We attended Funfest 2012, in Effingham Illinois a VW show organised by Midamerica Motorworks owned by the Yager family.

What can I say? amazing? blown away? extreme well done? After almost 30 years prominent part of the VW community this was one of the best organised shows EVER! Unbelievable, mind blowing, yes indeed, The Yager family knows how to trow a party!

This year was the celebration 40 years after the 15th million beetle produced…

 oh yeah we like combo’s!

 Clean green spotted our attention!

 I was invited to a panel to speak and discuss “collector thoughts” about our VW hobby….. a real experience, especially when not in your own native tongue, but I survived! Definitely something we can do on some European show as well! Steve, the moderator, (completly on the right side here) did a fantastic job!

 Now to attend and become member of BBG busclub of Wisconsin (Wisconsin is called the Diary state) a new member has to wear a cow uniform for entry…. I weared mine with pride! and became full member, other advantages, I can now pay bills in Wisconsin with cheese, as that’s their main product! Altough I warned I will never ever except cheese as a payment for BBT parts!….:) we had a lot of fun all over the weekend, thanks God I didn’t had to walk around the crazy cow uniform the whole weekend! MOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

 Now that’s a combo…..

 In the Midwest custom is still big! one better as the other, I thought this was a cool lookin’ BUG!

 Hippie style, pure sang!

 Wowh, what low, little creature….. looks cool huh?

 Niiiice!

 all judges and special guests been driven by Mike Yager himself as driver on the Mid America train to the main stage for Saturday evening entertainment…..

 Mainstage Saturday evening act was Eliminator, the ZZ top tribute band, it was just wonderful! Back in time! Good music, beer, all was there, wasn’t it Blake???? YEEEEAAAAAH!

 Offcourse Mike arranged a back stage visit, meet and greet and picture with the band, Mike arranges just EVERYTHING!

On Sunday the fun continued! We just loved this Bus!

Saturday as Sunday I was Celebrity judge and had to pick my choice of the day, Sunday i picked this 1957 oval window, made over 20 years ago, pure, like we love it! Real Cal look from 30 years ago started the whole new inspiration and the VW movement in Europe, hence the importance!  The picture shows my friend Richard who bought the car from the previous owners, a very nice and gentle couple of Tennessee.

all nice things comes to an end, Sunday afternoon, trailers where loaded, tow bars been strapped, we all drive home…. nice sight for us Europeans, the nice oval window convertible pulled by the big pick up truck…:)

 Mike, Laurie, Blake, Michael, Richard, the whole Mid America team, and everybody else we might forget, thanks so much for this weekend! your show is TOPNOTCH  and a MUSTRVISIT during VW life, final! When people ask me, I Will say they have to stop by the Mid (america)West…:) You guys really know what “organising” a show really means!!! Thanks for hospitality, thanks for being our customer, friends and almost family! Just Thanks for everything, I can even not describe with any words…. AWESOME! Congratulations, thanks for one of the best VW weekends of my life!

Friday after a meet and greet at our shippers and receivers in LA we rushed to the airport and jumped on a plane direction of St Louis Missouri. Our friend Bill Bowmann would await us there, Flying American Airlines, and knowing Bill is a flight attendant from that same airline we could have known to expect something, that guy warned the whole crew from our flight they better pampered seat 11C & 11D very well, free cocktails, wine, You name it! We had it all, it was nice to get this little VIP treatment, we simply LOVE American Airlines now!

At arrival Bill brought us to dinner, downtown historic St Charles, simply beautifull!

 After dinner he showed us around in his house and his cars and parts shelves and all in a sudden we saw this….., the missing sign in my collection! He had it double!!! so he granted me the extra one! I’m very happy about it, see how large it is in regards to me! 8.4 Foot tall this baby is….

 Saturday morning we left for Breakfast and  came across this on the parking lot, now this is what they call “a truck” in the Midwest!

 Wait a minute mister Postmann….

 Bill “loaned” me Martha, his 1955 all original oval window beetle! a weekend full of VW fun ahead!

 on the way out of St Louis we drove to the Arch… the Arch is a statue symbolising the gateway to the west and as a reminder that many pioneers took the ferry here over the Mississippi river… does Martha not look sexy near this cool work of art? all made from Stainless steel, welded together, stunning!

 My private art picture of the Arch…

 an extra attendee for our little convoy, watch the rear tailgate, ever seen this set up with windows before?

 Same parking lot, wrong brand, but nevertheless striking beautiful!

 and of it goes….

 The song of Neil Young starts at exit 36 on the 70 freeway…..

 Kings of The road….

 Now that’s the way to transport trucks, ha!

More to come so stay tuned!

This 1966 11 window combi is just in arrived with one of our US import containers.

nice from every angle!

I saw way worse for sure! as I always say, original paint don’t leave that much room for camouflage!

the work and detail on this bus clearly reflects in the (economic) price…

nice original headliner reveals this bus is never to hard disabused! an original middle seat also adds to the value!

original engine, always an added value, to any collector car!

always nice to see the real provenance and former use, more “hippie-bus” will be hard to find…

with dollar going up lately and buses becoming scarcer and way more harder to find, real nice price /quality buses like this one will be untraceable any time soon, don’t tell me I didn’t warn You…:)

ythis bus can be made roadworthy with very very moderate costs, it drives, but needs a full service offcourse and some Tender, Love and Care, but from there it will be your best road mate ever!

all info on Bob@bbt4vw.com