The Slowest Car Indeed

I've been missing a few of my limited chances at working on the Beetle, but I spent this morning in the garage from well before dawn until about 8:00. I'm at a point where I need to start spending some money and/or wire some 220V electric out to my garage to power a monster air compressor in order to make headway.

Today I tried to take out the door windows and mechanisms in preparation for a paint job, which went half-well. I also put several drops of Tri-Flow in all the hinges on the convertible top and managed to work the top open for the first time since the fire.

I'm still debating whether to figure out the body work and paint myself or have it done by someone who knows what they're doing. It gets tiring to work on something when you don't know what you're doing.

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While working on the doors this morning I got to thinking about when my dad and I were taking the trim and rubber off the car before we had it painted. I was amazed then and still wonder at how removing one hard-to-reach screw or rusted bolt can easily consume an hour or more and make you feel like you haven't accomplished anything.

We both would get frustrated with this phenomenon to the point of walking away from it for the day or the weekend. Kind of like the last time I played golf, which was about 16 years ago. Dad and I both had a terrible day and he said, "I don't care if I ever play golf again," and I said, "Me neither." I doubt he ever played after that, and I still have no desire.

That sentiment is similar to how I've felt with the Bug for the past few weeks. Hard work, skinned knuckles. Dirty, sweaty, early in the morning. And (what feels like) little accomplished. But I guess I'll keep chugging along and see what happens. It may just be a matter of reminding myself that this is a year(s)-long project, despite my family asking if we'll be able to take it for fall drives. Fall begins next month.

Maybe next fall, I tell them, or the one after....