The History of All Histories ...

Our first family Volkswagen came along after we went on a search for a large vehicle that would make a good multi-use family transport and I believe entered our family when I was in grade school. I recall taking a trip up to the Sierra Nevada foothills and sitting in the back of a Toyota Land Cruiser (back when they were cool). It was so cool. I remember my parents liked it, but wanted to test drive other vehicles first. The next vehicle we test drove was a 1973 Type 2 Transporter, which I thought was equally cool. Ultimately, the Land Cruiser won out and my parents called the seller to make the deal. However, destiny had other ideas. The Land Cruiser had been sold and the next thing I knew, we had our first Type 2 in the driveway.

Given the name Pokey, we puttered around everywhere in that thing. It took us on a camping trip to Yosemite and a road trip to Washington. That van came with a ton of memories. The last time I remember riding in Pokey was on a Thanksgiving morning almost 40 years ago. We had just picked up my Gigi from the bay area and were heading back home for a family dinner. About 20 miles from home, Pokey gave up the ghost. The engine was blown and we were stranded on the side of a busy highway with Tom the Turkey waiting for us to feast upon him. Phil, our amazing mechanic and close family friend, dropped everything and was able to rescue us and get us home in time to enjoy Thanksgiving.

I remember my parents having a discussion with Phil about the engine. It was our first Type 2 and we did not really understand, until this point, the difference between the upright and the pancake engine. Phil explained that, although he was comfortable working on any air-cooled, the pancakes were more difficult and more expensive to work on. I believe I remember him saying he hated them. Shortly after rebuilding the engine, it was time for Pokey to go.

Because we had fallen in love with Volkswagens, the search for an older upright engine to power the family around began.

Time has robbed me of precise knowledge, but shortly after this, VWs started multiplying in our driveway.