I’d like to take a moment to shine light on one of the greatest vintage Volkswagen enthusiast in our hobby today; Jay Sasler of Garland, Texas. His contributions to 1967beetle.com are enjoyed by readers all over the world. Also, his knowledge and years of experience with vintage Volkswagens is second to none. Also, it was recently his birthday!
Jay didn’t want me to post a mention of this, but I feel the vintage VW community needs to celebrate. Like me, he does not like to be in the spotlight. 1967beetle.com is about the best year vintage Volkswagen. Without his knowledge it would not be what it is today. As Lane Russell has grown, I’ve had less and less time to focus on articles.
Has Jay helped you with your ’67 Beetle? (I bet he has!) If so, chime in below and give thanks.
Jay and Neva, thank you BOTH so much for all you do for 1967beetle.com.
Comments are closed.
Happy birthday Jay! Thank you so much for helping The 67 Volkswagen community information but also on my 1966 VW bug model! Hope you have a wonderful day!
Robin..I was glad to talk to you about your 1966 Beetle. If I did not say so then, I want to now–you will enjoy a WebSite owned and managed by my good friend John Martini. Go to 1966vwbeetle.com Sign up for this Site which is all about ’66 Beetles, just as Eric’s Site is for ’67s. And, yes–here on 1967beetle.com, Eric and I find ourselves researching questions about many years of VWs other than the ’67s. It’s all fun! jay
So I’ll be the first to say something. “Thank you” would not be enough words to say how much Jay means to both Amanda and I. He’s helped turn 1967beetle.com into what it is today. Sometimes, planets align and people connect in the way we have. We’ve never even met, but I consider him family. I’m sure y’all do as well. His dedication to these old cars is something to be proud of. Thank you, Jay!
Have always enjoyed reading Jay’s post and whether the article effect me and my 67 Zephyr Blue, or not, they are very informative. Thanks a lot, Jay, and Happy New Year to all of you Buggers.
Hi, Michael…thanks for your kind comments. Be sure to pass along word of 1967beetle.com to all owners of ’67 Beetles whom you encounter. I find one now and then and always make a point to introduce them. Thank you for your faithful support of the Site! jay
Happy New Year! Jay is one of those people that make the VW community special. Thank you Jay for all of your shared knowledge. Cheers to you!
Hi, Timm…Yes…each of us is one more Cog that makes the Giant Wheel of the 1967beetle Community turn smoothly! jay
Happy Birthday to you Jay.. We haven’t met and I have not had to pick your brain YET.. So take a nice ride in your 67 and enjoy your day.
Thank you, Barbara, for your birthday wishes! 1967beetle.com has become a treasure chest of information about our beloved Beetles. So many people have contributed so much! I am amazed as I read through the articles. Have you presented a Featured Article on your Beetle? If not, I encourage you to get with Eric to do just that! Happy Motoring, Barbara! jay
Jay can answer any question down to the last nut and bolt. Happy belated birthday!
Larry…you are very generous with your compliments! I do try to learn what makes these cars “go”–I have to admit to a fascination with all of the parts. Just standing, looking at one of these cute little cars we can’t see what’s happening inside them until a problem arises and we must “open the container”. That’s when the light dawns on us just how much went into the research and development of these Beetles. A LOT, indeed!. I believe that the more familiar that we become with our cars, the better we understand and can correct problems that arise. I find that there are fewer and fewer qualified VW shops these days. We owners must step up to the problems and solve them ourselves. That’s where 1967beetle.com comes into play. We can pool our knowledge to help our ’67 Community. Yes–that’s the way. Larry! jay
Best wishes to Jay for his birthday and for all that both Jay and Eric have done to inform and inspire myself and so many others who have ’67 Beetles! The work that you do is a great service to the entire vintage VW community!
Hehe. Thanks. :)
Happy Birthday Jay! It was nice to finally speak with you the other day. I’m working on that project we spoke about and you’ll be hearing from me soon. Enjoy your day and the new year too.
Jody…Your ’67 Beetle is testament to your abilities and conservation efforts! What a beautiful vehicle. I’m sure that we’ll be hearing more from you very soon. Thanks for your contributions to the Site! jay
Jay has been a great friend and help! I could not enjoy this hobby without him. His patience and understanding are wonderful.
Ron…You and Diane have reached beyond yourselves with your growing VW Group there in Phoenix! I wish that I lived out there–I would love being a part of it! Neva and I continue to talk about your visit to Garland. Hopefully we will see you in the near future. We can take up where we left off, Ron! jay
Happy Birthday Jay! You are way to modest, but you need to bask in the spotlight once-in-awhile and let your friends fuss over you! I have always appreciated the time you have given me when I have an issue I just can’t figure out! Happy Birthday to a great guy who deserves it all!-Dick
Dick..I assure you that the pleasure knowing you has been mine! You are an inspiration in many ways to me–especially as you have guided your family through some rough waters through your several health issues! I also envy you those wonderful Volkswagens which you folks own and enjoy. Wow! Here we head into yet another year–may it be the best yet! jay
I enjoy reading Jay’s articles as much for their content as his grammatical proficiency. Why use two words when one is plenty enough? Happy Birthday and best wishes for a healthy, happy and poserous New Year. ( from Toronto, Canada)
Hello, Hank. I’ve been meaning to reply to your comment. I did some writing for a Botanical Journal years ago. Editors can be brutal, you know. They don’t like paying for extra words. It’s not like writing novels where the author gets paid by the word! LOL No sir! So, one learns quickly to be succinct. The flip side is when an author is himself having to foot the bill for publishing, he doesn’t want to be paying for proofing and printing of superfluous information. Then, as a person ages…his mental capacity to think and say becomes limited to saying only what is necessary (I like to think that this is the case, anyway!). Whatever the argument–my goal is to say less and think more–will I reach my goal before I pass onto that great editing table in the sky? These thoughts are too much for this ole guy! hahahaha. jay
Hi Jay, I know this is very off-topic, but I was wondering, have you ever done research before in Latin America? I’ve been looking to get ahold of someone with the same name as yours who wrote extensively on Latin American cultures
Adam…My family and I lived in Colombia, S. America for a number of years and were involved in research, Literacy, Descriptive Linguistics and Herpetology, among other things. jay
Wow… I’m a university student studying Amazonian culture and I just thought it was so interesting to talk to someone who is a primary source on Cubeo culture! To be honest, I wasn’t even sure whether or not you would respond, but in any case, your response made my day. I hope I don’t come off strange by my reply, haha
Thanks, Adam
What wonderful accolades to our very own Jay on his special day! Here’s one more…
Jay you are like family and your contribution to this community can not be overstated. I concur with (RONW1967), I could not enjoy my ’67 Beetle nearly as much without your continued help and goodwill in keeping us all in check and on the road! Kudos to the Masters Eric & Amanda “putting the bow” on this by bringing together such gifted people like Jay S!!
Gavin–we’ve packed a lot into our conversations over the past couple of years. I hope that when Spring comes, you continue to enjoy the VW shows there in Michigan. Be sure to let us Readers see more photos and hear about those shows! Again–thank you for all of the interchanges and your good will, Gavin! jay
Jay – I want to and a Happy Birthday, along with those who have already beat me to the punch. Now, I must ask…………since it also happens to be the 50th birthday for our beloved 1967 VW, which is older? You or the VW?
Thanks for your great expertise, advise and dedication to those of us with much less to offer.
Irv
Well, Folks–I want to thank each of you for your most Generous Comments! But I have to tell you–I am embarrassed. I do not consider myself to be an authority on Volkswagens and certainly not on our wondrous ’67 Beetles! If you notice, I give credits in my articles to people who are “libraries of VW knowledge”–I depend upon them. My love for these cars is not limited to the metal and fabric which constitutes them, but to you who are the Owners and Conservators of them. My passion in life has been meeting People. I find the People who constitute the 1967 Beetle Community to be some of The Very Best People I have known! The Passion which I share with Eric and Amanda Shoemaker is to encourage each of you to get to know your ’67 Beetle intimately so that you become comfortable with as many aspects of your car as possible. (and yes, I do have a VW friend who, returning from the day’s labors, stops to plant a kiss on the fender of his beloved car!) And, Irv, to answer your question, I turned 78 at midnight, January 1st. I still do not know how that happened! God has been Merciful to give me the opportunity to interact with You Great 1967 Folks! Let’s see what 2017 brings forth! Happy Motoring. jay
Your response Jay to those who wished you well and thanked you for your willingness to share your knowledge of the ’67 Beetles was, for me, an affirmation of your fine character and selfless devotion to others. As for you’re not being an “authority” in regards to the ’67 Beetles, I doubt that any one person can lay claim to that status any more than an attorney or physician can go beyond saying that they are “practicing” in their area of specialty. What you do own is a well-deserved reputation for helping others more fully understand and enjoy their Beetles and that is no small contribution!
