Thunderbird Club

[Engle]

I wanted to pass this along, Christine says hello to everyone.
Here's one of her FireDragons.

View attachment 3478659

Very nice! I am glad to hear she is alive and kicking... and building basses!

 

[Engle]

Repurposing in action.

That’s half the fun!

 

[Engle]

Reduce, reuse, recycle. It has worked and still works in pop, punk, and blues. Why mess with a formula that has carried an industry for more than 50 years?

I bought that neck from a TB member, bought the badass from CL years ago (it’s been on 4 of my basses)and the strings used to be on my Casady.

 

[RedVee]

Large and small Beetles?

Well in my head anyway. I think officially they are ‘big window’ vs ‘small window’.

We built VeeDubs in Australia from the 50s-70s, from CKD kits to start and finish but through the majority of the 60s it was full local production.
With our small market we couldn’t afford all the updates all the time. So effectively we had the 61/62 VW 1300 through to 67. Then for 68 we got CKD again and the new 1500 model. Big difference in look (to me), with the vertical headlights (rather than reclined), different engine cover, taillights, bigger engine*.

Just looks more substantial to me, but yeah I never took a tape measure to them. But we jumped from ‘62 to ‘68 in one hit.


* the 1300 went into the new ones as well once they cleared the old ones out.

 

[RedVee]

I wanted to pass this along, Christine says hello to everyone.
Here's one of her FireDragons.

View attachment 3478659

That looks great. I was wondering if she was going to be able to finish one or all of them - was hoping it would work out ok.

Give my best wishes to Christine.

 

[Border]

I wanted to pass this along, Christine says hello to everyone.
Here's one of her FireDragons.

View attachment 3478659

that is a beautiful bass! Please pass along my best regards if appropriate. She does amazing work.
All this talk about Volkswagen's makes me want to unearth a 71 Super Beetle that has been covered up in the back of my shop for several years. My niece used to refer to it as the "pumpkin car". Not certain what that orangey color was actually called. Great fun to drive, if would have only defrosted.

 

[Engle]

Well in my head anyway. I think officially they are ‘big window’ vs ‘small window’.

We built VeeDubs in Australia from the 50s-70s, from CKD kits to start and finish but through the majority of the 60s it was full local production.
With our small market we couldn’t afford all the updates all the time. So effectively we had the 61/62 VW 1300 through to 67. Then for 68 we got CKD again and the new 1500 model. Big difference in look (to me), with the vertical headlights (rather than reclined), different engine cover, taillights, bigger engine*.

Just looks more substantial to me, but yeah I never took a tape measure to them. But we jumped from ‘62 to ‘68 in one hit.


* the 1300 went into the new ones as well once they cleared the old ones out.

Interesting! CKD was a car that was shipped overseas in pieces and assembled locally? I’ve forgotten -What it stand for?
The actual body dimensions didn’t get bigger, but the windows did. Most of the changes were incremental. You guys did a big jump so it would seem quite different.

 

[Engle]

that is a beautiful bass! Please pass along my best regards if appropriate. She does amazing work.
All this talk about Volkswagen's makes me want to unearth a 71 Super Beetle that has been covered up in the back of my shop for several years. My niece used to refer to it as the "pumpkin car". Not certain what that orangey color was actually called. Great fun to drive, if would have only defrosted.

My Ghia was originally that orange colour. Ugh

 

[Count Bassie]

Ok, looking at involvement with a Cream/Mountain/Bluesbreakers idea in my neighborhood, with a really talented guitar player I was in a band with four a while, 15 or so years ago. Seeking a drummer... hey, @fasterpussycat , got any advice??

*My heart still sinks a little on it's way out to you, when I think of that post of yours*

Just bailed, realizing I'm way too busy, taxed even, to do it. Too bad...

 

[RedVee]

Interesting! CKD was a car that was shipped overseas in pieces and assembled locally? I’ve forgotten -What it stand for?
The actual body dimensions didn’t get bigger, but the windows did. Most of the changes were incremental. You guys did a big jump so it would seem quite different.

CKD - Completely Knocked Down. So yeah kits.

As time went on the local bits increased, paint, tyres, batteries etc until they invested in increasing the plant and put in equipment to stamp body parts etc.
Other makes went through the plant as well and different times you might see VWs, Volvo’s and Datsuns all around the place in the same colours as each other.

Spoiler: Too much OT detail

So there is all sorts of issues for the innocent trying restore an Aussie VW using US (for example) parts places. Seals etc for a 66 Aussie can’t be ordered as a 66 in the US as they won’t fit. Also serial numbers are funny, for the CKD period the CKD batches were assigned in Germany with serial numbers - so all good.

With the local production they got serial numbers indicating Aust production and a lot of overseas lists don’t recognise the numbers at all.

They built/assembled Beetles (only the last model actually called a Beetle), Type 3, Kombi (Type 2 commercials) and a “Country Buggy” - I guess to compete with the Mini Moke - and some Passats at the end, and I think some early Mk1 Golfs (but not 100% sure on that).

 

[Count Bassie]

From what i recall, kidney not required.

Well, only one.

 

[MCF]

I wanted to pass this along, Christine says hello to everyone.
Here's one of her FireDragons.

View attachment 3478659

Sure do miss her.

 

[MCF]

Yeah, always useful to check in every couple of hours. If you wait a whole day, you may be looking at catching up on 20-30 pages.

Speaking of which, we’ll be on the red eye from LAX to Heathrow tomorrow night and traveling the next couple of weeks. Days will go by without checking. Probably won’t keep up with you all..so apologies in advance if I miss something and don’t acknowledge the brilliance that is this thread and it’s members.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Sure do miss her.

+1

 

[TBird1958]

Speaking of which, we’ll be on the red eye from LAX to Heathrow tomorrow night and traveling the next couple of weeks. Days will go by without checking. Probably won’t keep up with you all..so apologies in advance if I miss something and don’t acknowledge the brilliance that is this thread and it’s members.

Safe travels and enjoy your trip!

 

[Gaolee]

Twin Falls, Idaho. What a place!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

politely requesting her morning walk..

 

[Kriegs]

.... and of course someone posts just as I put that up.... thanks, @Chucky Stiletti *shakes fist*

 

[Kriegs]

Now push that dog out of the way and take that BaCH for a walk!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

.... and of course someone posts just as I put that up.... thanks, @Chucky Stiletti *shakes fist*

tumbleweed in New England? lol...