Preparation

OK, so having spent all my life in Southern California, suddenly I get loaded onto a car transporter and after whizzing through a bunch of new states, I finally wind up in South Florida. Hey I'm 42, in very good shape both on the inside and outside, and I'm not even close to retirement!  What's going on?
My new owners tell me pretty bluntly that I'm to be prepared for a trip that's taking me to China, and then driven pretty aggressively from Peking/Beijing, China to Paris, France by way of Mongolia, Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Austria, and Switzerland!  Say whaaat? I'm still trying to adjust to not being in Southern California! I miss Rod!

Now I learn that, just like my new owners, it's time to get out of my comfort zone!

Firstly, all my interior gets ripped out.  Carpets, insulation, sound deadening, rear seats and panels, headliner, all gone! And more!

A different perspective

Over the course of the following months I endured much reconstructive surgery to transform me into a Peking to Paris rally car. 

For those of you interested in all the gory details, most of my transformation was recorded in my Facebook page.

Almost all work was done by John and Brett Layzell in a residential home garage with limited hand tools. Despite having almost a year for my preparation, I was still being worked on up to 15 minutes before the car carrier came to take me all the way back to California for my sea trip to China.

We wish to thank and acknowledge the following for all their input, advice, suggestions, and support during this preparation period: 
Rod Koch, former Baja 1000 competitor and winner; Dave Staples, Robert McClements and Matt Keeler, former Peking to Paris VW competitors;  Marshall Painter, South Florida VW guru; Eric Small of EES Concepts, welding and fabricating; and Tony Bedford, Chief Encouragement Officer.  

Separately, on the Our Sponsors page we again thank our sponsors for their support.