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Beetle owner proud of his ’57 VW’s history

Buffed and gleaming vehicles were lined up in tidy rows at the annual Vancouver Island Motor Gathering held last weekend at the Viscount Aero Centre in Sidney, but one seemed to have a mind of its own.

Buffed and gleaming vehicles were lined up in tidy rows at the annual Vancouver Island Motor Gathering held last weekend at the Viscount Aero Centre in Sidney, but one seemed to have a mind of its own.

Chris Zessler’s 1957 Volkswagen Bug has the pedigree to be a typical show car, but he decided that letting the years shine through was the route to take with his prized possession.

It came out of the factory with a coral-red finish that has faded over time.

“Never been painted,” said Zessler. “Original paint, original interior, original engine — documented.”

There might be a few rough spots on the car, but he doesn’t let it bother him.

“I try not to call it rust, it’s patina.”

Like many vintage-car owners, Zessler knows the history of his vehicle.

“She grew up in Arizona, spent well over 40 years baking in the sun. A young fellow bought it, brought it up here, modified the suspension. It went through a couple of different owners before I got it.

“I’d like to think I saved her from a couple of restorations, because everybody had big plans of restoring it and something happened and they had to sell.”

Sure, the engine has been rebuilt, but that’s about as far any refurbishment is going to go.

“I’m just going to ride it out as long as I can,” said Zessler.

It still goes “straight and true,” he said.

“It’s 36 horsepower; I’m not going to break any records. In town it drives perfectly, the Malahat is a challenge.”

Finishing touches for his display included roof racks — complete with surfboard — and a luggage holder that attaches to the back of the car. All standard equipment, of course.

When he does need a replacement part from time to time, Zessler looks for items as well-worn as the car itself.

“I’m looking for a wiper blade right now. I can’t get a new one because it’s going to look so out of place.”

Zessler is one of those lucky people whose hobby matches his vocation — he is the classic-parts specialist at Volkswagen Victoria. The way he sees it, a lot of people can identify with his Bug when he brings it to shows.

“Most people have had one, anybody over 35 has had one.”

He said he enjoys the reaction the car gets.

“I’m just sort of wandering in the background and watching people come and look at the car. Smiles and pointing at this, pointing at that.”

One thing they notice is the old-fangled air-conditioning unit attached to the passenger-side window, what Zessler calls a “swamp cooler.” Just add water and pull the string that rotates the drum, and the unit draws air past the water to produce a cooling effect.

“Second gear and up, it works very well,” he said.

Zessler also owns another Volkswagen he calls a “mish-mash” that it is fitted with big tires and is suitable for off-roading.

His was one of an impressive array of 250 entries at the Sidney show, which is put on by GAIN, Vancouver Island’s Premier Dealer Group, representing 10 dealerships. The show doubles as a fundraiser, and has supported the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island, the David Foster Foundation and the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation.

This year’s event raised $118,425 for charity and more than 3,500 people attended. Charitable funds come from such things as entry fees and food sales, said GAIN group CEO Peter Trzewik.

Next year’s event will move to a new facility being built by the GAIN group near Duncan called the Vancouver Island Motorsport Resort. It will open next May, complete with a track where clients can drive their high-performance cars, Trzewik said.

“It’s really just a project to make owning a performance car more fun,” he said.

The site will also be used for events such as car shows and introductions of new vehicles.

jwbell@timescolonist.com