Gert Gehlhaar Story

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Central Coast Chapter, CA  -  Vintage Volkswagen Club of America</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B>    </B></FONT><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Central Coast Chapter, CA Vintage Vol"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id375.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2009 Raffle Car"><U>2009 Raffle Car</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Upcoming Events"><U>Upcoming Events</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Past Events"><U>Past Events</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Members Cars"><U>Members Cars</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id332.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Message Board"><U>Message Board</U></A>   |   <A 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TARGET="_top" TITLE="66 Custom 21 Window"><U>66 Custom 21 Window</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id358.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="66 Custom Bus"><U>66 Custom Bus</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id389.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="65 Bug"><U>65 Bug</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id262.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="65 Kombi"><U>65 Kombi</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Gert Gehlhaar Story</B></div> <div> <B>My VW Affair</B></div> <div>     <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Tahoma" > You have heard about people having something in their blood.  Well I was born with VW in my blood.  Emigrating from Germany in 1953, I guess I brought the VW illness with me.  So I have an excuse for I can blame my parents.</FONT></div> <div>      My first VW came into my life when I was living in Santa Barbara and in my senior year (1958) of High School.  I purchased a 1955 VW Sedan from VanWyk's VW.  It was a great little car <B>(pic#1)</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="37026d40.jpg" border=0 width="294" height="212" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div>  and I used it as my daily transportation, for work and play.  I belonged to the Los Vejeros Sports Car Club in Santa Barbara and we ran lots of slaloms and rallies.  It had all the special equipment put on it that was available at the time.  The most prized possession of the time for me was a Judson Supercharger.  This car also transported me for two years attending Santa Barbara City College and two years to Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo.  In 1963 I purchased a 1959 Porsche 356A<B>(pic#2)</B> and the VW was sold. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="371cc020.jpg" border=0 width="460" height="258" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div>  Two years later my world changed dramatically for I was drafted like most other graduates from college.</div> <div> I made a decision and joined the Air Force so that I could use of my education and became a Data Automation Officer.  I could not have asked for a better assignment and off to Germany I went.  First I sold the Porsche because I was sure I would buy a new one there.  During my three-year tour in Germany and France I honed my job managing computer systems, interpreter for NATO, and buying cars.  My first vehicle was a 1964 Notchback in black with a sunroof.  This was to have been my interim vehicle until I found the right Porsche.  Well this never happened as I attended the Frankfurt Autoshow and fell in love with the Sunbeam Tiger<B>(pic#4)</B> (Ford powered by Carroll Shelby).</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="37234e90.jpg" border=0 width="308" height="489" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> I also met my wife in Germany and she was driving a 1967 VW Fastback  so VWs came back into my life.   We shipped both cars back to the states upon our return.  Ending up in Florida we sold the 67 Fastback and purchased a 69 Squareback with A/C.  We then moved about every three years until we moved back to Lompoc in 1981 and I retired from the Air Force at Vandenberg in 1984.</div> <bR> <div> Here is a list of some of the VWs we have owned:</div> <div> <B>Description                  </B></div> <div> 55 VW Sedan, Judson Supercharged    </div> <div> 55 VW Sedan, Judson Supercharged*   </div> <div> 59 Porsche 356A              </div> <div> 61 Porsche 356B                    </div> <div> 61 VW Beetle*               </div> <div> 62 Porsche 356B                   </div> <div> 64 VW Notchback</div> <div> 64 VW Double Cab*                   </div> <div> 64 Karmann Ghia, Judson Supercharged*16KGRACER</div> <div> 67 VW Fastback</div> <div> 67 VW 9psg Bus                    </div> <div> 68 Karmann Ghia                    </div> <div> 69 VW Squareback</div> <div>               69 Formula Vee, Zink C-4               </div> <div>               71 Westy*                       </div> <div>               73 Beetle*                         </div> <div> (* = VWs we still own)</div> <bR> <div> During the years from 1970 and present time I also got involved in the antique car restoration business by restoring numerous Model T and A Fords.  Presently we still own a 1926 Model T Ford Roadster Pickup<B>(pic#7)</B>, 1926 Model T Ford 2dr Sedan<B>(pic#8)</B>, and a 1929 Model A Ford Sports Coupe<B>(pic#9)</B>.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="374c89a0.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="154" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="376c88e0.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="142" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="379c8990.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="153" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>      </div> <div> VWs came back into my life with a bang around 1994 when I purchased a 1961 Beetle<B>(pic#10)</B>, which today is still my daily driver.  </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="37a9cf60.jpg" border=0 width="412" height="246" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Very closely behind that purchase I found my 1971 Westy<B>(pic#11)</B> only 6 blocks from my house and purchased that.  Not being able to leave well enough alone while on a parts hunting trip at Randy's VW, I not only came away with the parts I needed but also an identical match to my 55 VW<B>(pic#12)</B> from my High School days.  It is now restored to the identical car including the Judson Supercharger.  Then I purchased a 1962 Porsche 356B<B>(pic#13)</B> - that was a real blast but someone wanted it more than I did and it was sold a year later.  Around this time I became interested to going back and doing some racing that I had done while living in Santa Barbara at the Airport.  A friend of mine introduced me to the Vintage Auto Racing Association and one trip to the track and I was hooked.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="380c8810.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="129" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="37fc8610.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="97" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="37ec88e0.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="142" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>        </div> <div> I went to the VARAs driving school and did my rookie season racing my 1926 Model T Speedster<B>(pic#14)</B> in the Historic class.  I sure got the attention but I decided that it was just not fast enough and then another person wanted to purchase the car so I sold it and purchased a 1969 Zink C-4 Formula Vee<B>(pic#15)</B>. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="3832c9a0.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="154" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="3842cb60.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="182" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  </div> <div> Now came the problem that I wanted to race while restoring the Formula Vee so I had to find another car and I wanted air-cooled and cheap.  A friend agreed to sell me his 64 Karmann Ghia racer<B>(pic#16)</B> because he was building up a Super Beetle<B>(pic#17)</B> for racing.  So my vintage racing became serious with the 64 Karmann Ghia racer in class GP1.  I have had so much fun with Karmann Ghia that I have won the class championship three years in a row.  After the completion of the Formula Vee, I raced it at several races and decided that I really like driving the Karmann Ghia better and sold the Formula Vee.</div> <bR> <div>      Well as you can see, I have a serious case of the vintage VW and antique car virus and my wife says that there is no known cure for it.  After 35 years of marriage, she still points out interesting cars - will she ever learn?</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="386ccef0.jpg" border=0 width="460" height="239" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <I>My cars are not show cars - they are made to be driven.  Have a great VW day - Gert Gehlhaar, VWracer #70</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>The rest of my fleet!</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="387cc2b0.jpg" border=0 width="460" height="299" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="388cced0.jpg" border=0 width="460" height="237" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="389cc0a0.jpg" border=0 width="460" height="266" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="38acc9c0.jpg" border=0 width="460" height="412" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  <IMG SRC="http://counter.digits.com/wc/-d/4/gert" ALIGN=middle WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0 HSPACE=4 VSPACE=2>  </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>