On this topic, my graduation gift was a '78 bug vert.  

I call it the gift that keeps on taking:-)

My dad and I went to look at it and liked it.  He said he called a few days
later and it was gone.  

Came back from school, there on the lawn, with a big red ribbon around
it, was a black '78 bug with a white top.   Beautiful!

I was never into VWs before that.

Next I bought a Thing, and then the Tardis ('66 bus).  Now I've gat all three,
and can only afford (time&money) to work on one at a time <grimace>.

...Markus
----------------------------------
'66 "rough looker, hackjob skylit, soon to be ultra-rare 
     19 Window" Westy aka "The Tardis" (british racing green/white)
'74  Thing              (pumpkin orange) 
'78  Bug 'vert          (black, white top)