Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i VolksWorld

“if you’re changing your engine oil or whipping out a spark plug, get the kids involved” My kids love cars, especially old ones. Even my youngest son who’s nine keeps on telling me about what car he’s going to buy when he gets older. It changes all the time of course – at the moment he’s swaying between a Bugatti Veyron and the Capri used in The Professionals. Which got me thinking. Exactly what cars will the younger generation be enthusing over in the decades to come? My offspring are hardly unusual in their fascination with technology and, while they are thankfully far from being glued to their ’phones and computer games, it does play a part in their lives. When the ‘yoof’ of today get together, they’re either chasing…

“my Oval represents a nice, clean and very usable car – which is exactly what I was looking for” Luke Ramsay, 1957 Oval Window Beetle Luke Ramsay’s 1957 Beetle is a relatively recent addition to the UK’s classic Volkswagen population, having been imported from Florida in September 2015. “The Beetle was being offered for sale on ebay and TheSamba.com so I contacted the vendor, who sent me some photos of the car. We subsequently struck a deal and sorted out the shipping,” explains Luke. “The car arrived in the UK at Southampton Docks which is where I collected it from.” Resplendent in the fabulous colour of Coral Red, this Beetle is a real head turner, though Luke says the matching Coral Red interior trim isn’t period correct. Nevertheless, it still…

“the class and visual drama of the Karmann Ghia but the equipment levels of the Porsche 356” Despite its unmistakable Italian influences, instead of coming out of Luigi Segre’s sketchbook, the Ascort was designed by Mirek Craney – a native Czech who boarded a boat destined for Australia in the early 1950s. A long-time car enthusiast, once down under Craney set up business importing plastic manufacturing machinery and VW engine conversion kits, with the aim of combining the two in order to realise his dream of designing and building his own sports car, based on the VW floorpan and running gear. The company he set up to achieve this was Continental Coachworks, and Craney was a pioneer in the use of state-of-the-art glass fibre spraying technology, which offered a faster…

“Martin suggested the pair rebuild the engine in Steve’s 6’ x 5’ garden shed” Martin was the aforementioned brother in law, who has to take the blame, for it was he who had owned a Beetle before, and suggested on that cold night under canvas at a car show in 2012 that they were “easy to restore.” With Steve having spent a fair portion of his life in the army, and therefore not in a position to take on a restoration project, when he was released from duty he was itching to get something underway. By February 2013, after scouring eBay for a few months, he found himself heading to Weston-super-Mare – with Martin in tow for advice – to view the 1967 Beetle you see in the pictures. Now,…

“There’s no getting away from the charm of the metal dash, flat-screen models” It’s no coincidence the Beetle was called the ‘people’s car’ because during its eight decade production lifespan it has remained one of the most loved, and indeed one of the most fun, vehicles you can buy. As it’s enjoyed such a long and glorious history, the hard bit is generalising about the various models. Obviously, there’s a big difference between a Split Window Beetle from the early 1950s and a curved ’screen, MacPherson strut-equipped 1303 Beetle made two decades later. That said, the basic ethos was the same – in other words, an air-cooled engine in the back powering the rear wheels, a platform chassis, bolt-on wings and that wonderfully distinctive, bug-like shape. This guide is geared…

April Schwarzwälder VW-Bus Treffen Date:7-9 April 2017 Location:Kirchzarten, Germany Contact: www.vwbus-team-baden.de Vee Dub Family Birthday Weekender Date:7-9 April 2017 Location:The OakTree Arena, Highbridge, Somerset Contact: weekender@veedubfamily.org Elemental VWShow Date:8 April 2017 Location:CrouchValley Showground, Rayleigh, Essex Contact: www.elementalvw.org.uk Elsecar at the Races Date:9 April 2017 Location:Doncaster Racecourse Contact: www.elsecarattheraces.com CamperFest Date:13-17 April 2017 Location:Chester Racecourse Contact: www.camperfest.co.uk Bus Types VWShow Date:14-16 April 2017 Location:Oswestry Showground, Shropshire Contact: www.bus-types.co.uk Big Bang Camper & Bus Show Date:21-23 April 2017 Location:Santa Pod Raceway, Northants Contact: www.big-bang.co.uk Vintage at Zandvoort Date:21-23 April 2017 Location:Zandvoort, Holland Contact: www.vintage-at-zandvoort.nl VW Tomie Date: 28-April/1 May 2017 Location: Orsett Showground, Essex Contact: www.vw-tomie.co.uk Dubs at the Farm Date: 28-30 April 2017 Location: Woofferton,Ludlow Contact: en-gb.facebook.com/ groups/65385326360 Stanford Hall Date: 30 April 2017 Location: Lutterworth, Leics Contact:…

“The Beetle was catapulted to instant fame” Name the most famous Volkswagen Beetle. Oh, alright, it’s Herbie. But the second most famous one then? You could be forgiven for not immediately knowing LMW 281F – although that registration is rather important – but you’ve probably all seen it, and even have a picture of it. The Beetle in question is a 1968 Lotus White 1500 model and on 1969’s Abbey Road album cover, it is the fifth Beatle. It’s parked by the EMI recording studios in the London street after which the LP was named, where the Fab Four recorded most of their music. In front of it, John, Paul, Ringo and George walk over the pedestrian crossing that has now become such a place of pilgrimage for fans. This…

