Bill Birmingham never got to see his clunker turned into a classic, but his friends at the East Texas Volkswagen Club
made sure his dream became a reality.
Birmingham's diagnosis of cancer five years ago prevented him from restoring the 1962 Volkswagen Beetle ragtop he had
hoped to give to his daughter when she turned 16. Birmingham died in August, so club members and local mechanics finished
his project and presented it to a surprised Kristyana Birmingham Saturday at the third annual Piney Woods Fall Fest Car Show
at McWhorter Park.
"This was our version of (TLC's) 'Overhaulin'," said one of the remake organizers, Rodney Blackwell.
Mechanics from Hutch's Paint and Body and Oak Hill Automotive, who donated their time and parts, worked for the past
three months, mostly Sundays, getting the "bug" in show-room condition. Daniel Watts, who oversaw the project and worked on
the car's motor, said the new paint job, interior and mechanics cost about $10,000.
"When you hear the whole story, it just seemed like the right thing to do," Watts said.
Blane Gore, in charge of body work and paint, said the look on Kristyana's face when she realized the car was hers
made it all worth while.
When the car was revealed, Kristyana, 13, and her also clueless sister, Emily Anne, 12, squealed like only teenage
girls could do.
Kristyana, a Hallsville eighth-grader, said she wouldn't change a thing about the car and appreciates the guys who
rebuilt it for her.
Her mother, Kathleen, who knew about the restoration project but kept the secret from her daughters, said the car was
nothing more than a shell and a bunch of parts in boxes when Blackwell and the rest of the remake team took it.
She said it's hard to believe the metallic green car with shiny chrome bumpers was once a driveway junker.
"I just think it's absolutely wonderful. There are no words," Kathleen Blackwell said.
Emily Anne, after taking a ride around the parking lot, got out of the car saying she was jealous of her older sister's
first car.
"I think it's beautiful. I love it. I want one just like it – except a pink one," the girl said.
More than 50 Volkswagens were entered in Saturday's car show with awards being presented in 20 different classes –
from best graphics to best radical custom.
Best of Show in the air-cooled class went to Jack Wenk, of Arlington, whose white pick-up was accented with blue flames.
In the water-cooled (newer models) class, Antoine DeHon, from Farmers Branch, received the Best of Show award for his "Marvin
the Martian" Beetle.
The People's Choice awards went to Sammie Smith, of Nacogdoches, for the air-cooled class and Angela Mobbs, of Longview,
for the water-cooled class.
Photos of the Birmingham bug's transformation are on the East Texas Volkswagen Club's Web site at www.etvwclub.com/62ragtop.
