Ralph's Trip To The
Michigan Vintage Volkswagen Festival
Volkswagen of America Headquarters
Auburn Hills, MI
May 2002
Click here to see the pictures.

This year was to be the year when we would be more prepared for our annual trip to the Michigan Vintage Volkswagen Festival in May. Life would be boring if it all went as planned wouldn't it? We had started on a new project November of 2001. This was the '65 Beetle that had been patiently waiting for its restoration for a year and a half. We were building (yes, that means we built it not someone else) our 20' x 48' Pole Shed/Shop during that time.

I named the '65 Norbert (after seeing the Harry Potter movie - remember the dragon from the North?) Norbert was originally from Canada, then went to Florida, and came equipped with a gas heater in the trunk. Well, it ended up we restored the chassis first which was almost to the point of not being restorable. When we started on the shell it was apparent that the shell was past being restorable for us. There was no metal to weld heater channels to! Thus, we started looking for a donor shell for Norbert's chassis.

A club member happened to have a '65 Beetle that he picked up from Washington Island (Door County, WI), that he wanted to sell so he could invest in another VW. We went to look at it and decided this Beetle was in too good of shape to be a donor shell. So, we brought it home and decided we would begin restoring this one instead. A sticker on the back window proudly proclaimed the Beetle's name to be Harley. We worked day and night to catch up on the restoration and were down to the last few weeks before the show. We could finish the Beetle but it was going to be close.

Life can bring about surprises when you least expect them and that is what happened to us on April 28th. A guy Nick went to school with called. He had been advised by a collector in Baraboo, WI that he was ready to sell his Volkswagen collection. The collector was going to start collecting antique motorcycles instead. Well, he happened to have a very original 1957 Oval Window Beetle in his collection that was for sale. The Beetle had been used on Martha's Vineyard for 35 years before this collector had bought him from the original family.  Nick and I discussed it for about 5 seconds and decided he had to go look at it. Of course there is more to this story but I'll save that for another day. On April 30th, we became the third owners of the Beetle. We named the Beetle, Ralph, in honor of Nick's late uncle who loved old cars and had a few in his time. We had started 2 restorations and ended up with a 1957 Beetle that was pretty much ready to roll after a pre-trip inspection! Don't worry we will finish Harley and Norbert's chassis will receive a donor shell. We will likely sell Norbert when we finish his restoration.

That is the background leading up our Michigan trip this year. Pretty exciting stuff, isn't it? Ralph's starting odometer reading was 54128 (yes, that's original miles). We left home (New London, WI) on Thursday, May 16 around 3pm because we were anxious to get going and to get away from the shop. Our plan was to drive to Manitowoc and stay overnight. This was about an hour drive and figured if we had problems with Ralph, then we were still close enough to home. We could stay home or we could fix Ralph depending on the situation. Of course, we had packed a survival kit of parts should something happen but sometimes you don't always have what you need. We made it to Manitowoc with no problems and checked into our hotel for the night. The next morning we would go to the Manitowoc Maritime Museum and tour the WWII era submarine, the USS Cobia. If you think a Volkswagen is cramped, try going through one of theses subs. Manitowoc was well known as a ship building community and built some of the submarines used in WWII.

After our museum and submarine tour, it was time to go to the ferry station to get ready for boarding the SS Badger that would take us to Ludington, MI. When we drove up to the ferry station there was a group of school children. They were yelling and giving us a thumbs up and slug bugging each other. We were on pins and needles thinking about someone else driving our new friend but the staff inside the office calmed our fears by telling us to tape instructions to the dash of the car and that they would make sure it was one of the first loaded. True to their word, Ralph was the third car on the ship. Ralph is an old hand at this ferry riding, as he made the trip to/from Martha's Vineyard.

The SS Badger is a car ferry that used to be a ferry for railroad cars many years ago. The railroad tracks are still in the deck of the ship. It has some neat history surrounding it and if you get the chance to do this trip, I would highly recommend it. The trip takes about 4 hours (the same amount of time as if you drove around Chicago and back up) but you are able to rest during that time and you save wear and tear on your precious Dub. If you have ever driven the Chicago route then you definitely know the hassles that can occur with that route. Today's sailing of the SS Badger was the first of the season. We watched a semi bring 4 loads of coal onboard to power the engines. Today there was a nasty head wind from the north so we would be fighting it all the way. The ride was a little rough because of this. We made the best of it by watching a movie, looking in the gift shop, visiting the ship's onboard museum, eating, drinking, and people watching.

When we docked at Ludington, we were anxious to get off the ship and to see how our new friend, Ralph, had fared during the sailing. As we were disembarking, Nick commented he heard a familiar chirping noise and sure enough within a few seconds there was Ralph driving off of the ferry to the parking lot. It is a strange feeling to see someone else driving your baby. We left Manitowoc at 2:30 pm but didn't get out of the dock (because of the wind), until 3pm. We arrived in Ludington at 7:20pm. We now had a 4 hour drive to Detroit.

