 --> 00:40:34.520
there was a lot going on that night and and

00:40:34.520 --> 00:40:37.200
the way and then the worst part of it

00:40:37.200 --> 00:40:39.980
all was you can't just get any old tow truck for

00:40:39.980 --> 00:40:42.860
these volkswagen buses it had to

00:40:42.860 --> 00:40:46.280
be a flatbed trailer and not every tow company

00:40:46.280 --> 00:40:49.300
just has readily flatbed trailers right it's

00:40:49.300 --> 00:40:52.480
we had to wait and and they had the flares

00:40:52.480 --> 00:40:57.420
out there in the road and the highway patrolman my wife my wife would have cut

00:40:57.420 --> 00:41:04.260
me from here to here hit me off this highway with these we got five so that

00:41:04.260 --> 00:41:08.960
that just would have not played out well five congratulations that's a lot you

00:41:08.960 --> 00:41:11.540
got your head for sure for For sure.

00:41:11.680 --> 00:41:14.360
My wife always, when anybody ever says that, my wife always says,

00:41:14.440 --> 00:41:15.820
well, you should see my heart.

00:41:17.380 --> 00:41:22.520
And it's so true. Yeah. All right. So if you could, if you could do a dream

00:41:22.520 --> 00:41:28.220
road trip anywhere, where would it, where would you go and how long would you go for? Hmm.

00:41:29.282 --> 00:41:36.442
Gonna go first yeah i because i i go go go go i would say united states just

00:41:36.442 --> 00:41:41.922
toured the united states hit the grand canyons national parks great smokies

00:41:41.922 --> 00:41:46.462
the whole west coast pacific northwest.

00:41:47.282 --> 00:41:50.222
I mean just do it all and i would do it

00:41:50.222 --> 00:41:53.622
for years if i could i that combi

00:41:53.622 --> 00:41:56.802
chronicles i just came across and man they're

00:41:56.802 --> 00:41:59.822
doing it good good and i

00:41:59.822 --> 00:42:02.682
would go everywhere i would stay i think

00:42:02.682 --> 00:42:05.462
in america because i i think in the u.s there's so

00:42:05.462 --> 00:42:08.882
much more i haven't seen i've seen a lot i've seen a lot but i

00:42:08.882 --> 00:42:11.882
want to show my kids and i would

00:42:11.882 --> 00:42:15.302
do the united states and do it as long as they

00:42:15.302 --> 00:42:21.602
would put up with it all right yeah i

00:42:21.602 --> 00:42:25.742
mean i think same my favorite mountains are definitely the smoky mountains but

00:42:25.742 --> 00:42:30.302
i i kind of the grand tetons are really beautiful and i would that would be

00:42:30.302 --> 00:42:34.762
so cool to be you know camping in a the thing is you know our bus isn't a camper

00:42:34.762 --> 00:42:39.022
so i don't always we have camped out of it lots of times but not it's not a

00:42:39.022 --> 00:42:41.042
camper so we get a west seat i would

00:42:41.102 --> 00:42:45.122
definitely get a West Sea and I would definitely, you know, I could, I could camp in it.

00:42:45.182 --> 00:42:49.942
I don't know how, for how many length of time, but to explore the Midwest and

00:42:49.942 --> 00:42:53.022
probably more of, of, to your point, the Pacific Northwest.

00:42:53.022 --> 00:42:56.902
We lived there for four years, but we did so much hiking, biking.

00:42:57.462 --> 00:43:00.922
You know, kayaking, all the things because it's so outdoors in the nature.

00:43:01.122 --> 00:43:03.362
But when I look back on it, I feel like, you know, did I really,

00:43:03.442 --> 00:43:06.402
do we do it all? Did we do it all? There was so much more. And even,

00:43:06.622 --> 00:43:07.282
you know, in California.

00:43:07.722 --> 00:43:12.742
So I would say that would be like our, the dream road trip, but definitely camping in a West Valley.

00:43:12.882 --> 00:43:17.042
Yeah. My, our friend, Jeremy's Westy that unfortunately did get in that bad wreck.

00:43:17.202 --> 00:43:20.902
That was really sweet. And I could have, I could live in that thing. It was a neat.

00:43:21.302 --> 00:43:24.202
Every time I saw it, I was like, wow, this is such a cool. Yeah.

00:43:24.342 --> 00:43:30.562
Cause we were camping in San Juan islands right off of the Canadian border.

00:43:30.902 --> 00:43:35.602
And we ran into a family before we had a Volkswagen and they had a van again

00:43:35.602 --> 00:43:39.282
and they were camping right out of it and we're like, well, that's so cool.

00:43:39.462 --> 00:43:42.382
We were just like, this is the coolest. I think that sparked something.

00:43:42.502 --> 00:43:45.122
I think that was probably around the time we were looking at a bus.

00:43:45.422 --> 00:43:47.622
It was. You guys ever been to Colorado?

00:43:48.467 --> 00:43:51.887
I have. I have. Yeah. I have family that lived there for a while.

00:43:52.587 --> 00:43:57.467
When we did a road trip, we stopped on the way back to Florida,

00:43:57.607 --> 00:43:58.647
but I've spent a little time.

00:43:58.787 --> 00:44:03.667
Yeah. I got two, two of my, two of my five were born there and I spent,

00:44:03.787 --> 00:44:07.027
my mom's there and my sister's there in Denver.

00:44:07.187 --> 00:44:12.667
We were in Colorado Springs close to nine, 10, almost 11 years collectively.

00:44:13.047 --> 00:44:17.427
One, one was four and a half years. And then we went back for almost six,

00:44:17.427 --> 00:44:23.527
but yeah, Colorado is, you said my favorite mountains are the smoky mountains.

00:44:23.727 --> 00:44:29.047
And I felt that I'm like, okay, all right. My favorite mountains are the Rocky Mountains all day long.

