Story Photos
 Once rough as a cob, Ron Powell's 1966 Volkswagen Bug is a glistening gem. Brenda Blevins McCorkle / The Daily News
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People and Their Wheels: Ron Powell's 1966 Volkswagen Beetle
Friday, October 3, 2008 11:30 PM PDT
By Brenda Blevins McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleBackground: A lifelong Longview resident, Ron Powell has owned Imperial Auto Bath for about 12 years.
His wheels: A 1966 Volkswagen Beetle (Bug) he purchased about three years ago.
The car is a common sight outside his business on West Side Highway. It wasn’t always so pretty, he said.
“It was in pretty bad shape (when he bought it),” Ron said.
The vehicle had its original 50 horse motor in it and a six-volt electrical system, he said.
“Nobody could see the lights,” Ron said. “I drove it probably twice, then pulled it into the shop because people couldn’t see the brake lights. I almost got crashed into a couple of times.”
He parked the car and, in his spare time, he ripped the vehicle apart.
“I tore the interior out, all the glass, just gutted it and redid it,” he said.
The Bug now has a 2010 cc motor, disk brakes all the way around and a custom transmission. Its updated 12-volt electrical system allows for good output on the headlights, so Ron is able to drive it day or night.
“It’s a fun car,” he said.
Work and play: Although Ron did some of the work himself, he farmed out what he couldn’t do.
“Averre’s is where I got a lot of the parts,” he said. A man named Kelly did the engine work, and most of the other work was done by Toby at Averre’s, he said.
Ron’s passion for the Bug came from the first one he had back in 1967.
“It was a red one, all stock. I kept it up, it was a beautiful car,” he said.
Sadly, it didn’t last long.
“I let a friend of mine use it one time,” Ron said. “He wanted to borrow it. I kind of hesitated, but he was a good friend of mine, so I let him use it.”
The car didn’t fare well.
“They went out and were doing some drinking and stuff, and they piled up the front end,” Ron said. “I told myself never again.”
When his most recent find came pulling up to his business, it was in “pretty ratty shape, you know.”
“The brakes were wore out clear into the drums,” Ron said. “Why I bought it was, if you open up the trunk, which is in the front there, the paint is all original color. No damage, still shiny and everything.”
The dash also maintained its original paint. Ron paid $1,200 for it, put $10,000 into it and recently it appraised at $20,000.
To keep the original car color, he went to Evergreen Paint. The men there matched the German color with what Ron calls “spectrum blue.”
“Or something like that. It’s like a sea green,” he said.
He has proudly driven the Bug to a lot of shows, including bigger ones.
“Big shows where you have your trailer queens and all your high-dollar cars,” Ron said. “I’ve never won nothing, but it draws a lot of attention, and that’s good.”
Other recent People and Their Wheels features:
People and Their Wheels: Jerry Shepard and Jordan Pulaski's 1981 F150
People and Their Wheels: Gary and Ruth Hallstrom's 1954 Oldsmobile 98
People and Their Wheels: Doug Berglund's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu Super Sport
People and Their Wheels: Duane Bernard's 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser
Alphonse wrote on Oct 4, 2008 3:46 PM:
The car in this story is a Bug hot rod, with a much bigger engine than the original and disc brakes. The old charm must be gone but driving it is probably less suicidal. "
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