by Brian McElrath
Atlantic Beach resident Charley Snyder is a tall, instantly likable gentleman with a very special, very old, extraordinary operational automobile. Charley has owned the same 1961 Volkswagen Type 15 Cabriolet for 53 years. Commonly known as the VW Beetle convertible, Charlie’s car is originally painted in factory black and is one of the rare remaining 1961 VW convertibles produced by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany, during the “Golden Age” of VW production. As a matter of perspective in scale and sheer industrial volume, VW produced over 21 million Beetle cars during its entire manufacturing history, of which only 1.5% (6,219) were built as convertibles in 1961. Owning one of the few most beloved and unique automobiles ever produced on the planet has brought him a lifetime of unwavering dedication to his 65-year-old German car. The visual appearance of his car is simply amazing, which causes one to question if they are seeing something that is actually real. This is the story of the car that Charley built.
How did you first come to own this particular car?
In the 1970s, when I lived out west in California, there was a free classified ad paper called “The Recycler” where I found it among the hundreds of cars available there.
Is there anything that drew you to that specific year or model of your VW?
I didn’t know anything about Volkswagens when I bought this car, and I didn’t start working on it until 1978, when I moved from Hermosa Beach to West Los Angeles. When I moved to a garden apartment in LA, my landlord owned a Ford Model A, which he used to take apart and rebuild regularly. He’s actually the guy who got me started working on my car.
What are some of the significant modifications or customizations you’ve made to your car?
I went through a lot of engines over the years, using a book by John Muir entitled “How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive, a Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Complete Idiot”. It was designed for people who have never worked on cars in their lives. It’s the bible for Volkswagens and I used that book to rebuild an engine. I rebuilt a number of engines I obtained from that Recycler magazine. I did some major surgery on that car in 1997 with help from a high-end automobile restorer. We took the body of my 1961 and put it on the floor pan of a 1974. I also converted the electrical system from 6 to 12 volts, and it also now has a 1970 single intake port engine in it.
Over the years, it’s gotten its patina from banging into things and I never really washed or repainted it. I let the paint wear down to the primer and I kind of liked it. I tell people that it has “aged organically like me”. Having lived most of its life in the arid climate of California, the rust settled in gently and did not eat through the metal as it does here in Florida. Anytime I needed a part like a fender, I would buy a used part for about ten bucks and bolt it right to the car in whatever color it was.
What is the most challenging repair work you’ve done to your car?
There are three: replacing an engine, doing a full brake replacement, and bleeding a brand-new master cylinder. One brake job took about a month just to replace the lines, hoses, fittings, cables, drums and shoes. As for the new master cylinder, I’ll never do it again as long as I live. After unsuccessfully trying to bleed it and never getting rid of the air bubbles in the line, I finally had to take it to a guy and pay him for the job on my birthday. He fixed it and after two years of rebuilding, I finally got to drive my car.
What are some of your favorite memories of your car?
Around midnight in the summer of 1986, on the 405 freeway, I drove under an overpass and there was something huge in the lane that I struck at 60 miles per hour. It was biological in nature, and it made a huge mess. A few days later, I told the story to my friend Ron, who said that he thinks I should call my car “Blood and Guts”. So, that’s her name. It’s a L. A. story and it’s true.
How do people react when they see your car?
Like it’s a puppy. They will either say, “Oh, I love your car” or if they really want to talk, they will relate their own experience with a VW. It’s remarkable how many times I’ve had someone approach me and I get the same three questions. The first question is, “Is that your car?” and I say “Yeah”. Then, “What year is it?” “’61.” “Does it run?” “No, I pushed it here. I wish I had a nickel for the times I’ve answered those three questions.
What are some of your closing thoughts about your car?
The 5 years that it’s lived exposed to the elements at the beach here have really taken their toll. It could use a hood and an entirely new pan. Of course, “I’ll never sell it.”
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I am happily retired from civil service and now spend my time taking long walks, building analog kit amplifiers, obsessing about vacuum tube electronics, and collecting more guitars. I love writing about music and my community!