00:44:29.267 --> 00:44:31.687
That area is absolutely beautiful.

00:44:32.947 --> 00:44:38.287
And I think my favorite thing about it is there's still all kinds of finds out there. Barn finds.

00:44:38.847 --> 00:44:44.807
You know, low mileage cars, zero rust. Zero rust. They don't rust out there.

00:44:44.887 --> 00:44:46.267
They can't rust. There's no moisture.

00:44:46.887 --> 00:44:48.407
Yep. And no salt.

00:44:49.707 --> 00:44:54.367
Absolutely lovely. I love for that reason and that reason alone.

00:44:54.367 --> 00:44:57.867
Then the mountain cruises are awesome

00:44:57.867 --> 00:45:00.567
now you know i know we all live in florida now i don't

00:45:00.567 --> 00:45:03.387
want to i don't want to act like this isn't awesome

00:45:03.387 --> 00:45:06.447
there's no feeling like dropping the windshield

00:45:06.447 --> 00:45:10.087
in my thing and cruising up the beach with no top that

00:45:10.087 --> 00:45:12.987
i don't that you can't do that really anything other

00:45:12.987 --> 00:45:18.827
than what a jeep maybe but no it feels like you're on a motorcycle you know

00:45:18.827 --> 00:45:24.167
yeah absolutely with all the elements yeah yeah yeah so i don't want to discount

00:45:24.167 --> 00:45:29.947
where we're at this is absolutely tropical paradise both of us so you guys live

00:45:29.947 --> 00:45:32.067
and breathe the dub life what about the kids.

00:45:33.307 --> 00:45:38.707
So our youngest is definitely the biggest help and in it to win it.

00:45:38.867 --> 00:45:44.007
We have pictures of all of them. They've kind of erased in the bus since they were little babies.

00:45:44.147 --> 00:45:47.407
We took our own photo shoots. Newborns, like, you know, newborn.

00:45:47.747 --> 00:45:49.287
Yeah, you're pregnant. Yeah.

00:45:49.787 --> 00:45:53.647
So it's been part of our lives.

00:45:53.787 --> 00:45:59.127
It's been part of our lives for a long time and their whole lives.

00:45:59.127 --> 00:46:02.347
Now i think our teenagers and pre-teen

00:46:02.347 --> 00:46:06.607
you know they're not maybe they don't understand what they have excited they're

00:46:06.607 --> 00:46:11.407
numb to it so one day yeah good call i've got some teens that are in the same

00:46:11.407 --> 00:46:16.807
boat right now but but i also i've got a couple that are attracted to them they're

00:46:16.807 --> 00:46:20.407
like you know nah i want a beetle dad i'm like you do.

00:46:23.667 --> 00:46:29.027
That's so cool what year yeah right right

00:46:29.027 --> 00:46:34.127
oh i love that well you know just the other day i i uh just i forget why oh

00:46:34.127 --> 00:46:37.727
i know what i was doing i was i was headed to a shoot and i had to drop off

00:46:37.727 --> 00:46:42.487
our oldest to baseball practice and so hey i gotta roll up to the high school

00:46:42.487 --> 00:46:46.387
and the bus you know and i don't mind i love it and he's like mom drop me off

00:46:46.387 --> 00:46:48.247
over here don't, I don't want my, I don't want anybody to see me.

00:46:48.487 --> 00:46:51.447
Well, you know, I said, no way, bud, we're doing it. So I cruise right up to

00:46:51.447 --> 00:46:54.387
where I normally would drop them off and everybody just stopped, right?

00:46:54.427 --> 00:46:58.667
His coach, all the teammates and they're on and they all start waving and I'm

00:46:58.667 --> 00:47:00.747
over here waving and giving the peace sign.

00:47:01.227 --> 00:47:05.707
And then, you know, he jumps out and then he doesn't know. And I cruise off.

00:47:05.867 --> 00:47:08.287
So then that night I said, I said, Hey bud, you know, how did it go?

00:47:08.407 --> 00:47:10.447
Did, how was it? You know, were you that embarrassed?

00:47:10.667 --> 00:47:13.387
You know, but he's like, no mom, everybody loved the

00:47:13.387 --> 00:47:16.067
bus they all wanted to know what it was and what were

00:47:16.067 --> 00:47:21.127
you doing and they said it was so cool i said see i we could you could you are

00:47:21.127 --> 00:47:25.567
cool or you you don't realize what you got something else that you guys didn't

00:47:25.567 --> 00:47:31.567
was the vw memorabilia that you guys people give you vw stuff all the time i

00:47:31.567 --> 00:47:34.907
thought that was kind of cool how much memorabilia do you actually have right now.

00:47:36.574 --> 00:47:39.694
Oh a lot yeah i collect

00:47:39.694 --> 00:47:42.534
the uh matchbox and the uh hot

00:47:42.534 --> 00:47:45.334
wheels and stuff like that so we got a

00:47:45.334 --> 00:47:48.254
we got a real fan in greg for sure yeah

00:47:48.254 --> 00:47:51.734
oh for sure i mean i have so much we've

00:47:51.734 --> 00:47:54.714
bought stained glass over the years yeah but i

00:47:54.714 --> 00:47:57.674
think the gifts you know she's given

00:47:57.674 --> 00:48:02.034
a she's been given a ton from plates what's

00:48:02.034 --> 00:48:05.454
the what's the weirdest what's the weirdest gift

00:48:05.454 --> 00:48:08.894
anybody's ever given you weirdest one i was thinking that

00:48:08.894 --> 00:48:11.614
i i i really you know

00:48:11.614 --> 00:48:14.534
there's a neon sign that he just loves and

00:48:14.534 --> 00:48:18.394
i and i think it's like the tackiest thing i turn it on every day he turns it

00:48:18.394 --> 00:48:21.454
on every day it's and he put it in the kitchen i said this does not belong in

