Yes I went to a few old shows. They were called "bug ins". And yes the crowds were young, that was us. We all used to wear Hang Ten Tee shirts, and cord type material shorts. I do remember the engine pull contests. And at that time a totally stock bug would hardly ever be in the show. The Cal Look was the thing back then. And if you saw a bus, it was more than likely a swap meet vender, and they used the bus to haul what they were selling. And yes, I do remember the wet tee shirt and the bikini contests. I had a good time at those shows of course I was in my late teens or early 20's. Of course, time marches on, now I'm in my mid sixty's, I have changed and so have the shows. I have to admit, I think I like the shows more now. It seems like we value a nice old stock bugs more than we did back then. Maybe we long for the good old days. One thing I like about the VW scene now, when you go to a show the people are so diverse. I mean the people are all ages, old or young we love the vintage VW's. Mike I have met you at a couple of shows, and we have talked, I know one thing for sure you love these old vehicles. I also have watched your RUclips videos for a long time. Keep up the good work. I've have gotten a few tips watching them. Sorry for being so long winded. Take care.
yea the old shows were just different. But like you say today it is more about just hanging out with people that like the cars. It has just changed. IDK if it is better or worse probably better but totally different. even the times of the events.
The Classic on Saturday, Intershows swap Saturday night then to SOTO meet on Sunday. Such a badass weekend. The Jamboree and Showdown. Engine blow contest was always a gathering.
I''ll be that guy: I miss the bikini contests. Seriously though, I go to the Socal shows as much for the swap meets as the show itself. There's way too few vw specific swap meets in socal and they're all attached to car shows where you have to pay $15, $20, $25 dollars just to get in. Just a straight free vw swap meet in an empty parking lot once a month would be nice. There's still plenty of us trying to get our cars built and in need of good deals on parts.
I remember the yearly shows in Terryville, CT. used to have the engine blow contest all the way into the early 2000's. They would also have an engineless Beetle in the middle of the grounds that you could take parts from for free if you wanted some.
The whole "patina" shit is for kids who don't know their history. I got my driver's license in '84 and NOBODY wanted to be caught dead in a rusty car, PERIOD.
True SHOWTIME, FULL DISPLAY!!! More entertainment, even for kids! OG's know what I am talking about. Obvious entertainment was car show, drag racing, and bikini contest!!! Other entertainment was engine pull contest and engine blow. Most importantly, more shows!!! More originality on all VW's!!! Don't forget the California Caravan!!! Shout out to the Old school days!!!
VW & Porsche, Hot VWs and VW Trends. I remember the engine blow contests as well as the engine pulls and reinstalls contests. The hot chicks in bikinis and hot pants also gone. Like you said the patina stuff was non existent as well as the totally slammed cars and the extreme narrowed beams. “Sanitary” Cal Look was big back then.
I went to the Terryville Bug In, back in the day. No beaters on the show, no buses, no patina... It was all about having a " Mint Dub"... and they were selling from 75 bucks and up. My 67 bahama blue cost me $400.
I hated going to shows near me in the 80s. Too many knee-high socks and lawn chairs. The shows I liked were Friday and Saturday nights, or else the local swap meets. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the few times following both Cobras and Hebmullers driving to the show... I am glad the old guard folks that say, 'when are you gonna paint that thing' are moving on... never did like the boring 'vintage n*zis'.
The biggest visual differences between now and then were Cal-Bugs. We used to remove all the trim, emblems and front turn signals, louver the hoods, deck lids and sometimes the fenders. French power antennas here and there and taillights. Weld the holes up in the rear aprons etc. Yes lots of chrome. Guys used to chrome the running boards, glove boxes etc etc. I preferred to color match them. To us, VW's were the poor man's Hot Rod. We couldn't afford them, so we emulated what we were seeing from that world, which was made up of mostly people our parents age who could afford and build Hot Rods. That entire era VW scene was young people, the only older people we knew or saw were the vendors and painters. Great memories of cruises from Santa Clarita to Zuma Beach, or Santa Barbara. Miss those times!
