David Olson
Eugene, OR

On fathers day a local VW shop holds a fathers day show for only Volkswagens, so when I found my buggy project in 1996 I drug it to the show to talk & meet VW enthusiasts , most were as expected. very friendly & helpful, but some were cold and even rude when I asked "stupid" questions. the one guy with a buggy was a jerk! so I told my wife and friends someday I will beat that guy in a show..... his buggy was a bit "hokey" you know... to much stuff that didn't belong. in 2003 I towed my "green machine" to the show and parked next to the jerk I had meet years earlier, when I asked him "what do you think" he had nothing nice to say. oh did I mention he is the president of a VW club here in Oregon which had a nice turnout of members. the response I got was overwhelming, so many people liked my work, I was so proud and was sure the first place trophy was coming home with me...... I was wrong, since the fan's vote, he had his whole club there to vote for him.... I had few friend's on that day. after five years of hard work, wanting nothing more than to beat this guy at his own game, my buggy is clearly the nicer buggy,.... the votes were counted & the winners announced...and the trophy goes to........ yep you guessed it, the guy with all his buddies at the show, NOT the best buggy. I hope your buggy of the month is not chosen by body manufacturer, or a friend of the staff, or favorite color, or money spent. but by the person who didn't have the big shop full of friend's and family farming out all the phases of the project to professionals only to sit and wait for brand new components reeking of fresh paint to show up ready for assembly with a instruction book and new fasteners to build a car in a few months. but by the guy who did it by himself from scratch with no new fancy nothing in his one car garage. 90% of my project was used parts I was given