Classic turquoise VW Bus cruising through a festival crowd, full of retro charm and character.

The Long Road to Patience - Owner: Everett Lacy

For many, a classic vehicle is more than just a machine; it is a member of the family that marks the passage of time. For Everett Lacy, the connection to air-cooled culture began long before he could even reach the pedals. Growing up in a household where vintage Volkswagens were a staple of the driveway, he learned the trade through the guidance of his father. "My dad has had me around them since I could hold or hand him tools," Lacy recalls. While the duo spent years restoring his father's 1963 Bug, "Ole Blue," Everett spent his youth dreaming of the day he would finally have a project to call his own.

Vintage VW Bus in a garage before restoration, elevated on stands with wheels removed.

That moment arrived at age 18 when Lacy acquired a 1964 VW Bus. The original vision was a meticulous father-son restoration before Everett headed off to college, but the excitement of the open road proved too strong to ignore. Instead of a ground-up rebuild, they assembled a motor from used parts just to get the Bus roadworthy. "I hadn't fully learned the lesson of her namesake and was too eager to get behind the wheel," Lacy admits. This urgency allowed him to drive the Bus through his senior year and into his university days, creating a rolling collection of memories fueled by a student's budget.

VW Bus being spray-painted inside a garage during the restoration process.

Life with a vintage Bus during college required significant sacrifice and a fair amount of grit. To keep the vehicle alive, Lacy prioritized mechanical parts over personal comforts, often choosing car repairs over everyday essentials. "I ate ramen so I could buy her a starter, and began one semester of my college classes without textbooks so I could pour every spare cent from my summer paycheck into fixing her up," he says. These lean years weren't just about maintenance; they were about transformation. He eventually upgraded from t-shirt-covered seat springs to actual upholstery, allowing him to haul friends on "not-so-comfortable" camping trips and road adventures.

Rebuilt Volkswagen Beetle engine after restoration, showing a clean and detailed engine bay.

The Bus eventually earned the name "Patience," a title that reflects the mechanical and life lessons Lacy gathered over a decade of ownership. As a vehicle that refuses to be rushed, Patience taught him the value of slowing down and appreciating the journey rather than the destination. "She's no speed demon, and she showed me how to slow down on drives," Lacy explains. "She taught me that good things take patience to work on, maintain, and own. More than any skill with a wrench, my air-cooled friend taught me that with a Bus and with life, you need patience."

VW Bus parked in a street scene in the historic town of Makanda, Illinois

After years of heavy use-including a memorable night delivering 17 students to a drive-in and serving as the getaway car at his wedding-the 60-year-old metal began to show its age. In 2020, Lacy and his father took advantage of pandemic-related furloughs to finally give the Bus the professional-grade restoration it deserved. They treated the garage like a full-time job, working eight hours a day for six weeks straight to cut out rust and patch the bodywork. Following months of interior detailing and suspension tuning, Patience finally returned to the pavement in early 2021, emerging with a striking new look in Porsche Grand Prix White and Mint Green.

Rear view of a turquoise and white VW Bus parked on grass in a wooded area.

Today, Patience is a high-performing staple of the local community, appearing at shows, campouts, and even the office parking lot regardless of the weather. Under the decklid sits a 1776cc motor built by the father-son team, featuring an Engle 110 cam and dual 34 Webers that reliably pull 25mpg. For Lacy, the technical specs are impressive, but the sentimental value remains the true engine of the project. "It was a great time working on this with my dad and family," he says. "On all of these miles, there's nothing better than the view through her split-window front end, and I can't wait to have many more hours looking through."

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Two VW Beetles parked facing each other

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