1980 VOLKSWAGEN DIESEL PICKUP: Independence man rescues, restores truck he ... - Kansas City Star
The 1980 Volkswagen pickup truck is such an unusual vehicle in the eyes of John Lautenschlager that he had the patience to make the one he owns now an award-winner. In the last three years, Lautenschlager has entered his truck in the annual World of Wheels at Bartle Hall and has twice come away with first-place trophies. Probably only Lautenschlager could see the 1980 Volkswagen truck as a prize possession back in 2001 when he first spotted it in Jasper, Texas. Lautenschlager, who lives in Independence, first saw the truck in a parking lot at a store when he was in Jasper, helping his daughter get settled into her career. “I told them if they ever found who owned it and if they want to get rid of it, I would buy it,” Lautenschlager said. Over the next few months, Lautenschlager’s son-in-law negotiated for the truck that was in such poor condition that it would have to be hauled back to Missouri. Lautenschlager has a small photo album detailing the evolution of how his 1980 VW went from looking like a vehicle ready for a junkyard to the way it looks now. For eight years, Lautenschlager painstakingly brought the car back to life. I wanted to do it right,” Lautenschlager said. “The 1980 being the oddball I wanted to make sure I made it a good truck. The moment he saw it, Lautenschlager knew exactly what year it was by the front bumper. Source: www.kansascity.com
