As you may have noticed CC ran a second look at the DougD series of COAL articles, so it’s time for an update and some self reflection.
I first encountered CC quite early on, I had been reading Paul’s articles on TTAC when he left in 2011, and later found out that he had his own website. My first article was published in December of 2011, just over 13 years ago. At that point I was in young-ish middle age, with a wife (Mrs DougD) and two young kids in elementary school.
These days I am 57 years old, just celebrated 28 years with Mrs DougD and we are empty nesters.
At home, our salt encrusted Scion tC is sharing the driveway with the Grand Caravan. I work mostly from home now so my commuting and work travel is much diminished.
Our 2007 Mustang is stored for the winter in a barn north of Waterloo. 2025 is the year we will finally take a road trip to Cape Breton in this thing, we had planned that for 2020 but you know how that turned out. The Kawasaki Versys 650 motorcycle is wintering in a nearby shipping container and didn’t make the photo.
In the garage our 1963 VW Beetle waits it out with the newest addition, a Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250. Clearly I don’t need a street legal dirt bike, I had planned to ship it out west this summer for a David Saunders style epic trip but that now seems unlikely for 2025.
Our son is working as an accountant in eastern Ontario, driving our old 2013 Focus. It’s perfect for him, still reliable, very economical to own and operate with enough room for friends or a mountain bike.
Daughter finished her British Columbia engineering co-op in December. She decided to stay for ski season and work at a local ski resort. The 2016 Focus we drove out west in the spring of 2024 has been trouble free, she is planning to return to Ontario at the end of April. (hence the cancellation of the western summer motorcycle trip 🙁 ). This Focus is also economical and roomy, although more likely to carry a kayak or skis. Doesn’t every young professional deserve a 5-speed Focus?
One of the great things about the CC community is learning about how others do the old car hobby. Some of you enjoy admiring vintage cars but do not get involved personally, others own and maintain a far larger or more exotic fleet than I could ever manage.
Looking back over my classic car career I have experienced only two: I owned the 1962 Triumph TR4 for 19 years. Although daughter and I are about to take a spin around the block here, I never did get it licensed and on the road. I saw it for sale a few years ago, almost unchanged and with a greatly inflated price. I emailed the seller (the same guy I sold it to) that I’d be interested at the same price I sold it to him for, but thankfully did not hear back.
And, I have had this 1963 VW Beetle for 18 years. It has been on the road for two periods of two years each.
In hindsight I can’t shake the feeling that I didn’t do this right, or at least optimally.
Now I would advise my past self to sell the TR4 before marriage; that car was never going to work out. Then I could have saved up some money and bought a classic that actually worked, like a Falcon or Valiant sedan which could have hauled the family on ice cream runs and created more memories than simply that thing sitting in the driveway that never ran.
And why do I get constantly distracted by cheap motorcycles? Case in point here, this is a 1981 Honda CX500 Deluxe that I bought cheap in 2003, fixed, and rode for a couple of years despite previously having a GL500 Silver Wing and knowing full well that it would look and ride like a self propelled air compressor. I did it again last year with the Sherpa. Why?
I should probably cut myself a little slack, and remind myself that we didn’t have a lot of money and were incredibly busy during those years. Juggling two full time careers, a young family, and Mrs DougD’s masters degree was a real challenge. Ultimately I’ve had fun, and learned a lot, and didn’t break the bank. But this year I REALLY need to get the VW Beetle back on the road. Running yet another car is kind of dumb, but even dumber is to have a roadworthy VW Beetle and NOT be driving it. Spring is coming, wish me luck.
Thanks to Paul for keeping this CC thing going all these years, and to all of you for this informative and supportive community.
Here’s all of my CC posts: DougD: Cars of a Lifetime (COAL) Series and Family Stories
“But this year I REALLY need to get the VW Beetle back on the road.”
Yes, please! I doubt I’ll have one on the road this year, but I *am* finally making progress. Regress, too, unfortunately. I installed the rear brake backing plates a couple weeks ago, only to realize – when I went to install the handbrake cables – that I installed each one on the wrong side of the car. So new seals are in order, plus cleaning off all the Permatex…
Looking good!
I’ve been rebuilding my bicycle and thinking how much more challenging a car rebuild would be. I just don’t have the time in my life for that.
Looks like good progress. So much easier to work on the front beam with the body off!
Nice to get all the updates on cars and family. I’ve got a bad case of VW fever at the moment; wish I had a nice Beetle in the garage.
I have enjoyed re-reading this series. Your experience with hobby cars has made me take turns at being sorry that I don’t have one and being glad that my garage is free of such a thing. I hope you get to enjoy the VW this year!
Nice to hear that you’re still plugging away at the VW. Cars are a fun hobby but it looks like you were quite successful with the more important job of raising your kids. And also quite important, keeping a healthy and happy marriage together. Congrats on all that!
I’ve always said that every car enthusiast should enjoy the hobby in a way that suits them. Some will always be knee deep in DIY projects, some will buy already restored cars and maintain them, other will just buy late model cars that suit them and go to car shows and visit websites like CC. All that will change and evolve as our lives and circumstances change, but that’s fine. The point is to have some fun, and to let the car hobby be something that brings joy into your life without over running it. However that always seems to happen at some point, primarily in our younger years. Hopefully your involvement will continue with minimal headaches. Thanks for sharing.
wonderful post. I like reading about the man and the family behind the cars.
It is the time of the year when I still have project optimism about actually making progress on a few auto repairs. The list is stacking up but really want the 1998 F150 back on the road and to actually get started on the older Alpine Ski Doo. The last few years other priorities just keep getting in the way.
I’d like another project. I seem to have got it in my head that I want a Studebaker Champ pickup. I have seen a few for sale. But this morning we have 3 motorcycles, and 3 four wheeled vehicles insured for 4 of us and it’s hard to picture adding to that further.
Good luck with the Bug