Turtle Bug

As a child I got into a game called “slug bug”, it was the only real car game I became a huge fan of.  If we saw a VW Beetle we would hit the person next to us and say ‘slug bug “color”, no slug back’.  I grew up loving VWs, we had VW vans and both my mom and dad had owned bugs when they were younger.  This made it so a VW beetle was my dream car, it was one of the few cars I could tell apart from all the other cars on the road.  I was disappointed when the first car I had was not a bug, then I got my dad’s van.  When I moved onto the next car I finally got my dream car, a VW Beetle 2000.  This is the Turtle Bug and here’s it’s story.

It was February 2004, I was working for the same factory where I got the injury which caused my RSD.  I remember it being some what cold, but not freezing out when the van died on the 696 expressway.  I knew I needed another car soon, since I was working.  We looked into used cars and to my surprise there was a VW Beetle for sale!  I went and looked at it, finding it was a midnight blue.  Looked more like a black to me when I first saw it.  Leather seats.  Six disc CD changer.  It even had a sunroof!  My dream car was here.  I went to the bank and was approved for my car loan within minutes.

Right away the bug showed me that it is going to be a trouble maker.  Within a week I spent hundreds because of some problems that came up, the biggest was when the key would not turn on my car.  I found out about the computer chip inside the key and that if it breaks the only to fix it is to bring it in to be repaired.  I was at work when it did this evil trick to me, and learned that the VW dealership was just down the street from my job.  With a short tow, we got the car in to be worked on.  I had three of the nice keys made for it, so both my mom and dad got a key and I had a key.  I bought an $80 book to be able to work on doing my own repairs when needed, got a plush flower for it’s flower holder on the dash, and a few other goodies that they were selling. 

I wanted to spoil the bug, so I had many rules for the bug.  First was gas, I would only put the best into it.  Next was drinks, only drinks with caps can come into the bug.  No fast food cups of any kind.  And mainly all repairs were to be done at the dealership so people who know VWs best could do the job right the first time.  This car was to be spoiled.  I bought stuff to keep it clean, and during my lunch break at work I would go out and clean the bug.  Wipe it down outside and inside.  This was my pride and joy. 

In October 2004 I got hurt at work, this really did set me back in how I could treat my car.  I could no longer spend hours outside cleaning it.  I was not able to afford taking it for oil changes at the dealership.  And once gas prices went over $3/gallon I started to use the cheap gas, as I was not able to keep up with the price raise.  I had bills on my head from before I got hurt at work, and went 9 months without any income.  So spoiling my bug was no longer an option.

My bug still managed to do many road trips.  Mainly traveling around the East Coast.  In 2005 a friend funded a trip down to NYC, up to Boston, over to Northampton and back here to Michigan. Barely giving any trouble, this was a great car.  Till in 2006 when I had my close call with the Turtle Bug.  After that happened, the bug started to have more and more trouble.  Including trapping me in PA for a week.  With being in over my head with car repairs I can not afford a new car, so I push forward in fixing the bug.  One problem at a time.  But the more it’s been breaking the harder I am having.

In 2009 Miki and I pushed the bug on the ultimate trip.  I followed the TMNT 25th anniversary Tour across country.  Volunteering at each of the stops to answer questions, giving out TMNT stuff.  Showing photos of the bus to people who missed out on it while it was open and more.  I had things to give out to children.  This was a trip I enjoyed, but also gave me one of my worst scares with Turtle Bug, when we ran into troubles heading to the Grand Canyon.  While the car had a temp repair to it, this only meant that we would see troubles ahead.

With this repair done, Miki and I were back on the road.  I traveled all the way home and kept doing road trips.  Always having the oil pan checked to see if it needed to be replaced.  Though it held strong.

In 2010 I started Cowabunga Corner, at this point the Turtle Bug became a working car.  I see Cowabunga Corner as my job, I work hard to keep it going and keep fresh stories coming for our readers.  With Interviews, events, and product reviews being some of our top rated stories.  I need to get from point a to point b for the stories to happen.  Which means this bug has done another two cross country trips.  Seeing the sites of NYC, Colorado Springs, and LA. 

I wish I could say all of the rules I had for the bug kept with it through these years.  As things happened, rules fell.  First being the dealership only, then the gas prices and lastly drinks in the car.  Kids were traveling in my car more, young kids.  Spills happened, things have broken, and stains are made.  The bug has a broken passenger seat, broken arm rest, and the glove box is broken.  These are things I hope to repair some day, even I get a new car I want to keep and spoil the Turtle Bug for all it’s done for me through these years.

This last summer it did another year of work, driving out to California where it took it’s first bit of damage to the oil pan since the 2009 hit.  Four years of a well done patch job, now in it’s final moments.  I knew it was not going to last long after this hit, it was some weird metal thing I could not avoid in the middle of the expressway.  Could've been a hitch from the back of a pickup truck.  What ever it was, it hit the underside of my car breaking a break line and the oil pan.

The Turtle bug came home from that trip and sat in the drive, while I was hoping to save up to do a real repair, but once again time fell short without finding the funds.  Thanks to an awesome friend on instagram there is a new oil pan on it’s way, that we will place upon the Turtle Bug.  All the other repairs will have to wait till better days.