The perfect metaphor for Volkswagen 2017

FROM ROLLIN' JOINTS TO ROLLIN' COAL

Scott from South Jersey sent the following pics from a vacation up in Maine and they gave me an ironic chuckle. Behold opposites ends of the same coin:

This is a 1981-1984 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup in a cool color I can't be sure of (Assuan Brown perhaps?). The Rabbit Pickup was a plot twist because it is a VW that was first introduced in North America. In fact it was built in Pennsylvania and was sold only in the U.S. from 1978-1982. When it was made available in Europe it was given the name Caddy.
Look at that ridiculous smokestack sticking up out of the bed! 

We can see from the emblem on the side of the tailgate that this is a diesel model. Diesel Volkswagens have been the darling of the biofuel set as they are very environmentally friendly. From the factory these would offer up to 50mpg when mated to a 5 speed stick shift (incidentally the 5th gear was labeled E for Economy!). However that smokestack is a part of the recent Rollin' Coal movement. When you're Rollin' Coal you are blowing the maximum amount of black smoke from your diesel exhaust to thumb your nose at wimpy Prius drivers (and increasingly "protesters"). I'm totally serious folks! I suppose it is the perfect metaphor for VW now that it famously got caught cheating on the diesel emissions software of their rides.
So here you have the beacon of hippie environmental consciousness transformed into a pinko hating vehicle for the Right. Who knew?
Thanks to Scott for this schizophrenic vision!

Dogged, rugged, loyal donkey

DOGGED, RUGGED, LOYAL DONKEY

I've been walking Brooklyn neighborhoods scouting for potential places to move and have encountered some cool vehicles on the way. This rough and tumble beast was roosting on an overpass above the BQE at the edge of Bay Ridge recently:

This is a half destroyed wreck that continues earning its keep after decades of abuse and neglect! More specifically this is a 1962 Willys Jeep Truck in President Red (how presumptuous and sadly true at the moment). 

Here is its face which has probably been covered up since the '80s. This has a current inspection sticker in the windshield which really pushes the envelope as there are no turn signals at all! I've gotten an inspection sticker with broken reverse lights and a horn that didn't work but you could always claim they just went out if you were pulled over. When there isn't even a signal housing present it shows faith in the local cops.

These hardy beasts grew out of the standard Willys-Jeep CJ in 1947 to widen the market in the post war vehicle shortage. They sold well to returning G.I.s and the general public alike. In the late '40s Jeep as a company was regarded fondly as another U.S. soldier who helped win the war. Luckily the durability matched the patriotic enthusiasm.

This truck is so basic it might as well have been built in the 1920s. The body consists of stamped steel bolted to a sturdy frame. Along with this pickup body it could've been ordered as a station wagon, flatbed, or just a cab on the frame ready for you to complete however you want.

Somebody has been painted black rust proofing wherever it emerges. There has also been a replacement piece of metal welded onto the rocker panel below the door. Random moments of Bondo are also visible in some precursor to restoration.

Rugged durability was what they were selling with this vehicle and its existence in Brooklyn after 55 years is proof that it has fulfilled its promise.

Everything you need to know about this ride is in the above pic. The gas cap is duct taped on to a fuel filler neck sporting brown tape of its own. The taillight is a cobbled together mess with two hand-twisted pieces of soldering wire replacing the lens as protection for the naked bulb. The tires are in great condition but everything else is well worn.

This side of the bed is collapsing in the front due to a fatal amount of rot. Seriously - take a look at the line of the bed where it meets the cab compared to the cab accent lines! Some might ask what's the point? Our intrepid owner has more immediate fish to fry such as the missing passenger side window.

Not entirely missing actually as a piece of plexiglass is resting across some of the opening. I peeked around the protected baggie to snap a quick interior shot. It looks like this was originally painted Foam Green which was an awesome aqua/teal color. The three gearshifts you see are the transmission, the transfer case to engage 4WD, and the rear end for High and Low.

Well that's where I'm leaving this hardy little trooper who seems perfectly content to be a plow donkey. These are as much utility appliance as vehicle; meant to work hard for a living and ask little in return. There is an identical truck to this parked in front of the famous Sunny's Bar in red Hook. Stay tuned for that at some point in the future!

Green green green green green

GREEN DODGE GREEN TRUCK GREEN

I was exploring central PA when I was blinded by a nuclear lime vision:

This is a 1952 Dodge B-Series Truck in OH-MY-GOD-COULD-IT-GET-ANY-GREENER Green. There was a light pastel color choice called Silhouette Green but it was nothing like this.

This center breastplate that says Job-Rated was originally plain metal (I believe). The lettering in stamped into the surface and would have been filled in with red. The vertical green bars above and below those words were black. These lend themselves to backyard customization by restorers so well that they usually end up painted whatever color catches their fancy.

The B-Series was introduced in 1948 to replace the pre-war designs that had carried Dodge into and out of WWII. The hood is still the old design where each side opens up on a central hinge. That tall cab with the generous amount of glass was known as the Pilot House.

If you can look past the color it's easy to see this as a simple beast. The bed looks like some cobbled together homemade item tacked on to the back of a truck. In many ways that's how it was; the cab and drivetrain attached to a frame were the same across the board. However you could've purchased this with a dump truck bed, no bed at all, or even a van or woodie rear body.

I like the wheels which are good and honest originals. I'd love to have seen this before the paint.

That Mustang II will have to wait for another post as I snapped plenty of pics.

The taillights are in the original location but they were small circular versions from the factory. These are definitely '70s/'80s GM truck taillights which must make the Dodge bristle.

The tailgate is as basic as it looks; unlatch the top corners and it folds down on that metal bar at the bottom. Zero though was given to the beauty of the truck bed. This is a utilitarian appliance.

There were optional quarter windows you could've gotten on the corners of the Pilot House. They were smaller than the others but afforded almost 360 degree visibility.

Well there we have it. This was parked across the street from an ice cream parlor on a bright summer day so I couldn't take snaps of the interior. I'm pretty sure this was strategically placed across from the parlor and it totally looked the part. You can find these roosting in fields all across America just waiting to be woken up and put back to work.  

Happy New Year!