A few more VW pics from a car show I went to today.
A Karmann Ghia and a "Baja" Beetle.

 

Nice! We're going to the 'VW's in the Valley' car show held in Maggie Valley, NC in SEP (weekend before the XFire Fall Rally in Helen, GA, which we also plan to attend). We have been attending this car show for the last 3-4 years.



There's a much larger VW Car Show ('Circle Yer Wagens') in Sevierville, TN at the Fairgrounds in early OCT. Probably 800+ VWs show up!

 

Very cool!

 

I saw this very nice 1979 Beetle at the local cruise night a couple of weeks ago.

 

This past Saturday, Roberta & I took her 2016 VW Dune Beetle Hatchback to the 42nd Annual Aunt Het Car Show in Fountain Inn, SC. They hold this car show in the Fall during the Fountain Inn Fall Festival. They divided the entries into 2 classes: Ole Skool (1991 & Older); Nu Skool (1992 & Newer). We ended up getting a Top 10 Award in the NU Skool Class.






The 1972 Super Beetle parked next to us won a Top 30 Ole Skool award..

 

Congratulations!

 

1952 Beetle

 

Great looking '52 Beetle!

 

This would be awesome to build or own!

 

Updated the Operating Costs (Excludes Insurance & Depreciation) & MPG for 2026.

 

The battery in our 2016 VW Beetle Dune finally reached its useful life with the cold weather spell we've been experiencing. Battery in our Beetle was an AC Delco Group 47 Flooded version that the Chevy dealer in Tampa FL installed when the Beetle was traded in by the original owner. So the fact that it lasted just over 7 years is somewhat amazing. Group 47 batteries were not the easiest size to locate, but Batteries Plus had several in stock at their Greenville store & had a 20% off sale going on. (Note: First time I've purchased a Group 47 battery.) Took out the AC Delco battery & headed over to Batteries Plus to pickup the Duracell Gold Group 47 battery. Got back home & installed the new battery. (Note: Had to re-install part of the intake system that I removed to access the hold down clamp. Typically more involved removing parts to access battery than actually removing the battery.) Anyway everything is back together & the Beetle is almost ready to roll. Turns out I have to do just one more step and that's to 'Codify' the new battery to the BCM (Battery Control Module) on the Beetle. Battery information needs to be uploaded into BCM so the Alternator performance is matched to the new battery to sustain overall battery life. Go Figure! Hopefully, I'll take care of that step today.

 

Dennis, is the coding something you can do, or must you take to the dealer??

 

Steve - Turns out I can do this myself if I have a Code Reader Scanner that is specifically spec'd to interface with a VW/Audi vehicle. I've got one, because of other VW specific needs, but I need to check to see if it has that capability - hope so. Kinda neat that VW has programmed this interface to optimize alternator/battery performance. But I am curious whether the Chevy dealer in Tampa had this upload performed when they installed the AC Delco Group 47. I did get 7+ years of life from a Group 47 Flooded battery!

 

Hope the coding will work out for you.

It was common 30 ~ 40 years ago to buy a good battery and expect it to last six years or more; Many were sold with 72 month warranty. I took advantage of those at K-mart auto centers.
Sure isn't like that now. I didn't know Duracell even sold automotive batteries. I've bought Odyssey for Jessie's CLK hoping to find something that will last beyond 36 months; Time will tell.
I have a Zero Gravity 11 lb battery in the SRT6, but this cold weather has about done it in after five years. I put a Dakota with twice the amp hr rating and a few more pounds in the Limited, but it's only a little over a year old.

​​​​​​​See you down the road.

 

2026 Events & Road Trips:

> Indiana Tech vs University of the Cumberlands Men's Lacrosse Game - Williamsburg, KY
> Euro Auto Festival - Greenville, SC
> VW ToD Weekend - Bryson City, NC
> NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Championship - Decatur, AL
> Crossfires in Athens Weekend - Athens, OH
> VWs in the Valley - Maggie Valley, NC

 

So Roberta & I were in Bryson City, NC this past weekend for a gathering of VW Beetles that happens every spring. When we arrived in town on THU (04/30), we came across an SSB Crossfire Coupe. Then on FRI (05/01) we stopped at a Shell station to fill-up our Dune Beetle and a Graphite Metallic Crossfire Roadster pulled in, with 2 young ladies in the car that stopped to get some 'smokes'. Both cars looked fairly nice & well kept.

How 'bout that!

 

Probably some of the Crossfires that were there with a Mini Cooper / Crossfire friend from Baton Rouge
It was Mini Cooper weekend in Fontana Dam with about 400 Mini Coopers

 

I'm not sure about the 2 Crossfires I saw. The SSB Coupe we spotted driving around in Bryson City & later on we spotted parked at the County Court House. Looked like it may have been a local.

The Roadster we saw at the Shell station in Bryson City looked like the 2 young ladies knew their way getting in & out of the Convenience Store for their smokes. Again, we thought locals, but who knows.

Your picture here reminded me of the 20+ Minis I saw drive through Bryson City when I was sitting on a sidewalk bench while Roberta was shopping. Quite a spectacle! Looked like they were headed to the Craft Brewery on the outskirts of town.

 

This was spotted in the southern part of New Jersey a few days ago.
It looks like a 1962 356B Super.