00:48:21.454 --> 00:48:26.014
the kitchen like what is this and it's big it's like a good you know two by

00:48:26.014 --> 00:48:30.634
three thing and i'm like what and it's just it's an outline of a splitty it's

00:48:30.634 --> 00:48:32.954
really cool she loves it she doesn't like,

00:48:33.414 --> 00:48:36.394
our neighbor gave it to us he he found it wherever he

00:48:36.394 --> 00:48:39.114
was and he thought that's what happens is you know

00:48:39.114 --> 00:48:42.114
oh i was i was out and about and i saw this hand

00:48:42.114 --> 00:48:44.714
towel and it had a vw it had a bus on it so i got it

00:48:44.714 --> 00:48:48.774
for you you know and we love it we love it i mean we're sitting in our tiki

00:48:48.774 --> 00:48:54.274
hut i was looking i got one two three four you know and then there's a couple

00:48:54.274 --> 00:48:59.994
hubcaps hanging up so and it's just in gifts yes you know books i bought a lot

00:48:59.994 --> 00:49:02.974
of books over the years and Volkswagen books? Yeah.

00:49:04.994 --> 00:49:10.094
Sweet. All right, let's do some rapid fire style questions.

00:49:10.454 --> 00:49:14.954
These are going to be fast answers. We can go ladies first because now I can

00:49:14.954 --> 00:49:16.634
prove I'm a southern gentleman.

00:49:17.014 --> 00:49:20.494
All right, so this is for both of you. If money was no object,

00:49:20.494 --> 00:49:23.214
what's the ultimate VW dream car?

00:49:24.034 --> 00:49:29.334
69 Carmen gear. Oh, nice. Okay. 69 Carmen gear. All right, Greg, how about you?

00:49:30.874 --> 00:49:36.414
66 splitty i've always wanted a splitty all right that was what i wanted forever,

00:49:37.034 --> 00:49:39.714
but i can't afford it and probably still can't afford it,

00:49:40.414 --> 00:49:43.494
but one day i'll get a split window

00:49:43.494 --> 00:49:47.714
one day that's my dream car

00:49:47.714 --> 00:49:50.534
and you know the more i hear about it people want the

00:49:50.534 --> 00:49:53.554
bay windows because they drive better but i want i want

00:49:53.554 --> 00:49:56.234
the one that doesn't drive good and just iconic you know

00:49:56.234 --> 00:50:01.314
cool man cool i'm a split guy too i love them I absolutely do But at the core

00:50:01.314 --> 00:50:05.754
I'm Beetle guy I love I love Beetles I've got a Carmagee I've got a thing I've

00:50:05.754 --> 00:50:10.374
had Beetles Several of them But I'm I just like the Beetle I just like how they

00:50:10.374 --> 00:50:14.494
roll I just like them Alright Alright How about a VW road trip?

00:50:14.694 --> 00:50:19.354
If you could take one With any famous person Past or present Who would it be?

00:50:21.479 --> 00:50:26.819
So the way I see this, you have to take someone that will enjoy the experience,

00:50:27.039 --> 00:50:32.919
enjoy the heat, enjoy no AC, and they got to give you some entertainment.

00:50:33.659 --> 00:50:39.399
So I would say it's got to be a musician or storyteller because,

00:50:39.399 --> 00:50:41.659
you know, there's a lot of time there.

00:50:41.659 --> 00:50:44.599
So i would say a

00:50:44.599 --> 00:50:48.479
young elvis presley a

00:50:48.479 --> 00:50:53.039
americana southern can

00:50:53.039 --> 00:50:56.239
play music and he's a storyteller and i

00:50:56.239 --> 00:50:59.659
think that would be cool to tour you know america

00:50:59.659 --> 00:51:03.019
with a young elvis presley i'm right

00:51:03.019 --> 00:51:06.059
there with you are you really okay you guys

00:51:06.059 --> 00:51:08.899
i really yeah because well when we got married on

00:51:08.899 --> 00:51:12.319
our honeymoon we went to graceland dude i

00:51:12.319 --> 00:51:15.959
was just gonna bring that up i was gonna say this my my

00:51:15.959 --> 00:51:19.259
wife and i years ago we won a trip to graceland

00:51:19.259 --> 00:51:21.999
and this whole like tour and we

00:51:21.999 --> 00:51:25.159
got to go through the house and then we went on this tour all around

00:51:25.159 --> 00:51:27.959
you know beautiful area tennessee we saw

00:51:27.959 --> 00:51:30.779
where elvis first performed we saw all

00:51:30.779 --> 00:51:33.979
this cool stuff it was such a cool tour and

00:51:33.979 --> 00:51:37.199
then the guy that was on the tour was playing the guitar and stuff the

00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:40.039
whole time he was and also an entertainer and

00:51:40.039 --> 00:51:43.079
you know had his own thing at this bar later in the night and it

00:51:43.079 --> 00:51:46.299
was just such a cool vibe i we love tennessee we

00:51:46.299 --> 00:51:48.979
love tennessee yeah yeah we do too and i

00:51:48.979 --> 00:51:51.879
think maybe like right when he got out of the military pick his brain

00:51:51.879 --> 00:51:54.399
on that and uh yeah i think it'd be

00:51:54.399 --> 00:51:58.479
great so both of you say elvis presley yeah

00:51:58.479 --> 00:52:01.319
yeah i yeah i think it's cool.

00:52:01.319 --> 00:52:04.219
Yeah all right all right how about this one what's the biggest.

00:52:04.219 --> 00:52:09.039
Oh moment while driving a vw had

00:52:09.039 --> 00:52:12.159
one recently going to a photo shoot and forgot a.

