I'll check in at 59 and a half.  I was introduced to VWs while in the  Navy.
I visited a number of European ports and fell in love with  them.  My first
was a blue '67 bug bought in '68.  It was replaced by  a '66 bug a few years
later.  Had to rebuild the engine in the '67 using a  Chilton for the pictures
and the then new Idiot book for the procedures.   Ran fine until the car was
wrecked.  The bug was followed by a '63 bus  that me and my GF made into a
camper.  The rebuilt engine from the '67 bug  went into it after a while.  I
married the GF along in here.  It was  updated to a '67 bus that lasted until my
income allowed the purchase of a '78  Westy in '78.  It was followed by an '83
water cooled Westy, an '85 van,  since the four kids didn't fit in the Westy any
more, and an '87 van.  The  '87 lasted a long time but finally stayed dead
after the third engine  expired.  I have had a series of Jettas and last fall
upgraded to a  Passat.  About 5 years ago, I found a '91 Carat, which I still
have.

All those cars were my daily drivers.  I also had a slew of oval  window bugs
I drove to college, a bevy of buses I used for parts and storage,  and a few
hobby cars.  The hobby cars I have now are a 57 Porsche, a '63  sun roof bug,
a '71 Westy, an '80 pickup and an '82 Westy.  There have  probably been 50-60
VWs go through the driveway over the years.

Tom
Illinois