In the fall of 1967, I had just sold my 1960 Bug and purchased a 1964 VW. One week later I heard about a 1967 VW that was recently traded in that I couldn't say no to! This was right after the 1968 VWs came out, the dealership in Rock Hill SC called CJ Patton Motors had 3 black 1967 base models left on the lot. The dealer threw on all the chrome options he could along with some cool white wall tires, and these Bugs didn't last. The first sold in 2 hours after he put it on the lot, and the other two sold by the end of the week. A friend of mine named John Hancock loved trading in cars, and he traded his 1966 Chevrolet Impala with 5,000 miles on it for the last one. He drove it for 2 months and put 1,800 miles on it and decided he needed a 1965 Chevrolet Pickup instead. I heard about his trade in, and went that afternoon to trade in my 1964 for the 1967.

I drove this car for 32 years, going to many volunteer fire calls and hauling just about anything I could load into my trailer! I would reseal the engine about every 60,000 miles and would put on jugs and pistons around 120,000. I had it repainted last in around 1989. I put it in semi-retirement in 1999 after it hit 500,000 miles when I purchased a 1992 Chevrolet S-10 pickup, which is still going strong today with 375,000 miles! I still enjoy getting out the Bug and driving it around on a nice warm day. Currently it has 502,300 miles on it.

One of my favorite stories happened on the way home from Myrtle Beach SC. My father-in-law was driving my Beetle and was riding behind us. A car stopped suddenly in front of me. We were both able to stop in time, but the car behind us ran into the back of my VW. My trailer hitch went right into the car's radiator and the three cars behind my Beetle were damaged pretty badly. Me and my father in law were able to pop my car loose by standing on the rear bumper and we were able to drive home. Each of the three cars behind my Beetle had to be towed. I was able to acquire a used bumper and fixed mine right up.