 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Neighborhood of VW fans
By MICHELLE JONES, Times Staff Writer
DADE CITY -- Felix Martinez came to the 14th annual Bug Jam on Sunday looking for a bargain.
"I paid $60 for a rear deck lid and fender for my 1966 Beetle," he said. "I'm really pleased. Next time I come, I'll bring my restored car and show it." The Florida Bug Jam is a one-day Volkswagen show held at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City, and people come from all over the Southeast to participate in the show, view cars or purchase parts. Some even come, park their cars in the parking lot for $2 and stick a "For Sale" sign on it. For the $5 cost of admittance, Paul Clark from Tallahassee got ideas on how to replace the upholstery and carpeting in his 1960 Karmann Ghia convertible. "I drive it to work, but I was afraid to drive it this far," he said. Clark said he is a Volkswagen owner and appreciative of others. He also brought his camera to record ideas he saw. The original color of his car is paprika red, and he is going to restore the inside with white or bone upholstery and light gray carpeting. Clark wore a black shirt with orange VWs all over it. "My Beetle is almost this same color," he said as he pointed to the VWs on his shirt. Joe Schramek brought his restored Beetle to the show from Seminole. A sign posted in the window stated that it was born in 1959 and reborn in 2002. "It took me four years to rebuild it; every screw was taken off," he said. "I will be driving it all over, and every other day to my upholstery business (Schramek's Upholstery in Clearwater)." He just finished restoring the car and will have it appraised soon. "It is probably worth $18,000, including labor, parts and what I paid to begin with," he said. Schramek said he came to Florida in a VW Microbus in 1958, so VWs aren't new to him. "All my kids and grandkids have them," the 68-year-old said. The trunk and inside of the car, painted in a teal-blue, were filled with Coca-Cola memorabilia and other 1950s items. Two VWs from Sea World at the show were decorated to look like Shamu the whale and two replicas of Herbie from the movie Love Bug were also there for people to look at and admire. In addition to all the cars and equipment, there were entertainment, food and games for children. Brooke Perry, 6, of Tampa was there to participate in the Hula Hoop contest. She had been practicing for three months. Her dad, Rick Perry, said his 68-year-old mother won last year's contest in her age category. Although Brooke didn't win, she didn't leave empty-handed. Each participant took home a T-shirt, a prize he could choose from a table inside the auditorium and some candy. "It was fun," said Brooke as she tore into her candy bag. Perry said he came with his father and brother and their two VW buses. "One is a camper and one is a custom," he said. "Last year I showed my 1967 bus. One thing about the VWs, the kids love them. They think they are cool. They are a new generation of VW fans." -- Michelle Jones covers central Pasco community news. She can be reached at (800) 333-7505 ext. 4612 or (813) 909-4612. Her e-mail address is jones@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
|