Here in the Bay Area we had the Good Guys show in Pleasanton back in the early 90s that must have had like 600+ cars and a swap meet that had rows and rows of guys selling parts. I never understood why the Good Guys wouldn't put on a West Coast event. If they invited Dave Kindig as one of the guests with some of the VWs he build, they would have a great show.
i liked the old VW shows in the 80s and 90s like the Classic at Irvine and at Orange County fairgrounds . Remember the Bikini contest those were the best
in San Antonio the meets had the bigger shops had engine build contest and Big Vee did it in 13.42 min. The other shops said he was disqualified because he didn't use a torque wrench . He said put it in a car and see how long it last ?
oh man wish I had those. I hated photos back then. My dad burned me out on them He took photos EVERYWHERE....and it just was unsettling for me to do the same. But believe me I wish I had that to show on this video.
The point about more young people attending shows in the 80s and 90s resonated. It’s something I think about now when attending shows or watching these types of videos: where are the young people? I wonder who will take over the cars and hobby when it’s time to pass the torch?
many are jumping in as they get older because the cost is so high now. Back in the early days the alure was the cheap old Bug....guys are still getting into it but in their 30s and later as they accumulate funds.
the old scene is dying, both figuratively and literally. although it's still going strong, i feel like a younger guy when i go to events, "only" being in my mid 40s.... i think there will continue to be new crowds come in, though, like we've seen with bay windows. i suspect performance engine swapping and EVs could become more popular... it will require innovation and people loosening up, though. the whole stock nazi $$$ split bus thing is not sustainable in terms of building a community that doesn't dwindle into totally inaccessible obscurity and eventually all but disappear into private collections 🤷♂️ either way, I'm super excited about the future of VWs...way too much there to just go away, it's going to be great seeing where things go next
Great video, Mike! I was stationed at El Toro and my dad would fly or drive out from Colorado just to go to those shows. The afternoon / evening format was great. We would usually breeze through the show cars and head straight to the swap-meet. I recall trying to jam two new seats, door cards, and my dad back into my bug to get back to the base! Good times and I miss them. 100% on the "show car" vs parking lot. My current car (63 bug) would never make it on the show grounds, but today it's totally welcome. I talked to a guy recently that owns one of the last store-front bug shops in SoCal and he was commenting on how much he dislikes the patina look as it kinda made people lazy. We have only one big'ish local show here in the Boise area w/ a swap meet the day before. This year I only did the swap meet; so much smaller than the old days, but still filled with great people (not many young people though)!
Up here in Washington State, only bugs and ghias at the shows. Buses and type 3's weren't really welcome or allowed good to haul swap parts. 80's and 90's lots of "splash graphics," painted alloys, detailed pans, engine blows, and German parts... Worked at a European shop in my college town - tons of bugs still being driven by students. 😊
My sister had a ‘65 bug and her husband a crew cab not sure the year. I don’t remember them having their cars in the shows. I just remember I went to a bunch of shows with them back then.
@@Mikefngarage I remember getting dropped off at school in it! It was so cool! I loved their cars & always wanted an oval window. Ovals were my favorite to see at the shows.
I remember the Costa Mesa indoor swap meets where there were a lot of parts available back then. That was before Wolfsburg West, CIP1, ISP-W and West Coast Metric got their start. Those were the days of Johnnys speed & chrome and Car Custom. I remember a bikini girl by the name of Shannon Rae, man she was hot. I finished my '54 oval in time for one of the shows and won a tall 2nd place trophy for resto-mod. I was running a 1776 at the time. I lost to a lowered split bug belonging to Randy Ingersol. Good times !
@@Mikefngarage I think I was one of the first who had a VW Trends Subscription in the 80s, because an old Friend of mine was from Huntington Beach and could call them for me. I like the Swimsuit Issues most and glad I still have some. Every Month many Friends were here to see the new Issue.
Yes I went to a few old shows. They were called "bug ins". And yes the crowds were young, that was us. We all used to wear Hang Ten Tee shirts, and cord type material shorts. I do remember the engine pull contests. And at that time a totally stock bug would hardly ever be in the show. The Cal Look was the thing back then. And if you saw a bus, it was more than likely a swap meet vender, and they used the bus to haul what they were selling. And yes, I do remember the wet tee shirt and the bikini contests. I had a good time at those shows of course I was in my late teens or early 20's. Of course, time marches on, now I'm in my mid sixty's, I have changed and so have the shows. I have to admit, I think I like the shows more now. It seems like we value a nice old stock bugs more than we did back then. Maybe we long for the good old days. One thing I like about the VW scene now, when you go to a show the people are so diverse. I mean the people are all ages, old or young we love the vintage VW's. Mike I have met you at a couple of shows, and we have talked, I know one thing for sure you love these old vehicles. I also have watched your RUclips videos for a long time. Keep up the good work. I've have gotten a few tips watching them. Sorry for being so long winded. Take care.
yea the old shows were just different. But like you say today it is more about just hanging out with people that like the cars. It has just changed. IDK if it is better or worse probably better but totally different. even the times of the events.
