My "New" New Beetle Experience

[blybug]

Wow...so glad I found this forum full of kindred spirits...I was starting to think I was crazy, but after reading through dozens of threads in this forum I decided to register and share my recent NB experience...

I had a red '98 NB I bought the first model year. I'd always wanted a Beetle when I was a kid, and when the NBs came out I was one of the first on the waiting list in this area. His name was blybug (my last name is Bly) and like many others on this forum, I loved getting in and driving that car every single day I had him! I always honked & waved at other Beetles, parked next to them when I could, and absolutely felt a different vibe from other people on and off the road when they'd see me with the blybug. I loved it more than a person should be able to love a car.

When I got him 9 years ago I had one child, who was a year old at the time. It was virtually impossible that first year to find an automatic transmission, so I bought a manual and learned how to drive stick later (a friend actually drove it home from the dealership and later taught me). Over the 9 years we've had 2 more kids and my wife never really got comfortable driving the stick. So we've had increasing occasions where sorting out who takes which kid(s) in which vehicle (other car is a minivan) has become a difficult issue. They all love to ride in the Beetle and usually fight over who gets to come with me. My oldest is now almost 10 and the airbag still makes me nervous, though I have carted him in the front seat in order to take all 3 a few times when my wife has been off with the van.

Anyhow, in the past year blybug had been having one thing wrong after another, almost every month a few hundred or even thousand dollars here and there for various things. Nothing that would keep him from running, but I knew that day was coming. Last Friday I had a $1500 estimate for AC system replacement staring me in the face, and I convinced myself the day had come. I wandered around from service to sales and started looking at 4-door sedans with automatic transmissions and 3 seatbelts in the back. With a heavy heart I traded the blybug, signed all the papers on a new deal, and drove home with a brand new 2007 Jetta Wolfsburg Edition. I didn't even feel happy with my brand new car as I left the lot, and the whole ride home I literally had a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat. I was a 40 year old Jetta-driving father of 3, no longer a 30 year old guy with one toddler and a "fun" car. That was that.

When I got home with this big surprise, my 2 youngest jumped in and started playing around with all the swtiches, sunroof, etc, actually pretty excited about having a new car. My wife read something on my face and said "So are you all right?" and I said "No, I'm so sad" and actually started to tear up a little bit. Then I saw my oldest son sitting on the porch crying and he says "Why didn't you tell us you were trading in the Beetle...I didn't get to say goodbye." I could hardly believe this was happening, it almost reminded me of when our dog died a few years back...but I actually felt worse...

That whole evening I felt just sick and could barely sleep, tossing and turning all night. In the morning I knew what I had to do. I called the dealership and asked what it would take to undo the deal on the Jetta and get me into a new New Beetle. They told me to come on up and see what we could do. Well, they were fabulous (Clear Lake VW south of Houston). Although they had no obligation to do this, and could have taken the Jetta as a trade-in, or charged me some ridiculous restocking fee (all of which I was prepared to do, by the way), they literally shredded the paperwork from the day before and started all over with me.

This time I drove off the lot with a new 2007 Salsa Red Beetle, automatic transmission, sunroof, and of course the variably-activated passenger airbag. The feeling of happiness I had going home in that familiar car was overwhelming...I actually had the thought cross my mind that my old blybug would approve of this. I was trying to explain all this to my wife and she just looks at me like I'm a little crazy, and says "As long as you're happy..."

Yesterday while headed to a Houston Astros game we got beeped & waved by a yellow NB Cabrio with eyelashes, and carabugged for about 15 miles. It's such a little thing yet there's something about that connection that I would have missed forever driving that Jetta. Sorry this post got so long, just need to share it with some people that would "get it."

[noR]

Awesome!! It sounds like the new red bug solved alot of problems as well!


Congratulations, and welcome to the Org.

[AmyJane]

AWWW!!! Very cool post!! As i say and read this I imagined what it would be like to go through the same thing with my car and I got a lump in my throat. Please stick around?! You are definitely one of us!

[ladymarmalade]

Welcome!

I'm a total N00b myself, and I completely relate to feeling like you found a place where people didn't think you were insane for how much you love your bugs.

Congrats on the new Salsa red!

[sundownbeetle]

Congratulations on your Salsa Red--believe me, we understand how you feel around here! You should've seen the waterworks when I traded my Sundown Orange 03 for my Laser Blue 07... but Punkin ended up in a great new home and Sparky and I are having lots of fun speeding...

[Evanrude]

Yaaaay! Another human falls for our undeniable charm!!

Mwaahahahahaa......

*honks in welcome to Blybug*

[KatWoman]

I should not read posts like this at work. I am here at the front desk wiping my eyes LOL.

[dnyed]

What a great story! I kinda did the same thing, but with a 2006
Passat I got after trading my 2002 NB Turbo S. I cried so hard, and said goodbye.

A few months later, I got divorced, and was angry that I didn't have my "personal" car, and felt "stuck" with that big, family car. I now have a Turbo S back, and I am feeling like a new person. Now I am complete.

Congratulations, and (FINALLY! ) Welcome to the Org!

[LadybugEwa]

Awesome story! So glad you found us, you SO belong here

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by CyberGreenBaby

AWWW!!! Very cool post!!
.... Please stick around?! You are definitely one of us!

Indeed you are so one of us. One of the best beetle stories i've heard. I bet you if you sent it in to Car Crazy they would read that story on air- it's just that good.

Welcome to the family.

[Jharmari]

That is FREAKIN' AWESOME!

Such a sweet story, wow.

[ubugnme04]

That's a great story, I would be the same way. I was down at the VW Dealer Friday with my boyfriend kicking tires on a new Jetta for him and they have a Harvest Moon/Tan NBC, she is really pretty, we were doing the math for what I could get for UBugNMe as a trade in (she is paid off) and that I really wouldn't be financing much, payments would be low, I couldn't do it. If I get a "new" New Beetle, I will do it when I can afford to keep UBugNMe and get a new one. UBugNMe and I have been through a lot together, I take care of her and she takes care of me. Good luck with your new baby.

[blybug]

So just over a year after this story was posted, my "new" New Beetle was flooded and destroyed in Hurricane Ike. In the flurry of rebuilding our lives, I purchased a 2008 Prius as a replacement car.

The Prius has been terrific and actually has a similar community surrounding it, drivers wave and honk and park next to each other. But when the 2012 Beetle was announced, I knew it was time to resurrect the BLY BUG. No tears shed yesterday as we left the Prius behind and drive home in a brand new 2012 Black Beetle. Great to be back in the fold!

[VDubYah]

Welcome Home

[dnyed]

Aha! I see you are in Galveston. Poor 2007 BlyBug.


But, Congrats for the 2012! And, it's a beauty! I hope no hurricanes get THAT one!

[TennesseeBug]

That 2012 is a beauty! Your first post in this thread was just wonderful, BTW.

Welcome back!

[katiex10204]

Beautiful beetle & awesome story!!!!

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by VDubYah

Welcome Home

What He said

And a sweet B12 too

[LoLoBug]

Congratulations!