00:52:12.159 --> 00:52:15.499
Prop yeah yeah forgot a key prop

00:52:15.499 --> 00:52:18.779
yeah and we were already 30 minutes down

00:52:18.779 --> 00:52:21.539
the road yeah and we had to pivot divide and

00:52:21.539 --> 00:52:24.319
conquer we sure did and that wasn't a that wasn't a

00:52:24.319 --> 00:52:27.119
moment yeah i would say.

00:52:27.119 --> 00:52:30.059
I was driving i took it down to work i used

00:52:30.059 --> 00:52:33.539
to drive it down to miami beach a lot more than i do now and I

00:52:33.539 --> 00:52:36.639
was driving back and cracked head and

00:52:36.639 --> 00:52:39.259
I ended up on the you know side of the

00:52:39.259 --> 00:52:44.559
road and Sherry came to the rescue yeah we towed it back and you know we tore

00:52:44.559 --> 00:52:49.479
the engine apart and and fixed it but that's not a fun feeling stuck on the

00:52:49.479 --> 00:52:54.059
side of a highway when you're like I don't think this is fixable right now this

00:52:54.059 --> 00:52:59.039
isn't a fan belt part of what comes with this scene is just that,

00:52:59.621 --> 00:53:04.561
You're going to break down. It's going to happen, right? Break down.

00:53:05.621 --> 00:53:10.501
Have somebody to call. Yeah, they're going to leave their mark on your driveway somewhere.

00:53:11.741 --> 00:53:16.001
And we've always been lucky. I mean, me and Andrea have been in this scene,

00:53:16.061 --> 00:53:19.181
I guess, 15 years now since we owned one.

00:53:19.601 --> 00:53:25.781
And I've learned a lot. And I can do some. But we've always been so lucky because

00:53:25.781 --> 00:53:27.941
we've always had Jerry and now we have Matthew.

00:53:27.941 --> 00:53:31.041
You yeah so we've literally never paid for

00:53:31.041 --> 00:53:35.941
a mechanic to work on any of our works what i heard enough i heard he's not

00:53:35.941 --> 00:53:40.881
in that he's over i'm wasting my paychecks i'm going broke trying to keep my

00:53:40.881 --> 00:53:49.281
cards running we pay like family love we pay for lunch and dinners right love and room.

00:53:50.281 --> 00:53:53.381
My dad would never stay here and

00:53:53.381 --> 00:53:56.721
different you know we serve in other ways because it's

00:53:56.721 --> 00:53:59.721
family but we've been so lucky to always have

00:53:59.721 --> 00:54:02.961
them and and they can walk it used

00:54:02.961 --> 00:54:06.121
to be that if something happened i could get on the phone with my dad or

00:54:06.121 --> 00:54:09.021
facetime and he would like walk us through stuff or walk

00:54:09.021 --> 00:54:13.801
me through something and now matt does that yeah and and you know he's guys

00:54:13.801 --> 00:54:18.701
up here in the community up here that and and i noticed that about our community

00:54:18.701 --> 00:54:23.401
even if matthew wasn't your brother you guys you know living there it probably

00:54:23.401 --> 00:54:26.721
would have found a way to get connected And that'd probably be your dude to be your mechanic.

00:54:27.061 --> 00:54:30.461
I've got a couple of folks like that here, you know, up in St.

00:54:30.581 --> 00:54:34.301
Pete that are great mechanics, you know, certified and all that good stuff.

00:54:34.421 --> 00:54:37.001
And they just prefer air cooled stuff.

00:54:37.161 --> 00:54:39.361
So I do have a place to land.

00:54:39.641 --> 00:54:41.921
You know, everybody needs a good VW mechanic.

00:54:43.241 --> 00:54:49.881
And we were fortunate to be on the side to see my dad be that guy for so many

00:54:49.881 --> 00:54:52.561
people here. And he's dating for hours.

00:54:52.881 --> 00:54:55.601
Yeah. Yeah. so i i hear you i feel yeah

00:54:55.601 --> 00:54:58.461
and i probably you you know mentioning that one

00:54:58.461 --> 00:55:02.261
about driving to work that time i remember that now there's probably countless

00:55:02.261 --> 00:55:07.561
more yeah that we just don't remember but that one leave in the miami brewery

00:55:07.561 --> 00:55:12.981
was the scariest for sure yeah yeah on the road like that on the on a busy highway

00:55:12.981 --> 00:55:17.341
miami i mean dang man that traffic it's like atlanta.

00:55:19.341 --> 00:55:22.041
Yeah all i could think in because it was like kind of

00:55:22.041 --> 00:55:24.841
we were in this weird blind spot and you know they're coming

00:55:24.841 --> 00:55:27.861
up cars are just flying up and they wouldn't see us

00:55:27.861 --> 00:55:31.581
because we're it's pitch black and there were several cars that came across

00:55:31.581 --> 00:55:38.461
the line and then and then well i see it was yeah yeah and we couldn't just

00:55:38.461 --> 00:55:41.501
like get out of the car and stand on the side of the road there was nowhere

00:55:41.501 --> 00:55:46.721
to do that at it was one of those weird overpasses right in homestead that.

00:55:47.841 --> 00:55:54.441
Yeah. So, so I got a question. So if your bus could talk, what would it say about the two of you?

00:55:56.432 --> 00:55:59.272
What would it say about us it's seen a

00:55:59.272 --> 00:56:02.732
lot this boss has seen a lot no kids

00:56:02.732 --> 00:56:05.752
young kids now older kids uh

00:56:05.752 --> 00:56:09.252
special husband wife time yeah i

00:56:09.252 --> 00:56:15.752
think so it probably said good job guys yeah i would say man we've it would

00:56:15.752 --> 00:56:20.192
say man i've seen a lot and we're still kicking we're still having fun thank

00:56:20.192 --> 00:56:25.212
Thank you for continuing to use me and love me and keep me on.

00:56:25.352 --> 00:56:27.532
Cause they want to be on the road. They want to be driven.

