Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i VolksWorld

If you’re fed up with paying for the ferry, or simply want to enjoy a few water-based frolics this year, check out this totally unique Sea Bug, the creation of Australian Paul Greene. Most of the car is glassfibre, all the glass is 6mm thick and hardened and it is scooted along on land and water courtesy of a modified 2.0-litre air-cooled engine. According to the documentary made about it here www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr5oFRvkoy8it has a maximum road speed of 120mph and can do a very respectable 10 knots in the water. It’s for sale at $61,000AUS (£48,823) on TheSamba.com.…

Want to include a new show in your 2018 show agenda? Well, we’d recommend motoring down to Slovenia for Let’s Bug Together in August (14-19). From the pictures we’ve seen, it looks like one hell of a happening – and the weather is likely to be good which helps. The event takes place at Lesce airport near Bled and it is organised by the largest and oldest Beetle club in Slovenia – VW Hrošč klub Slovenija. In previous years the week-long celebration of all things air-cooled usually sees in excess of 250 cars turn out, with at least twice as many visitors, so expect an even bigger attendance for this year’s spectacular. For more info, visit the show website at www.lets-bug-together.com .…

“if you’ve recently acquired or fitted a Volkswagen Type 127 engine, take a while to ponder its past” In a previous Blast from the Past, we looked at some of the weird and wonderful locations that Volkswagen’s flat-four engine has been shoehorned into. These include gliders, tractors, bikes, dragsters, buses – the big, public service kind, not just Type 2s – snowmobiles, snowploughs and ski-lifts. Then there have been compressors, boats, hovercraft, aeroplanes and even one madcap scheme for a car that could both fly AND float. However, that never came to fruition… we can’t imagine why. Such air-cooled antics were possible because, from 1950 to 1991, Volkswagen made industrial variants of its engines, for slotting into things that weren’t Beetle or Bus-shaped. It was, after all, a motor with…

“it was crashed, rusty and the chassis was toast” Rhys Maskell (Bahama Blue ’66) and Lee Morris (Jungle Green ’56) are dedicated VW enthusiasts that love to drive the wheels off their VWs and never seem to miss a UK VW show. Almost without fail, we bump into these guys at everything from local club meetings right through to the big summer festivals – they really do get about! And, whilst they look rough and ratty, beneath the skin, they’re both well-sorted cars. Rhys explained, “I bought my ’66 as a total basket case – it was crashed, rusty and the chassis was toast.” He went on to explain that the Bug had been a local car for many years, yet had been involved in a fairly serious accident back…

“More than 20k people pass through the spacious halls” The weekend of 17-19 November 2017 marked the date of the immense Jogja Volkswagen Festival in Indonesia, which is certainly one of the most exciting events in the global VW calendar. This was actually the third biennial gathering, and definitely the biggest and best yet with visitors from more countries than ever gathering to check out some of the fabulous VWs that make up the colourful and oh-so-innovative Indonesian VW scene. The Jogja Expo Centre is located in the heart of Yogyakarta (which is one of the largest cities on the island of Java in Indonesia), and became the destination for VW fans from many Asian territories (such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and The Philippines). In fact, this year saw…

“The father and son duo faced seemingly insurmountable problems, including running out of fuel and Francis being sick every few minutes” At this time of year, the thoughts of many enthusiasts who enjoy seeing cars blasting through mud, fog and other assorted winter hazards turn to rallying and its rich and abundant air-cooled entries from the past. The Lombard RAC Rally, held as per usual at the back end of 1992, was of particular interest to VW enthusiasts. Richard Tuthill, 17-year-old son of well-known VW specialist and rally driver Francis, had learned enough of the necessary skills from his father to enter a Beetle in the prestigious event. “What?” I hear you cry, “surely Beetle homologation expired in 1983, when the last Beetle to compete, the 1302S of Ernst Harrach,…

January Camper Mart Date: 14 Jan 2018 Location: International Centre, Telford Contact: www.campermart.co.uk February DubFreeze Date:17-18 Feb 2018 Location:Bingley Hall, Stafford Contact: www.dubfreeze.co.uk March Freddy Files Date:11 March 2018 Location:Ninove, Belgium Contact:freddyfiles2017.skynetblogs.be TheVolksworldShow Date:24-25 Mar 2018 Location:Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey Contact: www.volksworldshows.com Camperfest Date:29 March-1 April 2018 Location:Chester Racecourse Contact: www.camperfest.co.uk April Elemental VWShow Date:7 April 2018 Location:Crouch ValleyShowground, Essex Contact: www.elementalvw.org.uk Elsecar Date:15 April 2018 Location:Doncaster Racecourse Contact: www.elsecarattheraces.com World of Air Date:15 April 2018 Location:Olen, Belgium Contact: www.worldofair.be Big Bang Date:27-29 April 2018 Location:Santa Pod Raceway Contact: www.big-bang.co.uk May The Only Meet is Essex Date:4-7 May 2018 Location:Orsett Showground RM16 3JU Contact: www.vw-tomie.co.uk Stanford Hall Date:6 May 2018 Location:Lutterworth, Leicestershire Contact: www.stanfordhallvw.com Vanwest Date:11-13 May 2018 Location:Burnham on Sea, Somerset Contact: www.vanwest.co.uk InternationalBuggy Treffen Date:18-21 May 2018…

