The above are pictures from Billo's first highway test drive combined with a fund raising cruise for the Toronto Sickkids Hospital. Today was a sunny day with 26*C temperature and it also happened to be the Victoria day long weekend so downtown Toronto was packed with tourists.
The cameras never stopped clicking.
No prize for guessing the most photographed car of the evening
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Dear nmshaikh: what a wonderful jourey so far...from the transmissin installation in the VW beetle thread to this BILLO the 1960 truck art beetle from Pakistan thread. Enjoyed thoroughly! A big thank you for this. Will positively look out for more posts on BILLO's memorable journey.Best, k
very nice masha Allah!
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=" /><o:p></o:p>While I have gone for a performance enhancing (but original VW) modifications for Billo, the yet un-named Oval would be stock all round. It has a running 36hp engine and I have sourced another complete engine for it. Ditto for the split case transmission. I may go for a souped-up version for the second Oval that would probably be based on a 74 platform.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>You are right. All the hours spent replacing the transmission and sourcing correct new and good used parts have paid off. I look forward to some exciting drives in the days to come.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
Thank you K.
Summer is the time when Billo emerges from her hibernation. I usually garage her from October-on until about April or till the snows have melted and the roads have been washed clean of the salt they spread during the winters. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=" /><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>I will be sharing Billo's 2011 engagements as well as bring you flashbacks on her adventures / accomplishments dating back to 2008 till we are up-to-date.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>I will try and keep it interesting for those who choose to join us on our fun filled summer. I have pretty much scheduled the activities but I'll introduce and share them only closer to the date so the element of surprise is not lost. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>To all my friends, here and in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:country-region><st1:place>Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>, keep safe, be well and be blessed.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>May you stay in God's protection
I'll be needing volunteers to drive my cars to shows...send in your resume's with experience..LOL:D
nice
Awesome Writing Skills, i love to read such threads on PW, its marvellous
:)This is really a very unique thread. I loved reading through it! And to think that you transferred your car from Pakistan to Canada is in itself a unique event. Probably the first such occurance in history!
Was it not possible to retain the car's Pakistan registration? That would have lent it even more uniqueness in Canada. But it was really a treat to read through. Would really like it if you could keep updating this thread.
I know of a few other cars that have been exported out of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comPakistan</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region> but not sure if one landed on the shores of <st1:place>North America</st1:place>. <?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>Canadian law requires the car to have local plates if it is to stay in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> beyond 90 days so we got a personalized plate for Billo. My first preference was to get Billo but it was not available! seems like there is another car named Billo in <st1:place>Ontario</st1:place> so I got the plates that you see on the car......... HIS BUG. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><font color="black"><span style="font-family: VW_font"><font color="black">Punch Buggy 4 SickKids is a 'Feel Good' charity that taps into the enthusiasm and generosity of the people who love the Volkswagen Beetle to raise money for <st1:city><st1:place><span style=[/IMG]Toronto</st1:place></st1:city>'s Hospital for Sick Children SickKids! Each Year Volkswagen Beetle owners from all over <st1:place>Ontario</st1:place> bring their Bugs into <st1:city><st1:place>Toronto</st1:place></st1:city> to raise money and show their support for SickKids. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p></span></font></span></font><p class=[/IMG]<o:p></o:p>
The inspiration for the event came to the father of an 8 month old baby Veronica who had to spend a lot of time in the hospital due to a kidney abnormality. Mitch decided to raise money for the hospital by getting his VW beetle friends together and asking for donations. We found out about the fund raising effort and decided to help. Each year we have collected more money than the previous and our goal this year was to surpass the $50,000 level to get our name on the SickKids Wall of Fame in the hospital atrium. The final count is still awaited but looks like we did well.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
The event is covered by local news channels and I was interviewed by CP24 and <st1:stockticker>CTV</st1:stockticker> news reporter wanted to know about Billo's artwork and their cameraman was filming Billo as if he was filming film star Anjuman's dance in a Punjabi movie. I'll see if I can get a clip to share with you. I just saw the coverage on the <st1:time minute="0" hour="21">9 pm</st1:time> news on CP24 as I type these lines.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>I have already shred with you the pictures from last evenings cruise around down town <st1:city><st1:place>Toronto</st1:place></st1:city>. Today the bugs were to be parked in the heart of downtown <st1:city><st1:place>Toronto</st1:place></st1:city> - the Yonge - <st1:city><st1:place>Dundas</st1:place></st1:city> Square which, to give you an idea is the equivalent of <st1:place>New York'</st1:place>s <st1:place>Times square</st1:place>. A special spot was reserved for Billo closest to the road and the side walk for the passing tourists and visitors to be drawn in. The rest of the cars were parked in a semi circle, there was live music and lots of fun filled activity. Billo was the crowd favourite and people lined up to get their picture taken in the drivers seat. They made a donation towards the cause after getting their picture taken. My family was there with me to help collect donations. Abdullah - my 10 yr old overcame his shyness and confidently walked around with the plastic collection jar.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>Without further delay I'll start uploading the pictures. There are a lot of them to choose from...<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p> </p>
One of the cars - a 1955 Oval present at the show and attending for the first time was a blue 1955 Oval. When introduced to the owner I was amazed to hear his claim that he has traveled around the world in his beetle. Best part is that he has been to Pakistan! He has a display of old pictures including one taken somewhere in Baluchistan and another in kabul. Simply amazing!
What do you think are the chances of coming across two beetles in Canada that have been to Pakistan (among other places) and back?
Just took a few pictures of the coverage on CP24 off the TV screen
Billo arrived home on Eid day and was parked in the garage till I could complete the formalities. Any vehicle that is expected to use the public roads in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comCanada</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region> has to display an officially issued licence plate. The licence plates belong to the vehicle owner and not the vehicle. It means that when a vehicle is sold the plates remain with the owner and the new owner either purchases a new set of plates from the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) or uses a set that they had used on another vehicle in the past. The owner has to take his set of registration plates along with a pass certificate of emission testing (also called the Ontario Drive Clean testing) and a certificate of safety testing with proof of insurance to the DMV and the plate can be technically attached to the vehicle. However vehicles of model year 1987 and older are exempt from the emission testing so Billo didnāt have to go thru the procedure. However a vehicle safety certificate was required as it covers the condition of the tyres, head and taillights, indicators, windows and wipers plus the brakes and other bits. Billo passed the safety testing without as much as a hiccup and was legal to be driven anywhere in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region><st1:place>United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=" /><o:p></o:p>By then it was November and we experienced our first snow storm of the yearā¦and we were pounded by snowstorm after snowstorm till we broke all records. I winterized Billo by removing the battery and draining the carburetor. I left just a few litres of fuel in the tank and stuffed rags in the tail pipes and the heater pipes as rats and mice look for such undisturbed locations over the winter months to use as their labour rooms / nursery and I had no intention of allowing such use.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>I did pull Billo out of her dry garage after a particularly heavy snowstorm just to take a few pictures and introduce her to some snow but she was never driven in snow. I am sure she would have been perfectly at ease handling the snow but I am not sure if I wanted to expose her to the salt.<o:p></o:p>
The picture of my run around car and my 7 yr old is just for reference and show how much snow we received that morning
^^^ The Glow of the Art work on these above two pics, stands-out.
@NM: In actual you are portraying the real image of Pakistan -- which most dont.
From You a Bench-Mark for all of us to follow.
God Bless You.
