Restoration of 1966 Beetle a tribute to lost war hero
Abbotsford resident Walter Altenmueller made a pilgrimage of sorts recently, attending a classic Volkswagen car show in San Jose, California with his freshly restored 1966 VW 1300 Beetle. The car is better than new.
The sentiment behind the restoration and trip down the coast is a compelling story. Walter grew up in Palo Alto, where his father worked at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center as a nuclear physicist. Their neighbours were Latvian immigrants who had a daughter, Kristine — the best friend of Walter’s sister — and a son with a new 1966 Volkswagen.
“A year after he got the car, he took us to visit Kristine’s godparents in Santa Rosa and I was very impressed with the VW,” Walter recalls.
Janis Rubenis, the VW owner who went by the name John, would get a business degree from the University of Southern California and left his Volkswagen at his family home when he joined the U.S. Air Force. He conducted numerous combat missions in Vietnam as a highly decorated F4 fighter pilot. He ejected from a burning fighter plane and earned medals for bravery, including one of the highest flying awards. After service in Vietnam, he moved to Texas to train fighter pilots.
On Oct. 28, 1977, Rubenis was found shot dead outside his Austin apartment, wearing his uniform and carrying the keys to his Chevrolet Chevette, which was nearby. Police believe robbery was the motive, as a gunman confronted him as he left for work at 7:15 a.m. But the 36-year-old never-married fighter pilot was still carrying his wallet. Despite more than 40 years passing, the crime has never been solved.
His family kept the Volkswagen in memory of Janis Rubenis and used it occasionally before leaving it parked on the driveway for more than 10 years.
Meanwhile, Walter Altenmueller moved to Abbotsford with his family in 1968. He went to college in California and would often visit the Rubenis family and ride in the Volkswagen. His sister kept up her friendship with Kristine Rubenis. The subject of the old VW came up while Kristine was attending Walter’s nephew’s wedding in the Vancouver area four years ago. Yes, she would sell her late-brother’s car to Walter.
The $1,000 price was paid and Walter picked the car up in a trailer and brought it to Canada. It was in sad shape, with a smashed right front fender, bent bumper and rust in the usual places. Abbotsford restorer Gary Loewen was contracted for the rebuild.
“It was supposed to be done in eight months, but it was a lot rougher than what I had thought and it took three-and-a-half years,” Walter says.
The VW was disassembled, parts bagged and labelled to be renewed before reassembly. The entire platform was sandblasted and then powder coated. Walter helped take the car apart, completed some of the reassembly and installed the new wiring.
“The only thing that wasn’t rebuilt was the transmission and that was a mistake. It leaks and will have to be rebuilt and that involves taking the engine back out,” he says.
When the dust settled, the restoration cost double the $20,000 estimate. But the restoration is undeniably over-the-top in the original pearl white offset by a red interior — just the way the car was delivered new to Janis Rubenis on July 9, 1966.
“It’s a sad story and the only way I would spend that kind of money is that the car is close to my heart,” Walter says with emotion, before adding, “I did this for the Rubenis family.”
While in California to attend the VW show, he took Kristine Rubenis for a ride through their old neighbourhood in Palo Alto.
“We visited the places we knew while growing up and saw the houses we lived in.”
At the show, he displayed the VW with a two-page story on the car’s original owner and his tragic end.
“It is a tribute to John and his family. I think he would be pleased.”
Alyn Edwards is a classic car enthusiast and partner in Peak Communicators, a Vancouver-based public relations company. aedwards@peakco.com