Getting Some Kicks With A '66
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday January 9, 2009
Luis Guarch has thought quite a bit about what makes the Beetle so attractive.
"Its shape, its history, its culture," Guarch says. "The funny thing is that every time you pull up to a set of lights in a Beetle and there's a little kid in the car opposite you, [the child will be] looking at it and pointing at it." As well as the wow factor, he says the car runs smoother than most new cars on the market. Beetles never rattle, he says.Guarch was less than impressed when another car lost control, crossed double lines and smashed into the rear wheel of his beloved 1966 Beetle, "Birchette".The accident, a little over a year ago, resulted in major damage to the car but turned out to have a silver lining. After years of contemplating restoration, he was spurred into making the dream a reality."I had so many [Beetle] parts that I'd collected over the years and I was thinking 'OK, one day I'm going to restore this Beetle.' " he says. After the crash he couldn't hold off any longer and got moving on a restoration. The idea was to make the car look like it did in '66.On weekends and his days off Guarch, a freelance graphic designer, spent time searching for additional parts and finding the exact shades of paint used on the original Beetle, gradually returning his car to its original condition. He had some help painting and assembling the VW, which took 10 months to finish.Although he ended up spending double his original budget of $10,000, Guarch emerged with something of which he is very proud. "I just wanted a car that I could drive and enjoy," he says. With 138,403 kilometres on the clock, he expects his VW to run for "another 40 or-so-years". And next year he is planning to take "Birchette" to some car shows.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald