What happens when a $300 Volkswagen Beetle at 18 years old turns into a lifelong obsession?

Meet Jason Wharton — better known as JBug — a Volkswagen enthusiast, collector, artist, BMX racer, land surveyor, club founder, husband-to-be, and one of the longtime personalities helping shape the VW community.

In Episode 76 of DubLife Diaries, we sit down with JBug to hear the story behind nearly three decades of Volkswagen obsession. From his first 1969 Beetle in 1995 to owning more than 200 Volkswagens, Jason shares the cars, people, memories, and experiences that made VW culture such a huge part of his life.

We talk about restoring his first Beetle with his dad, growing up around sign painting and art, discovering pinstriping and custom graphics, and how skateboarding, BMX, and Volkswagen culture all became connected along the way.

Jason also takes us through the history of Strictly VW's Auto Club, the club he founded in 1998 that has survived for nearly three decades by keeping things simple: good people, cool cars, and absolutely no unnecessary drama.

And there's plenty more.

We talk about:

• Jason's first Volkswagen and the $300 Beetle that started it all

• Collecting more than 200 Volkswagens

• The cars he wishes he had never sold

• Finding and saving Volkswagens that others had given up on

• Pinstriping, custom graphics, and his work as a licensed Rat Fink artist

• BMX racing, skateboarding, and their connection to VW culture

• Balancing a 25-year career as a land surveyor with his creative pursuits

• The history and philosophy behind Strictly VW's Auto Club

• Building a welcoming, drama-free Volkswagen community

• His eight kids and his family's role in his VW journey

• His upcoming Volkswagen-themed wedding, "Pistons and Rings"

• His current 1964 Single Cab project

• The people who have influenced him throughout the VW community

• His favorite Volkswagen styles and why patina never goes out of style

• What he hopes his legacy will be within the Volkswagen community

This episode is about much more than Volkswagens.

It's about the people behind the cars, the friendships built along the way, and what happens when a passion that starts with one old Beetle becomes a way of life.

If you've ever owned a Volkswagen, raced BMX, built a car, painted a stripe, started a club, or simply found your people through car culture, you're going to want to hear this one.

This is JBug's story.

Welcome to Episode 76 of DubLife Diaries — the VW Lifestyle Podcast.

Follow DubLife Diaries for more conversations with the people who make the Volkswagen community what it is.

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