287 Z-1766

21 x 24 cm
Found Postcard, various colors of thread, found black and white photograph, found paper

I learned how to drive when I was about 12 years old. My best friend J.H. lived on a cul-de-sac and her mom had a VW Bug circa 1962 (or thereabouts), as did my dad - but ours was a bit younger (1970). Can't say there was much to do on our weekends in SB. We'd go to the beach and hang out, but you could only do that for so long, plus it was "cold" sometimes!
One day I went over to J.H.'s and she told me she knew how to drive. I wanted to learn how real bad. So she said she would teach me. Me, J.H. and our sisters piled into the Bug. Now that I think about it - I don't think that her mom knew we were doing this...
First she drove up and down the cul-de-sac a million times showing me the connection between the clutch and the gear stick. Push in, (keep it pushed in) and push that stick into various gears.

"Don't rev too much."
"Don't forget to push the clutch in!"
"Don't let go of the clutch 'til the gear is in the right place."

We went up and down this block long street all day long. I finally got my chance. I was really small for my age - so we had to pull the seat as close to the steering wheel as possible. I did a lot of gear grinding and of course was anxious, scared but mostly excited!! and somehow I got the hang of it. It was great fun. It quickly became our past time and we would "drive" a lot - meaning up and down her street; Bonnie Lane.



The morning of my 16th birthday I took my driver's license test at the Department of Motor Vehicles and passed. Later I inherited my father's 1970 cherry red Bug. (He had imported it from Germany when we had moved to California in 1971). I loved this car. I used to get notes on my car asking me if I wanted to sell it because it was in such pristine shape. I think I liked the sound of the engine the most but I also remember loving the interior roof of the car which was coated in a white plastic sort of fabric that was perforated. Eventually the car got given away.
I used to have dreams about that car - and actually I just had a dream about the car again last weekend and that was my inspiration for this 38.

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The title references the license plate number of my father's Bug.