We decided we would drive for a while and stop along the way for a late supper. We immediately got on the highway and started our second leg of our journey. We passed by a stock car race and Nick jokingly said, "You wanna enter Ralph?" I don't think so!! It started to get dark after about an hour. Ralph was running just fine at 60 mph. We started to compare Ralph with Hubert (our '74 Sun bug) and decided they were very much different. The ride felt different (more like our '79 Westy) and the engine noise louder. The outside traffic noise was more noticeable as well. It even steered differently. We were a little chilled after the ferry ride so we decided to try the heat. We were surprised by how much heat came out of the defrosters, much more than my '74. The heat would roast you out of the Sun bug and we were happy to find out that Ralph's heat was the same.

Our first stop was at Grandville to fill up the gas tank and to grab a snack. Supper had turned into a snack since it was getting late and we just wanted to get to the hotel at this point. We decided not to stop at our friend's house in Howell at 1 am in the morning so we called the Marriott and added another night to our stay. Got back on the Interstate and continued on. We starting talking to Ralph and telling him he could make it but really I think we were trying to convince ourselves that we could make it. We arrived at the Marriott at 1:08am. The odometer read 54306 at this point. Nick was in luck in that he had some time before the hotel's shop closed to buy soda and orange juice to mix with our alcohol in our travel bar. We got to the room and had a cocktail and then hit the pillow for some much needed sleep. The next morning we were up early and ready to see our old friends from Howell.

Around 2pm, we were back at the hotel and ready to see who had arrived. We were happy to see Jon Lane's matching Beetles. As we were making our trek, I thought of the group that was coming from Minneapolis and Iowa and wondered how they were doing on their drive through the UP. In the hospitality room, we met up with some of the contingency and shared our trip stories. We were all very happy that nothing major happened to any of us or our cars. We met a few new VW enthusiasts and enjoyed catching up with others we have met in the past. The Northeastern and Canadian contingency arrived later in the afternoon. It was great to see the line of old Beetles driving into the Marriott parking lot. It was a longer trip for them.

That evening a banquet was planned by the Michigan Vintage Volkswagen Club. Three very interesting speakers would be speaking. Jeff Koch, Brand Manager for Playing Mantis/Johnny Lightning speech included how he grew up around Beetles in his family. He discussed how the company originally sold their die cast VWs to club members only. They eventually decided that the die cast VWs could make the company more assets so they put the word out that they were looking for pictures from owners of their VWs. They chose their model cars from these pictures. They have plans to do another line this fall and if anyone would like to submit their photos they encourage you to do so. They were also photographing cars at the show on Sunday.

Bill Collins, President of the Der Kafer Fahrer and well noted VW hobbyist, spoke about how the DKF came to be. He explained the idea behind the DKF of driving the old Beetles. Bill spoke about the DKF's "Return To The Fatherland Tour" and how many said it couldn't be done but they did it. Bill's tales of the History Channel's "The Great Race" and his Red Heb were wonderful, too. Bill has done a great deal for the VW hobby and is a talented speaker.

David Kiley also spoke at the banquet. His recently published book, "Getting the Bugs Out" is a fascinating read of how Volkswagen of America has fared in the US and their advertising campaigns. Mr. Kiley shared some of his own personal Volkswagen stories and experiences. He even showed a few of his favorite VW commercials including a few very early ones.

Volkswagen of America's trademark issues were addressed prior to the banquet by the MVVC along with VWoA representatives. The MVVC's protest letters from the recent Internet campaign had been presented to VWoA in a concise manner to demonstrate the demographics. It was announced at the banquet by the MVVC that VWoA has set up some guidelines and policies for clubs/enthusiasts. They are  currently contacting those who wrote letters. The guidelines and policies are currently under review.

A few awards were given out as well. Ernie Otter (MVVC VP) was given the "Beetle Bob" award for his work with the MVVC. The "Beetle Bob" award is named after Beetle Bob Case who has done extensive work for the MVVC and the VW hobby in the past. A plaque was also given to VW Trends to thank them for their help with the Volkswagen Trademark issue and for taking the initiative to cover this important story in their magazine.

After the banquet, the hospitality room was opened to us on the Concierge level. Nick and I decided to go back to the room as the lack of sleep was beginning to catch up to us. I'm sure the VW stories went on well into the night.

Sunday, May 19 - The MVVC Vintage Volkswagen Festival
We awoke early and well refreshed for a day ahead of us. We found a place near the VWoA Headquarters for breakfast. It was the best service we had all week as there was no one else in the place. The show started at 9am. Nick immediately went to the swap meet area while I wiped off Ralph. With Ralph's original black paint, there really isn't much to polish. As Bill Bowman describes it the patina is great. I guess, although it is a change from the polish and shine that I am use to with Hubert, but I understand.

The Common Gear Discussion Group was well represented this year and we were to have our photo taken at 9:30am. Things were running a bit late but we finally got most of us together. the photo is posted on the CGDG website as well as the Yahoo Groups Photo area for CGDG.

