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Feature Archive
The Long Road to Patience - Owner: Everett Lacy
For many, a classic vehicle is more than just a machine; it is a member of the family that marks the passage of time. For Everett Lacy, the connection to air-cooled culture began long before he could even reach the pedals.
Growing up in a household where vintage Volkswagens were a staple of the driveway, he learned the trade through the guidance of his father. "My dad has had me around them since I could hold or hand him tools," Lacy recalls. While the duo spent years restoring his father's 1963 Bug, "Ole Blue," Everett spent his youth dreaming of the day he would finally have a project to call his own.
That moment arrived at age 18 when Lacy acquired a 1964 VW Bus. The original vision was a meticulous father-son restoration before Everett headed off to college, but the excitement of the open road proved too strong to ignore. Instead of a ground-up rebuild, they assembled a motor from used parts just to get the Bus roadworthy. "I hadn't fully learned the lesson of her namesake and was too eager to get behind the wheel," Lacy admits. This urgency allowed him to drive the Bus through his senior year and into his university days, creating a rolling collection of memories fueled by a student's budget.
Life with a vintage Bus during college required significant sacrifice and a fair amount of grit. To keep the vehicle alive, Lacy prioritized mechanical parts over personal comforts, often choosing car repairs over everyday essentials. "I ate ramen so I could buy her a starter, and began one semester of my college classes without textbooks so I could pour every spare cent from my summer paycheck into fixing her up," he says. These lean years weren't just about maintenance; they were about transformation. He eventually upgraded from t-shirt-covered seat springs to actual upholstery, allowing him to haul friends on "not-so-comfortable" camping trips and road adventures.
The Bus eventually earned the name "Patience," a title that reflects the mechanical and life lessons Lacy gathered over a decade of ownership. As a vehicle that refuses to be rushed, Patience taught him the value of slowing down and appreciating the journey rather than the destination. "She's no speed demon, and she showed me how to slow down on drives," Lacy explains. "She taught me that good things take patience to work on, maintain, and own. More than any skill with a wrench, my air-cooled friend taught me that with a Bus and with life, you need patience."
After years of heavy use-including a memorable night delivering 17 students to a drive-in and serving as the getaway car at his wedding-the 60-year-old metal began to show its age. In 2020, Lacy and his father took advantage of pandemic-related furloughs to finally give the Bus the professional-grade restoration it deserved. They treated the garage like a full-time job, working eight hours a day for six weeks straight to cut out rust and patch the bodywork. Following months of interior detailing and suspension tuning, Patience finally returned to the pavement in early 2021, emerging with a striking new look in Porsche Grand Prix White and Mint Green.
Today, Patience is a high-performing staple of the local community, appearing at shows, campouts, and even the office parking lot regardless of the weather. Under the decklid sits a 1776cc motor built by the father-son team, featuring an Engle 110 cam and dual 34 Webers that reliably pull 25mpg. For Lacy, the technical specs are impressive, but the sentimental value remains the true engine of the project. "It was a great time working on this with my dad and family," he says. "On all of these miles, there's nothing better than the view through her split-window front end, and I can't wait to have many more hours looking through."
Shorty with a Tall History - Owner: Robert Basil
This custom Shorty Beetle is the kind of Volkswagen that stops people in their tracks, not just because of its dramatically shortened wheelbase but because of the decades of personal history stitched into its metal. What began as a creative father and son project has become a one of a kind cruiser with a story as unique as its proportions.
Every air-cooled Volkswagen has a story, but some are written in more than one font. For the current owner of this unique "Shorty" Beetle, the journey into the VW world began just after leaving the Army. It was a 1972 Type 14 Karmann Ghia that first sparked the passion, though the climate of Northern Idaho proved to be a difficult match for a rear-wheel-drive classic.
"I became interested in VW's when I purchased my first VW which was a 1972 Type 14 Karmann Ghia after getting out of the Army," Robert recalls. "Unfortunately I owned it while living on Northern Idaho and it was not a practical 'only car' for the snowy mountain roads so I had to sell it." While the Ghia moved on, the memories remained. Like many of us, those early years were defined by the simple joy of the road and the siblings we shared it with. "I loved playing Slug Bug with my brother because I could hit him and not get into trouble by my mom."
Finding the right car often requires a bit of digital scouting and a lot of help from friends. While looking for a classic Austin Mini shorty, a lead appeared on Facebook Marketplace. The car was located in Port Orchard, Washington, a long way from the owner's home base in the Phoenix area. "As soon as I saw the photos I knew I had to have it." The car itself is a marvel of garage surgery performed decades ago. "I bought it from the original builder. He built it with his son around 1991 from a 1959 (Dash forward) and a 1968 (Everything back from the dash). Both donor cars were wrecked before the surgery." After the builder's son grew up, the car was sold to help fund a grandson's college education, passing the legacy to a new garage.