00:56:27.892 --> 00:56:31.812
So yeah. And it's like she said earlier, it's been up and downs.

00:56:31.952 --> 00:56:33.392
Like early on, I would drive.

00:56:33.552 --> 00:56:35.072
I didn't have a windshield in it for

00:56:35.072 --> 00:56:38.872
a while. And I was driving without a windshield. I just loved it so much.

00:56:39.392 --> 00:56:43.092
And the whole new version of Safari. Yeah. The whole new version.

00:56:43.472 --> 00:56:50.072
So I used to drive it nonstop. I was in love with it. And then we had kids and

00:56:50.072 --> 00:56:52.332
I was on a cutter, so I was gone a lot.

00:56:52.492 --> 00:56:57.192
Then I kind of, I guess, fell out of love with it and started driving it less.

00:56:57.452 --> 00:57:03.832
And then we had more kids and then it sat there forever. And then we started driving it more.

00:57:04.192 --> 00:57:07.232
And then, you know, the heat without the AC, now you have young kids.

00:57:07.232 --> 00:57:11.552
So they don't want to be like sweating, you know, two-year-olds just, you know.

00:57:11.692 --> 00:57:17.232
So it's gone up and down, up and down. And now she's fully in love with it, driving it like crazy.

00:57:17.232 --> 00:57:21.912
She barely even lets me drive it anymore and and

00:57:21.912 --> 00:57:24.792
so i think it would say you know

00:57:24.792 --> 00:57:27.792
thank you thank you absolutely keeping it going and

00:57:27.792 --> 00:57:31.372
now i have a beetle so i fell in love with the beetle now he's a beetle guy

00:57:31.372 --> 00:57:38.112
now officially so jerry gave me pretty much in his final days he gave me a beetle

00:57:38.112 --> 00:57:45.192
72 super it was sitting there forever and now we're it's on the road and we're getting to fix me,

00:57:45.312 --> 00:57:47.692
Matthew, and I'm cruising it everywhere.

00:57:48.232 --> 00:57:51.172
That was my first Beetle, 72. And I'm loving it.

00:57:51.452 --> 00:57:56.692
I'm loving it. And, you know, for a while, the car gave me the vibe of cruising

00:57:56.692 --> 00:57:58.012
down the road in a Beetle.

00:57:59.062 --> 00:58:02.742
That car did it for me Yeah What it

00:58:02.742 --> 00:58:06.382
feels like to drive a 72 So I'm falling

00:58:06.382 --> 00:58:09.102
in love with it The Beetle just as much And I

00:58:09.102 --> 00:58:13.682
needed to get that fire back When I was driving it no lights No brake lights

00:58:13.682 --> 00:58:18.982
didn't have a registered Tag I'm cruising everywhere Now we're all legal everything's

00:58:18.982 --> 00:58:24.742
He's got lights and brakes But that love Like it's back so I drive the Beetle

00:58:24.742 --> 00:58:27.822
now She drives the bus for the most part And,

00:58:28.362 --> 00:58:31.682
it's it's a his and hers they're both 72s yeah i

00:58:31.682 --> 00:58:34.462
love it it's a cool yeah it's cool

00:58:34.462 --> 00:58:37.262
i you know i say over the years that and to his point

00:58:37.262 --> 00:58:40.222
about kind of falling in and out of love like greg probably

00:58:40.222 --> 00:58:44.102
we've had a lot of opportunities to sell it and and even more recently boy everybody

00:58:44.102 --> 00:58:48.222
wants to make you know wants to buy your car and i'm like you know this not

00:58:48.222 --> 00:58:52.062
for sale it's irreplaceable but over the years you know you get in different

00:58:52.062 --> 00:58:54.922
times in your life you think man we could really you know maybe get out of some

00:58:54.922 --> 00:58:58.062
credit card debt or we could you know hey let's you know and of course,

00:58:58.262 --> 00:59:01.562
you know, we had my dad that was very encouraging of making money off of cars.

00:59:01.742 --> 00:59:04.762
He was like, sell it. We can go to bed or not. We can really invest.

00:59:05.282 --> 00:59:08.742
It was, and, uh, but I'm just, and I would, I always said, no way.

00:59:08.882 --> 00:59:11.002
I said, absolutely not. No, no, no, no.

00:59:11.242 --> 00:59:14.122
And I would, we would, I would just go in like sit in it in the backyard.

00:59:17.042 --> 00:59:22.322
But now, you know, she's purring and cruising and fires right up every time.

00:59:26.042 --> 00:59:30.942
It's a cold start there's no choke there's no choke so it's gonna be cold especially

00:59:30.942 --> 00:59:35.302
when it's a little colder but it's got to be driven they need to be driven and

00:59:35.302 --> 00:59:38.842
i when i say like i come out of the side door and i walk down to the driveway

00:59:38.842 --> 00:59:42.582
where we have her because we in our house we have a driveway in the backyard

00:59:42.582 --> 00:59:44.742
with alleys in our backyard and,

00:59:45.228 --> 00:59:49.488
She's smiling at me when I walk through, when I walk out, the bus is just smiling

00:59:49.488 --> 00:59:51.488
at me like there she is, you know.

00:59:51.768 --> 00:59:56.068
And so I know that fresh pain and the things we've done these last few years,

00:59:56.288 --> 00:59:57.648
just bringing her back to life.

00:59:57.868 --> 01:00:01.668
It's just inspiring. And I think it's inspiring, like on a lot of levels,

01:00:01.688 --> 01:00:04.328
because it's so fun to hear people's stories.

01:00:06.068 --> 01:00:09.168
Everyone. We heard so many. Yeah. Look at you. Everyone has a story.

01:00:09.168 --> 01:00:12.348
You're making it. Everyone has a story. Yeah.

01:00:12.628 --> 01:00:16.448
And thank you for sharing them. Thank you for really, you know,

01:00:16.648 --> 01:00:20.828
capitalizing on this and giving us an opportunity and a platform to tell our story.

