Aircooled VW South Africa

Let's hear your stories about the weird things non-ACVW folk say about our cars.

I was refuelling my 71 single cab earlier this week. The pompjokkie was staring at the bak with a puzzled look on his face. Eventually he asked me: "Did you make this yourself?" I told him it is original and he said he'd never seen a Kombi bakkie before. When I told him it's 40 years old he couldn't believe that such a clean car could be so much older than he was. He called all his colleagues around and they all refused to believe that such a "fresh" car could be 40. They were impressed with the size of the load bak and they were even more amazed when I showed them the treasure chest below the bak.

While also putting some juice into my Notch the dude asked me what Peugeot was I driving ?? What a insult

Since I have a bed and curtains in my bus, the pompjoggie at my local petrol station asked do I sleep in my bus? So I said no, its for dead people, I put the body on the bed so that they can sleep well before being put in a casket ! Should have seen his facial expression - priceless !

When I still had the brown 412, I went to a local pub in Bloem called the Mystic Boer one (of several!) evenings. Got out of the car and a goth-looking chick said 'I LOVE your hearse!' It must have looked black to her in the dim street lights..

Thats nothing... I had an even worse insult....

before my bus became Gus the EMPI bus, it was all white with white bumpers and no EMPI decals on it... Also stopped at the Service station, and this punk of a petrol jockey comes over and asks ..."vat jou Ice Cream van LRP or Unleaded?"

CLASSIC!

I got told I had a very nice buggy,.....when I was driving my SPLIT BUS! Also,almost every 3rd black person signals me like they would a taxi,....it pisses me off immensly!

Taxi = employment / income opportunity. Give an excuse to drive badly

Ive also had a couple people stick their hands out like they would for a taxi, but once I stopped, and said wanna lay on the bed? and he looked into the window and said, hauw - no seats? no thanks !

I filled up Thumper at the local fuel staion, when she was still residing with me

A new trainee petrol attendant approached me and did the "may I check your water and oil? what fuel do you want?' routine.

I said 'go right ahead, dude." without giving it a second thought. The fuel started to flow and then he expectantly stood in front of the bug, waiting for the hood to open... that is when his mates (who know me and the car) joined in and egged him on. "Have you checked the water and oil yet? Why is the customer waiting?" I now realised that a joke is about to play out.

I opened the hood, and his expression was priceless! It took several seconds for the guy to ask, "Where is the water bottle, and oil stick?" His mates let him stew on that until I came to his rescue, and opened the back. the poor guy was now just unbelieving, asked if i did that to my car, why did i do it etc. Then the fact that it did not need water just sealed the deal. His mates found all this very funny.

I asked him where did he come from? Were there no beetles/Vw's where he lived? He replied yes, but never cared to find out about cars......and now his job requires to be around cars all the time.

About 2 years ago a petrol attendant asked if my 1958 Ghia was a Porsche, I said yes.
He then noticed the VW badge and was even more confused.

Petrol attendants always ask you where's the engine, especially unfamiliar cars like the 181 Thing. A few times I opened the bonnet and pionted at the Eberspacher heater. It has a spark plug, condensor, intake and exhaust, and tell them it is some kind of turbine engine!
Eish

On two occasions I have been pulled over by cops (one for speeding and one for an illegal turn) in my white Baywindow and both times they asked me what the car was. They had no idea it was even a Volkswagen. They should have been shot.

I have received that ice cream comment before too, as well as the petrol attendant asking where to check the water.

When I drive the Dormobile especially I get kids yelling "ICE CREEEEEAM" from the roadside as I drive past.

Whenever a petrol attendant asks if he can check oil and water I always say "the oil's OK, but you can check the water". Most of them get it immediately and laugh, but occasionally one of them will spend some time walking around the car looking for where to top up the water.

When I was refuelling before leaving Joburg for Mozambique in the Dormobile last August the attendant fell for that one. When I eventually explained that there is no water he demanded to know how the engine keeps cool. When I said with air the guy's brain nearly blew a fuse. Eventually I had to show him the engine and how the cooling system works, which caused even more consternation when he saw the nengine was in the back!

It didn't happen to me, but to the previous owner of my T34, he got pulled over for driving backwards...