“I’d been nagging dad for my own car almost since I could talk” Clearly, if your dad drives a seriously cool ’66, 13-window Deluxe Microbus and owns Manflowers Restoration Company, there’s just no way your first car is going to be a Ford Fiesta, or anything Japanese. “Me and my brother, Ben, wanted a Beetle as our first car because we have only ever known VWs,” says Molly Taylor aka Mooks, the daughter of Lee Taylor, the man behind Manflowers. So, being a devoted dad, that’s exactly what he bought his two children five years ago through eBay, for £750. “I’d been nagging dad for my own car almost since I could talk, and he eventually spotted this one for my brother – he’s two years older than me –…

“Heather built up a scrapbook of pictures, gleaned from various magazines, which provided inspiration” Heather Laskey was fortunate to purchase her 1971 Bay Window not too far from her home in October 2011. With her partner, Stu, ‘Ooh’ to his friends, Betty, they looked at a number of other Bays, but this one proved to be the best all-round example. It didn’t require any major body restoration – or so they thought – and the Danbury interior was complete, if not in a perfect state of preservation. Indeed, for the first two years, Heather and Stu drove the wheels off the Bay, attending a huge number of Volkswagen shows in it until October 2013, at which point Heather deemed it time to commence the restoration and rebuild she’d been planning…

Raging Roman From daily driver to radical VW-Pro drag racer, Shaun Hyde’s ’69 Beetle goes back to grass roots goodness Used, not abused Anita Ferrari owns one of the most original 1950s Export Beetles we’ve seen and she’s not afraid to use it Front beam swap We show you how to renew a rusty front beam on a Beetle Highly presentable When your VW buddy offers a deal on a Westy as part of your birthday present it would be rude to turn it down. It turned out to be the gift that kept on giving…

The world’s largest and most respected car manufacturers, including Volkswagen, gathered in February to discuss the future of our hobby. Invited to Paris by the Fédération Internationale des Véhicles Anciens (FIVA), the debate specifically centred on how the industry could make the preservation and enjoyment of classic cars attractive and attainable for young enthusiasts. As well as key representatives from the heritage department at VW, the forum included spokespeople from Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Bugatti, Groupe PSA, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. Said FIVA’s vice president Dr Mario Theissen: “Engaging the interest of the younger generation is crucial to the future of the historic vehicle movement and a vital part of FIVA’s long-term strategy.” The meeting in Paris followed on from discussions organised by FIVA with young enthusiasts last…

“unusual, glass fibre-bodied, Porsche-powered rarity” Ever been to a classic car auction? If you have, you’ll know the pluck needed to raise your hand, and the flush of euphoria if yours is the hand held highest when the hammer falls. Just imagine then what Australian, Jeffrey Sabel, felt when it was his hand in the air at the auction where this ultra rare 1959 Ascort TSV 1300 came up for sale. That was in October 2007, when the car was entered into Shannons Australian International Motor Show Auction, held in Melbourne. Needless to say, it wasn’t Jeff’s first VW – he’d been tweaking Beetles since he was 18, and his daily driver is a Bay Window Single Cab, which doubles up as a mobile billboard for his ‘Banana Boys’…

“I thought having 21 windows would be a pain to cover while camping, and a sunroof in Britain would be useless” Sometimes, owning an air-cooled VW can seem like there’s no time to do much else. In our busy lives, even just driving, maintaining and attending shows in classic VWs can take up all available spare time, yet there are some folk who somehow find they’re able to commit to a second major hobby, too. For Kevin Burns, that other passion is restoring old scooters such as Vespas and Lambrettas, those of the design that look just as cool stood still as they do on the move. It helps that Kevin works as a motorcycle technician, yet somehow he managed to find the time to restore and modify this…

The air-cooled VW scene has its fair share of old duffers. And I should know, because I’m one of them. We all remember the old Actions, Beetling, and the days when you could still buy an oil change gasket from a main dealer parts department. I could bore the pants off just about anyone with my VW-related yarns if they had the patience to listen. Dean Jones, on the other hand, is a member of a new band of energetic, knowledgeable and above all extremely talented air-cooled enthusiasts who hasn’t the time to get buried in nostalgia. Yes, he’s interested in what went before, but he’s too busy running one of the UK’s foremost restoration businesses, located on the outskirts of Baldock in Hertfordshire, to listen for too long. Having…

Beetle interiors can last well, although chances are many will have had a re-trim. This means it’s a case of seeing just how well it’s been done, how good it looks, and deciding how original you need things need to be. Like the exterior, some ageing or patina inside can add character, but too much and it can look like a basket case. Once again, the good news is everything is available, even down to the original style material for the earliest Split Windows, so you could soon have it looking like factory again. Indeed, from replacement seat padding to complete seat cover sets, there’s no limit to what you can do with time and the necessary skills. The hood on the convertible Beetle is a complex affair with a…

JOB INFO TOOLS NEEDED Angle grinder and grinding disc; breaker bar; die grinder; hammer; impact driver; large socket for drifting (30mm+); pliers; pry bar; rubber mallet; safety goggles; screwdrivers; sockets/ spanners 10-19mm; vice; vice grips; volt/multimeter MATERIALS USED Clean cloths; M8 bolt; paper towels TIME TAKEN 8+ hours COST DIY £170-£215 The VW air-cooled engine’s dynamo is effi cient at recharging the battery, but when extra power is required to operate the headlights, indicators, wipers and stereo, then it often struggles to cope, especially if the engine is ticking over. In some situations a better solution is to replace the dynamo with a more modern alternator, which can produce electricity more efficiently and maintain a constant voltage, no matter what the engine is doing. The dynamo on VW air-cooled engines…