Since arriving in Arizona, the Shorty has already seen its first set
of modifications. The stock blade bumpers were swapped out for classic
T-Bars to lean into that custom look. However, the real work involves
preparing a vintage machine for the harsh desert environment. "I'd
like to add an oil cooler and maybe a temp gauge (without cutting the
dash of course). It gets hot in the summer here in Phoenix and I plan
on driving it year round." Comfort is also on the list, as Basil
plans to swap the current bench seat for more supportive buckets and find
a new set of wheels to round out the stance.
Owning a vintage VW isn't about setting land speed records; it is about the experience of the drive and the community that keeps these cars on the road. This Shorty represents a second chance to dive into a hobby where technology takes a back seat to mechanical simplicity. "I've always enjoyed small low HP classic cars and I've owned quite a few. They remind you that you don't need to go fast, have a bunch of tech or have a lot of power to have fun with a vehicle. I love that it is easy to work on and with a willingness to learn (and listen) to the wealth of knowledge in the VW community you can do anything needed in your small two car garage."
While everything is for sale for the right price, this Beetle is currently a keeper. The only thing that could tempt a sale would be the opportunity to fund a Type 1 T1 us. For now, the plan is simple: attend the first of many local cruises and enjoy the unique character of a car that is literally two Volkswagens in one.
The Lens and the Legend - Owner: Eric Arnold
Eric Arnold's 1977 Westfalia is more than a well loved camper. It is a rolling timeline of two decades spent exploring events, campouts, and the VW community with a camera always close at hand. What started as a simple search for a green Bus in Arizona grew into a long running family adventure that continues to shape his life today.
The journey of Eric Arnold’s 1977 Westfalia began in late 2002 with a modest savings account and a lot of curiosity. At the time, Eric’s Volkswagen knowledge was nearly non-existent, limited only to occasionally borrowing a friend’s Bus. When a listing for a green camper in Kingman, Arizona, popped up on TheSamba, he decided to take a chance. Coincidentally, the trip fell on the same weekend as Buses By the Bridge VII in 2003. After a quick stop at the event to see what was for sale, the family continued to Kingman for a meeting that would change their lives for the next two decades.
Arriving after dark meant the initial tour of the Bus was conducted entirely by flashlight. It is rarely a good idea to buy a vehicle in the dark, but the Bus appeared complete and it actually ran. The original Sage Green paint was heavily oxidized by the Arizona sun, and the interior cabinets were in rough shape, but the bones were there. After a quick tour of the Type IV motor, a deal was struck. Eric filled the tank and began the drive back to Las Vegas with his young daughters in the back seat and his wife following in her Jetta. They made it home without incident, marking the start of a twenty year evolution.
One of the most striking features of this Westy today is the unique interior cabinetry. While the units are original, they possess a much lighter tone than the standard dark laminate most enthusiasts expect. Eric spent an entire year of weekends stripping, sanding, staining, and sealing the wood to achieve this custom look. He even added a hand painted chess board to the dining table, a detail that has become a favorite at car shows. While the rear plaid upholstery is original and remarkably preserved, the front seats were refreshed with matching plaid covers from Sewfine Products to complete the factory aesthetic.
Under the rear decklid, the Bus has seen significant upgrades for the long haul. The fuel injected Type IV engine was built by the team at Doug’s Bugs and Bunnys in Mesa, Arizona, with the displacement increased slightly to 2056cc for better reliability. It is paired with a rebuilt 091 transmission to ensure smooth highway cruising. The exterior also received careful attention, including a restoration of the original propane tank and the addition of dealer option white stripes. The paint itself was brought back to life through hours of meticulous polishing and waxing, proving that original finish often has plenty of stories left to tell.
While the Bus served as a daily driver for thirteen years, it now enjoys a life of special events and prestigious shows. It has earned nearly sixty awards to date, including back to back Best of Show honors at the El Prado Show and Shine in 2023 and 2024. However, for Eric, the trophies are secondary to the experience of camping. He has attended every Buses By the Bridge since that first visit in 2003 and is a regular at the annual Blackstar Campout. For him, nothing beats a night spent in the great outdoors surrounded by his fellow Bus owners.
Ultimately, this 1977 Westfalia represents what Eric calls the perfect blend. It is a vehicle that has never been truly restored, but rather maintained and loved with subtle personal tweaks. Through this Bus, Eric has built a massive VW family that he values above any award. It is a reminder that these machines are intended to be used and shared with the community. As Eric says, his Bus might not be pristine, but it is his, and it continues to fulfill its purpose on the open road and at campouts across the country.