“it doesn’t run out of revs until 127mph” The way this 1961 Beetle came about is a tale of different people all being in the right place, at the right time. James Dore was looking for an old Beetle, just as Pete Roberts of Funkenblitz heard of one for sale. A perfect engine for the car then appeared right on cue. Much later when James had to sell it, current owner Phil Collingwood just happened to see the Beetle – right at the point he was ready to buy it. Let’s start at the beginning with James. “I was always into Beetles,” says James, “there was a peppermint green ’67 with a nitrous 2007cc on the cover of the December 1989 VolksWorld, I was 11 and from that moment on…

“It was so bad I actually put it back on eBay” When Yolande Green was 17, her very first car was a 1972 Beetle. She ran it for 11 years before selling it for a Camper which she used for holidaying in Devon. Ah, yes, we all need the occasional break so years later, when husband Pete suggested they take an all-inclusive holiday, staying at a nice villa in the sun, you’d think it would have been greeted with whoops of delight. But shocked by the cost, Yolande came up with a much better idea. Why not put that money towards a campervan instead? Those halcyon days spent in Devon with her last Bay were indelibly etched in her psyche and it would be lovely to repeat the experience with…

Dream Doka Sarah Broadway’s 1961 Double Crew Cab was once used and abused delivering potatoes, until it underwent a major rebuild into the Doka she’s always dreamed of Drag Notch This frankly mental creation will take some beating, literally Need a hitch? We show you how to fit a handy detachable tow bar Everyday showcar This glistening ’67 Ghia boasts everyday driveability Don’t miss it!…

Every week we hear of another classic Dub being snatched, and with rising values there’s even more incentive for criminals to target classic VWs. Of course there’s lots you can do to reduce the risk of your car being stolen, such as fitting a pedal box lock, alarm, cut-off switch or immobiliser. But in truth, there’s no sure-fire way of preventing thieves having a go – so it’s a case of taking as many precautions as possible, fitting a combination of devices, to make your car more difficult to steal. What seems to offer the most effective means of defence though, according to new findings from the West Midlands Police, are Thatcham approved steering locks which cover the entire steering wheel. Such a device effectively immobilises the vehicle – if…

“I’ve had to save and work favours to get it done” James King, 1971 Baja Project Baja began eight years ago when James from New Skelton in Cleveland swapped his Astra van for a Beetle. “It was metallic purple, had Porsche seats and was pretty crusty to be honest when I got it,” he smiles. James fitted disc brakes at the front and give it a funky, home-brew Cadbury’s chocolate paint job, but when the windscreen started to creak over speed bumps, he realised it was time for a more serious resto. Lots of welding was involved and, as James had always hankered after a bug eye Baja, he purchased a kit for suitably low money and got busy with an angle grinder. “I cut the rear wings to my…

“Lee wanted something usable for weekends that’d also hold its own at shows” ‘Not all heroes wear capes.’ That’s a pretty common meme on the internet these days; a wry statement to accompany images of anything from pizza delivery guys with a towering stack of 15 boxes, to a hand passing a loo roll under the cubicle door in time of need. Heroic actions exist in the everyday, but let’s not diminish the true nature of the hero. It’s a big word, and in the case of Darryn Coleman, it’s a full-on planet-saving level of superhero prowess in all aspects bar the actual cape. His business, DC Customs, harnesses the cartoonish mystique of the DC Comics empire and swoops to the rescue of those in need… and in the case…

Brighton Breeze 2017 was the 20th London to Brighton fun run and the first with me at the helm. The day started at 6am on the seafront with traders arriving to set up shop. By then the weather was already flexing its muscles and the wind was blowing a gale – perfect for kite surfing, but not great for a seafront VW show. Once the traders were set up (and strapped down) we prepared for cars to arrive. Over the years the run has evolved and adapted to the beautiful setting but it is incredibly tight on space. In order to prioritise the best spot for the run participants, all early arrivals are parked from Dukes mount towards the Marina. The run left Epsom at 8am and by 9.30am the…

There’s nothing that lets the front of a car down like doggy headlamps. Our ’67 1500 was a prime example; with rusted internals and grimy headlamp rims covered in overspray, things weren’t looking too sharp. Moreover, if the reflectors are badly rusted it will affect the performance of your headlamps which, let’s face it, aren’t that powerful to begin with on a six-volt sloping headlamp Beetle To make them look smart again and help us see where we’re going we decided it was a good time to carry out some resto work in the warmth of the living room. 01 REMOVE HEADLAMPS Leave the adjustment screws alone for now and just undo the large screw at the bottom of the headlamp rim. It may be prudent to spray with a…