PROFILES - OCHO

Vehicle Name: 'Ocho'
Model: Saloon Beetle
Year: 1967
Owner: Emma Dunn-Wyatt

I have been a DAMAGE member since 2009. My first show with the club was Bug Lovin' at the Hop Farm in Kent and I enjoyed meeting the people of DAMAGE so much that I now attend all shows with the club in the UK and Europe, including V-Dub Island!

I got bitten by the VW bug after going to Bug Jam in 2003 with a group of mates. I fell in love with the cars and never looked back. By VW Action 2003 I had my own Beetle who is affectionately known as Ocho, an homage to Herbie, who is nicknamed Ocho by the little Mexican boy who shares his adventure with him.

Ocho is a 1967 Saloon Beetle, he was very standard looking when I bought him and I hadn't changed much on him until this year. He is currently undergoing a little resto project, including a new re-trimmed interior and a classic paint job with a twist. The front will be running a 2" narrowed beam with dropped spindles and the rear dropped by one spline. The engine is a standard 1500, detailed with black paint and a few splashes of chrome here and there.

My most guilty purchase so far has to be the polished Empi 8's that I treated myself to a few years ago, although the current resto is going to be the biggest investment by far.

I do all of my own servicing with the supervision of my boyfriend and have learnt a lot about Volkswagen mechanics from him, he has even taught me to weld!

I have made a lot of new friends since joining DAMAGE and the friends who I first attended the shows with are also part of the club, so combining new and old, with the enjoyment I get from owning Ocho is the perfect recipe. I also co-own a 70 Bay window camper with Mark. This is undergoing a serious resto at the moment. Nothing like taking on 2 projects at once to challenge yourself!