10/11/2024
Hello Friends! I'm feeling super thankful today. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around taking the VW to the SEMA show. It's a privilege to show at The SEMA Show, and I am so thankful for MST for choosing the VW to display in their booth. Work continues to progress on the VW. It is currently at Just Wrap It Signs & Designs in Joplin, MO getting a super wild, two-tone pink wrap. I'm putting a couple of photos below. The bottom pink changes color depending on the angle of the light. WOW! I want to thank U.S. Wheel Corporation for the awesome 17 x 9" smoothie wheels! I also want to thank OPTIMA Batteries for partnering with me on a battery. I've been keeping a low profile on social media for the last few months while I've been making all the changes to the VW. Some people have asked me why I changed it; after all, it was already a pretty car. Well- I don't really have a good answer for that other than I was seriously floundering and still depressed from losing Jimmy, even after a year had elapsed. I needed something to help get me off the couch. I intended on finishing the '57 Chevy this year- but that seemed like an unobtainable goal. I think it was back in June when I drove the VW last. A semi dump truck turned left in front of me while I was driving the VW. I locked the brakes and nearly drove under the dump truck because I was driving 60 MPH when the driver made the left turn. It was almost a given, every time I drove the VW, someone pulled out in front of me. I thought about it a lot. I think the black made the car not stand out, that and the VW is tiny anyway. I thought about never being happy with the front suspension and I started thinking about making some changes. After three months of hard work, I can say I have no regrets at all. I'm very happy with the changes, and the revised suspension pushed my fab skills to another level. I added more tubing to the VW to make me feel safer. I love the direction the new wrap is going. I feel like I fell in love with the VW all over again. I feel like Jimmy would be proud of me for the work I invested in it. While doing these revisions, I pushed myself to use the metal lathe, I practiced more aluminum TIG welding, I worked on my sheet metal shaping skills, and most importantly, I didn't lay on the couch feeling depressed. I'm back. I feel good. My doctor has me on good medicine. I am thankful. I am blessed. I am thankful for my new relationship with a person who I know would be 100% Jimmy approved. I will be posting a lot of new photos of the VW as soon as I get it back from being wrapped. If you are still reading this, thank you. Thank you for supporting me in my endeavors! Las Vegas, here I come. I have my AirBnB rented, and I have my flight purchased. Yeah!