Utah Crowd-Funding: Saving a Bug | The Salt Lake Tribune

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This week's Utah Crowd-Funding project aims to prolong a bug's life.

The bug in question is Beatrice, an old VW Beetle that Salt Lake City resident Sarah Godette found in an internet ad in May 2013. "There she was on my computer screen calling to me to come get her," Godette wrote. "A few hours later she was mine."

Alas, Godette soon discovered problems with the car, and it has sat idle for nearly a year.

Godette aims to restore Beatrice the Bug, " to maintain the classic feel of the VW Bug while giving her some modern updates that will allow her to last 40 more years."

She has taken her efforts to Kickstarter, aiming to raise $5,000 to restore Beatrice — and, ultimately, fulfill a dream to drive cross-country and make a documentary about her travel and VW lovers' undying affection for the Bug.

The campaign has no backers yet, but Godette is promising perks for those who do before the Sept. 1 deadline. They range from a before-and-after picture postcard (for $25) to a customized shadow box with photos and a discarded piece of the old Beatrice.

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