01:00:20.988 --> 01:00:23.768
But, you know, you guys make the community.

01:00:24.388 --> 01:00:27.628
Yeah. And it's just so fun. You know, even this past weekend,

01:00:27.928 --> 01:00:33.448
so many stories and people, you know, either they had one or they grew up in

01:00:33.448 --> 01:00:37.768
one and they have a story to tell and want to tell it.

01:00:37.768 --> 01:00:41.728
You know, they always, you know, I have heard so many cool stories about people

01:00:41.728 --> 01:00:44.968
riding in buses across the country or their Volkswagen bus.

01:00:45.028 --> 01:00:47.268
My first car was. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:00:47.888 --> 01:00:54.248
And so that to me is why I do. It's very rewarding because it's, you know, it's special.

01:00:54.268 --> 01:00:57.768
And it again kind of brings me to that place of like, you know,

01:00:57.968 --> 01:01:01.888
my dad was kind of carrying on a legacy that, or created almost that,

01:01:01.988 --> 01:01:03.768
you know, legacy that I can carry on.

01:01:04.208 --> 01:01:07.748
That's super awesome. I keep it in the bus alive. Yeah. And I'm glad that you

01:01:07.748 --> 01:01:12.728
decided to, because I said, reaching out to you guys, I never would have expected

01:01:12.728 --> 01:01:17.648
to have to find a diamond in the rough like this with a deep, deep rooted,

01:01:17.908 --> 01:01:20.348
you know, VW family, multi-generational,

01:01:20.628 --> 01:01:25.028
you know, into the mechanical side, still doing it, have a home shop. I mean, come on, man.

01:01:25.148 --> 01:01:27.488
It's like, but that's, that's what happens.

01:01:27.628 --> 01:01:29.908
You just extend yourself a little

01:01:29.908 --> 01:01:33.928
bit and, you know, rattle your comfort zone and reach out to people.

01:01:34.048 --> 01:01:37.668
And I swear, this is just the beautiful stories that this community shares.

01:01:38.359 --> 01:01:41.279
So I'm curious to know what's coming up next for Groovy Days.

01:01:41.519 --> 01:01:44.679
Do you guys have any big events or any big plans? I know you said you just did

01:01:44.679 --> 01:01:47.539
your biggest event just a couple of weeks ago, right?

01:01:48.599 --> 01:01:50.619
This past weekend. So then that

01:01:50.619 --> 01:01:55.499
was booked over a year ago. So it was like on the horizon for so long.

01:01:55.699 --> 01:01:58.259
So now that that's done, we're looking to Easter.

01:01:58.859 --> 01:02:03.299
We want to get involved in weddings. We want to get in senior pictures.

01:02:03.799 --> 01:02:08.019
We want to get on the events and stuff. Right now, I think we need to start

01:02:08.019 --> 01:02:10.539
advertising, getting new sets ready.

01:02:10.819 --> 01:02:13.999
We don't have a lot in the books right now, but that's kind of how it goes.

01:02:14.199 --> 01:02:19.079
We push hard, get a lot scheduled for that season, whether it be Christmas,

01:02:19.339 --> 01:02:21.299
Valentine's Day, get those done.

01:02:21.319 --> 01:02:24.479
And then we turn the page and move to the next. So that's kind of where we are.

01:02:25.699 --> 01:02:30.199
You guys are pretty attached to the wedding industry. There's ups and downs

01:02:30.199 --> 01:02:32.719
in the wedding industry. There's busy times where they book.

01:02:33.939 --> 01:02:37.319
And it's kind of South Florida. season is is

01:02:37.319 --> 01:02:40.279
is important it's over to march we only really just

01:02:40.279 --> 01:02:44.219
came off of our first real year and the

01:02:44.219 --> 01:02:47.139
way that we even kind of evolved into

01:02:47.139 --> 01:02:49.999
what we evolved into is and what we've

01:02:49.999 --> 01:02:54.059
become it's just like social media born and driven

01:02:54.059 --> 01:02:57.379
and which is so interesting because

01:02:57.379 --> 01:03:00.519
i think if we did more like sponsoring and more

01:03:00.519 --> 01:03:03.499
things that we could put ourselves out there a little bit more but we

01:03:03.499 --> 01:03:06.199
just haven't ever really done that because we live

01:03:06.199 --> 01:03:09.259
in a really big area very highly populated you know miami and

01:03:09.259 --> 01:03:12.179
broward and palm beach and so that and that's our kind

01:03:12.179 --> 01:03:15.319
of our our territory if you will our areas and so

01:03:15.319 --> 01:03:18.159
it's a lot of photographers have been really what has been our

01:03:18.159 --> 01:03:21.199
clientele more than the eventing side or

01:03:21.199 --> 01:03:24.619
the party side of things you know celebrations different you

01:03:24.619 --> 01:03:27.699
know occasions but the way that everything kind

01:03:27.699 --> 01:03:30.759
of again has kind of evolved even when that that

01:03:30.759 --> 01:03:33.899
night in november when we did that show or

01:03:33.899 --> 01:03:36.739
that fundraising event and then that girl said we want to hire you

01:03:36.739 --> 01:03:39.679
for my christmas party for my neighborhood next month

01:03:39.679 --> 01:03:44.799
and we kind of looked at some of the what do we what do we charge you know what

01:03:44.799 --> 01:03:49.079
do we what do we tell them so much we've learned so much and we've grown so

01:03:49.079 --> 01:03:52.799
much and we're continuing to grow and we have a lot to learn still oh absolutely

01:03:52.799 --> 01:03:56.819
you know and and i i you know i consider myself a business person I've worked

01:03:56.819 --> 01:03:59.499
in retail management for 25 years and that's just.

