1968 VW Buggy: Our Shed

By: Cristian Brunelli, Photography by: Cristian Brunelli

Date: 02.10.2013

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

Our shed: Cristian Brunelli unearths a country bug that had been hibernating for 20 years, but finding it was just the easy part

Our cars: 1968 VW Buggy

1968 VW Buggy

COUNTRY COUSIN

I rescued my Country Buggy after 20 years locked in a cold, dark garage, and as its bug eyes adjusted to the daylight I knew I had to get this old boy back on the road.

After the excitement of getting him home had worn off, I set out a plan of how I was going to get the Bug back to health and back cruising the bitumen.

I trucked it to my local VW workshop so that they could check it out and give me a rough idea of what I was in for. Despite it’s age, the Buggy was in pretty good condition. I figured that I would leave the car at the garage for a week and it would be all good to go. How I was wrong!

When the shop gave me back a four-page list of what needed to be done to get it roadworthy, I just about cried right there on the spot. One positive, though, was they managed to get the old bug started so at least I knew the engine kind of worked.

Feeling pretty depressed about the whole situation I took the VW home and he and I sat in my garage dejected as I tried to come up with a better (cheaper) plan to resurrect it.

I had fellow Volksy nut, David Morley, drop ’round to give me some ideas on what to do. He told me about a mate called Shaun that dabbled in all things air-cooled on the side when he wasn’t doing his real job. Morley suggested Shaun drop by and see if he could have a crack at the Country Buggy.

After checking it out and confirming that it could be saved, the VW was on the move again, this time to Bondini Engineering. The plan was for Shaun and his mate John to work on my car in their spare time. It would take a lot longer to get it done but it was going to be a hell of a lot cheaper.

Everything mechanical needed freshening up or, in some instances, replacing. I kept the engine that it came with but they gave it an oil change, fresh plugs and leads. The gearbox was pulled apart and given a once over. All the shocks, brakes and tyres were replaced with fresh stock.

After nearly four months I got the call to say that the Bug was roadworthy and ready to head home. Now this is the slowest, ugliest car I have ever owned, but that first drive home was what driving a UFO must be like. It felt like every person within a kilometre of me was looking at it. I had the roof and front ’screen down and it felt bloody amazing to drive. No radio, no heater, no tacho, no doors! Just me, the Bug and the open road.

Driving through corners on the Mornington Peninsula coastline at 30km/h felt more like 200! Now that the Country Buggy’s finally in my garage I’m happy, and I’m sure it’s happy to be out tearing up the roads again.

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