The Classic on Saturday, Intershows swap Saturday night then to SOTO meet on Sunday. Such a badass weekend. The Jamboree and Showdown. Engine blow contest was always a gathering.
I''ll be that guy: I miss the bikini contests.
Seriously though, I go to the Socal shows as much for the swap meets as the show itself. There's way too few vw specific swap meets in socal and they're all attached to car shows where you have to pay $15, $20, $25 dollars just to get in. Just a straight free vw swap meet in an empty parking lot once a month would be nice. There's still plenty of us trying to get our cars built and in need of good deals on parts.
The VW mags always had the ‘80’s hot chicks in bikinis and hot pants. Not anymore; wokesters have spoiled it for everyone.
I remember the yearly shows in Terryville, CT. used to have the engine blow contest all the way into the early 2000's. They would also have an engineless Beetle in the middle of the grounds that you could take parts from for free if you wanted some.
I remember that.
Ah, the good days of the Jamborees in Costa Mesa 🌴
I think I went to 1 in the 90s then Stared back in 2011 they were not even the same.
The whole "patina" shit is for kids who don't know their history. I got my driver's license in '84 and NOBODY wanted to be caught dead in a rusty car, PERIOD.
I’ve always been confused why people like patina. Like you want your car to look like an old rust bucket??
Lol I loved the Eighties! Scored my Bus in 85 and still run it
True SHOWTIME, FULL DISPLAY!!! More entertainment, even for kids! OG's know what I am talking about. Obvious entertainment was car show, drag racing, and bikini contest!!! Other entertainment was engine pull contest and engine blow. Most importantly, more shows!!! More originality on all VW's!!! Don't forget the California Caravan!!! Shout out to the Old school days!!!
VW & Porsche, Hot VWs and VW Trends. I remember the engine blow contests as well as the engine pulls and reinstalls contests. The hot chicks in bikinis and hot pants also gone. Like you said the patina stuff was non existent as well as the totally slammed cars and the extreme narrowed beams. “Sanitary” Cal Look was big back then.
I went to the Terryville Bug In, back in the day. No beaters on the show, no buses, no patina... It was all about having a " Mint Dub"... and they were selling from 75 bucks and up. My 67 bahama blue cost me $400.
Virtual time travel back to the 80's. I remember these times very well. Thank you for this 👍👍
I remember checking out my dad's VW magazines back in the 1980s. Wasnt Linda Sobeck a Raiders cheerleader?
I hated going to shows near me in the 80s. Too many knee-high socks and lawn chairs. The shows I liked were Friday and Saturday nights, or else the local swap meets. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the few times following both Cobras and Hebmullers driving to the show... I am glad the old guard folks that say, 'when are you gonna paint that thing' are moving on... never did like the boring 'vintage n*zis'.
The biggest visual differences between now and then were Cal-Bugs. We used to remove all the trim, emblems and front turn signals, louver the hoods, deck lids and sometimes the fenders. French power antennas here and there and taillights. Weld the holes up in the rear aprons etc. Yes lots of chrome. Guys used to chrome the running boards, glove boxes etc etc. I preferred to color match them. To us, VW's were the poor man's Hot Rod. We couldn't afford them, so we emulated what we were seeing from that world, which was made up of mostly people our parents age who could afford and build Hot Rods. That entire era VW scene was young people, the only older people we knew or saw were the vendors and painters. Great memories of cruises from Santa Clarita to Zuma Beach, or Santa Barbara. Miss those times!
Here in the Bay Area we had the Good Guys show in Pleasanton back in the early 90s that must have had like 600+ cars and a swap meet that had rows and rows of guys selling parts. I never understood why the Good Guys wouldn't put on a West Coast event. If they invited Dave Kindig as one of the guests with some of the VWs he build, they would have a great show.
Hey Mike ! in 72 if you needed to get a rebuilt 1600 you had to have a 1600 core . Then you had to wait . = no cores
i liked the old VW shows in the 80s and 90s like the Classic at Irvine and at Orange County fairgrounds . Remember the Bikini contest those were the best
Chicks were hot 😉
in San Antonio the meets had the bigger shops had engine build contest and Big Vee did it in 13.42 min. The other shops said he was disqualified because he didn't use a torque wrench . He said put it in a car and see how long it last ?