01:03:59.679 --> 01:04:03.619
I know how to run and operate, but you know, there's another side of it when

01:04:03.619 --> 01:04:06.219
it comes to this is, it's so interesting.

01:04:06.519 --> 01:04:10.439
You know, because everybody's so in love with the bus and has this backstory

01:04:10.439 --> 01:04:14.739
and this like nostalgia, the people that we have met have been,

01:04:14.839 --> 01:04:16.419
that have hired us are just incredible.

01:04:16.919 --> 01:04:21.099
And it's so cool. You know, even like all the photographers,

01:04:21.399 --> 01:04:27.479
like everybody is just so nice and they want, It feels good to have that Need

01:04:27.479 --> 01:04:33.719
that you can fulfill for people You've had no bad experiences Anybody that thinks that it's cool.

01:04:34.452 --> 01:04:37.172
Have a volkswagen a classic car in the

01:04:37.172 --> 01:04:41.852
background of the picture those are our people yeah that's.

01:04:41.852 --> 01:04:44.592
Our people so yeah i'm glad you're glad

01:04:44.592 --> 01:04:47.312
you're saying and you know and we and joe when we did that

01:04:47.312 --> 01:04:50.192
christmas party that december and we

01:04:50.192 --> 01:04:53.432
were so funny the way we rolled up there with all of our heartfelt

01:04:53.432 --> 01:04:56.492
and homemade you know decor that we

01:04:56.492 --> 01:05:01.752
just pulled out of like our personal christmas decorations but

01:05:01.752 --> 01:05:05.132
when we sat back and watched like 60 people take their

01:05:05.132 --> 01:05:08.052
picture with our with our bus and then and this was

01:05:08.052 --> 01:05:11.072
a real you know really great community and they went all

01:05:11.072 --> 01:05:14.292
out and they had a big block party with their association

01:05:14.292 --> 01:05:17.212
so it was like you know 15 families and uh

01:05:17.212 --> 01:05:20.032
they went you know catered it and tables and tents and

01:05:20.032 --> 01:05:22.952
the dj and they had like santa show up and the grinch showed

01:05:22.952 --> 01:05:25.812
up and they had a professional photographer with the with

01:05:25.812 --> 01:05:28.512
the box lights and all the things and we just sat there and went

01:05:28.512 --> 01:05:31.612
whoa and and that was on a saturday

01:05:31.612 --> 01:05:34.432
night that sunday i didn't sleep i

01:05:34.432 --> 01:05:37.912
was so fired up because it was like whoa we

01:05:37.912 --> 01:05:40.752
could get this could be it's so funny because we work we

01:05:40.752 --> 01:05:43.552
both have careers we've worked our whole lives but we've never had what

01:05:43.552 --> 01:05:46.632
the kids call the side hustle you know like this

01:05:46.632 --> 01:05:49.912
doing this thing on the side and it has

01:05:49.912 --> 01:05:53.192
been so it's a lot of really successful companies

01:05:53.192 --> 01:05:55.932
start actually right they start as

01:05:55.932 --> 01:05:59.152
as a passion something that we are as a passion right

01:05:59.152 --> 01:06:03.132
it becomes something that is much yeah yeah yeah

01:06:03.132 --> 01:06:06.092
so we're gonna we're gonna try to grow the.

01:06:06.092 --> 01:06:09.212
Um you know restoring the beetle so we're gonna add that.

01:06:09.212 --> 01:06:12.192
To the photo shoot by holiday you know have

01:06:12.192 --> 01:06:15.612
them both at events so that's coming she's not

01:06:15.612 --> 01:06:18.392
in the greatest of shape right now but she's gonna

01:06:18.392 --> 01:06:21.692
get paint and she's gonna i mean my true

01:06:21.692 --> 01:06:24.792
love of volkswagens honestly is the beat up.

01:06:24.792 --> 01:06:28.212
Rusty smelly ones i like those he likes patina you

01:06:28.212 --> 01:06:31.192
know yeah but i realize this has to

01:06:31.192 --> 01:06:34.992
be painted for photo shoots but yeah

01:06:34.992 --> 01:06:37.892
i like the rusty smell i mean i think fresh

01:06:37.892 --> 01:06:40.712
paint gives you stress and i would rather

01:06:40.712 --> 01:06:43.912
i would rather but it's too clean a beat up rusty

01:06:43.912 --> 01:06:49.292
one honestly deep down i got some rust spots on the a little couple of small.

01:06:49.292 --> 01:06:55.272
Spots on the fender of my thing and then one on the driver's side uh front panel

01:06:55.272 --> 01:06:58.532
and i keep saying oh i want to i want to get it fixed i want to get it fixed

01:06:58.532 --> 01:07:01.972
he's like why just enjoy it yeah just enjoy it,

01:07:02.952 --> 01:07:07.152
things are cool i've never even thought of getting a thing i think that'd be

01:07:07.152 --> 01:07:12.252
awesome that's a perfect beach mobile yeah it is man it is i never would have

01:07:12.252 --> 01:07:18.072
thought of getting one either until I drove one when I drove one with the windshield down,

01:07:18.735 --> 01:07:23.195
And I had on my sunglasses and I just, you know, I've never been a motorcycle

01:07:23.195 --> 01:07:27.075
guy just because I just don't, I don't have that adrenaline type thing going.

01:07:27.075 --> 01:07:31.715
I like, I like 36 horsepower, you know, I like low and slow.

01:07:31.875 --> 01:07:33.255
Just like when I smoke my ribs.

01:07:35.355 --> 01:07:39.595
Yeah. All right. So tell me, where can people find you? Where can they book

01:07:39.595 --> 01:07:41.195
you? How can they follow your journey?

01:07:41.455 --> 01:07:47.955
So we are social media only right now. We are on Facebook, GroovyDaysVWPhotoBus,

01:07:48.075 --> 01:07:51.895
and Instagram, GroovyDaysVWPhotoBus.