Three Generations of Love in a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle - Owner: Lynda Bonnette
Nellybelle's story begins with a family who never saw their Beetle as just transportation. Jessie's 1968 Volkswagen became a companion through decades of daily life, eventually passing from mother to daughter to granddaughter with its charm and originality intact. Each generation added memories without changing the spirit of the car, turning it into a quiet thread that connects their family across time.
Some cars are simply transportation. Others quietly become part of a family's story, absorbing decades of memories and meaning along the way. For Lynda Bonnette, her 1968 Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately named "Nellybell", is far more than a classic car. She is a rolling tribute to three generations of women who loved her, relied on her, and treated her not as an object, but as a trusted companion. In August of 1968, Jessie, my husband's grandmother, walked into a Volkswagen dealership at the age of 58 and purchased a brand new Beetle equipped with the then innovative Automatic Stick Shift transmission. Advertised as the "Lady Bug," this model was designed to make driving easier and more approachable, particularly for those who preferred not to operate a traditional clutch. Jessie embraced the idea wholeheartedly. She named the car Nellybelle, after Roy Rogers' beloved Jeep, and quickly made the Beetle her own.
Nellybelle became part of Jessie's everyday life, faithfully taking her wherever she needed to go. My husband still fondly remembers riding along as a child on special trips to Krispy Kreme, where the journey was just as important as the doughnut waiting at the end. Jessie continued driving well into her 80s, a testament both to her independence and to the Beetle's reliability. Only when age made it unavoidable did she finally stop driving, leaving behind a car filled with decades of gentle use and care. In the mid 1990s, Nellybelle passed to Jessie's daughter, Geraldine, my mother in law, beginning the Beetle's second chapter. Geraldine was deeply committed to preserving the car's originality, believing that its charm lay in remaining as close as possible to the way her mother had enjoyed it. One of the most significant moments in Nellybelle's life came when Geraldine drove her from Virginia to Florida, with Jessie riding along, as Jessie relocated to live with her daughter.
Florida proved to be an ideal setting for the Beetle's continued service. Nellybelle became a familiar sight around town, commuting to work, running errands, and heading to the beach. She was never tucked away or treated as fragile. In 2003, Geraldine treated her to a fresh coat of paint, carefully refreshing her appearance while preserving her original character. The Beetle remained a dependable and joyful part of daily life.By 2018, at the age of 88, Geraldine made the difficult decision to stop driving due to failing eyesight. Not long after, both Geraldine and Nellybelle relocated to Washington, DC, to live with my husband and me. With that move, the responsibility of caretaking passed to us, along with the honor of continuing the car's story.
Mechanical attention was given where needed, including work to the undercarriage, servicing of the AutoStick transmission, and replacement of rusted bumpers. Inside, Nellybelle remains remarkably original. The seats, headliner, and door panels are still the same pieces enjoyed by Jessie and Geraldine decades earlier. The carpet was replaced only after floor pan repairs, and the dash and sun visors were updated due to sun damage from years spent in Florida. Every change has been made thoughtfully, and only when necessary. The AutoStick transmission itself has been rebuilt a couple of times over the years, a reminder of both its unique design and its long service life. The mechanism, housed inside the left rear wheel well, continues to spark curiosity among fellow enthusiasts who stop to admire the car at shows.
Today, Nellybelle is far from a static display. She is regularly driven and enjoyed, just as she always has been. She attends cruises, events, and shows hosted by the Rare Air Emerald Coast Volkswagen Club and Pensacola VW Happenings, experiences that have greatly enriched our Volkswagen journey. The support and shared knowledge of club members have been invaluable, and it is never unusual to spot another vintage vehicle while out on the road. Perhaps most meaningful of all is that Nellybelle still carries her original owner's manual, toolkit, jack, and even a book of Volkswagen cartoons that came from the dealership so many years ago.
She wears a few small dings and scrapes, honest reminders of a life well lived. Those marks make me smile, knowing that the women before me loved this car enough to drive her everywhere. Nellybelle was never just owned. She was trusted, enjoyed, and cherished. Our hope is simple, to honor Jessie and Geraldine by continuing to do exactly what they did best, keeping Nellybelle on the road and letting her story continue to unfold, one wonderful mile at a time.
Explore More Air-Cooled VW Sections
- 2026 Air-Cooled VW Events Calendar Plan your season with our nationwide guide to VW shows, swap meets, and vintage gatherings.
- Monthly Air-Cooled Article Read our latest deep dive into restoration stories, maintenance insights, and technical knowledge.
- The VW History Archive Explore eight decades of air-cooled Volkswagen development, culture, and global influence.
- Factory Photo Archive Step inside the original Volkswagen assembly lines with rare production images from multiple eras.
