Traditionally, now’s the time to pledge to drink less, exercise more and generally knock your life back into shape. Of course most promises are broken before the last verse of Auld Lang Syne has been slurred, but having a few goals for the year ahead is no bad thing. Here’s some ideas to get your 2017 off to a good start…
The long game
It’s lovely having lovely cars, but it’s even better if you have somewhere to store them safely and work on them in the dry, rather than having to maintain them while parked up by the roadside or on an exposed driveway.
So in 2017, you say to yourself: “I’m going to spend money on building a decent workshop, rather than spend money on cars now and have nowhere to work on them, or store them!”
We published a post about Building your own Garage here which should help keep your costs down.
Get abroad!
We’re all creatures of habit, which means each year we tend to go to the same shows. There’s nowt wrong with that. However, not all VW shows are the same so in 2017 why not test one out where the language is different too?
Make a diary date now for Hessich Oldendorf in Germany and EBI 7 in Belgium and the fantastic Le Bug Show at Spa Francorchamps. We’ve got a date now for the 2017 Let’s Bug Together show in Slovenia which we reported on here. It’s 17-20 August and we reckon that it’s certainly a must if you’ve made a pledge to travel a bit further afield in 2017.
For those into water-cooled machines – can you resist the lure of Worthersee in Austria or VW Days in France is a little closer to home (dates yet to be announced).
Slimline your fleet
Let’s face it, most VW enthusiasts are hoarders. Which is okay, but if you start collecting too many cars you can quickly lose focus. That’s why in the year that’s about to unfold it might be a good idea to have a bit of a sort out. Consider selling the cars (and bits) that have sat there languishing for years in order to invest in the project you really do want to finish. You’ll be doing a fellow enthusiast a favour too and possibly save another VW from extinction in the process.
Go racing
Perhaps you had a crack at the track for our 30th Birthday back in July 2016 (you can read about it here) and have now got the bug? Or maybe you’ve never done it before but fancy a go? Whatever, if you fancy becoming a weekend track warrior, there’s a few things to consider.
Why not spend some Christmas money on a track taster session at one of your favourite circuits – they provide all the gear, you just turn up and show them your licence! You can find out more here.
Alternatively, taking your daily driver for a blast is a great day out – especially if you take a mate, and split the costs.
Finally, for those with petrol running through their veins, why not take your ARDS test and get a race licence.. Formula Vee represents a great budget single seater series, and the Classic VW Cup is a perfect starting series if you would prefer to be piloting a tin-top in 2017.
Visit Wolfsburg
Now this is probably something that you’ve been promising yourself for ages, but 2017 could be the time to actually DO it. The AutoMuseum is evolving all the time, so there’s lots of new stuff to see – and while you are there, it’s essential that you organise a factory tour.
Convert someone
Finally, if you have a mate who loves to tag along to VW shows in your car, lay on the pressure and get them to jump ship! Insist that they flog their Ford, move on their Mini and crush their Citroen (other models are available). Volkswagens are not only fun, and a gateway to a fantastic community of enthusiasts, but they can be cheap to run and reliable too! It’s up to you to explain all the benefits so you can get a lift with them this year…
Of course you might be inclined to ignore all this, which is probably fair enough. But whatever you do, just make sure your 2017 ends up being a good one!
Ian
The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of VW Heritage
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)