Hello, John…thank you for your kind comments! I’m trying to give back some of what has been given to me over the years. I began working on own VWs as a matter of necessity–mainly by reading a repair manual, at first. Then, various VW friends and mechanics and parts people guided me along the way. All were very gracious to give up their secret repairs and more. It has been a very gratifying journey. How can I not give back to the VW Community?! jay
Jay,
Of course, I was just kidding about who was older – you or the 67 VW’s. It seems as though you have me by about 3 months. I will turn 78 March 13 this year. Best to you in 2017……..Irv
Irv…Yes…we’ll just keep driving right alongside one another this year, enjoying our Beetles! LOL jay
Happy Birthday Jay,
I met Jay on the website a while back. I had asked him many of questions about the VW Bug and come to find out a wealth of knowledge. He has helped me many times over. I still email back and forth all the time to stay in touch as we became friends. Also from time to time we speak on the phone. He also helped me locate correct parts for my 67 seat belts. So all I have to say is I am glad to have met him
Thank my friend. Frank
Frank–I assure you that it’s been a pleasure getting to know you! God willing–we’ll have more VW discussions over the year 2017. jay
Where to begin? Jay has been a repository of answers, directions and encouraging words that have guided me on my journey of keeping my 1967 bug from the scrap heap. I appreciate his patience and guidance and willingness to help me no matter how elementary my thousands of questions are.
Interestingly enough his knowledge is not what makes him a special person. It’s his compassion and willingness to help another person in need. He offers this help unconditionally and that is what makes him a diamond in the rough.
Happy birthday young man and thank you for your help and friendship!
Kevin
San Diego
Hello, Kevin…We’ve had to struggle through a few things haven’t we! LOL As I am wont to say–“the learning curve for me is steep!” Eventually, we get there. Just you wait–one of these days someone is going to come to you and ask the same questions–then you will have the answers! jay
Like me, Jay is humble. It’s obvious his years of knowledge and giving to others is something very special. I feel lucky to have stumbled upon him year ago. I still think back, sitting in San Francisco around 1 AM with the idea of creating this site in my head. I had no vision that so many people would care about the ’67 Beetle. Who knew. Thank you, Jay. You’ve done more for me than friendly advice and parts knowledge. We all admire you.
Best Wishes Jay. Along with the rest of the 67 family, it’s been a pleasure to listen to your wisdom of these cars.
Happy Birthday Jay.
Eric, thank you for giving us the opportunity to wish him well on this day.
Hello, Sam…thanks for taking time to comment! I’ve seen your name and comments over these past 3 years–one of these days hopefully we’ll have opportunity to meet in person. Until then–Happy Motoring! jay
Funny, I just met the guy last week. Had no ideal of his revered status on this website and probably elsewhere, but he was kind enough to answer my naive questions and took the time to provide me with invaluable advice on my Z-Bar (and it isn’t even on a ’67 bug). Now, come to find out, he’s from
Texas, so that explains a lot. Happy Birthday Jay and keep up the good work. Dwight
Shucks, Dwight…Here in Texas we just luv ALL y’all Volkswagen People! I was happy to see that you got your Z-Bar Assembly all cleaned and reassembled! Great job! jay
The “connecting” with people is the main reason we keep doing this. 1967beetle.com cost $ and time to run. But, it’s not about that. It’s about helping keep these tiny wonders on the road. Amazingly, I believe we’ve been able to do that in some way or another.
Happy birthday, Jay. Your many articles have been enjoyed and used regularly to make many jobs much easier. Your friendship beyond the car aspect has been a treasure even from so far away! Thank you!
Hi, Tom…I’m glad that I can help. Thanks for your support of 1967beetle.com! Keep that Beetle running smoothly! jay
Happy Birthday, Daddy!
You taught me how to drive in a 1967 VW.
I learned a great deal about all areas of your fleet of VW’s, as I helped you buy, sell, tow, and observe and participate in repairs to every part of 1967 VW’s.
So, I love to drive a stick shift, I can diagnose most mechanical troubles in my cars, and I know how to buy used cars! That’s a HUGE education!!!! Thanks!
