Words & Photos: Gary Rosier
All in the family might be an understatement here. Seems that “Jo-Jo” Allison and her husband Tony have been around the VW craze all their lives. Jo-Jo’s mom owned one when she was a teenager. She also had a boyfriend (Tony) who owned a pink one with which she fell in love. Jo-Jo’s parents ended up buying it from Tony for her 16th birthday!
Tony, as a teenager, also owned various VW’s, but once they were married, the Bugs (five of them!) came and went. The couple were still very passionate about those VW Bugs! Life’s priorities took over most of the time – but finally, after many years of residing in the Pennsylvania area, they had the time and the resources to tackle a new project Bug.
Jo-Jo and Tony Allison of Orlando, Fla. moved here 9 years ago after a lifetime in Penn. Jo-Jo, a medical assistant for 21 years and Tony, an outside salesman for a large trucking firm for 33 years, now own this perfect example of a modified… to their liking… 1971 VW Bug.
Perfect it wasn’t (see pics!). Before the move to Florida, it had sat in a barn for 12 years in California, and somehow made its way to an industrial yard just outside of their home in Pennsylvania. Snow-covered and looking every bit a piece of junk, Tony was able to acquire the car and flatbed it home.
This truly was a family project, as Jo-Jo dove in and helped with many facets of the build. Interior portions, seats, headliner (three times to get it right, she says!) and more were her responsibility. Tony assembled the engine. And yes – they’re STILL married! I guess after 28 years and five Bugs, they’ve found what works!
Jo-Jo likes to refer to her Bug as “Baby Orange.” It’s painted a PPG Burnt Orange in enamel and pinstriped by “Grass” from Lockport, Fla. After four long years, it’s come together nicely. The 1641 cc engine glistens with the EMPI Chrome kit and roars to life, fed through those 40cc dual Weber carbs. It’s no “Baby,” as it flat out screams down the highway with a 3:83 rear gear ratio!
Some of the other goodies include ’71 “Pop-Outs” rear windows, Multi-cross motorcycle mirrors, an EMPI Speed shifter, an old-school roof rack, a Panasonic radio/cd with 15 inch Kicker Woofers and dual amps powered by dual batteries. The suspension is lowered in front two inches by a narrow beam axle with 2.5 inch dropped spindles, steered by that Multi-Cross Sport 15-inch wheel. The rear has been dropped one inch. It rolls on Multi-Cross 15×5 inch rims shod with 155/65R`15’s up front and 185/60R15’s out back.
It has the California style kit front windows (no vents). Other body mods include ’58-’64 turn signals, a ’68 VW front and rear deck lids, but they retained the stock ’71 bumpers.
The family that builds VW’s together stays together I guess, as most would have thought a spouse off their rocker for dragging this bug home. Jo-Jo and Tony have a passion for them, though, and this is one family affair that stays together because they know how to play together!