01:07:52.035 --> 01:07:55.555
So that's only two places we have an email, but you can get that there.

01:07:55.915 --> 01:07:59.775
Phone number is all on there. So Facebook and Instagram, reach out,

01:07:59.835 --> 01:08:05.255
and we will make a memorable photo shoot event. Please let us know.

01:08:05.695 --> 01:08:09.335
Awesome. Awesome. So I got a final question for you then. This is the last one.

01:08:09.555 --> 01:08:11.955
You guys have been great. I know we've gone a little bit over,

01:08:12.095 --> 01:08:13.475
so I appreciate your time for sure.

01:08:13.475 --> 01:08:17.035
What's one piece of advice somebody may

01:08:17.035 --> 01:08:20.355
be thinking about getting their first bw what's one

01:08:20.355 --> 01:08:24.935
piece of advice you could leave the audience with i would

01:08:24.935 --> 01:08:33.335
say well a couple things never say never man because things do happen and i

01:08:33.335 --> 01:08:37.635
wanted i say they're very temperamental kind of you know kind of just going

01:08:37.635 --> 01:08:41.655
back to the engineering and the and and, you know,

01:08:41.755 --> 01:08:46.375
breaking down and there's always something that maybe needs to be fixed or repaired,

01:08:46.375 --> 01:08:52.035
be patient with your, with your BW and then, and learn how to work on them.

01:08:52.455 --> 01:08:56.595
Learn how to, how to do some of the basics so that you can, you know,

01:08:56.695 --> 01:09:00.555
keep it on the road and know what some of the, you know, things that are kind

01:09:00.555 --> 01:09:03.375
of the common things that go bad.

01:09:03.515 --> 01:09:05.955
And that's all that's happening is the parts go bad. They wear down,

01:09:06.095 --> 01:09:09.935
you know, they're all 50 years old at this point or more.

01:09:10.275 --> 01:09:15.635
Right. So it's, you know, you got to take care of them and, and preserve,

01:09:15.875 --> 01:09:16.855
you got to preserve them.

01:09:16.975 --> 01:09:21.775
And that was, that was my biggest focus when putting the money that we put into

01:09:21.775 --> 01:09:24.555
the bus, you know, while you were deployed was that preservation,

01:09:24.555 --> 01:09:27.715
you know, Hey, if we can do, I'll put all this money into it and we're going

01:09:27.715 --> 01:09:29.935
to have it for another 50 years.

01:09:30.255 --> 01:09:35.815
And, and we have such a unique opportunity with now turning it into what it's

01:09:35.815 --> 01:09:37.095
turned into with groovy days.

01:09:37.515 --> 01:09:42.035
But either way, it's still, you know, groovy days can come and go, but it's the bus,

01:09:42.852 --> 01:09:46.292
my dad keeping, you know, it's my happy place.

01:09:46.552 --> 01:09:51.472
It's just, it's just, you know, you, you get that mental, you know, you need that booth.

01:09:51.612 --> 01:09:56.212
And so you say that I would say I was at you, right. She's smiling. Yeah.

01:09:56.912 --> 01:10:00.812
And I've heard that said before, right. If you, if you look back at your car

01:10:00.812 --> 01:10:04.972
and you know, if, when you look back at it, if you don't look back and see something

01:10:04.972 --> 01:10:07.452
that's almost smiling at you, like, what the hell are you driving?

01:10:08.332 --> 01:10:11.132
Yeah. That was really cool. You said

01:10:11.132 --> 01:10:14.292
that and greg would you sorry to cut you off what were you gonna say so

01:10:14.292 --> 01:10:17.372
i would say follow your heart find

01:10:17.372 --> 01:10:20.952
what you really love which volkswagen

01:10:20.952 --> 01:10:24.272
because there's so many different out there and i

01:10:24.272 --> 01:10:27.372
think you know don't listen to everyone else the

01:10:27.372 --> 01:10:30.412
right ears it doesn't matter it's all

01:10:30.412 --> 01:10:33.292
about the love if you like that one and you are

01:10:33.292 --> 01:10:36.252
drawn to it buy it you can you can

01:10:36.252 --> 01:10:39.152
always get the perfect one down the line because if you wait

01:10:39.152 --> 01:10:42.672
for the perfect you know oval window

01:10:42.672 --> 01:10:45.372
or split window you know

01:10:45.372 --> 01:10:50.512
you may be waiting a long time just get one get one feel that love cruise down

01:10:50.512 --> 01:10:55.592
the road and you can always you know upgrade it and get another one down the

01:10:55.592 --> 01:10:59.952
line but start the journey and buy what you love who cares what everyone else

01:10:59.952 --> 01:11:03.372
and that's a wrap for this episode of Dub Life Diaries.

01:11:03.712 --> 01:11:07.412
Thanks for riding along with us and diving into these incredible stories of

01:11:07.412 --> 01:11:09.472
the people in the dub that drive their dreams.

01:11:09.852 --> 01:11:14.292
If you loved today's episode, don't forget to subscribe or hit that follow button

01:11:14.292 --> 01:11:15.612
so you never miss an adventure.

01:11:15.972 --> 01:11:20.572
Do you have a story to tell or know somebody else who's living the dub life? Awesome.

01:11:20.872 --> 01:11:25.912
Reach out to us. You can find us on all socials at Dub Life Diaries or shoot

01:11:25.912 --> 01:11:27.672
me an email. I'm not hard to find.

01:11:28.552 --> 01:11:33.612
DubLifeDiaries at gmail.com Until next time, keep the engines humming and the

01:11:33.612 --> 01:11:38.172
wheels turning and always follow the road that inspires you. This is Joe Person.

01:11:38.392 --> 01:11:41.352
I'm signing off. I'll catch you on the next ride.

01:11:44.720 --> 01:12:38.610
Music.