The rest of day was spent enjoying the Pass In Reviews and talking to folks. The first Pass In Review featured the cars of DKF members who were well represented at the show. There was also a Pass In Review that featured the engines of VWs and was organized/announced by Bill Bowman and Bob Ellis. They did a great job. 

The Common Gear Discussion Group "Heroes of Antique Volkswagening Award" for the year 2001 were announced, too. This year's recipients were Michigan's Bob Case and California's Rich Spohn. Both are highly regarded in the VW hobby and are well deserving of this honor. Congratulations to both of you.

Nick was in the swap area most of the day. I still don't know what he bought, probably best not to ask! It was a fantastic show and went well as in previous years. There were no protests or any hype. Everyone was happy to be there and seemed to be having a wonderful time. The MVVC does an excellent job organizing the whole weekend of activities and festivities. Their organization is a true testament of what can happen when a club pulls together and works as a team to make things happen. It really does show. Thanks for another great show, guys and gals.

Monday, May 20
We stayed at the Marriott again on Sunday night instead of trying to drive to Luding ton after the show. We slept in this morning for the first time in about 5 days. It sure felt good but I was disappointed to look out the window and not see a parking lot full of Beetles. We were the lone Beetle in the parking lot. 

We made our way west and decided we would stop for breakfast along the way. Breakfast was very good. When we came out to get back on the road, a truck was pulling in by Ralph. The guy got out of the big 4x4 truck and was looking at Ralph. The guy noticed us and asked us if that was our car. We said yes, and he asked, "why would you want to drive a teenie weenie car like that?" Those were his exact words. Well, we gave him a one liner knowing that he really wouldn't understand. He just shook his head and went inside for his breakfast.

At the gas station, we were getting ready to leave when we noticed this car that had circled the pumps 2 or 3 times. The guy was staring at Ralph, without even paying attention to look where he was driving. Luckily he didn't get in an accident. Nick and I decided we better get the heck out of there before we did cause an accident. Back on the Interstate, we shared the road with quite a few truckers. We got a few thumbs up from them. Ralph ran great on this trip. We were doing 60 mph on the Interstate most of the time. Nick did pass someone doing 70 and commented that he still had more pedal left. Ralph didn't use hardly any oil. Nick topped it off before we left the Marriott that morning.

Somewhere along the way between Grand Rapids and Ludington, Ralph got a rock thrown at his driver's side headlight lens. We joked about this because in one of our favorite shows, A Christmas Story, we always enjoy the part where the mother says, "Ralphie, You'll shoot your eye out" in answer to the young boy named, Ralph, when he asks for a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. I know it's a stretch of the imagination but that's exactly what we both said when we saw the cracked headlight lens. So, this will go in the record books as Ralph's first badge of honor on the road. We will replace the lens but will keep his originals (one cracked and one not) in a remembrance box.

So the Corrao tradition continues. We have a record for damage on first drives of our VWs. When Hubert was taken for his first drive after his restoration and the paint was still drying, he received a nick in his paint on the driver's side by a little old lady trying to throw open her Buick door. Life goes on and these little occurrences give us something to talk about. We found our hotel in Ludington and were ready to relax for a few minutes before exploring Ludington. When we originally came through it was beginning to get dark so we didn't do much exploring.

We went down by Lake Michigan and the shore line. It was a little overcast but it was still beautiful. There were swans by the dock and a few people fishing. A couple people at the show suggested looking for some asparagus while we there and that's exactly what we did. We found one of the family run motels selling it and bought a bunch to bring home with us. We continued down M-116 along the shoreline and enjoyed the scenery. The sand dunes were pretty awesome and almost looked like snow drifts. We drove to the state park and decided to come back as it was getting late. This is where Nick let me drive Ralph for the first time, so M-116 will forever hold a special memory for me. 

We had a bit of trouble finding a place to eat. The first place we tried was no longer in business. The second place was closed on Mondays. Finally the third place was open and in business. Thank goodness! Nick and I were joking that we would get our 1500 driven miles requirement for the DKF, just from trying to find a place to eat in Ludington! We had a nice dinner and went back to prepare for our second ferry crossing and our trip back to home.

Tuesday, May 21
The ferry departed the next day at 9:30am but we had to be their an hour early. The trip back was much nicer than the trip we endured coming over. The wind was at our backs this time so we weren't fighting it. There were less people on the ship to so it wasn't as crowded. I would have to say if you are considering the ferry one way that the trip back is the best. We made it to Manitowoc in record time and Ralph was ready for his hour ride home to New London. Nick bought an SS Badger magnet and has officially dubbed Ralph with what he calls a Maritime Badge for ferry crossings. Our final odometer reading when we got home was 54851. That is 723 total miles driven. Not bad for an original 1957 Beetle that was sitting in storage inside an airplane hangar just a few weeks ago.

Sherri Corrao
President/Northern Wisconsin Volkswagen Club
Northern Wisconsin Chapter Rep. Vintage Volkswagen Club of America
Der Kaefer Fahrer

Click here to see the pictures from our trip and the Vintage Volkswagen Festival.

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