I can’t reply to all of the Comments, but I could not pass this one–yes, my own daughter still loves me after being asked to help with VW repairs from when she was little bitty! Well..we had our adventures with VWs–that’s for sure! We could write that proverbial book about our adventures, couldn’t we! Sometimes we sit and remind ourselves of a notable story from this car or from that one. And laugh. Or just sit, pondering. I reckon that there are stories yet to come, Daughter Dear! daddy
Happy birthday , jay mine is Jan.8th I hit 65 finally maybe a few bucks coming my way !!! Haha hope yours was good , happy new year also thanks for all your dedication
Hello, Art. Did I just hear the word “retirement”? This will give you more Volkswagen time. Did you know that the average age of vintage collector cars is over 45 years? And, that most vintage car people are men? I always am happy when young people and women become involved with Volkswagens! We don’t want to be just a bunch of old men who enjoy these great cars! So, get out there and recruit more ’67 owners through your Beetle, Art! jay
A big Happy Birthday, Jay. Pleased to tell our 67 VW family, my wife, Aurora, and I live approximately 30 minutes from Jay and Neva. I agree will all the fine comments made about Jay. I am always amazed where Jay finds the time to research and publish his articles, talk and/or correspond with so many of us, and on and on. Best wishes for a safe and happy 2017 and many many more birthdays.
Hello, Felix…I cannot recall when we first knew about one another. We kept passing one another and missing one another. I am so happy that you came to the house and we became personally acquainted!
It also was great to be able to meet your lovely wife recently. And…I love your Black ’67 Beetle, Felix! jay
Happy birthday Jay! Thanks for all the info through the years and years to come!
Tom…Thank you for taking time to comment on my birthday. As long as I can move my fingers, I hope to continue my contributions. BTW–I get most of my “inspirations” from my fellow Volkswageneers! It’s all One Big VW Family, Tom! jay
Happy Birthday Jay. Wishing you the very very best. It has been a blessing being able to becomes friends with you and Neva. Jay, lord willing I look forward to seeing you again this summer. You are the expert and we are so lucky to have a person like yourself who is willing to both help and share your vast knowledge of Volkswagen’s. Happy belated Birthday my friend!!!
Richard…Neva and I still are talking about your visit this past July–all the way from Nebraska to Texas! What a great visit! We look forward to your visit this coming July for the next DubSplash. We’ll make our own “splash” there! jay
It goes without saying, a “great man” is almost always aligned with a”greater woman”!
I understand the focus here is a birthday salute, however, I would be remiss not to Thank and Praise both Neva & Amanda for their support, unconditional love and contributions to the “infectious vices” of two great men, (Jay & Eric). A great big shout out to the ladies!
Thank you, Gavin, for your kind toast to the wives. Jay and I have worked on the same team from our first meeting. And then he picked me to be his wife!! Believe me! he is the one to be with, through thick and thin. He is the BEST!! How it pleases me to hear others’ praises and blessings on him.
Neva “
Happy Birthday, Jay!
Your willingness to share your knowledge of VW’s and great advice is much appreciated!
Todd…I am so happy that you found and rescued your ’67 Beetle. It is looking great. Now that it is running properly, you will be able to just enjoy it. Keep up the good work, Todd! jay
Hi Jay – Very Happy Belated Birthday
Sorry I missed this one – I have been engrossed in a 71 VW bus with 1600 dp engine.
Still have our 67 beetle and she’s GREAT thanks to information from you Neva and Eric.
As always your knowledge and willingness to help others by providing these very detailed
and through articles is invaluable to the 67 beetle community. So happy to have had the
opportunity to learn from you. I cant wait to meet you in the future, may have to wait till the
streets are gold and everyone’s driving 67 beetles.
May the Lord continue Blessing You, Neva, Eric and this fine site
Thank You Jay
Clyde
I want to send out a special thanks to Beth Leverman for introducing me to 1967beetle.com over 3 years ago. She came to the house needing a part for her newly acquired ’67 Beetle. As we talked, she sensed that I was sort of stuck on the ’67 Model. She told me–“Jay, you should look at 1967beetle.com!” I did, and the rest is history. Now, I am meeting all of you other fine folks. Some of you just through e-messaging; then, some of you through phone conversations and then, some of you folks personally! Neva and I still find it incredible to have had the pleasure of a visit from Richard Marcoux clear from Nebraska and from Ron Waller from Arizona. Then, a number of you from the Greater Dallas-FortWorth Area and further afield in Texas. As you have found–our home is open to everyone. Can it get better than meeting all of you fine folks who share this ’67 Passion? Friendships are Golden and to be guarded jealously! Your messages ALL are taken to heart. I treasure each of you out there in the 1967 Beetle Community! May God bless you all in 2017! jay
Clyde–looks as though you’ve taken that “next step”–to own yet another VW. A friend of mine once told me–“You can’t trust a person who owns only one VW!” I don’t know about the “trust part”, but I CAN say that by owning more than one VW the excitement over them grows exponentially! I hope that your ’71 T-2 gives you and your wife many additional benefits, Clyde! jay