Jim_75Sahara

Shows, weekend drives, the grocery store, to pick up the kids from the pool, to drive to work... It's somewhat sporadic, though. I am enamored with my new-to-me E30, so I am not driving the '02 as much as I'd planned. Which car to take? the BMW or the BMW? (That's how I like it.) I forgot --- I take the '02 for date nights with the Mrs. She's grown fond of the 2002.

Excellent time. More of you should have joined us. I can't think of much more to say but THANKS!

I am sorry to hear that. I met him at Mid America '02 Fest in Eureka Springs. I wish that I had gotten to know him, but merely got to say hi & not much else...

(1) you open up your home to 2002 owners for the sake of a drive through the countryside and a cookout/sleepover. (Thanks BJ & Mae. Thanks Mark C.) (2) you are way more than OK with driving 200 miles to get to the above-mentioned gtg. (3) you can't wait to throw an impromptu gtg when an '02 owner is driving through your area. (I'm glad to be near I-75 & I-70 -- we snag a few here!) (& Hi Mike B. -- glad you stopped in on us!) (4) you enjoy the looks you get while in a caravan of '02's buzzing the locals who wave, point, smile, make positive remarks, etc.

Yeah, it is Minnesota's loss, with Mike having moved to NC. However, the 02 Group gains his experience and enthusiasm. I would like to see the 912 certainly.

Our GTG was impromptu; not much time to get organized. That was not as important as the stories & the '02 goodness. It is much easier to talk over dinner at home rather than going to a restaurant, plus the bar bill is so much less!

Mike Bethel (AKA: oldfahrt) is making his way (at this very moment) from Minn. to Durham, NC in his daughter's '72 Golf 2002. It is a beautiful '02 and Mike and I just couldn't stop talking for some reason. It was 2 AM suddenly and, hey, we had to get some sleep. I hope he found the Denker-McCarty home an improvement over his motel accomodations the previous night. Mike & Carol Self and George Thielen came over last evening to join me and Mike Bethel for dinner. Mike brought his '73 Sahara while George drove his '74 Inka. We feasted on Lee's Famous Recipe chicken, Carol's spinach salad, some Great Lakes Brewing Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, and some Founders IPA that George brought over in an old-time growler. Good times for sure. Mike B. is a Mechanical Engineer, so he is super-handy with virtually everything, including 2002's. He owns a '73 Chamonix which I need to get a look at. Thanks for dropping in on us, Mike! Yet another example of the good times you can have with '02's and the humans who are attached to the '02's.....

My '75 Sahara must have been purchased in the Birmingham, AL area. The first two owners - the father and then the son kept it for quite some time in that area. Then, the '02 migrated a bit to the NW to a very small AL town. Later it made its way to Athens, AL. I bought my '02 from a gentleman farmer who must have bought it on a whim. He rarely used it and he sold it to me before he'd owned it for a year. He bought it off a lot that mainly offered trucks and farm equipment! Odd. I don't think that my '02 got much use or love over the last few years prior to my purchase in June of 2003. I was faced with bad window seals, destroyed brakes, ruined struts & shocks, locks that didn't turn, ancient, corroded fuses, a worn-out clutch, a sloppy shifter, etc. However, there was very little rust. In July of 2003, the slow process of rehabing Dieter commenced. Some parts have been ordered from BLUNT, Maximillian, & Bavarian Autosport, while others came from derelict 02's by way of FAQ parts sellers. Many thanks to Mike McCarthy of Foreign Car Service for providing me a safe, reliable '02. I was especially pleased with the engine rebuild work he completed in early 2010. Some of you will recall the plumes of smoke as you followed me on drives! No more!! Dieter has been to Hermann, MO, Eureka Springs, AR, Indianapolis, IN, Chicago, IL, Watkins Glen, NY, Winston-Salem, NC, Shaker Village, KY, etc. etc. He went flying OFF ROAD on April 16th of this year into a N. KY cowpasture. I may need to retain the battle scars (scratches to the hood from the barbed wire!) Dieter received in this incident. No other damage was noted. I LOVE the (formerly forlorn) Sahara '02 I rescued from neglect and oblivion. Only the brave, the bold, and the odd can drive Sahara '02's!

Congrats, Jonathan. Only the bold, the brave, & the odd can drive Sahara '02's. I like the color, though I was razzed today for not liking Siennabraun (it makes the '02 look like a Hershey bar) on an '02. Go with what you like. In Texas, you will be glad you did not get one in Schwarz or Atlantik. (i.e. black or dark blue) Have fun with your addiction!

I am very sorry to hear of Armour's misfortune. I met him at the Eureka Springs gtg. His Inka roundie is a fine looking '02. Best wishes to him & his family!

JG: the Golf '74 belongs to Tim Rogers. He is a pharmacist in Yellow Springs. This event made the 3rd time I'd ever seen him, but I've never talked to him much. I don't think that Karl knows him very well & he lives in YS too.

Sorry, Don, no Turbo Dog, nor anything from Abita Springs Brewery. I brought some Commodore Perry IPA by Great Lakes Brewing Co. Tasty. I also sampled Mike McCarthy's Blue Moon Belgian style ale. We've been having fun in the Midwest lately. We're going to have a Fall drive on the Sept. 24th weekend through the backroads of N. KY. Jason & I scouted the roads a few days ago -- it was gorgeous. Come on up.

I 2nd those emotions, Tom. Great pictures, too -- thanks for posting them. I was going to say: "needs more Sahara", but there is already quite a bit of Sahara in those shots! I had a great time. I was the last to leave Karl's place. On the way home, I got a huge thumbs up from a guy in an '80's vintage M-B 230D. It was nearly Sahara in color -- of course we both got a smile out of that... I "HEARD THAT" Mr. Gerock!!

Mine's not done, but the list has been shortened quite a bit. Still on the list: 5-speed conversion Working blower motor Working a/c Vintage radio that works well -- to the point of actually having tunes! Paint & body work to erase blemishes Install refurbished late alloy wheels ???

Scott: the tires I have now (13 inch Avid T4) will fit just fine. The wheels need some refurbishment. I need ideas on that. I was thinking of having them blasted and repainted....

Thanks, Larry, Thanks, Ken! I will place an order with Maximillian later today. I have some gift certificate $ to get spendy with. (One of the many reasons that I attend the Mid-America '02 Fest in Eureka Springs, right Bo??)