I remember all that you mentioned very well I have stacks of photos 35mm
oh man wish I had those. I hated photos back then. My dad burned me out on them He took photos EVERYWHERE....and it just was unsettling for me to do the same. But believe me I wish I had that to show on this video.
please digitize your photos and share them!
The point about more young people attending shows in the 80s and 90s resonated. It’s something I think about now when attending shows or watching these types of videos: where are the young people? I wonder who will take over the cars and hobby when it’s time to pass the torch?
many are jumping in as they get older because the cost is so high now. Back in the early days the alure was the cheap old Bug....guys are still getting into it but in their 30s and later as they accumulate funds.
the old scene is dying, both figuratively and literally. although it's still going strong, i feel like a younger guy when i go to events, "only" being in my mid 40s....
i think there will continue to be new crowds come in, though, like we've seen with bay windows. i suspect performance engine swapping and EVs could become more popular... it will require innovation and people loosening up, though.
the whole stock nazi $$$ split bus thing is not sustainable in terms of building a community that doesn't dwindle into totally inaccessible obscurity and eventually all but disappear into private collections
🤷♂️
either way, I'm super excited about the future of VWs...way too much there to just go away, it's going to be great seeing where things go next
Thanks for the 1980s video!
I've always wondered what it was like when my mom had her bugs. The 80s and 90s seem to be the ideal time for shows and building
Great video, Mike! I was stationed at El Toro and my dad would fly or drive out from Colorado just to go to those shows. The afternoon / evening format was great. We would usually breeze through the show cars and head straight to the swap-meet. I recall trying to jam two new seats, door cards, and my dad back into my bug to get back to the base! Good times and I miss them. 100% on the "show car" vs parking lot. My current car (63 bug) would never make it on the show grounds, but today it's totally welcome. I talked to a guy recently that owns one of the last store-front bug shops in SoCal and he was commenting on how much he dislikes the patina look as it kinda made people lazy. We have only one big'ish local show here in the Boise area w/ a swap meet the day before. This year I only did the swap meet; so much smaller than the old days, but still filled with great people (not many young people though)!
A lot younger back then LOL yes we were I turned 16 in 85 Had a 63 Sunroof and hit all the East coast shows
yea back then they were just a cheap car so they attracted all the younger gen. also cheap on gas.
Up here in Washington State, only bugs and ghias at the shows. Buses and type 3's weren't really welcome or allowed good to haul swap parts. 80's and 90's lots of "splash graphics," painted alloys, detailed pans, engine blows, and German parts...
Worked at a European shop in my college town - tons of bugs still being driven by students. 😊
My sister had a ‘65 bug and her husband a crew cab not sure the year. I don’t remember them having their cars in the shows. I just remember I went to a bunch of shows with them back then.
double cabs were hot too. just as hot as 23 windows even then.
@@Mikefngarage I remember getting dropped off at school in it! It was so cool! I loved their cars & always wanted an oval window. Ovals were my favorite to see at the shows.
Thanks for sharing
You bet!
I remember the Costa Mesa indoor swap meets where there were a lot of parts available back then. That was before Wolfsburg West, CIP1, ISP-W and West Coast Metric got their start. Those were the days of Johnnys speed & chrome and Car Custom. I remember a bikini girl by the name of Shannon Rae, man she was hot. I finished my '54 oval in time for one of the shows and won a tall 2nd place trophy for resto-mod. I was running a 1776 at the time. I lost to a lowered split bug belonging to Randy Ingersol. Good times !
Shows in Germany in the 80s were cool. Today its only about Camping and Alc Abuse.
yea much more drinking going on and camping is a newer thing.
@@Mikefngarage I think I was one of the first who had a VW Trends Subscription in the 80s, because an old Friend of mine was from Huntington Beach and could call them for me. I like the Swimsuit Issues most and glad I still have some. Every Month many Friends were here to see the new Issue.
👍
Mike, I enjoyed listening to you talk about earlier car shows. Thanks for sharing these memories.
Thanks for sharing your story Mike.
You bet
👍
that engine in and out contest seems so fun!
The way modern females look we can do without the bikini contests..😂😂
Got that right….🤣